Running the Army 10 Miler

October 12th I completed my 14th race of 2014 - the Army 10 Miler in Washington, DC. I ran this race with my longtime friend Robb, fellow Badass Babe Tammie and her friend Laura. We had a great race, with great weather, beautiful sights and wonderful company along the route.

I wish we weren't such rule followers and had brought our phones with us on the race - I would have selfied like no one's ever selfied before - such hot military men all over this race course! It certainly gave a whole new meaning to race bunny. And running the monuments was pretty amazing too. But without stopping for photos (really without stopping at all along the course except for walking the water breaks) I finished this race in 1:43:06. Roughly the same pace as my half marathon, which I'm proud of since I had just ran that race two weeks prior.

At the encouragement of several DC friends I made this race into a much needed long weekend, spending a few days before the race to take in the sites, catch up with friends and eat some amazing meals besides just work. And we did just that.

On Thursday Marcus helped me put work on hold for a little while to see and visit the floor of the US House of Representatives, the Speaker's Balcony, the US Senate chambers and gallery, and the Reading Room of the Library of Congress. I also perused through the First Ladies Archives and visited Julia Child's kitchen at the Smithsonian. On Friday we took the elevator to the top of the Washington Monument with Robb, walked through the Newsium (cried through the 9/11 exhibit in the Newsium), and picked up our race bibs for the Army 10 Miler.

 

View from the Speaker's Balcony

Thomas Jefferson's Library at the Library of Congress

halls of the US Senate

View from the top of the Washington Monument

Robb and Marcus take in the sites

Julia Child's kitchen

9/11 memorial at the Newsium

I had my beloved Pi pizza (despite it being a "chain" - apparently blasphemy in Robb's eyes) where I got my gluten and dairy free pizza, we ate heavenly food at Mike Isabella's restaurant Kapnos, ate a pre-race meal at American Tavern with Tammie and Laura, and got drinks with Marcus and Sarah at POV at the top of the W hotel. And before the weekend was up, I saw Evita on stage of the Kennedy Center Opera House with Marcus, Robb and Matt.

 POV

My pizza's better of course

 

Phew! I'm exhausted just thinking about it! But it was a wonderful few days in a city I love, with people I love even more, and I couldn't have been happier for my final race of the year to include a restful and relaxing (and a little working) long weekend. Can't wait to do the Army 10 Miler in 2015 - with headphones and music and cell phone cameras, of course.