State Number 23 - Runners Marathon of Reston

State Number 23 – Runners Marathon of Reston,

Reston, VA

 10 April 2016

 

Paper or plastic?  Over the past few years, this has become California’s eternal question.  Other states may face similar impasses; but in my personal opinion, I prefer plastic.

In the context of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), Public Resources Code §21000 et seq., the term “fair argument” is a legal standard for reviewing the appropriateness of a negative declaration as opposed to an environmental impact report (EIR).

We, as grocery shoppers, contend with the question of whether to use paper or plastic bags at the check-out stand.  California’s Supreme Court has ruled in Save the Plastic Bag Coalition v. City of Manhattan Beach that an EIR is not required as a condition precedent to local ordinances prohibiting plastic bags, throwing out the “fair argument” standard required of CEQA.

The troubling aspect of the decision was the Court’s conclusions concerning the potential impacts caused by increased paper bag use, i.e., air emissions, pollutant discharges, increased tree harvesting and increased landfill impacts.  In my professional opinion, the ramifications of this decision may confuse more than resolve the “fair argument” standard.

Putting aside CEQA law, in my opinion, it can be “fairly argued” that the Runners Marathon of Reston can be somewhat of a challenge to most runners, and the quality and organization of this event could be considered second to none with the nicest bunch of people you could ever meet.

Three hours after we left the friendly snow covered confines of the Garden Spot Village Marathon in New Holland, PA, we arrived at Reston’s South Lakes High School in time for packet pick-up and the pre-race pasta dinner.  The snow had disappeared not long after we left New Holland, so winter-like travel was no longer an issue.  The most direct route to Reston was via U.S. 30 and U.S. 15 through Gettysburg, Emmitsburg, Frederick, Point of Rocks and Leesburg. 

While riding in a shuttle van on my way to Dulles International Airport (IAD) from FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute in Emmitsburg in 2007, the Point of Rocks historical landmark piqued my interest as I rode by.  Since that time, I wanted to see what was actually there and what made the area a historical landmark.  Nine years later, I was afforded that opportunity so I made it a point to stop to see what the significance of that historical area was about.

The weather wasn’t very cooperative as we approached northern Virginia.  Remnants of the clipper that blew through New Holland earlier in the day were still apparent.  The skies were colored various shades of gray with a light precipitation permeating the cold damp air.  The boat launch ramp was empty and only two vehicles were parked at opposite ends of the parking lot with the leafless deciduous trees signifying spring had not arrived, contrary to what the calendar said.  Perhaps some adventurous souls were taking in the sights, but the thought of hiking around in the not-so-favorable environment didn’t appeal to me.  Besides, due to time limitations at the expo and navigating through the metro D.C. traffic, we didn’t have a whole lot of time to spare.

From what I read on the information sign, Point of Rocks is a narrow passage in the Potomac on the Maryland-Virginia state line that sparked a violent legal battle between a canal company and the B&O Railroad over who had control of the passage during the early 1800s.  The multitudes of legal disputes over the years finally lead to a compromise between the two transportation companies and allowed both to build on the right-of-way through the passage with a wall separating the two so trains would not frighten the mules as they pulled the canal boats up the river.

We arrived at Reston’s South Lakes High School about fifty minutes later.  The rain had stopped after the cold front moved through.  The northwesterly breezes had picked up which made for some bone chilling weather, but Sunday’s forecast called for clear sunny skies, with sub-freezing overnight temperatures.  I can handle the cold, but did not want any snow as in New Holland.

South Lakes High School appeared to have gone through a fairly recent renovation and served as the official start and finish lines.  The contemporary décor and style created a modern and attractive campus.  The school’s interior and the indoor cafeteria area reminded me of the 1985 movie The Breakfast Club.  Immediately entering through the hallway doors, various display cabinets on each side of the hallway caught my eye.  One, in particular, displayed memorabilia from alumnus and former Olympic runner Alan Webb who holds the high school record for the one mile run, clocking in at an impressive 3:53.43.

The cafeteria functioned as the venue for the pre-race pasta dinner and race packet pick-up, which was super easy and quick.  As part of each goody bag, participants received a ticket entitling them for a complimentary pasta meal.  There weren’t any vendors in the traditional sense, but various running merchandise was made available from the marathon sponsor, Reston Runners.

As we picked up our bibs, a note was stapled to them indicating we were one of the participants who traveled the greatest distance and were eligible for a prize after completing the marathon with one caveat, if the runner from Washington State failed to show, we were deemed the winner.  I guess we were the “runners-up.”  The note indicated we traveled 2283 miles as the crow flies; I suppose Washington is a little more distant.  The red race tech shirts were of a simple, yet classy design displaying the marathon’s logo in the upper left quadrant. 

After our pasta dinner, the Courtyard Herndon Reston was our next last stop for the day to clean up and get some much needed rest after a hard day’s running in the snow.  We arranged our wet clothes and shoes over chairs and around the heater to dry avoiding the likelihood of mold and mildew spoiling our clothes.

The cloudless nighttime skies enhanced the radiational cooling as a natural way of maintaining Earth’s energy balance.  The light winds and dry air were the direct cause of Sunday morning’s sub-freezing temperatures.  We dressed in our cold weather gear and were equipped to take on the challenge of another 26.2 miles.

The outside air was cold and crisp.  Race and school officials deserve bonus points for allowing runners to hang-out inside the school to stay warm, have some warm drinks, munch on snack foods, and to use the indoor restroom facilities with minimal wait times before heading out to the east parking lot to the race start.

When it was time to head outside, a race official called for everyone to follow the lady holding a large “FOLLOW ME” sign over her head.  I thought it was a clever idea as she was there to lead runners to the start line from the school’s cafeteria.  What I found interesting is that she was holding the sign facing the wrong direction.  The sign’s message was visible from the front, not from the back where lined up runners could see.  It was synonymous to a pilot car leading vehicles through a construction zone.  Maybe next time the message could be printed on the front and back sides so everyone can see.  I know, a trivial thing.

Approximately 500 enthusiastic runners from around the country lined up at the start.  This marathon is put on by runners for runners, so one can assume that there are fast runners competing in this race.  Given that I ran the previous day, I counted on being in the upper quartile of runners.  I was there for a good time, so my finish time was unimportant, as long as it was under five hours, however.

I overheard others who have run this race before that it was a challenging two-loop course (half marathoners making one loop) with plenty of rolling hills balanced between bike paths and city streets.  I was excited for the challenge that was presented before me.  After the air horn sounded, we were off. 

Surprisingly, I was feeling pretty good at the start.  Immediately after leaving the school grounds and onto South Lakes Drive, the road grade changed from flat to a slight incline on Ridge Heights Road.  For the first 3.5 miles, I maintained a steady 9:30 pace trying not to fatigue myself any more that what I was. 

Just prior to Marathon Mile 4, the route departed off Twin Branches Road and onto the Turquoise Trail, a very scenic and tranquil paved biking/pedestrian trail through wooded areas and creeks.  At the trail’s entrance, just atop a steep downhill grade, was a man providing a variety of entertainment and support for all the runners who passed by.  He asked me if I was in need of a pizza and that he would have one for me on the next loop.  Of course, a steep downhill grade comes with the price of a steep uphill grade.  It wasn’t bad at first, but I knew that I would be walking on the second loop.

The next mile and a half was very peaceful.  All I could hear were the birds singing in the wooded area, runner’s footsteps and casual conversations among runners.  Near Marathon Mile 4 I passed by a deer feeding on some sapling leaves just off the paved trail.  He seemed content on eating his breakfast with no desire to be afraid of the runners.  Frankly, I was envious of the residents of Reston who have such great places for training and recreation.

Turquoise Trail

I was beginning to notice the bill of my cap was falling into my face.  As I reached up to adjust the bill, “sweat” ice had formed and small icicles formed as the sweat dripped off the bill and froze.

Just after Marathon Mile 5, the trail joined Lawyers Road for another 1.25 miles only to break off back to the Turquoise Trail.  The rolling hills on this section of trail proved to be somewhat of a challenge. 

Runners then had to share city streets once again for a slight detour to a turn-around at Marathon Mile 7.5.  Then once again back on the trail for the next 3.5 miles with several rolling hills and steep inclines.  The trail was quite curvy, so I cut each of the tangents and ran close to the chords as much as possible.

Around Marathon Mile 11.5, runners joined South Lakes Drive for a slight downhill grade sweeping back around the high school and once again onto Ridge Heights Road.  At that point, I upped my pace to around 8:30 per mile.  This was the beginning of the second loop as the half marathoners broke off to the left back to the school’s stadium track to the finish.  My half marathon time was clocked in at 2:11:59.

The beginning of the second loop started pretty much the same as the first loop.  I was surprised I didn’t tire as much as I had expected, but I still had thirteen miles left.  The temperatures were rising, but still somewhat cold, but I didn’t have icicles dangling off my bill anymore.  My gloves came off and I was beginning to get hot.

The man at the start of the Turquoise Trail was still there motivating everyone who passed by.  I asked if he had the pizza he promised.  He quickly informed me that it smelled so good, he ate it and had nothing left but the greasy box. 

Bridge on Turquoise Trail

As I predicted, I walked the steep hill once back on the trail.  I began to tire after Marathon Mile 17 and the rolling hills took its toll on my energy level.

The last hill came just after Marathon Mile 23.  I picked up some food energy and a cup of Gatorade and started walking up the hill.  I was so fatigued, the thought of running up that hill, as I did on the first lap, was an ominous chore.  A volunteer at the food station encouraged me to run and didn’t want to see me walk and made that very clear.  So, I mustered up the energy to run, which made her happy.  However, as the trail wound through some trees and out of sight of the aid station, the running ended and I proceeded to walk back up to South Lakes Drive for the final downhill stretch to the school.  She said she didn’t want to “see” me walking.

I was on par to break the five hour mark and barring any unforeseen circumstance, I predicted my time to be around 4:45.  There weren’t many runners left on the course and I was pretty much on my own.  I figured I was at the back of the pack, but I wasn’t too troubled by that fact.  As I made the final turn into the school grounds, I saw the stadium track and suddenly gained enough steam to pick up my pace.

It was an exhilarating feeling to enter the track where Alan Webb broke the high school mile record.  I had to make nearly one lap around the track to the finish, but not at Alan’s blistering pace.  I positioned myself in the inside lane and picked up the pace as much as I could to finish strong in a time of 4:47:23 with a 10:59 per mile pace.

Age graded time: 4:18:09

Age graded score: 49.13%

After receiving my finisher’s medal and catching my breath for a moment, I proceeded up a nearby flight of stairs, ugh, and to the school cafeteria where I found my wife talking with a fellow marathoner while finishing up her post-race sandwich.  She was surprised I finished so soon.  I grabbed a sandwich wrap, a drink and some amazing baked goods for a great post-race lunch.  The spacious area of the cafeteria gave me the opportunity to relax and stay warm while conversing with other runners.  All the while, stiffening up which made walking to the car a little more difficult.



Winner's Mug

Before we left the cafeteria, we checked with a race official if we indeed won the prize for traveling the greatest distance.  It turned out that the Washington runner either did not show or did not claim the prize.  So, we each were handed a coffee mug printed with the Reston Runners logo.  A nice souvenir from a great marathon.



My rest break didn’t last long as we needed to get back to the hotel to shower and check-out.  Prior to checking in, we requested, and were granted, a late check-out because of the marathon.  However; as my wife went to the room while I checked out, the room key did not work.  I figured that the desk clerk didn’t program the card to account for the late check-out.  So, I received a new key and went back to the room to open the door.  Actually, what had happened was my wife went to the wrong floor and tried to open the wrong door.  The key actually did work.  Oh well, we were tired and really needed a shower.

After we showered, packed up and vacated the room, we drove over to Santini’s New York Deli on Baron Cameron Avenue for another lunch.  The décor was much like a sports bar with multiple TVs showing different sports games and seemed to be a popular spot for locals.

I had a Philly cheese steak and my wife had a slice of pizza and a hamburger.  Of course, my cheese steak sandwich was delicious and hot.  My wife said the pizza was good, but the hamburger was nothing out of the ordinary.

It was time to hit the road again with a 35-mile drive down the Fairfax County Parkway to the Mt. Vernon estate of President Washington situated along the banks of the Potomac River.  My last visit to Mt, Vernon was in 1977 as part of my Boy Scout Jamboree trip.  For some reason I don’t remember, a tour of the mansion wasn’t possible then, but we were able to walk the grounds.

Author at Mt. Vernon

The tour of the mansion was a lot different than what I had expected.  I envisioned large rooms, studies, libraries, servant’s quarters and parlors.  Instead, the rooms were quite small with intricate details and designs.  Also, the many bedrooms served as guest rooms for those who would drop by on a whim for the night or just to talk with the president.

Lastly, as we walked the guided pathway, we came up to George and Martha’s tomb.  It was a time to pay our respects to one of the founding fathers of our country, a Revolutionary War general, a Master Mason who set some of the District of Columbia’s famous building cornerstones, and a land surveyor who partitioned large portions of Virginia.

The surveyor display in the visitor center was my attention grabber.  I have been a practicing civil engineer for nearly 25 years and rely on the principles of land surveying as an integral part of my profession.  George was an avid professional land surveyor and learned the craft at a very young age, so viewing the old instruments he employed in his work and map making was a treat.  What a significant difference from the total stations and GPS technology surveyors use today.



Early surveyor tools

Visiting Mt. Vernon was a remarkable experience.  I was fascinated with the mansion tour and walking the estate’s grounds and humbled just how hard life was in the late 1700s and made me reflect upon the things that we Americans take for granted. 

We are truly fortunate to live in such a beautiful and free country, so why are we so unsatisfied and ungrateful?  In today’s mad world, we take for granted cell phones, 24/7 markets, fast food, cars, paved roads, electricity, friends, family, our job, and running hot water just to name a few.  We need to be more cognitive of the fact to appreciate the things you have before the time comes that will make you appreciate the things you once had.  If we weren’t so reliant on entitlements and work hard for what we have, we could be better off as a society.

The day was ending soon and we still needed to drive back to Baltimore for an early morning flight back to LAX.  On the way up George Washington Parkway, we stopped by the George Washington Masonic National Memorial in Alexandria.  I once visited the memorial in 1986 and found it to be a great place to learn about the various branches of freemasonry and the many artifacts from Washington’s days as a freemason in Fredericksburg Lodge No. 4, AF&AM.  The time was after 1700 hours, so it was unfortunate a tour was not possible.



Washington's tomb

George as early surveyor

With daylight waning, we made our way back onto the Capital Beltway, I-495, to the Baltimore-Washington Parkway which led us directly to our hotel, the Springhill Suites BWI an hour and a half later.

As we drove into the parking lot, a large bus was parked in the portico as baseball players from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore were arriving after their game with Coppin State earlier in the day, while cramming their bags and gear in the hotel foyer.  The solemn looks on the players’ faces spoke volumes about the outcome of their game.  I did check later and found they lost both games of their double header.

We woke up early Monday morning, turned in the rental car at BWI and caught our early morning Alaska Airlines flight back to LAX.

Overall, I really loved this challenging race.  The super nice folks really know how to put on a marathon and the pre-race pasta dinner was great during Saturday evening’s packet pick-up.



George Washington Masonic Memorial

The rolling-hilled course was a lot of fun challenging my endurance and fitness.  I particularly enjoyed making the two 13-mile loops required for the full marathon.  After the first loop, I knew what to expect on the second round which seemed to make the time go by faster.  The miles were clearly marked with the initials “RMR” painted on the pavement.

Running on the bike trails through the shaded forested areas was a pleasant experience.  The miles of the Turquoise Trail were quiet and serene, particularly on the second loop after the half marathoners finished their race.  My footsteps created their own beat, with a creek here, a deer there, perhaps glimpses of some other wildlife, the cool breeze on the path, children playing on nearby playground equipment, and locals out for a stroll or walking their dogs all under a blue sky.

The marathon may be small compared to most marathons, but I was impressed with the amount of spectators and the supportive volunteers staffing the aid stations.  The stations had plenty of water and Gatorade with a few providing bananas, GU, fig newtons and other snacks.

Finishing on the track where Alan Webb set his running record was a great experience.  It was too bad I couldn’t keep his pace for the final lap.  Finish line photos were available, but since I’m not the photogenic type, it didn’t matter to me.  Hanging out in the cafeteria post-race was an idyllic situation where runners could warm themselves, change wet clothes and grab some of the plentiful food and drink while talking with others about their race.  Great atmosphere and great experience!

The Turquoise Trail conveyed to me a biblical thought – Psalm 23: “The Lord is my shepherd; I lack nothing.  He makes me lie down in green pastures: He leads me beside the quiet waters.  He refreshes my soul: He guides me along the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.”

Last, but not least, in reference to the abovementioned “fair argument” standard, this marathon was inarguably one of the best marathons I have run to date – all the better that an EIR is not required.  So, what should it be…paper or plastic?