I was in DC this week. Although my knee was grumpy with me, I did get in some running. I decided that there are some major benefits to being a running tourist:

• It helps you get oriented to the neighborhood you're staying in. Both the process of planning my runs and going out there and pounding the pavement helped enormously with navigating.
  
• It leaves you with memories, pictures in your head that you might not otherwise have had. I went out and ran the Mall, and I must say that was really fun. It was dark when I left the hotel, but was just coming on morning by the time I was done. It was a beautiful morning, and really nice to run while looking at the iconic image of the Washington monument.
  
• You get to see other runners. Okay, this one is probably somewhat unique to me. My runs at home are in a rural area where I run past cows but also where I have never ever seen another runner. Not one. Ever. In DC, I even passed someone. Sure, he was probably forty years older than I am, but it was a novel experience for me.

All in all, it was a good time.  Hopefully, I'll have the chance to be a running tourist again sometime.