What a day it has been!

We arrived in Washington, DC around 1:15 after a smooth and entertaining Bolt Bus trip.

Within minutes, we were exiting Union Station in order to meet Theodora’s friend Tamsin.

I forgot how gorgeous this city is!

Tamsin navigated the DC traffic like a seasoned pro, quickly finding our hotel and then the Armory where the expo was held.

 

Unfortunately, this expo was underwhelming. But, the race shirts are technical tees and I was able to catch up and meet some new blogger friends, so I can’t complain.

It was great meeting Anne and Megan for the first time while also catching up with Tina!

All too soon we parted ways in order to tame the hunger beast which had developed since our early bagels.

Tamsin suggested a neighborhood pub for lunch and it was perfect! Ali and I shared the blackened mahi mahi sandwich with sweet potato tots since it was already 3pm and we didn’t want to ruin dinner.

After lunch, Ali and I headed towards our hotel in Capitol Hill. Luckily, the METRO was able to get us there in 40 minutes with only one easy transfer.

Our hotel has far surpassed our expectations! We weren’t sure what to expect since it isn’t in the best area but it is one of the official race hotels which means it filled with inspiring runners, offers a race day shuttle to and from the course, and has a very helpful staff! You can’t ask for much more.

After unpacking, organizing our gear, and relaxing we headed out for a pasta dinner. We both knew we wanted a simple pasts dish which included a protein and a vegetable. Many of the area restaurants were already booked due to the weekend crowds. Luckily, Carmine’s DC was able to fit us at their bar.

Dinner included lots of bread and garlic infused olive oil. Good thing there won’t be any kissing happening tonight. That garlic was STRONG!

 

We were able to save money tonight by sharing one of their family style dishes, the shrimp spaghetti with “red sauce.” I put the red sauce in parenthesis because it was no where to be found in the dish. Luckily, we were both open to mixing all the ingredients and mashing the roma tomatoes which led to a delicious flavor and mix. This dish ended up being exactly what we wanted and were each craving!

Our gear is organized, everything is charged, and our pasta stomachs are ready for bed.

After all, we have a race to run tomorrow don’t we! In 12 short hours, we’ll be celebrating wonderful runs!