Sunny with a chance of snowballs

38 Days -- 


After running 20 miles on Saturday I felt a great sense of accomplishment and pride. Just 6 weeks short of my marathon, I was able to complete my longest and toughest training day yet.

But adding to the feat this Saturday was the diverse weather conditions that I experienced during my 2 hour and 45 minute trek through D.C. and Virginia.

Even though I had the potential to see multiple sights on this lengthy route, the most interesting of the entire run was my continued wardrobe changes to reflect the ever changing weather patterns. (Although the multiple cop cars and ambulance outside a run-down pawn shop off North Capitol in Northeast D.C. was a bit interesting).

With weather conditions changing about as rapidly as Metro escalator service, I wasn't sure whether to be praising or hating Al Gore for inventing global warming.

When I started the run, it was a balmy 45 degrees and completely sunny. In fact people probably thought I was getting ready to start streaking as I kept unzipping and pulling off articles of clothing. You are welcome National Mall goers, my clothes stayed on.

But just as I was cursing myself for wearing a warm running jacket in February and watching several men run by in shorts and t-shirts, the wind whipped up and the clouds rolled in and lordy be, I was zipping that jacket right back up.

Of course as I'm entering the 17th mile of this run, energy on low and trying hard to keep my legs moving forward (I purposefully planned a downhill last few miles, hoping sheer gravity will help me finish), the biggest blizzard of the winter blew up with me in the direct center of it.

With snow blowing and the wind drying the salty sweat to my cheeks, I trudged on, toward my goal of completing the 20 miles.

Can't say I would purposefully go running in a blizzard again, but it was pretty fun to get out and run in some different weather conditions. And considering winter is almost over, I'm definitely glad I had this moment of Sights in My Nikes.

Forget the tunnels, start building in the sky

44 Days --


With the Acura Super Bowl ad highlighting the advances in human flight, it seems only proper to write about the trapeze school in Washington, D.C.

Located near the Nationals Stadium at the Navy Yard waterfront, the trapeze school offers a tempting vacant lot of tall metal poles, ropes and fun looking things to jump from.

This strange location for a trapeze school (a New York one at that) only begs the question of its purpose. Perhaps there's some secretive plot, something akin to HUD's building doubling as a UFO landing pad.

Two alternative uses come to mind. First, this trapeze school is eerily close to the Department of Transportation's headquarters. Perhaps DOT is investigating new modes of transportation to alleviate traffic congestion. Nothing like a little outside the box thinking.

Should probably closely read the FY 2013 DOT highway bill for sure.

In the slightly more likely scenario, it seems as if Jerry Seinfeld was on to something when he offered his personal network of trapeze throughout Manhattan in exchange for the new NSX. Of course, why would Seinfeld need such car if his trapeze network was so efficient? But that's beside the point.

In what would definitely be an interesting and marked change to the Nation's skyline, the possibility of traveling via zip line throughout the Capital would be a welcome change to the current system of subterranean travel. Just imagine the speed that could be built up flying from the National Cathedral down Connecticut Ave to Farragut Square. Sounds like a solid investment to me.

While we search for this line item in DOT's budget, maybe we should go back to the Super Bowl commercial to check out how exactly Seinfeld had that network constructed (although Leno's device grants greater flexibility). Next time I run along the water front I may climb the trapeze pole for some good Sights in My Nikes and to get used to my new form of city travel. 

Diggin for gold in Einstein's nose

48 Days --


As the saying goes: "You can pick your friends, you can pick your nose, but you can't pick your friend's nose."

If only the school group near the National Science Foundation on Constitution Ave followed that valuable phrase.

It's fitting that the Einstein memorial is located on NSF's front yard. In a departure from the artist's perceived intent, the statue gives the outdoorsy types a free place to practice their rock climbing, a place for school groups to take photos, people to rest and of course for scientists to think (I would imagine the rough service helps with the rocking climbing grip. Abe, across the street, is far too smooth and has too many armed guards to warrant this activity).

While the aforementioned activities are at the very least plausibly acceptable, the statue's large nose provides for an ample picking from 8th graders, which in many of the DC social circles is utterly unacceptable.

I understand the desire to take a picture with one of our nation's greatest scientists. But to jam a finger up the nose, well, that's just plain rude. People don't go sit in Abe's lap and talk to him like he is Santa; people don't hop in FDR's wheelchair to take it for a spin; and only Martin Luther King can really climb that mountain.

Although, people do commit strange acts with (or in front of) the Washington Monument. That could be an exception to the monument rule and will be taken into advisement.

But I do understand the need for Albert's nose to be at least itched. Perhaps our cities visitors could offer a tissue instead of their finger next time.

Or even better, maybe the solution is to do what Teddy did. Get your own island that only locals know about and put up a giant statue. Perhaps Teddy's lonely habitat, though, explains his string of losses in the Nationals game races. That question too remains pending.

Nevertheless, its most often the tourists that make for the comical things in Sights in My Nikes. I just suggest letting Albert pick his own nose (and his own friends) next time.