3,165. That's the number of miles my friend Ashley and her running mate, Adam, logged over the last four months in their trans-America run from Portland, OR to Washington, D.C. Ashley -- just a few days after defending her Ph.D. thesis in theoretical chemistry (!!!) -- and Adam set off in July and wrapped up their run over Thanksgiving weekend.
The homestretch of Ashley and Adam's route was along the C&O Canal, a 185-mile stretch from Cumberland, MD to D.C. On the penultimate day of their run, I followed along as their 1-woman (+ 1 dog -- Mollie) pit crew, meeting them at intervals along the trail with food, water, and bad jokes. They'd whip off 7 to 9 miles from one meeting point to the next; I'd explore, camera in hand, while waiting for them. Win-win.
Interesting fact (at least to me): in all of those miles, Ashley only wore out 3 pairs of running shoes, and Adam only 5.
Learn more about these kids' crazy adventure -- which wasn't just about running, but also connecting and engaging with communities along the way-- at their website, Run2Connect.
These photos span miles 3,125 to 3,152 of Run2Connect's path-- from Dickerson, MD to Carderock, MD.
Congratulations, Ashley (and Adam) for taking an incredible idea, and running with it -- all way across the States!
