Thursday, October 23, 2008

MCM

Here are some details for this weekend's Marine Corps Marathon. If you've never been, it is a huge event. 25,000 people come to run this race and it attracts no pros. I just took a look at the course map, and I was amazed to see how much it's changed since I used to go down to it in college. That said, here is our team for MCM:

Kris Simms
David Ploskonka
Alyssa Godesky
Jeff Rumbaugh
Travis Warren?

The new route seems to be fairly fan friendly, with the ability to spot runners in numerous locations. Since I'm looking to run about 12 miles prior to my race next weekend, I am thinking about picking up a runner around mile 10, and going until just about 20 with them, before trying to head across the bridge at a half mile to go. I've got to check the Metro, but blue/orange lines take you in and out of VA.

Here is a map of the course. Think the race starts at 8am possibly, which means just after 9 that runners will be rolling through 10 miles. Therefore I'd like to leave Baltimore by 7, park and then figure out where we're going. If you would like to travel, I believe it is me, Arjun and Chrissie, maybe Ben? for right now.

Also, here is a sweet thing for you to NOT WATCH AT WORK. I'm serious. But it's funny. Watch it quick, apparently it keeps getting taken down.

9 comments:

brennan said...

Wasn't sure which post to put this under, but I'm planning on going down to DC to watch/run as well...so count me in; I can drive as well if need be.
As for Saturday, I've got a football game until 11:45ish at Patterson Park, but would be up for going to College Park after that...

RM said...

Word. I think we'll be good in one car unless a sixth person comes.

Saturday shouldn't be a problem to leave at that time, I'll probably squeeze in a little ride in the am anyway.

gladfelter said...

I was planning to go cheer on MCM too - sorry, I make a 6th wheel but can drive too.

RM said...

Joel you'll only be 6 if Ben's coming, and I can't remember if he's planning on it or not. We'll discuss tonight.

///MM said...

Yellow can get you from just south of the mall to the pentagon/pentagon city/crystal city.

The crystal city - pentagon section of the course is boring and lonely, plus it's prime-time for runners to crash (22-25mi) so if you want to really help someone out, head over there.

RM said...

As I look at this elevation chart, it really looks like some serious Alps/Pyrennes climbing in the first 8 miles with a nasty drop from 160ft to 0ft over the next two. It doesn't tell you the whole story though because I know that running up and behind the Capitol is tough at that point in the race.

So maybe what we do is park, take the Metro down to Rosslyn, spectate just after Mile 1 and then again at Mile 4. Take Metro back across to Foggy Bottom, spot Mile 9. Take Foggy Bottom to Smithsonian or L'Enfant, and pick up any one of a number of miles. We could pick up the whole Mall loop from 15 on, or walk across the mall to like 17.5 and go from there, or wait for the return and head back in from 19.

Also we could go to the Zoo or a museum after if anyone is interested.

gladfelter said...

I get lost in DC, so I'm playing follow the leader

Ben said...

i'm in too. so, it looks like we'll have to take two cars. i would offer, but the wife has to use our car for a concert. see you tomorrow!

RM said...

No worries.

Ben, Arjun, Brennan, Chrissie, Barf, myself.

This will work out well I feel. We could even do the following, but it would require us to rely much more on Metro for the day:

Drive to College Park, sparing us from having to drive into DC and deal with parking. Since I was probably going to get one of their little Metro weekend $5 passes (at least I think it's still $5) we could ride Green Line to Yellow, and hop on and off where we please.

Then we just pick up the Metro on the way out and ride it back to College Park.

Just a thought.