This weekend I did lots of Boston-themed things.

It started with a group run Saturday morning in DuPont Circle. The DC Capital Striders, one of the local running groups here, had organized several memorial runs through out the city.



Baylee, the DuPont runs' organizer, printed off Boston bibs for everyone to wear and mapped out two different loops for people to run.



We started off in a massive swarm down Connecticut Avenue, but people eventually fell into pace groups as we approached the National Mall and headed out toward the Capitol.

I was glad Megan had decided to join me on the run. I didn't know anyone else in the group and as the miles wore on the pace groups became smaller and smaller. For plenty of the run it was just me and Megan.



With about a mile and half left to go, we were rounding the Tidal Basin, passing the FDR Memorial, when we picked up two other girls who stuck with us the rest of the way back.

In total we did about 8.25 miles, right around what I needed for my last long run before the Nike Women's Half this week.

It was truly a beautiful morning for a run and I was glad I had taken the time to meet up with the group to do it. Megan and I celebrated by demolishing some bagel sandwiches from Bethesda Bagel before we both headed home.

The Boston-themed activities continued Saturday night when I met up with a group of friends downtown for a fundraiser for the One Fund. A friend's former roommate had gone to school in Boston and organized the event.



The fundraiser was fairly small and low-key, but we managed to raise more than $1,400 for the bombing victims and their families. Plus it ended up being a good night spent with friends, and a good attempt to get back to some of the normalcy of life that I feel has been missing since last Monday.

And now, here we are at the start of a new week, which can pretty much only be better than last week. Here's to making it a great one.