Note: Shortly after I posted this I received an e-mail from MCM confirming that the race would indeed be on regardless of the government shutdown. It specifically said “Marines are known for being Semper Fidelis, always faithful. In this spirit, the expectation is that runners will remain faithful to their training and the MCM will continue to plan diligently for an amazing MCM Weekend.”
So…on with the planning!
3 weeks from today I’ll be heading down to DC for the Marine Corp Marathon!
Honestly, I am so exited about it you’d think I was leaving tomorrow! (Instead I’ll be doing my last long run tomorrow!)
I realized the other day that while almost all of my races have been “destination races”, they’ve all been to the same destinations – Walt Disney World and Disneyland!
So, since I haven’t been to Washington DC in ages, I figured I’d try to get the most out of this quick weekend trip and I’d love your help if you have any suggestions!
Here’s my current MCM To-Do list:
So far I have a hotel booked not far from the MCM finish line and close to the Metro so I’ll be able to get around easily all weekend.
I plan to get to DC early Friday afternoon and head over to the expo. Saturday morning I’ll be doing the Runner’s bRUNch, and Sunday I’ve got a little 26.2 mile run on the agenda!
That leaves Friday night and Saturday afternoon…
So, if you’ve ever been to DC, what’s your favorite thing to do??
What should I be sure to see?
And (most importantly!) where should we eat?!
**UPDATE: I should probably mention I totally understand there is a chance a lot of the usual tourist things may not be open in DC when I go, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed and if not maybe I’ll plan another trip soon! Also, feel free to suggest non-government things…you know, best ice cream place, kayaking down the river, etc.!
(P.S. thanks to my brother Dominic and Nicole from Pink Elephant on Parade who already gave me a bunch of great suggestions! And if you’re running MCM be sure to stop by Nicole’s blog, she lives in DC and is posting a bunch of great tips for those of us traveling in for the race!)
Other than working on weekend plans I’ve already started a packing list (although I clearly need to wait to closer to the race to figure out the weather!) and I’ve set a reminder on my phone to drink a cherry juice and foam roll for at least 10 minutes every day leading up to the race (3 days in a row so far!).
Can’t wait to hear your DC suggestions!
What’s your favorite destination race??
Live, Run, Grow 
How exciting Danielle! I hope everything is open again by the time you arrive in DC- so much to see & do! I am not much of a museum/history person but the Museum of American History is pretty cool. Also- obviously an emotional and sobering place- the Holocaust Museum is something to see. Good luck as you finish up training!!! Jody 🙂
Thanks Jody! I’m really hoping things are open as well, if not I’m sure there will still be plenty to see & do! The last time I went to DC for my brothers college graduation I went to the Holocaust Museum, but to be honest I don’t remember too much of it so I’d love to go again!
Fingers crossed some of this great stuff will at least be open by then!
I love seeing all the monuments and of course the Smithsonian Museums are fun, but they may not be open!
I figure at the least I’ll be able to see all the monuments from afar! Hoping things are open by then, but if not I’ll keep a list of things I’d like to see and hopefully go back soon!
That’s a tough one. I was in DC in August, but it was for a conference so I didn’t get out much. It’s difficult to know if the shutdown will still be in place, but hopefully you’ll have good weather to just walk around the city.
Fingers crossed for good weather for the race weekend for sure!
Yay DC! My second favorite city! A lot of sightseeing does depend on whether or not the government is still in shutdown mode, but I really like the International Spy Museum which is not part of the Smithsonian so it should still be open (there is a fee to get in though). If you plan to do a lot of metro hopping, definitely look at the one day pass option. I was in DC in April and didn’t and ended up spending more than I wanted on metro fares. As for food, I like Clyde’s because it has a pretty solid menu and is fairly reasonable (there are locations in Georgetown and at the Verizon Center).
Awesome, thanks for the suggestions! I am definitely going to look into the Metro passes since I’ll be using it a few times a day while I’m there.