Race for World Peace 5K

An overcast, humid morning with expectations of rain greeted NORSA members Steven S and Emily, who had eaten at Matchbox in DC with friends the night before. They had enough time for breakfast before taking the metro to make the 9:00 start time of the inaugural Race for World Peace 5K.  Since Steven had picked up the race packets the day before, they already had bibs and timing chips. They warmed up and headed to the starting line with a group of Emily's friends from work who were also running.

The race started promptly at 9:00 AM near the Foggy Bottom metro station and the course headed down to Constitution via 19th St, then made a loop on Pennsylvania and returned on the same route.  The runners finished with an uphill stretch on 19th St between the 4 and 5 km mark, with the final few hundred meters on I st NW.   The fellow who won the race is from Ethiopia.  Since the times were chip-computed, the local running report noted that he established the event record at 15 minutes and 10 seconds.

After the race, a dance troupe performed on a stage set up for the accompanying festival for world peace.  Bananas, granola bars, and water were provided also - the usual post-race shenanigans that follow most road-running races.

Bike DC 2009

Saturday, October 17, 2009 - On a morning when bicycle advocacy overruled common sense, hundreds of cyclists braved 40 degree and rainy weather to participate in Bike DC 2009. The annual community bike ride offers a unique opportunity to ride on car-free streets in DC and northern Virginia. The WABA event has been around for several years and similar events are held in Portland and Chicago.

Bike DC 2009 offered two routes, a 25-mile ride starting at 8AM and a 12-mile ride starting at 9AM.  From the starting line at 9th and Constitution NW, riders headed toward the US Capitol to warm up, then turned around to come back west, eventually passing Embassy Row and the National Cathedral, then taking the Whitehurst Freeway to the Key Bridge and into Virginia.  From there they went north for a few miles on the GW Parkway, then south again to the Jefferson Davis Highway, with stops at the Marine Corps and Air Force Memorials. Volunteers waited throughout the course to give directions and even had stations for snack and bathroom breaks. The 12 mile ride skipped the sections on Massachusetts Avenue and the GW Parkway. Both routes ended at 20th street in Crystal City.

Bike DC is a rain or shine event. The complete lack of shine limited Team NORSA participation to Steven S only. Due to viral-like symptoms suffered earlier in the week, Steven opted for the 12-mile route. With wind pants, a hooded shell, gore-tex gloves, and various fleece articles, the weather was not as big an obstacle as in previous  NORSA bike n' brews.  Steven also made a riding partner by starting at the same time as Annie W, a local teacher training for a trip on the C&O Canal.  A relatively new cyclist, Annie nevertheless showed potential for all-weather elite status.  The two completed the loop by taking the Mount Vernon Trail from Crystal City to the 14th Street Bridge and finishing back at the National Mall.  The Solar Decathlon was in full swing despite the irony of the slogan "powered by the sun."

In all, hundreds, if not the thousands predicted, showed up for the ride. Even in bad weather, riding on traffic-free roads brings a certain serenity that only comes once a year.

Giant Acorn 2009

I competed in the Giant Acorn International Triathlon on Saturday, October 3, 2009. I previously competed in the Giant Acorn Sprint in 2006 and 2008. Since this race was double the length of the Sprint, it made up for missing the Sprint in 2007.

The addition of an international-distance (aka Olympic) race proved to be immensely popular. 295 men and 165 women competed in the event, which helped ease registration on the Sprint, which was held on Sunday. In previous years, the Sprint has sold out months in advance of the race. This year, the Sprint still sold out, but only weeks ahead of the race.

The swim course for the International was at the southern end of Lake Anna in Bumpass, VA. It took swimmers around a grassy peninsula, which allowed spectators to see the entire swim from one point. The bike was 2 laps of the Sprint course. This was helpful because bikers could memorize the course their first time around.

The run was on a different road from previous years. It was hillier and even included an off-road portion through the woods. My swim and bike times were on par with my performance at the Nation’s Triathlon; however, the hilly run seemed to take its toll. I finished the race in 2:47:08, which was good enough to place 167 of 295 men, and 23 of 34 in my Age Group. All in all, it was a good time. Enjoy the photos.