Maryland to West Virginia - TRAINing to Run the State Line

Maryland to West Virginia - TRAINing to Run the state line

An obligatory pun is required here about my TRAINing for this run. There is a great rails-to-trails path on the Maryland side of the Potomac that connects with Washington, DC. It is the old C & O towpath. The purpose of a towpath is to allow a land vehicle, beasts of burden, or a team of human pullers to tow a boat. Well I am no beast of burden, but I ran along the almost-flat trail with the river some 15-30 yards over on my left. I kept wondering where the canal had been. There was no obvious canal between me and the river. Of course, being hyperaware as I usually am, I discovered the answer - when a train about 25 yards to my right and some 10 yards up chugged along and blew its whistle at maximum decibels. The canal is to my right! - overgrown with trees & brush, but on my right. In any case, whoever came up with a plan to dig a canal beside a river & have horses tow a boat was ambitious and could understand my Crazy Ass Running Plan. #CARPe