If you are going to run on not only the hottest day of the year, but also one of the hottest on record, get up early and head for shade.
That’s what I did on July 7, the day the thermometer hit 105 degrees, just one degree off the all-time record in the D.C. area.
Around 5:30 a.m., I made my way to Government Island in Stafford County, the source of the Aquia sandstone used in the construction of the White House and U.S. Capitol. Mining operations started in 1694 and closed around the time of the civil war. The white-colored Aquia sandstone has the advantage of being relatively easy to carve, but it also has proven to be susceptible to weathering.
When I started out on my run, the temperature was only around 80 degrees. It was close to 90 and humid when I finished my laps around 8 a.m. Lots of shade, many water breaks and a relatively flat path made the trek tolerable.
Stafford County, about 40 miles south of D.C., has a population of about 130,000 and a median household income of $75K. When the original county was formed in 1664, it actually encompassed the area that eventually became Arlington, Fairfax, and Prince William Counties as well as the city of Alexandria. George Washington spent a good part of his childhood Ferry Farm that is in the lower part of the county.
21 runs down, 113 to go
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