DMV NY's Eve Century Bike Tour

We are planning for one last event to ring out the decade.  Huray! No, it's not another painful marathon.  It's a century!  Why not end this fantastic decade by riding 100 fabulous miles. How are we going to do it?  By riding 4 loops of the new and symbolic 25 mile DMV loop.  The route will be similar to the Christmas Day Marathon, encompassing DC, Maryland and Virginia and doing a complete loop around the Potomac.

Want to save your legs for NY's eve dancing?  No sweat. You have the option of stopping and resting after each loop or quiting altogether.


Loops:

• The first loop will start at 6:00 to end around 8:30. 
• We will break for 30 mins and go again and end around 11:30.  
• We will take an hour lunch break and start the third loop at around 12:30.  We hope to finish the third loop by 3:00.  
• Finally the 4th loop will start around 3:30 to end at 6:00.  

Will we see NY's Eve Festivities?
While riding through Old Town, we will ride through King Street and see the beginnings of First Night Alexandria.

DC: We will stop and see the National Christmas Tree one final time before they take it down for the year.

MD: We will get a chance to see the setup for the NY's Eve festivities at Gaylord Resort in National Harbor.

Expected Pace: 8-10 mph

Here is the DMV loop.

Weather: Cloudy. Highs will be in the upper 40's and we are not expecting high winds.  Looks like a great day to ride 100 miles.

Why I Ran 26 Miles on Christmas Day

Christmas came early to me in the form of a nice surprise -- a call from a friend I haven't seen or heard from in nearly 20 years.  We had gone to school together at Florida and her call from Shanghai was absolutely the right wake-up call I needed to jumpstart my day.  I needed to run, but life is not always on a time table.  No one was waiting for me and the race would start when life was ready for me to begin.

A call home to Mom to wish her well with her big dinner at home.  A call to my son and I wished he was home with me instead.  And then I was off to the National Christmas Tree to start my momentous run.

Christmas Day Marathon Run -- Still On

 This is the new DMV Loop that is exactly 26.2 miles.

Snow or shine, I am still planning on kicking off my Christmas Day Marathon Run tomorrow in front of the National Christmas Tree at 9:30 AM.

O Holy Night -- Reflections of Christmas

Maggie Contreras said it best: "If you are going to be in DC, for Christmas, you have to see the the National Christmas Tree.  Otherwise, it's like rejecting Christmas, if you don't go visit it."

I know a lot of people who've been hear for years and have never visited the tree. So if you have never seen the tree, please go visit it.  It doesn't matter how cold it is.  The tree is magical and you could meet amazing people there. And there's something traditional about the trains that brings out the child in you. It surely did for me.

It doesn't matter where in the US you are from. Every state and territory has its own mini tree.  And if you're not from the US, the tree will have a special meaning to you.

Meanwhile, Amy  expressed her views on Christmas succinctly: Christmas is about sharing the idea of love and giving worldwide.  We should see other people as ourselves. We should set everything aside and love everyone unconditionally.

And the biggest miracle of them all: To Pepe, it was the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell.  To him, it was the most perfect Christmas present of all.

Meanwhile soprano prodigy, Jackie Evancho, wows us with her classical crossover, "Oh Holy Night."

Stand Up Paddle "Stand by Me"

"Stand by Me" written by Ben E. Kingperfectly captures my love and passion for this new found sport. . King was a master of sudsy metaphors that paints a lovely picture of Love that know no bounds.  And John Lennon simply sings it best.


I made this video to depict the exhilaration and excitement of stand up paddle boarding.

Christmas Day Marathon

So what do you do on Christmas Day after all the presents have been opened?  Well if the relatives are in town, you may want to go for a run -- a long run, that is.

If your family or significant other will let you go for several hours, you are cordially invited to participate in the first (annual) Christmas Day Marathon.

We are starting at 9:00 AM on Constitution Avenue, just north of the Washington Monument and south of the National Christmas Tree (Rain, Snow, Sleet or Shine)

The route will then take you to the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree before heading southeast towards Anacostia.

This will be the first true DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia) marathon.

I will stage minimal aid along the way at Mile 4 (Congress Heights) and Mile 13 (National Harbor).  At National Harbor, we will take pictures in front of the 65-foot Christmas Tree made of synthetic "candy" glass.


 This is the new DMV Loop that is exactly 26.2 miles. It starts and ends at the Washington Monument.

The route relies heavily on bike and running trails and only about 5% of it is on busy streets.

We then cross the WW Bridge and stop in Old Town to view their Christmas tree and decoration near the Torpedo Factory.  Then it's a 10 mile run back towards the National Christmas Tree.

Since it's a Holy Day, we will not be breaking any speed records. We're going to take our time, enjoy, work off the egg nog and pumpkin pie and everyone we run into say "Happy Holidays."

Please contact me if you are seriously interested or seriously insane.  (Don't just show up without contacting me first, so we can plan accordingly)

This event is free, but you have to (BYOA) bring your own aid.

Routes used:

1. Anacostia Park

2. Suitland Parkway

3. Oxon Run Trail

4. Oxon Hill Bike Trail

5. National Harbor/Woodrow Wilson

6. Mount Vernon Trail

This marathon loop crosses three bridges:

1. Frederick Douglas (Nationals Park to Anacostia)

2. Woodrow Wilson (National Harbor to Alexandria)

3. Memorial (Arlington to National Mall)

It finishes with one loop around Hains Point to finish at the Washington Monument to reach exactly 26.2 miles.  The majority of the course is very scenic especially along Oxon Hill Trail (wild deer and turkeys)

The only major traffic lights you will encounter are those along Independence Ave and on Suitland Parkway and Stanton Rd in SE.

Big Bear Bike Sale for Charities

Today I bought a bike, no actually two, and the proceeds, all 100% of it goes to charities!

The first is a Bianchi Mountain bike for an amazing $190. With this bike, I can use as a commuter and even take it with me to NYC on the Bolt Bus.  Lots of people know Bianchi for the road bikes, but they may not be aware that Bianchi was one of the first mountain bike designers.  In 1915, Edoardo Bianchi manufactured a mountain bike in support of the Army Alpine Corps of Italy.

The second bike, a vintage Cannondale aluminum racer for a very good price. I was very glad to know that the money I paid will go to ship donated bikes to Ghana.

Once the bikes arrive in country, the locals work on reconditioning the bikes, creating jobs and taking full ownership and pride in their work.

Now, youths throughout Africa and South and Central America are provided with affordable bicycles for personal transport to work, school and health services.

Since 2005, more than 41,000 bikes have been shipped to countries throughout rural parts of Africa, central America, Haiti and even Afghanistan.

The bikes are used by the indigent as well as by aid workers. Like Nick Colombo said "It's like giving them a car." What a wonderful cause!

Early December Paddle: Georgetown to Navy Yard

  

Early Dec stand-up paddle in majestic Potomac and historic Anacostia from Georgetown to Navy Yard. Filmed with Casio EXILM EX-G1. Board is NSP 11'
Synched to U2's "One."

Although it was a bitter, cold day, best for watching football and beers, I truly enjoyed every second of this invigorating SUP.

DC, MD, VA (DMV) Marathon Loop

 This is the new DMV Loop that is exactly 26.2 miles.

It starts and stops at the Washington Monument.

The route relies heavily on bike and running trails and only about 5% of it is on busy streets.