Training in Washington D.C. started Sunday, and running in a new city always involves an adjustment process.

Talking about the weather is usually a sign that promising conversations broken down into hapless small talk, but in this case the subject is highly relevant. Running in the heat and humidity last week felt like flying though volcanic ash spewing from Iceland. Anything should be possible If I can survive this Martian atmosphere. 

The D.C. running group is also a little different. There seems to be larger population of run-walk fundraisers and first time marathon candidates. (The freshman marathon class was a minority in the New York training group last year.)

It also appears that every group has at least one person who shows up for the first day of practice in running shoes with toes. Nike and Vibram make popular brands. ( http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-240-400—12828-0,00.html )

I have to question the wisdom of long-distance urban running on the very thin rubber soles built into these shoes

With little cushioning to buffer steady pounding on hard pavement, it’s like sparring for three hours in cotton mittens instead of standard 16-ounce padded boxing gloves. I personally wouldn’t trade approximately two inches of gell-infused soles beneath my favorite Asics models for anything during a long run on hot asphalt.