I can’t believe it is race week! In just 4 short days, I’ll be boarding a plane to Washington D.C. for Sunday’s Marine Corps Marathon! As I get ready to run my fifth marathon, I’ve been reflecting on how many things I’ll be doing differently this weekend than I did when I ran my first marathon. One of those things is turning my race travels into a vacation racecation.

When I ran my first marathon (Chicago Marathon) in 2010, my husband and parents joined me in Chicago for the big weekend. While we did attempt to make it into a racecation, I now realize we failed miserably. We only stayed 2 nights. We did a lot of sight-seeing the day before the marathon, which left my legs dead for the race. And we booked our flights home literally hours after the marathon, causing us to rush like wild animals to the airport and leaving me in mega-soreness-land sitting on a plane for 2+ hours right after the race. When you train for months for a big race, why not turn your finish victory into a celebration by racing in a city you’d like to explore and planning a fun racecation to mark your accomplishment?

Things to Remember As You Plan Your Racecation

• Try to arrive 2 days before your race (i.e. if your race is on Sunday, arrive Friday afternoon). This will give you a chance to hit the race expo two days before or first thing the morning before the race when it will be a little less crowded. The more crowded the expo, the more time you are likely to spend on your feet. You don’t want to be standing up and walking around the expo for hours the afternoon before the race. Arriving 2 nights before will also allow you to get settled, organized and be less rushed.
• Schedule all your fun, big activities after the marathon. Exploring a new city generally requires lots of walking. You don’t want to kill your legs and feel flat on marathon-morning because you were walking all over creation before the race. The day before the marathon, plan activities that require as little time on your feet as possible. Look into bus, trolley or boat tours and/or fun shows where you’ll be seated for the majority of the time. Use public transportation or cabs to get from place to place to limit the amount of time on your feet. Try to schedule those activities the morning or early afternoon before your race so you still have plenty of time to rest and relax that day/evening.
• Schedule activities where comfy clothes are appropriate. Lots of walking in the 2 or so days after your race will be good for you. But not if you are walking around in high heels, fancy clothes or uncomfortable shoes. You’re going to be sore. It’s going to hurt to walk down stairs (or anywhere really). You want to be as comfortable as possible. I like to wear jeans and running shoes, so be sure to plan activities where that kind of attire will be appropriate.
• Try awesome restaurants. There’s no better time to indulge than right after your marathon. Celebrate your accomplishment by taking advantage of trying new restaurants and enjoying new cuisines after your race as part of your itinerary.

For those of you heading to our nation’s capital for the Marine Corps Marathon this weekend or if this race is on your bucket list, below is my fun Washington D.C. racecation itinerary.

rUnladylike’s Washington D.C. Racecation Itinerary

Friday (2 days before the race)

• Arrive in Washington D.C. around lunch time with my mom and brother
• Hit the Marine Corps Marathon Health and Fitness Expo
• Take a night bike tour of Washington D.C.: I did this back in September when Mr. rUnladylike and I were in Washington, D.C. This is a super easy, 6-mile ride that is slow, flat and not an issue 2 days before the race. It’s a 2-3 hour tour that goes by all the big monuments at night, stopping at each and sharing the history of the city.

• Dinner at the ever-popular Founding Farmers

Saturday (Day before the race)

• White House Tour: This tour requires reservations through your congressman or senator several months in advance. No purses or bags are allowed, so you’ll need to plan accordingly. 
  

  

• Brunch at Old Ebbitt Grill: Just steps from The White House, this restaurant was established in 1856 and was a favorite of Presidents Grant, Cleveland, Harding and Theodore Roosevelt and is still a popular meeting spot for political insiders, journalists, celebrities and theater-goers.
• Trolley Tour of Washington D.C.: This seated trolley tour shows guests all of Washington with live narration in 3 loops that cover Arlington National Cemetery, the National Mall, National Cathedral, Downtown, Georgetown and points in between. With 19 stops, guests can hop on and off all day. 
  

  

• Head back to the hotel to rest for the remainder of the day while my spectators go to the Smithsonian Museum
• Dinner at hotel
• Early to bed

Sunday (Race Day!!!!)

• 5:30 a.m.: Get on the metro to head toward the race start
• 7:20 a.m.: Race opening ceremonies
• 7:40 a.m.: Wheel chairs start
• 7:55 a.m. Runners start: I’ve let the Marine Corps Marathon team take over my Twitter feed during the race so you can see how I’m doing on the course. I hope to be done by noon.
• Head back to the hotel and clean up after the race (Might there be an ice bath in my future?)
• Stroll through the U.S. Botanic Gardens: This living plant museum is free to the public and informs visitors about the importance and value of plants to the well-being of humans and to Earth’s ecosystems. Following George Washington’s vision for our capital city, the garden was established by the U.S. Congress in 1820 – making it one of the oldest botanic gardens in North America.

• Head to Georgetown to walk around and explore (Yes, I’ll be hitting up Georgetown Cupcakes for a post-race treat!)
• Celebration dinner at Filomena in Georgetown

Monday, October 29

• Tour the Headquarters of the Department of Defense: The Pentagon

• Lunch at Le Bon Café
• Congressional Tour of the Library of Congress
• Dinner at Hank’s Oyster Bar

Tuesday, October 30

• Tour the U.S. Capitol Building
• Stroll through the Eastern Market: The Eastern Market is a community hub for the Capitol Hill neighborhood and a cultural destination for visitors from around the world. From Tuesday through Sunday, visitors flow through the South Hall Market, where merchants serve the finest meats, poultry, seafood, produce, pasta, baked goods and cheeses from around the world.

• Visit the Newseum: This is a 250,000-square-foot museum of news that offers visitors a behind-the-scenes experience of how and why news is made. It blends 5 centuries of news history with up-to-the-second technology and hands-on exhibits.
• Open night for dinner and fun (We have to leave a little room for spontaneity *wink*)

 Wednesday, October 31

• Head back to Atlanta

Good luck to everyone running in the 37^th Marine Corps Marathon this weekend and to everyone running or racing wherever you may be.

What other suggestions do you have for runners headed to Washington D.C. this weekend? Do you ever turn your races into opportunities for a vacation? If so, what has been your favorite racecation?