I wake up early three mornings a week so that I can go for a
run before I get ready and head to work. When my alarm goes off at 6:21am (and
then again nine minutes later after I have hit “snooze” once), I am always
tempted to stay in bed and sleep a little longer. But then I think about how it’s
not going to be every day that I am going to get to run around the Supreme
Court, the Library of Congress, and the Capitol down to the National Mall. So I
get up and put my running shoes on and run. Normally I run around the Capitol and about a third of the way down the Mall. I have taken advantage of a couple Saturday mornings to venture to the White House or to the monuments and memorials. I feel so fortunate that I have had so many opportunities to run around one of the coolest cities in the world. Here are some things I have observed and learned.
1. This was mainly an issue when we first arrived
at the beginning of May. Herds of eighth graders invade DC in the spring. They
all wear matching neon shirts. They’re loud. And they don’t even try to get out
of your way when twelve of them are walking in a pack and taking up the entire
sidewalk.
2. It can in fact be disgustingly hot and humid at
6:30 in the morning.
3. Capitol Hill police officers do not give a hoot
about jaywalking. Or jayrunning.
4. Everybody and their dog runs in DC. Seriously.
Runners galore.
5. The really cool fountain on the Senate side of
the Capitol is beautiful and well-placed. Sometimes you need to stop and take a
quick drink of water. Because…
6. they’re not kidding when they talk about “The
Hill.” That incline is no joke, especially at the end of your run. But it’s
Capitol Hill so you suck it up and keep running because it’s awesome.
By Anne Fyffe
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