It's February, the dead of winter, which also happens to be when I make a trek to our nation's capital each year to meet on behalf of my workplace with legislators that represent our district in D.C. Been doing it for years, and it's helped yield some tremendous opportunities for Middlesex Community College over time. This year included meetings and conversations with most members of the Massachusetts delegation. Fingers crossed, we'll be able to identify some new funding sources for programs at MCC in the not-too-distant future.
But as regular readers of this blog knows, a trip to Washington also provides me with an opportunity to log some mileage on some of my favorite running courses in the United States.
The busy schedule on the Hill means an early bell for the runs, but truth be told, the early starts also help provide a peaceful and very introspective feeling to the runs, as the pathways aren't packed yet with the bustling crowds that will overtake most of the monuments that line the National Mall during the later hours. Sure, the temps are a bit chillier, but it's a give-and-take. The ability to run unimpeded by crowds enhances the overall experience. And bonus - NO SNOW!
Anytime I'm out there and see folks taking selfies or splitting camera duties as they take pics of one another at the sights, I always volunteer to take their pic as a whole group. And in turn, they capture an obligatory shot of me running with some of the inspirational tributes to our nation in the background.
D.C. has my favorite architecture in the U.S. of A. (See: Supreme Court, Capitol, etc.)
But peppered throughout the city are literally HUNDREDS of statues and tributes to some of the greats of our history. Seriously - does ANYONE know how many statues and monuments the city actually boasts?
For example, Mahatma Gandhi.
"It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver."
Or the Andrew Jackson equestrian statue in front of the White House, which you can't even get near anymore, thanks to the chain link fences which push you back nearly a football field away from the White House fence.
"Heaven will be no heaven to me if I do not meet my wife there." - Andrew Jackson
Around the other side of the White House, a distant view from the other side of the Ellipse.
Love this solitary white mulberry tree aside the Washington Monument.
According to historical records, the tree's been there for more than a century. It first shows up in pictures somewhere around 1910 or so. It features prominently in a famous 1969 photo of an anti-Vietnam March on the monument grounds.
Me, I just like it because it stands out so starkly against the otherwise empty horizon.
As you can see, the crowds cheering me on for my morning run were huge. Bigly, in fact. Right up there with Dr. King's I Have a Dream speech crowd. Or even Forrest Gump's anti-war protest speech.
I was waiting for Steve Rogers to run past shouting "On your left," but it wasn't meant to be.
I owe it to my dad to stop by the Korean Conflict monument every time I pass through the Mall. I thank him for his service each and every time.
Then the apex of the run, a quick jaunt up the steps to pay homage to our 16th President.
"No Days Off" - Abraham Lincoln
Over to the Vietnam Wall, with a quick stop at the Three Soldiers, by sculptor Frederick Hart.
"I see the wall as a kind of ocean, a sea of sacrifice that is overwhelming and nearly incomprehensible in the sweep of names. I place these figures upon the shore of that sea, gazing upon it, standing vigil before it, reflecting the human face of it, the human heart." - Frederick Hart
A sobering moment at the wall itself. A Valentine delivered 50 years later to a fallen soldier.
Heading back to the hotel, with a pass by Albert Einstein.
"Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving." - Albert E.
The Gate that started all the other Gates to follow. The original itself, Watergate.
Running the Rock Creek Parkway, home beneath a seemingly endless array of bridges, of which this was one of the more interesting. Turns out its the Dumbarton Bridge, connecting Dupont Circle and Georgetown. Named after a town in Scotland. Go figure!
I followed the pathways to the William Taft Bridge, which led me back not only to my hotel - but BONUS - a Dunkin Donuts, to provide me with my morning cup of Joe to start the day off on the right feet! Iced, no less!
On to the Hill! (Just lots of walking to be done there, alas, no more running.)
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