HM Recap: Navy-Air Force Half, Washington, DC, September 20, 2015

Cheerfulness is the best promoter of health and is as friendly to the mind as to the body. ~Joseph Addison

Wow! Whether for a half marathon or for a work conference (as I was just a few months ago), DC is a remarkably tourist friendly destination. Saturday's only obligation was to pick up my race packet. The rest of the day was spent site-seeing--visits to Arlington National Cemetery and the Holocaust Memorial Museum.

The blessing of good race day weather continued. At race start, the temp was around 70 with a slight breeze and overcast. The course, which went from Washington Monument to East Potomac Park to Smithsonian National Zoological Park (nearly) and back to Washington Monument, was slightly hilly, with more gradual downhills than anything else. There were 7,088 runners, many either in the military or with a military affiliation. The national anthem and opening comments were special in comparison to other races; there was courtesy and respect among the runners like I hadn't previously experienced. Also, during the race, and with the large quantity of runners, there was a refreshing observance of runner's etiquette.

Official time: 2:32:39. Overall: 4419/7088, Gender: 2210/3017, Division: 143/217
RunKeeper time: 2:29:04. RunKeeper distance: 13.51.
(At the start, the porta-potty-to-runner ratio wasn't good. A stop at about the 5-mile mark cost me on my official time. Why did I have that extra half cup of coffee at IHOP before the race?)

Highlights of Washington, DC:

• Traveling by Metro - daily passes were well worth the cost, saved a lot of time and money for getting around town
• Staying at Westin Arlington Gateway - conveniently located near Metro station and lots of restaurants
• Big Buns - interesting burger joint, great truffle fries, though not such great buns
• Seeing the changing of the guard and wreath ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery Tomb of the Unknowns - silent, reverent honor for servicemen and women
• Touring the exhibits at the Holocaust Memorial Museum - the horror of this reality is beyond words, left me in tears

Check out the cool finisher medals (plane spins on vertical axis):