The Rock N Roll USA Marathon released its course map today and since I have several friends running this race, I spent the evening putting together an awesome spectator plan.

My goal with this plan was to make sure I could see my friends in as many places as possible.

Assuming the metro cooperates this plan lets me see them at five spots on the course and again at the finish line.

I thought I'd share my awesome spectator plan in case anyone else is looking for an easy way to see your runners at a lot of different places.


Jess' Ultimate Spectator Plan for the Rock N Roll USA Marathon:

Cheer Point #1: Farragut West Metro Station between miles 5 and 6

From there walk to Farragut North Metro Station. Take the Red line in the direction of Glenmont. Metro to Union Station, walk quickly to cheer point #2 (about a 15 minute walk)

Cheer Point #2: Intersection of K and North Capitol Sts. NW between miles 10 and 11

Walk back to Union Station very, very fast (again about a 15 minute walk)

Optional Cheer Point #1: Union Station near mile 14 (This will depend on if the metro is majorly delayed and how fast the runners are going. If there are major delays on metro or your runners are moving fast, skip this cheer point and immediately move to either optional cheer point #2 or cheer point #3)

Take the Red line in the direction of Shady Grove from Union Station to Gallery Place. Switch to Green line in the direction of Branch Avenue. Metro to Waterfront- SEU. Walk to either Optional Cheer Point #2 (5 min walk) or Cheer Point #3 (10 min walk)

Optional Cheer Point #2: M and Maine Sts. SW. between miles 16 and 17 (This again depends on how fast the runners are going and how fast metro is going. If there's time for this cheer point, simply walk very quickly from here to cheer point three - 15 min walk)

Cheer Point #3: M and Sout Capitol Sts SE near mile 19

Walk to Waterfront-SEU metro station (10 min walk) or Navy Yard metro station (5 min walk). Take Green line in the direction of Greenbelt to L'Enfant Plaza. Transfer to Orange or Blue lines in the direction of New Carrollton or Largo to Stadium Armory. Walk to finish line. (15 min walk)

And just like that you will have had a chance to see your runners at a lot of different places and get back to the finish line in time to meet up with them.

If you're running the Rock N Roll USA Marathon or Half Marathon feel free to share this spectating plan with your friends and family. Trust me, they'll appreciate not having to put their own plan together.

And if you're running keep an eye out for me. I'll be at all the places listed here (except maybe the optional ones, though I'm going to try), and I'll be bringing back the "You Run Better Than Metro" sign that was such a hit at the Marine Corp Marathon!

Winter is being a tease throwing us some beautiful spring-like days at the beginning of February. I know eventually we'll get yanked back into normal winter temperatures, but for now I'm taking advantage of the gorgeous weather to get in some great runs.


I was lucky enough to be working from home yesterday, so I used my lunch break to get a nice hour long run in.

I had planned to just do a short three miler, but the weather was so nice, I wasn't ready to go back home yet.

I felt great until mile 4 and then my body remembered it hadn't run more than four miles in a long, long time.

I took it easy for parts of mile five and mixed in some walk breaks, which must have been just the break I needed because mile six was awesome.

In total, I knocked out six miles in 58 minutes or so. Certainly not record speeds, but yesterday, I wasn't focused on speed. I just wanted to be out there running and enjoying the weather.

I do wish I would have carried some water with me though. I couldn't believe how hot I got after just a few miles.


Here's hoping the groundhog sees his shadow  doesn't see his shadow (I always get confused. Thanks for the catch Mom!) and these spring-like temperatures stick around for good!

I'm always amazed at just how much I want to run when I physically can't.

Like last week, when I was sick and laid up in bed, all I wanted to do was be outside doing something active. I was dying to put on my sneakers and go for a run or take advantage of the beautiful weather and get in a bike ride.

The fact that I was stuck in the house made me cranky and irritable.

But when I'm perfectly healthy and could physically tackle a bike ride or a run without a problem, I don't have that burning desire to get outside.

All of a sudden it's too easy for me to fill my schedule with other things, stay up too late and make myself too exhausted to function, and just in general take for granted the fact that I could running.

Why is that?

Why can't I have that same burning desire to run when I'm feeling healthy. Why, when everything is going well and I should be hitting my workouts without a problem, does my motivation tank?

I finally got out for my first run in a while this week and boy did it feel good. The run wasn't fast and it was only a three miler, but I appreciated that my body was up and moving. And the endorphins kept pumping long after I got home.

It felt awesome to be moving again.

I need to try harder to remember that feeling and I need to keep reminding myself to take advantage of the days when I'm healthy to do something I love. There will come a time when I'm sick or injured and can't workout, so I need to remember to embrace the days when I can.

As winter winds down and my training plan is about to start up, I'm hoping it will be easier to do that.