365 days of marathon training

I trained for my first marathon for well over a

year starting around March 2014 to the event

on March 14, 2015. I had been running since

highschool, but this was a first time for running

with a specific, high goal in mind.

I have also been taking photos since highschool.

One frustrating thing about running outdoors,

is that you see so many beautiful scenes, but

didn’t have many means to capture the images

while trying to complete a serious run.

My phone solved that issue. Once I started

getting more serious about running, I started

running often my phone in hand - for mapping

and timing myself. It was only when I admitted

to myself that my cel also took pretty decent

photos, I began to purposefully record some

images from my runs across four seasons.

Another inspiration for my photos is the

District of Columbia. One of my favorite

things about D.C. is that it has four incredibly

distinct seasons. When I moved to the

Mid-Atlantic region from seasonless Texas,

I began calling them the “Bambi seasons” as

they reminded me of the scenery from that

classic Disney film – flowers in the spring,

greenery and heat in the summer, colors in

the fall, and white snows in the winter.

Over the year, I’ve fallen in love with the

seasons and all the variations of lighting on

the same and separate days. It made all the

difficult training that much more enjoyable.

I only want to share that joy through a little cel

phone window for anyone else who’d appreciate

incredible lighting,outdoors, and sunsets galore.

Enjoy!

- Kate

ABOUT:

March 31, 2014.

National Mall.

THE “RULES”:

1. These photos are only taken with

my iPhone.

2. These photos are only edited directly

on my phone’s screen.

3. These photos are only edited with a

single app - VSCO cam.

4. These photos are only taken during

quick pauses on actual training runs.

MARCH 2014

These photos are never forced upon

myself. I did not take photos on every

single run. These photos are only taken

when I chose to pause and record. Of

course, I had to taken them fast.

5.

March 20, 2014.

Surprisingly, late March can be very blue.

This was a run along the Tidal Basin right

before Cherry Blossom season. The trees are

still bare but the weather is perfectly

warm and mild.

Also, right around the Lincoln, you

can tell by all the people out, that it’s

the beginning of tourist season, which brings

a nice liveliness to the area. I wouldn’t live

in a large city if I didn’t have some appreciation

for crowds and activity.

March 31, 2014.

West Potomac Park headed towards the Lincoln Memorial.

March 20, 2014.

March 14, 2014.

Mid March, exactly a year before my marathon date, had very quixotic weather.

This was one of the first real warm days. These were taken around the Mt. Vernon trail, almost

in Virginia, looking towards the National Mall. It’s an amazing panoramic view,

just about two miles from National Airport.

March 23, 2014.

This is a steep run up 13th Street, up towards Columbia Heights.

My “reward” for running up this steep street is getting to turn around

for a second and look at the great view, down towards Capitol Hill.

March 31, 2014.

This is a warm sunset, during an afterwork run. Monuments here are the Lincoln,

D.C. War Memorial (WWI Memorial), and the WWII Memorial.

March 31, 2014.

This is the D.C. War Memorial, were I got married at less than 2 months later.

March 11, 2014.

This is a late sunset across the Connecticut Avenue Bridge, after running through the Zoo.

March 31, 2014.

This is the D.C. War Memorial, were I got married at less than 2 months later.

March 28, 2014.

During the weekdays, there were plenty of times when I had to run at night.

I’m lucky that D.C. has such fantastic lit up monuments.

I also run up the Lincoln steps often (right photo), because it’s good training

and there’s a nice view from on top.

March 14, 2014.

This is a late sunset view, looking back towards Georgetown after running past the Kennedy Center.

This is just about an hour before the above sunset picture. It’s amazing how the lighting can change its quality so quickly.

March 14, 2014.

This is a late sunset view, looking back towards Georgetown after running past the Kennedy Center.

APRIL 2014

April 21, 2014.

Across the 14th Street Bridge, looking down at the Potomac waters.

April 21, 2014.

Chain Bridge and Key Bridge (left photo).

April 21, 2014.

Late April, I ran across both the 14th Street

bridge, just off the Jefferson, all the way to Key

Bridge, using the Mt. Vernon trail.

As you can tell, April started getting really hot.

The flowers are mostly already bloomed and

fallen - seemingly overnight transform into

tons of bright greenery.

The contrast between nearly leafless March and

verdant April, after all the rain, is striking.

April 21, 2014.

April 26. 2014.

This is late April, with dramatic thunderclouds approaching.

April 26. 2014.

All the sea gulls were in a row along the Tidal Basin with pink reflections, right before the storm.

April 2, 2014.

This was extremely fortunate timing, where

my run took me past the Tidal Basin right

as the sunset struck the glassy, reflective

water just so.

One of my favorite types of lighting is a

dramatic sunset combined with topsy-turvy

reflections in a near perfect, golden scene.

To note - if it seems like I run around the

Tidal Basin often, it’s because I do. The basin

is somewhat of a central conduit among

many other parts of my varied running trails.

May 2, 2014.

I missed running most of May, because I had

an incredibly memorable wedding at the

beginning of the month, May 4th. Then

my new husband and I took a three week

honeymoon in Europe. While I didn’t run in

Europe, we did walk 8 - 10 miles a day,

having an active and unforgettable time.

The National Zoo in D.C. is free, so I often

run through it. Sometimes I even pause to

say hi to some of my favorite animals.

This lovely lion was begging to be photographed

on my last run before my wedding day.

I just imagined that this majestic guy wanted

to be a model, as he sat so still, and really

knew where the lighting was hitting him.

Last note about May - by now all the flowers

are gone and the green is practically at full

bloom. It’s not the deep greens of summer

yet, but the bright, cheerful, end of

spring green.

MAY 2014

JUNE 2014

June 9, 2014.

June 9, 2014.

JUNE 2014

June 9, 2014.

June 9, 2014.

Surprisingly, the photo taken of the

Lincoln steps on the previous page (left)

and all these photos of glassy water on the

Potomac here, are not only taken on the same

run, but within a few minutes of each other.

How that happened - as the light

was setting, it struck the marble steps and

illuminated them brightly. Then with a few

hundred feet forward and an 180 degree turn,

I saw the water was both super reflective,

like glass, and back lit in a real dramatic

fashion from the lowered sun.

The same light that caused such

strong shadows here, caused the same

strong illumination on the Lincoln steps,

in a total 180 turn of lighting.

June 9, 2014.

This last angle is taken only ten minutes after the previous pictures, but the sun had set more and the

clouds moved. Thus, the light is at a different angle, causing a different exposure for my camera.

June 3, 2014.

This is running across Key Bridge from Rosslyn, Virginia towards Georgetown.

The silhouettes here in the setting sun set the drama of the early evening.

June 20, 2014.

The leaves look really golden,

although it’s not even close to fall.

It’s just starting to get really hot and

the setting sun is turning the deep green

leaves into a golden reflection under a

Rock Creek Park foot bridge.

The mistiness also registers quite

pink during most sunsets that month.

June 1, 2014.

Birds love the Tidal Basin. And I love baby geese combined with a pink sunset in early June.

JULY 2014

July 26, 2014.

July was hot, especially late July. I guess that’s why I do not have a lot of pictures from this month.

These were taken running across the Arlington Cemetery Bridge. The National Cathedral

can be seen way out the distance, as well as the Kennedy Center, closer to the right.

On the left photo, I’m running the Lincoln steps and taking a photo of the same bridge I later run across here.

July 31, 2014.

It was alright to run in July when the sun was not fully out. This is just a sunset over one of my normal West Potomac Park paths.

AUGUST 2014

August 7, 2014.

Due to a small earthquake, the Washington Monument was closed for repairs for about a year. This photo was

taken soon after its hill finally reopened. On this night run, the shadows of all the people against the

lit monument were very striking, almost spooky.

AUGUST 2014

August 15, 2014.

If July was hot, August was hotter. But I managed to get in some runs, and saw many sunsets, as I

mostly ran in the late afternoons to keep cool. This cloud formation here struck me, as I was

crossing the Connecticut Avenue Bridge.

Yes, my runs involve many key bridges (including a literal Key Bridge). I love bridges.

August 31, 2014.

Here I am! My husband and I went

to visit his family in New York that

August. We planned a “half marathon”

through Manhattan that weekend.

I did not bring my phone on that run,

but he did. Thus, these are different

photos. 1. They actually have me

in front of the camera, instead of behind.

2. It’s a different phone than my own.

But, I did use the same editor program

later on my own phone.

This long run began in Sunnyside, Queens.

We crossed the Queensboro Bridge (yet

another one of my many bridges). Then we

went down through Central Park, and then

further down through Times Square (right

photo). We finally ended all the way down

at the end of the Brooklyn Bridge (left photo)

And thus, I was able to add two new

key bridges to my running resume.

SEPTEMBER 2014

SEPTEMBER 2014

September 2, 2014.

September through the end of October

marks my busy season at work, called

“campaign season” or just “season”. During

that time, I work 14 hours a day, including

weekends. So while I did manage to sneak in

some quick runs here and there, I mostly had to

take off these two months entirely.

Yes, it was frustrating, but it was

expected and planned for. I really missed my

sunsets, as well as the beginning of fall, which was

the start of some of the best weather all year.

These simple sunset pictures here are here

just to show another version of a sunset.

Some sunsets are golden or reflective.

Some sunsets just bathe the world in pinks

and purples, across smooth ripples.

September 2, 2014.

NOVEMBER 2014

NOVEMBER 2014

November 1, 2014.

November 1, 2014.

At long last, I was free of campaign season, and could enjoy one of the most colorful times

of year. This is around West Potomac Park near the Vietnam Memorial. This cute pond is

between the Washington and Lincoln Memorials.

The reflections were so spectacular that the photo just begged to be turned upside down.

November 9, 2014.

I pass this picturesque graveyard often going through Rock Creek Park towards

Connecticut Avenue and the Zoo.

November 9, 2014.

This is obviously, the Creek of Rock Creek Park. It’s a haven of woodsy-ness in the middle of

a big city. And one can’t beat the fall colors and reflections on such a lovely day.

November 9, 2014.

November 8, 2014.

These early November runs look similar, but they were different

trails - Mt. Vernon ending in Georgetown (here and far right photo),

and Rock Creek Park (center photo) ending near the National Zoo.

November 9, 2014.

Rock Creek near just outside the Zoo.

November 8, 2014.

Mt. Vernon trail footbridge along the Potomac

towards Georgetown.

November 9, 2014.

Rock Creek near just outside the Zoo.

November 7, 2014.

During autumn, looking across Rock Creek, from the Connecticut Avenue Bridge, after running through the Zoo.

November 9, 2014.

Right outside the Zoo.

November 5, 2014.

These were taken running down

Capitol Hill on a cloudy, but colorful day.

The Capitol had just started going

under construction. This is the start

of the National Mall, which is a great

two mile stretch of park trails.

November 28, 2014.

We visited my husband’s family for Thanksgiving in East Meadow, Long Island. It was freezing up there, but

we managed to get in an 8 mile run along Roosevelt Field Park. Again, I didn’t bring my own phone, but my

husband did. It was around 20 degrees here and my hands were frozen stiff afterwards.

December 3, 2014.

December was actually not a bad month.

It was often 40 degrees, so I managed

to get in plenty of runs. However, the light

would set really early, before I would leave

work, so most of my runs had to be done

at twilight or in the evening.

I really missed light during this period, but

the Christmas lights and holiday spirit

made for a happy and relaxed time.

DECEMBER 2014

December 3, 2014.

December 3, 2014.

December 7, 2014.

This is the path through, inside, the Zoo. This was early evening just as the lights were turning on for “Zoo Lights”.

December 30, 2014.

Again, December had some good days. The water was not

frozen and the geese were migrating. This is looking across

the Potomac from the Mt. Vernon Trail.

December 25, 2014.

We visited my family in Houston, Texas for

Christmas. I got a bit of a break in

60 degree warmth.

My husband and I took a 14 mile run on

Christmas day while the rest were napping.

Again, he took his phone.

Houston has a ton of urban personality.

The city is developing an amazing

trail along the Buffalo Bayou here. This was

a great run. We saw the city skyline, were

warm in late December, and got to see a huge

section of a super fun and varied city.

What more could one ask for?

December 25, 2014.

December 22, 2014.

I also got to do some separate runs on my own that warm week visiting

Houston. This is in my own neighborhood of Bellaire.

December 31, 2014.

I’m back in D.C. and managed a lovely run through upper Rock Creek Park,

just along the outside of the Zoo.

January 2, 2015.

The water was still not frozen in January. There were still ducks. These were some lovely ripples across

the Potomac, just past Georgetown, near the Kennedy Center, towards the Mall.

JANUARY 2015

January 2, 2015.

The water was still not frozen in January. There were still ducks. These were some lovely ripples across

the Potomac, just past Georgetown, near the Kennedy Center, towards the Mall.

January 2, 2015.

The sun is still setting early every day. It’s a bit gloomy, but not too cold.

This is upper Connecticut Avenue, near Glover Park, past American University,

headed down towards Georgetown, where I took the rest of the pictures on this day.

January 2, 2015.

I couldn’t resist the sparkles bouncing across the Potomac ripples.

January 2, 2015.

January 25, 2015.

January 2, 2015.

This is the Georgetown Waterfront that same day.

Yes, the lighting changes dramatically throughout the late afternoon, early evening

January 25, 2015.

January 25, 2015.

This is late January, and the seasonal gloominess has really set in. These were taken on

a long 15 mile run, on one of the very few 40 degree weekend days of the month.

Even if seemingly depressing, the quiet hauntingness of the atmosphere is at times

relaxing and allows for some peaceful, thoughtful runs.

This run was so long, that I ran through Rock Creek Park (previous photos),

through Georgetown to connect with the Mt. Vernon Trail, pictured here.

January 9, 2015.

This was the first snow of the year. It wasn’t much. I don’t often take pictures in front of the gated-off White House,

but as it’s closed to traffic and close by my apartment, I do run through 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue quite often.

January 22, 2015.

January 22, 2015.

I often run by the Kennedy Center, on the trails

below, along the Potomac, but I hardly ever

pause to photograph the center.

However, on this evening, the lights around

the center looked particularly inviting.

FEBRUARY 2015

February 4, 2015.

February was one of the most dramatic

months. It was getting down to crunch time

for marathon training with only a month left.

Unfortunately, this was when the weather turned

for the worst. It was icy, snowy, freezing,

sleeting. The trails were drenched or iced

over often. I was stuck inside many days.

I like to think that overall it was good endurance

training. The month was challenging, but they

were welcomed challenges. I’m proud that I did

make it out many times, very bundled up,

on freezing, icy days, and endured it.

And the month was not without it’s

spectacular charm. On this day, I hit the

Tidal Basin at just the right time. The sky

exploded into a marvelously bright sunset

over the icy water of the basin with

many sea gulls.

The ice reflects differently than normal water.

I was fascinated. I took the most pictures on

this day, because I was so distracted with the

drama of it all.

I just couldn’t get over the natural painting

that was the sky and water on this run.

February 4, 2015.

February 4, 2015.

Not only the sunset (which is behind me here) distracted me on this day, but the near perfect glass of the

Tidal Basin also enthralled my imagination with awesome reality.

February 4, 2015.

February 11, 2015.

You can’t tell by the photos, but it was freezing these days.

But glassy, reflective waters (looking out towards Rosslyn Virginia from West Potomac Park)

can always stop me in my tracks.

February 11, 2015.

Any day like this, with some incredible setting sunshine, in February cheered me up so much.

February 11, 2015.

Again, February, you are a drama queen.

February 4, 2015.

Surprisingly these photos were taken on that

same February 4th day, where I took all those

icy sunset photos around the Tidal Basin.

I took these photos right at the Connecticut

entrance of Rock Creek Park around 4PM.

The sun looks like it’s just setting here.

However an hour later, when I was exiting

this park and entering the Tidal Basin park

(previous photos), the sun became

intensely more dramatic.

One thing I love about running in the

afternoon is getting to witness how

variable light can be. The dim shadows of

Rock Creek Park, just one hour later can

transform into a spectacular sunset

show over a water basin.

What’s more, I love both sorts of light.

The park trail in these photos was dim,

but the light still sparkled along the trail and

was extremely peaceful and figuratively

reflective, only to later become literally

reflective when I hit the Tidal Basin later.

February 8, 2015.

I’m on the Mt. Vernon Trail, looking almost under Metro and train track bridges,

getting close to Gravelly Point.

February 8, 2015.

14th Street Bridge, headed towards the Mt. Vernon Trail,

looking out towards Rosslyn, Virginia.

February 8, 2015.

I’m on the Mt. Vernon Trail, looking almost under Metro and train track bridges,

getting close to Gravelly Point.

February 8, 2014.

This was one of my longer runs all along

the Mt. Vernon Trail, from Gravely Point, through

Teddy Roosevelt Island, and all the way past

Georgetown. It was cloudy, but very peaceful -

and both literally and figuratively reflective.

Again, I have a love affair with bridges,

for these exact reasons.

This was taken from the foot bridge headed into

Teddy Roosevelt Island.

February 8, 2015.

Same day near Gravelly Point and National Airport.

February 8, 2015.

This is taken from Key Bridge an hour later that same day.

This is looking towards Teddy Roosevelt Island and the Mall, toward the C&O Canal.

February 22, 2015.

And then it really snowed. I couldn’t run

outside for about a week.

Finally, the temperature rose enough so

I could run outside, On that first day out

I was welcomed with this iconic scenery.

The sidewalks may have been puddly, snow

covered, and icy, but I was so happy to be

outside. I actually had a great time, and

used the snow covered paths as a sort

of makeshift obstacle course.

Being the first sunny day in a while, a lot

of people were out on the Mall, and that

made the day all the more welcoming.

February 22, 2015.

You don’t often get to see the Tidal Basin completely frozen over.

In the far left distance you can see the construction over the SW Waterfront

that’s pictured on the following pages.

February 22, 1015.

On that same snowy day, I decided to go down one of my favorite lesser known places, which I call

my “Bridge to Nowhere”. It’s this tiny fountain at the end of L’Enfant Plaza, just off the Mall. It’s just an office park,

so it’s always empty on the weekends, hence the “Nowhere”. Also, it quite literally just dead ends right here looking

over the water, across the fish market on the SW Waterfront. I just consider it a different sort of place in the midst of the city.

February 22, 2015.

Lastly, at the end of my run that day, I got blocked for a bit by a Chinese

New Years Parade in Gallery Place, Chinatown D.C.

February 28. 2015.

It snowed yet again the following week. But the

weekend warmed up enough to finally run

on some trails. As one can see, it was quite

an obstacle course, but it was a nice,

sunny day. And, being my first day back

out on the trails, I was really happy.

My favorite thing about this day was how

the snow made the land and water nearly

merge into one white, snowy flat mass.

You almost can’t tell where the land ends and

the Potomac begins along the Mt. Vernon trail.

I also loved the tree shadows on the water.

It’s a bit surreal when it’s real shadows and

not watery reflections on the river.

February 28. 2015.

More iced over Potomac and water shadows on the Mt. Vernon Trail.

February 28. 2015.

February 28. 2015.

My run actually went along the C&O Canal in Georgetown.

Apparently, it was frozen enough to walk on.

But I wouldn’t try it myself.February 28. 2015.

February 28, 2015.

This was another long run where I connected the Mt. Vernon Trail (previous photos) to Rock Creek Park.

By this time the sun began to set pristinely over the very snowy trail.

MARCH 2015

March 2, 2015.

Finally it was March. This is the heart of Georgetown going down Prospect Street towards the River.

March 8, 2015.

This was the weekend before the big run. I had to leave at least a few days of “rest” before my big run, so this

was officially my last long run - around Gravelly Point again, all along Mt. Vernon Trail.

March 8, 2015.

The weather warmed up just in time.

This is right outside National Airport

looking towards Navy Yard.

March 8, 2015.

Bye bye Gravelly Point, for now. I’ll be back soon!

March 20, 2014.

February 4, 2015.

APPENDIX

March 20, 2014.

June 9, 2014.

February 4, 2015.

APPENDIX

April 27, 2014.

THINGS I LEARNED FROM RUNNING:

Run in the center of the path whenever you have the chance. Don’t always be polite,

or you’ll get tripped up on the edges. Don’t let others always dictate your path.

You can do more than you think. It’s just one more mile, and then another, and then another.

Where to run depends heavily on your mood. Certain paths elicit certain feelings at different

times while training. The best runs are when you go where your mood fits in best.

Crowds can help lighten the mood of a run, and make it more fun, as well disturb an

otherwise quiet, reflective run. Learn to enjoy, plan for, or cope.

Enjoy the challenges and wet shoes. Get back up immediately if you fall, but do go to

the emergency room if you can see your face swell up massively from the corner of your eye.

A fall happens where you least expect it. The more obvious, slippery places are safer,

because you are expecting them and are more careful.

Enjoy the scenery, lovely, gloomy, bright, or dark. No one else gets to see what you see

right now. The real world is a live painting, always changing and surprising.

Don’t Stop.

March 20, 2014.

February 4, 2015.

On March 14th, 2015, I completed 26.2 miles in

4:47:49.

February 4, 2015.

365 days of marathon training

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