All posts by Courtney Carter

Ten Places To Eat After Running Cherry Blossom

Race Info

You’ve just run ten miles (or a 5k) and ROCKED the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Race – congrats! Now – you are hungry and a banana won’t cut it. Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. Whether you are down to walk to brunch or you’d rather take the metro, check out this list of ten places to eat and start planning!

cucblogo

Walking Distance

Old Ebbitt Grill – It’s a classic. Plus, you might luck out with a celebrity (and by celebrity, I mean DC celebrity – a politician) sighting.

Founding Farmers – This place has literally almost anything you might want post race. PLUS a great bar – for a well deserved mimosa!

Teaisim – Lots of great, lighter food items and an incredibly interesting tea selection.

Le Pain Quotidien – Awesome French take on brunch at really reasonable prices. It’s a personal favorite of mine (and my husband!).

Shake Shack – Excellent burgers, fries and shakes if you are willing to wait until 11am when they open.

Metro Distance

Take the Orange Line to the Eastern Market Metro Stop and you will have plenty of great options:

Ted’s Bulletin – Diner style food, lots of fun and boozy milkshakes. Plus homemade pop tarts!

Matchbox – Amazing cinnamon buns plus some of the best pizza in the city!

Lavagna – Delicious brunch with a bottomless Mimosa option.

Or, take the Orange Line in the other direction to Clarendon (in Virginia) and check out one of these options:

Lyon Hall – A classic French brasserie vibe with a fantastic brunch menu that runs from muesli to steak tartare, and everything in between.

Fuego Cocina –  Great Mexican food in a casual setting, offering a three-course brunch menu and margaritas. (Opens at 11:00)

You really can’t go wrong with this list — and, with the exception of Shake Shack and Fuego Cocina, they all open at 10am or earlier!

Have fun and enjoying refueling after your race!

Tips for Training for the CUCB Ten Miler!

Social Runner, Training

Happy February! Before we know it, the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Miler will be here! I thought this was a good time to talk through some training tips as we all prep for the big day.

CUCB 2015
This race is such fun!

This year will be my fourth year running the CUCB and each year, I’ve picked up a few more tips on how best to train for the race. I hope you all will find these helpful as you move forward with your training.

  • Get ready to run with {lots of} friends. The CUCB Ten Miler is a VERY popular race and if you are not used to running larger races, you might find yourself thrown off your game during the first mile or so. Don’t let this happen to you – prepare mentally for a somewhat crowded start and resolve to use that first mile to settle in. Each year that I’ve run, my first mile has been my slowest. Don’t let that bum you out – it’s the perfect way to try and negative split the race (negative split = run the second half faster than the first).
  • Check out the course map (including the elevation chart). You’ll note that the course takes you through a pretty scenic route – you will start and end at the Washington Monument, go over the Memorial Bridge and run through Rock Creek Park before heading around the Tidal Basin towards Hains Point. If you are paying attention, you can see numerous other monuments, memorials and museums while racing. While looking at the elevation chart, you’ll notice that this is a really flat course. It’s great to try and push it for a PR, because it’s so flat. There is one teeny (extremely teeny) hill at the very end of the race, but it is so close to the finish that you can ignore the pain and finish strong.
  • Prepare mentally for Hains Point. The last couple miles of the race take you through Hains Point. Hains Point is flat, isolated and many runners nightmare. There isn’t a ton of crowd support because it’s isolated and it can feel like it stretches on forever. However, you can be prepared to not let Hains Point take you down! The best thing about it is that once you reach Hains Point, the end is near. Take advantage of the quiet and the flat portion of the course to concentrate on slowly increasing your pace for a strong and fast finish. I like to just put my head down, run hard and push it in. Once you start hearing the crowds again, you’ll have made it through Hains Point and be pushing up that last tiny hill. Don’t let Hains Point defeat you – own it and you will have a great race!

What are your tips for CUCB newbies?