Summer in DC

Hey Dan, the DC area is great for running and ridding there are any number of trails, paths, and open roads to head to, plus there is an abundance of local groups and organized rides and runs from area shops.  

OWS is the biggest challenge.  The best options I've found are at Sandy Point St. Park (just before the Bay Bridge) or Wave One Swimming, they do a bunch of OWS clinics and such usually at National Harbor.

 Are you going to be in DC proper, or one of the surrounding burbs?

Ah cool.

Capitol Hill Bikes does rides on both Sat and Sun in season and if you're in for more of a social group with a s/b/r problem you could look at the DC Tri Club.  There is a fee (very modest) to join, but they put on all sorts of rides, runs, and even tune up events.  The group is large so many of the members even do impromptu type stuff where 5 or 6 folks all decide to do a ride or whatever.  Something like that might be worth the fee for a few months to have a bunch of group training options.

I'm doing Eagleman as well.  I've done a few 70.3s before, but it will be first time doing that race.  I know the area, its nice for a race fairly flat all the way, but the heat can be brutal.

Welcome! I also live in Dupont.

I'm a big big fan of the Revolution Cycles bike shop -- there's one in Georgetown, one in Clarendon and one in Rockville, as well as one further out in Virginia. The Clarendon shop and the Georgetown shop both have no-drop group rides of about 25-30 miles on Sunday mornings. I'm partial to the Clarendon shop because their GM, Katie Knight, is a ridiculously awesome person -- but the staff at all of their shops are pretty great and welcoming.

Cycle Life, which is located in Georgetown, also does group rides on Fridays at noon, plus Saturdays and Sundays. I think the Friday group is faster. I'm not as familiar with them -- it's a nice enough shop but I prefer the people at Revolution Cycles.

Hi Dan,

Welcome to DC! I work here and live out in Vienna northern VA. I really enjoy this area for training. I cycle in and out whenever I can which is 14 miles each way. The cycle path starts by Kennedy center and goes all the way out to Purcellville, almost 50 miles away.

Love running out to roosevelt island and round on the boardwalk at lunchtimes.

For open water swims, woudl recommend you look into the Jim McDonnel lake swim, at lake Audubon in Reston. It is on memorial day weekend and is a rgeat event. I am entered in the 2 mile event this year.

Simon

Thanks for all the advice guys! I'm really looking forward to getting back to DC! Been living abroad for the past 2 years and having the kind of public support (bike lanes, trails, group rides) available in DC is really appealing. I'll be out of town for Memorial Day, so I can't do the swim in Reston, but was thinking about doing Washington's Crossing (1.4 miles swim) at National Harbour on June 2. I see that 2 of you are doing Eagleman...BT Beginner HIM plan has a 45 minute open water swim as my workout for that weekend, so I figure that should be good practice for the Choptank.

Hope to see some of you on the trails or in the water