Today I spent most the day out of my office and in meetings, far from having a regular routine.  I took the Metromix team out to lunch at Lia’s in Chevy Chase, and we spent the afternoon talking about plans for the second year of the site.  Now that it’s been a year since launch, we discussed overall strategies on what works and what we can do better.  We had one of our best months in July, and we’re excited to see growth.  These guys are so passionate about Metromix, and I’m very proud of their work ethic and dedication to making it the premiere restaurant and events site for Washington, DC (shameless plug).

The word is spreading in the office about my marathon training, thanks to Facebook updates which link back to this site.  I’m trying not to overdo it, but it’s rewarding knowing others are supportive.  Even my boss asked me how I enjoyed running and recommended I check out the C&O Canal Towpath, which runs 185 miles along the Potomac River, from Washington, DC to Cumberland Maryland.

Since I was out of the office, I didn’t drink a single ounce of my gallon of water.  It’s still sitting in the fridge.  The only drink I had was the diet soda at lunch.  So, I was dehydrated leading up to my run.

Then the frustration of finding a parking space ensued.  I spent 15 minutes driving in crazy eights, stalking people who were walking to their cars, only to find 3 other cars waiting ahead of me.  It’s funny in our society how turning on your blinker means you own a parking space.  Would there be a fight if someone took a spot without blinking first?  So, I drove off in frustration and parked at the Bethesda Pool, which is further down the trail (and free).

I ran my 3 miles, thinking I was going to run much faster, and I actually did. I was :30/min faster than yesterday.  So far in my training, I haven’t stopped to walk once, even on inclines.  The weather was perfect for a run with the dark clouded sky dropping temps. I’m looking forward to a day of rest after three back-to-back runs, but I’m already getting nervous about the 8-miler on Saturday.

Here’s the latest from the Zappos guy I’m following as he trains for the Las Vegas Marathon.

New las Vegas marathon followers on Twitter:
@benjizimmerman
@Artie26pt2

Summary:

Location: Capital Crescent Trail, Bethesda, MD
Conditions: Cooler, dark clouds, 73
Goal: 3 miles
Results: 3 miles
Time: 36:14
Pace: 12:05/mile
Total Training Miles to Date: 11
Click here to view my complete training schedule

Thoughts:
I should not have let my gallon of water go.  At least the past couple hours before my run I should have chugged some juice.

What I’ll remember most:
How refreshing that pool looked after the run! I walked around it, and checked out membership plans, but I don’t think I’ll ever join.  Not when I have a pool at my apartment.