Marathon Spectating and Coffeeneuring

THIS is the way to spectate at a marathon.

If I'm not running the Marine Corps Marathon, I do the next best thing: I bike around the course.

This past Sunday, Hubz and I set out to kill two birds with one stone: Coffeeneuring and Spectating.

We bumped down Rock Creek bike path, past the Watergate and the Kennedy Center to Ohio Drive. No, that won't work. We backtracked and ascended the grassy hill to Memorial Bridge (Hubz rode it on his single speed mountain bike while I did my best cyclocross bike-carry).

We rode over the traffic-free Memorial Bridge (on the wrong side of the road, even!) and pedaled alongside the Potomac River on the Mt. Vernon trail. The weeping willows were blowing in the stiff wind. Only a few cyclists and runners were out today. 

Riding south on the Mt. Vernon Trail, trees a-blowing in the wind

We emerged from the path near mile 23 in Crystal City. Runners were beginning to show the strain of the accumulated miles. We cheered them on as we cruised beside the course, around the Pentagon, along Washington Boulevard and Route 110. 

Taking the roundabout way to Georgetown via a car-free Memorial Bridge

There's something exhilarating about being able to bike on major roadways that are normally reigned by automobiles. The roads were all ours today!

Up the down ramp to cross Memorial Bridge again, onto Georgetown and our destination: Baked and Wired.

The GT Peace singlespeed and the Dolce Elite at Baked & Wired

I haven't been to this place in years. Holy quiche, can they can bake!

Two big lattes warmed us up. Then we spied the quiche display. I had the Chorizo & Green Chile quiche (ZOMG!) and Hubz went for the one with spinach in it. Seriously delicious.

The quiche was the best I've ever eaten, no lie.

And we succumbed to temptation of the desserts. I had a Flapjack cupcake and Hubz chose the molasses spice cookie. Good thing we rode 16 miles for this.

Maple brown butter cupcake, caramel buttercream
and candied bacon on top!

Of course, no report on Baked and Wired would be complete without a photo of the pink bicycle always parked outside.

 
We took M Street and Rock Creek bike path back home. Another great day of coffeeneuring in the books.

Destination: Baked and Wired, 1052 Thomas Jefferson Street, NW
Date: Sunday, October 28 
Beverages: Lattes for both of us
Total Miles:  16.13