Where I Run and Why

Where and when do you run?  Do you run down the most famous eight acres of open space in the world (if you don't subscribe to the notion that New York City's Central Park is the focal point of the world)?

Three times a week I run four to five miles with my co-workers and friends Lola and Rhonda down the National Mall during our lunch break, urging each other on to break nine-minute miles.  We come close usually, I'm always lagging, and I always pay homage to good fortune that I am running with smart and good looking athletes that hang with me and conduct interesting conversations even while I'm dragging because I'm so out of shape.

We run by the Capitol, the Carousel, Washington, World War Two, World War One and sometimes go all the way past Korea and around Lincoln when we're firing on all cylinders.  Hallowed monuments all, we take them for granted as we dodge tourists galore and strain as we cap off our runs with a slog up the unrelenting third of a mile pitched incline of The Hill.

Crowning Capitol Hill each of those three lunch hours per week defines a successful work day for me (I do plenty of other stuff the rest of the work day).  How about you?