The Path More Traveled

 “The trail is the thing, not the end of the trail. Travel too fast and you miss all you are traveling for.”



The W&OD Trail is a 45-mile paved multi-use path
in the Northern VA suburbs of Washington, D.C.



The Washington D.C. area is lucky to have an extensive network of paved biking paths. And I’m lucky enough to live less than a mile away from the best trail in the area – the 45-mile paved Washington and Old Dominion Trail (W&OD – pronounced locally as the “WAD”). My gym, my bike shop, my Whole Foods are all directly off the trail near my house. My husband and I are “path-letes” many days a week. I run on it all the time, it’s a perfect way to get my long runs in on Sunday mornings. We both use it as a main artery to get out to more rural roads for road cycling on the weekends. And my husband uses it occasionally to get into Washington D.C. for work or back, because it connects with a series of other bike paths that lead into the city. 

Anyway, I thought that I would write a quick post paying homage to the trail I know and love, use and abuse. I’m throwing in a little trail etiquette at the same time.

What I’ve learned on the "Wad":



1. If there is sunshine on the weekend, it’s going to be crowded. If it’s chilly, cloudy, rainy you will have the whole beautiful trail to yourself.
2. Beware of deer, rabbits, raccoons, squirrels and dogs crossing directly in front of you.
3. If you come up on a crosswalk with a stoplight, 9 times out of 10 it will be the “don’t walk” sign.
4. If you are someone running ahead of me, you are a competitor.
5. If you are someone passing me, you are a pace setter.
6. If you are someone running toward me, you’re my friend and I smile and nod.
7. If you are wearing a white button down with a black tie and you are offering lemonade, I’m not interested in your religion.
8. Gentlemen, making a kissing face or a “call-me” sign while passing me is not going to win my heart, especially if you’re on roller blades.
9. If I’m on a bike, I always feel like I should be running.
10. If I’m running, I always feel like I should be on a bike.
11. If you have a full team kit with matching bike, you’re probably over 50 and out of shape (but it’s better than blowing your fortune on a sports car.)
12. If you are running with ear phones, please check behind you before turning around and veering directly into the path of my bike.
13. If you ring a bell at me, I will ignore you, but if you nicely let me know you’re coming up behind me I will gladly stay to the side.
14. To the wanna-be pro’s out there, remember you are on a multi-use bike path. This is not the place to get your interval workout in. Please don’t race past recreational cyclists at 30 mph and act annoyed. Find an open road.
15. If you have a bike path like this near your house – use it, get outside, take advantage of what a lot of people don’t have. It’s a wonderful resource in a community and I’m so thankful to have access to it.

And if you live in the Washington D.C. area and you want to be involved in preserving this wonderful resource, visit the Friends of the W&OD Trail.

What have you learned on your local bike paths? I’d love to add more comments to the list.

Dave forging a fresh path on the W&OD
in Vienna after the Blizzard of 2010.