As the Sun Rises over the National Mall...

This Saturday was my first day working at Chrysalis Vineyard and had to be there at 10am. Yet, my training schedule called for a 14 mile run. What's a girl to do? The run would take about 2 hrs, 20 minutes, the vineyard was about a 45 minute drive away, and of course, I had to show up somewhat presentable. A dilemma. The answer was to wake at 3am, to eat and knock out a pre-run routine, then start running at 5am. I decided to run around the National Mall for safety reasons (well-policed and lit).

There's something poetic about watching the sun rise over the National Mall. I took photos of the Capitol pre-, mid-, and post-run to share in the experience.

The Cherry Blossom Parade was also scheduled for the morning. The pre-dawn run enabled me to witness the parade preparations, from the balloon set-up to the horse brushing to the color guard practice.

And there were moments where I absolutely felt like I had all of Washington D.C. to myself. The air was still. The Washington Monument glowed against the night sky. The World War II Memorial was dimly lit as if to whisper to me.

As the sun rose, the pink-and-white confetti dotting the sidewalks began to appear, as the cherry trees are now devoid of their signature cherry blossoms.

As a bonus, by 8am, my long run was done for the day and I was free.

I loved my first day at the vineyard. My job: pour wine for tasters. Simple as that. Thanks to Helen, Jenn, & Alisa for visiting there on my first day. Who's next?