An Admission I Hate to Make

Let it be known. I hate running on the Mall. Virtually every time I set foot on the expansive federal lawn, I am annoyed. Primarily by tourists who stand around like cows, chewing on salty snacks and staring, rather than moving along to the next taxpayer-funded marble attraction. In the summer, it's insanely hot. In the winter, cold gusty winds.

That said. I now believe it is the best DC running destination for Cow Dog. Sigh. I wanted to mix it up this morning, and I wanted to give him some exercise. So he donned his shirt and harness and we set out. I opted for a left on Virginia Ave. We ran past the Washington Monument, then over to the eastern half of the Mall. The gravel paths were paw-friendly. The lack of shrubbery meant potty breaks were limited. And we saw only one other dog, a Dobie playing frisbee in the grass. Cow Dog observed but did not interact. (Good dog.) We saw a group of Army guys out for a run, chanting. Cow Dog tried desperately to join them. (For the record, he sleeps far too much to be a good soldier.)

We got in a good, relaxing 5.5-mile run, and at the end I was not angry or prepared to write a lengthy screed about the merits of leashes. The wide paths allowed us to run without fear of bicycles plowing us down. Trash cans are plentiful. And, yeah, okay, the scenery is kinda nice.