Generally, find parks and other areas that don’t involve too much crossing of busy streets, especially if you’re out during heavy drive times.

For example, start at the National Mall, where you can run the two miles around the perimeter from the Capitol steps to the Lincoln Memorial. Or ventune into the Reflecting Pool area where there are always interesting events, such as political rallies, exercise classes and school groups.

You can jog past DuPont Circle and up Embassy Row from Massachusetts Avenue, observing the stately lines of elegant buildings and imagine all the political intrigue and posh social events you'll never get to see. If you happen to jog around the Capital Hill area on a Saturday or Sunday, you may see the outdoor street marketers offering fresh veggies, baked goods and old family heirlooms.

For other jogging recommendations and special seasonal events, click on the National Park Service's nps.gov. Get all the info about availability of park jogging and hiking venues.

For those who prefer the rural run, NPS's Rock Creek Park, P Street and Woodley, may be the best in town. There are tree-lined dirt jogging, hiking and biking paths on a large two-mile loop around and through the public park grounds.

Of course, there are many, many more areas for joggers in the city and suburbs, including trails along both the Washington and Virginia sides of the Potomac River. NPS can provide extensive information on them.

Some words of advice about dangers of jogging in Washington, other than dodging cars on streets and big dogs off leashes. For safety's sake, take at least one jogging buddy along. Carry a fully-charged smartphone, and sorry to say, some parts of Washington are not too safe after dark. Do all your jogging from daybreak to nightfall.