Optimists Creed, 1922
Promise Yourself - To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.
Fall on the Appalachian Trail
The traffic is bad, the politics can be worse, but a true blessing that comes with living in Northern Virginia is the nearby access to the Appalachian Trail(AT). Over 2000 miles long, we live just south and east of the midpoint of the AT. I've now hiked everything from just inside the Pennsylvania border to inside the Shenandoah National Park. Many wonderful hours getting away from the craziness of suburbia. In fact, it amazes me that I can go just 50 miles from Washington, D.C and sometimes spend an entire day hiking a section of the trail and not see a single soul.
The Baltimore Half Marathon
Not too far up the road from Northern VA is the wonderful city of Baltimore, Maryland. It is the home of historic Ft. McHenry, the gravesite of Edgar Allan Poe, the Inner Harbor, and the stadiums for the Ravens and the Orioles. It also has the only real Jewish deli in this part of the mid-Atlantic! I started running half marathons a couple of years ago to try and get in shape while spending more time with my wife - and along the way discovered an incredibly well run, and fun, race. The race winds the runners through a wonderful variety of neighborhoods during a beautiful time of the year.
