Running the Trails: How to Find a Great Run in Arlington

What happened to our nice warm spring weather? It's cold outside and it's supposed to stay that way for the next several days. Yuck! I want my spring back!

Remember those nice warm days? On Tuesday, I decided to take advantage of that wonderful warm weather (ahh .. the memories). So I left my office in Shirlington and hopped on the Four Mile Run trail for a quick little 20 minute jog. After briefly following Arlington Mill Drive, I slipped behind the trees behind Barcroft Park and in to the nice wooded area of the trail. It's a really nice run and I highly recommend it for a run, a walk, or a bike ride.

There are lots of good places to run and some good tools online to help you find a good route or to track your progress. Here are some of my favorites:

BikeArlington - focuses on bike rides, but a lot of the trails mentioned are great for running too.
Favorite Run - a good resource of running routes and tools to map your runs
WalkArlington -County maps and some good ideas for walks/runs.
Google Pedometer - an easy way to see how far you ran (Note: not that great for trails, but really good for road running)
USA Track and Field - lists over 400 running routes in Arlington (Hint: don't use the Route Rating feature - it severely limits your choices)
DC Road Runners Club - find a team, a workout, or a race
Alternative Running - information about trail running in Northern Virginia (not frequently updated)
Virginia Happy Trails Running Club - anyone crazy enough to run an ultra marathon?

This list isn't meant to be comprehensive, so feel free to add your add resources/favorite runs to the comments.

Now, let's bring that warm weather back. It makes for much nicer running.