five-miles at five a.m. 08/17/11
This morning I ran five-miles on the National Mall in Washington, DC. Since I’m used to running in a perfect climate, I decided to try and beat the heat and humidity and get in my run before sunrise. Whoa, even at 5a. it’s still miserable running in the heat. Today’s run was a good reminder of the importance of gear — like electrolyte water and a fuel belt which I did not bring with me (I had to make due with water fountains).
Despite the heat, it was an amazing run that I won’t soon forget.
It was extremely peaceful with few distractions and quite interesting as a flood of memories from the near decade I spent in Washington joined me for the journey.
A few memories worth jotting down:
- Playing softball with my colleagues from Capitol Hill on the mall;
- Those hot summer nights when we watched movies organized by the good folks at “Screen on the Green,” and coincidently where I first saw Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and then subsequently came to realize just how true that movie was;
- The Washington Monument which continues to be inspiring, beautiful and the one touristy thing I never experienced;
- A little island in Constitution Gardens that I always enjoyed;
- The World War II Memorial that reminded me of my late Grandpa and how much I still miss him;
- The US Capitol where I had the privilege of serving a US Senator and Member of Congress; and
- The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden where I came to appreciate and love artists like Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, and Alexander Calder.
As I concluded the run I realized how much running is an important part of my life and how difficult it would be to stick with in such a humid climate. It was also a realization that Washington, DC, despite how much I love my friends, colleagues, and clients, is no longer my home.
Instead Washington will forever be a nice place to visit and reflect on the moments I had here during a five-mile run around the National Mall.
