Our 2018 cross country issue includes stories about the historic Burke Lake course, schedule building, managing extracurriculars with running, West Springfield coach Chris Pellegrini and more! Click through to read the magazine online. This will, however, be our last print edition because we are going online only from here on!
Dorothy Beal didn’t know quite how important running would be to her.
Not only has the 36-year-old run 36 marathons in 15 years, but she has turned the hobby into a blog and social media campaign that inspires runners and promotes a positive body image — and turned the ventures into a business and brand that reaches thousands.
The Leesburg mother of three ranks on “must follow” social media lists for runners and reaches thousands through her blog as well as on Instagram and Twitter through her “Mile Posts” and “I Have A Runner’s Body” accounts. She recently reached 100K instances where “#ihavearunnersbody” was tagged on Instagram. Her Mile Posts account chronicles much of her life and running journey; I Have a Runner’s Body is more of a body positivity account showcasing runners of all shapes, sizes and abilities.
But running hadn’t always been a part of her life.
Look to the left, then to the right.
Everyone on this starting line started crawling and somehow ended up here, in a pair of spikes.
Some found their niche after trying other sports. Others found their identity as a runner in their parents or siblings’ path. A few became runners out of dumb luck.
When I was your age, they would say we could become front runners or kickers, that is to say, you could be a runner since you could walk, or you just took it up a few years ago.
Today, what I’m saying to you is, when you’re facing a loaded starter’s pistol – what’s the difference?
- Police patrols have increased and overgrown trees have been trimmed around the Metropolitan Branch Trail following two August evening attacks on the trail by groups of assailants.
The Washington Post reports a runner was punched in the face Aug. 15 and surrounded by five suspects, who took the runner’s phone. On Aug. 11, four robbers, one with a knife, surrounded the victim, taking a phone and $30.
Both incidents occurred at the north end of the trail before it reaches Edgewood Street NE, near the Dew Drop Inn, and both happened around 8:45 p.m.
- WTOP reports that a man attempted to abduct a woman running on a trail near 8351 Stonewall Road in Manassas Aug. 18 at 9:38 a.m.
Name: Aaron Richards
Self-described age group: Late 20’s
Residence: Springfield
Occupation: Defense contractor
Volunteer roles in the running world: I volunteer as a coach for Saturday morning runs with the National Capital Area Chapter’s Team In Training group.
Why you run: Because it’s a great way to challenge myself. I saw running as a punishment when I played baseball and basketball in high school and college. Now I find running as a way to compete with others, better myself, and find time to unwind after a stressful day. I also run because not everyone has the luxury of being able to wake up every day and go for a run. I want to take advantage of that gift before I’m too old.
Grab the tortillas but hold the sour cream — Washington, D.C. is getting its first taco mile.
Organized by November Project DC, and in partnership with the D.C. Parks and Recreation Department, the Aug. 26 taco mile challenges runners to eat tacos before running a quarter mile. And then again. And then again… And then again. It’s an all-ages alternative to a beer mile, one that can be sanctioned on public property but still tests runners’ digestive discipline.
Participants can choose their own running-and-taco adventure. The Fast Taco Mile challenges runners to eat a taco and run a lap, repeating the process three times. Although runners are racing the clock, it may feel more like racing their stomachs. They can opt to run four laps and eat a taco, completing the Fun Taco Mile. There is also a family-friendly race open to strollers and runners of all ages. District Taco will furnish the food, with other support from Shake Shack.
“Every now and then you need something refreshing, something more interesting and will bring out a unique and niche crowd,” said Jason Millison, interim communications director for the parks department.
Little Bennett Regional Park in Clarksburg is the largest park in Montgomery County, encompassing over 3,700 acres of Maryland wilderness. The good news for runners is that this green space also boasts approximately 25 miles of trails, all of which have natural surfaces. Countless loops and out-and-backs make Little Bennett the perfect place to get lost on a weekend when trail running is on your schedule.
In addition, you won’t have to compete with mountain bikers, because they’re not permitted on any of these trails. Horseback riders, however, do frequent some parts of the park, so it’s best to use caution when approaching.
The loop outlined below provides a small sampling of what the park has to offer, including thick wooded forests, brilliant meadows, vibrant streams and boggy wetlands.
Right when the meaty part of Fall marathon training starts, D.C.’s primary long run route continues to be a challenge. “The Big Loop,” the popular 20-mile route carrying runner around the Capital Crescent and Georgetown Branch trails to Rock Creek Park’s Beach Drive is still compromised, though in new ways.
The Georgetown Branch Trail remains closed during construction of the Purple Line. The Beach Drive rebuilding project has moved north, closing most of the 2.7 miles between the Maryland state line and Joyce Road. And now the Zoo loop, the roughly half-mile trail circumnavigating the Beach Drive tunnel, is apparently in danger of falling into the creek following heavy rains and erosion, so pedestrians and cyclists are forced to share a five-foot-wide sidewalk, feet from automobile traffic.
RunWashington offers a few alternative 20-mile runs, along with alterations in case you want to run to the loops but not go too far. None of them are out-and-backs, because face it, anyone can do that.
