16 Miles in South East

A week ago yesterday, I did 16.3 miles in SE DC and PG County with a couple of friends. I'm not sure either one is still talking to me.

I’m adventurous. At least once a year I like to do a long run in SE along the back half of the course of the first National Marathon. I didn’t run that inaugural race but I paced a friend through its last six miles, along some hugely rolling topography that I call the seven hills of hell. I admire her for finishing that marathon upon encountering that stretch.

Since abandoned, that part of the course snaked through SE DC and Prince Georges County (MD), over some serious hills and past some terrible urban blight. Nobody, especially irate, delayed motorists, was happy with that part of the course. They don’t see a lot of runners over there. As in, maybe, none.

After being a slacker all summer, traveling by boat down the Grand Canyon for a week and then running short distances with 10Kers in training, I wanted to see if I had a base of 16 miles. I asked Emily and Sasha, both fellow coaches in the training program I administer for my running club, to come along.

We set off on our 16.2 mile run from MP 10 of the old course, on the north side of the John Philip Sousa Bridge over the Anacostia, and ran into SE where we turned up Minnesota Avenue. Our first uphill started there, a gentle incline up to Fort Dupont. A detour into that park picked up a hill going in and coming back out, and was the only naturally scenic part of the run. Otherwise, the run was in a concrete jungle on a highway wasteland. Broken glass and other rubbish littered the ground everywhere.

Mounting a severe hill once out of the park, we entered PG County. Attaining Pennsylvania Avenue again, we ran east for miles on a four lane divided highway that passed apartment complexes that inexplicably bore signs proclaiming "Breathtaking Views."

"Maybe they mean the view is so bad it leaves you breathless," muttered Emily as she surveyed the endless procession of cars whizzing by us on the barren expanse of blacktop we were running on.

I missed our turn to the north. Apparently the road I was looking for changes its name a short ways before it cuts across Pennsylvania Avenue out there.

I soon could tell we were lost, miles from the District. I discussed with the others how we could cut north to Central Avenue and hit a Metro Station and hop aboard a train to return to the District. I had brought fare cards, just in case. Both my companions were looking more than dubious. They were looking pissed.

We asked for directions and got some wild suggestions about where to go. Everyone was really polite but nobody seemed to know much about the roadways other than from a driving perspective. Since I had run over there at least twice before, I had a vague idea of where to go. Finally we hit upon the road I was looking for and made our way up to Central Avenue, over near FedEx Field.

Turning west, we headed back towards the District, running on the narrow shoulder of the busy four lane highway filled with tailgaters heading out well before eleven a.m. to the Redskins game. Several honked at us to get out of the way. I guess they were worried that we might delay for a few seconds their arrival hours early at an empty parking. Less drinking time, you know. Or maybe they were already drunk. We sure didn’t see any other runners over there during the entire three hours.

We ran by the last Metro Station 14 miles into our trip. The hills out there were just as hellacious as I remembered, but soon RFK Stadium hove into view. We ran under a highway overpass, across the Anacostia again and gratefully pulled up at RFK, footsore after running 16.3 miles in 2:52:59 (10:37).

Man that run sucked! Running over there is always an adventure. But I know two friends who aren’t running in SE with me ever again.

The Other PG County

Woo hoo. The Bowie Baysox win again!

Saturday night I attended a Bowie Baysox Double A minor league game at Prince George’s Stadium. They are an Orioles’ affiliate.

You wouldn’t know you were in PG County out there in the country between the Beltway and Annapolis. The PG County I know is an area next to SE that I run in occasionally. It’s an area of either urban blight or suburban isolation. It does have good hills though.

I try to run it in tandem with another runner because seeing another runner is rare over there. As in, I have never seen another runner over there, except for during the one race I attended in PG County.

That was the inaugural version of the National Marathon, which partially went through that part of PG County. The irate, put-upon commuters, outraged at the traffic back-up caused by the race, yelled imprecations at practically every runner going by. No mas. The National Marathon is now safely ensconced within the four borders of the District.

But PG Stadium is a pleasant place. Built in 1994, it is modern, comfortable and spacious. Like most minor league parks, it has ample open-air concourse space in which to freely roam, which also affords good views of the action on the diamond from anywhere within the park.

The ballclub provides silly on-field contests between every inning, such as having children line up with their foreheads on the end of an upright baseball bat, spinning around it fifteen times and then dizzily trying to race to home plate. A spectacle for sure. Or "sumo wrestling" in which people in bloated latex body suits run and bump into each other in a contest of three falls. That is a particular crowd favorite.

The distance down either line is a short 305 feet, but a respectable 405 feet to dead center. Out beyond the foul pole in right is a carousel that children can ride for free during the game.

The night I went, there were several women stars of the female baseball leagues of yore holding autograph sessions, with long lines of signature seekers. It was also fireworks night. This post-game exhibit just over the centerfield fence was long, sustained, noisy and spectacular. Afterwards, they turned the lights back on and let the kids run the bases on the field. All this for just $9 a ticket for general admission.

Oh yeah, there was also a baseball game. The home team won 7-4 after falling behind to the Binghamton Mets 4-0. It was their sixth straight win. Break ‘em up!

The big Bowie Baysox first baseman, Luis Jimenez, single-handedly got his team even by clouting a three run homer in the fourth, his 16th, and then drawing a bases-loaded walk the next inning for his 58th RBI of the year. He has his own particular ritual before every at-bat. Step back, breathe deeply, bow head, be still for a moment, step in, wave bat one-handedly, grab crotch with the other, take a practice swing, and wag the bat in circles high overhead while awaiting the delivery. His routine never varied. He also made a sparkling double play in the field, fielding a sharp grounder next to the bag, throwing down to second to force a runner there and then taking the return throw to put out the batter.

Oh yeah, it was a lot of fun.