The plan was for close to ten thousand walkers and runners to descend on Freedom Plaza for the 25th year of the Aids Walk 5K Washington. Many wondered how it would work out with the Occupy folks already there protesting. People wanted to know if the Freedom Plaza would have a clear space for them. There were even some jokes about how often the “occupiers” had a chance to bathe. Still, neither of these groups had any animosity and they made a plan to share with the Occupy Washington people taking the east side closest to the White House.
Then we got the news that maybe all of the house in the region would be white as well when panicked news media started a stampede to the grocery stores with word of a possible foot of snow. Regulars in town know there is always enough rhetoric to keep the temperature high enough to prevent snow. Besides, regular runners always prefer snow to rain. Rain soaks and snow blows off. Just before race time, the skies were still dark with clouds and the rain was coming down pretty good leaving puddles all up and the route but it was nothing that would stop experienced runners.