Subject: RE: Ragnar Relay - Cumberland to DC beastie - 2009-09-28 10:01 PM And yes Christy - it is ironic that the whitest girl on the team had to run 7 miles down North Capital street. Just gave me a little extra reason to run faster! Couldn't let this one go: there are *maybe* 4 or 5 sketchy blocks between Rhode Island and Union Station, the rest of that last leg was through some really pretty parts of DC if you take the time to look around. Those neighborhoods are waaaayyyy "whiter" than you think (and given that you literally ran right past our house across from the cemetery I'll try not to take offense or read more into that statement ). Glad everybody had a good time; it was our second go 'round at DC Ragnar. Have to say I preferred last year's route down parts of the canal path, but I guess a lot of teams complained about how isolated and dark the trail was. To me that is part of the draw: the isolation of a long, hard leg with nothing but a headlamp and your thoughts. Better that than sharing no-shoulder country roads with drunk drivers at 2:00 on a Saturday morning! I actually do know the area pretty well. I used to teach at Eastern High school and I had several clients who lived on North Capital. I wasn't stereotyping or basing on just 'the look' of the houses. I'm basing my feeling on the experiences I had teaching at Eastern and interacting with those clients. That said - as a 5'3 female, I did not feel comfortable running through those areas alone. It was pouring rain, and people were looking at me like I was crazy. By the time I finished, it was after 6pm. Sorry - not to seem harsh, but I'm entitled to feel the way I feel. And I am not the kind of person to judge an area without being familiar with it. Sorry that you *couldn't let this one go.* |