Training Log Archive: davelevine

Event: QOC Great Falls
 

Great Falls, MD
Advanced Medium
16 controls; 6 km; 260 m

Actual Distance Traveled: 9.7 km
Actual Climb: 322 m

I had a sneaking suspicion based on my past performances at Great Falls that I would not be able to finish the Advanced Long course on time. Considering how long it took me to finish the Advanced Medium I think that suspicion was accurate.

I messed up finding the first control (103) pretty good. My original idea wasn't a bad one but it also wasn't the best approach. I ended up going past the control, missing it by several meters. I then circled around for awhile until I wound up back on the path that I had left from several minutes before. At that point I re-examined my approach, chose a better approach, and found the control fairly easily. It took me 14 minutes (during which I walked 0.7 miles) to get to the point where I left the path and started to look for the control and another 11 minutes (during which I walked an additional 0.3 miles) to find it.

I found the next six controls without much trouble.

The eighth control (112) was a different story. Rather than take the trails I cut SSW. I thought that bearing would get me to the control. It got me close but I went past it and then wandered around for a while unsure of exactly where I was. I finally managed to find a trail and once I reached a junction was able to reorient myself and find the control fairly quickly. In retrospect I can see that when I passed the top of the creek at the SE corner of the forbidden zone I should have turned south. But I didn't. It took me 4.5 minutes to get to the SE corner of the FZ (0.2 miles). I spent an additional 30.5 minutes wandering around (for the most part clueless) until I finally reoriented myself and found the control (0.8 miles).

I found the next 6 controls without too much trouble, although I did overshoot 11 (123) and have to circle around to find it.

The fifteenth control (134) also gave me some trouble. I had a feeling that it would and I tried to avoid a hassle my taking a less direct route. The idea wasn't a bad one but I probably could have chosen a better approach. I tried navigating from the prior control to a hill top and then from there to the control. In retrospect I'm not sure if I found the right hilltop. What I do know is that I wound up north of where I should have been. I eventually figured than out and headed south. I wandered around very close to the control, so close that I'm pretty sure that I walked right past it, within 10 feet of it before heading back to the trail. From the trail I plotted a new approach and found it. It was then that I realized that I had just been there and walked right past it.

I'm glad I finished the course. There is no way that I would have finished the long course on time.

I wish I had done better. Great Falls isn't my favorite place to orienteer. There are places where the map doesn't seem to accurately match the diversity of the terrain. It was frustrating at times but it wasn't awful.

The weather was great, maybe a little warmer than what I has prepared for.

Adv - Medium - Splits

Division St to 5000 Connecticut Ave

Route: Caroll Ave - Aspen St - Sherill Drive - Beach Drive - Nebraska Ave - Chevy Chase Parkway - Connecticut Ave

Capital Bikeshare Usage Fee: $1.50

Maybe I should have detoured to the station at 3800 McKinley St. I probably could have made it there in under 30 minutes.

5000 Connecticut Ave to 3400 Wisonsin Ave

Route: 36th St - Warren St - 37th St - Porter St - 36th St - Newark St

1400 Kennedy St to Division St

Route: 14th St - Aspen St - Willow Ave - Maple Ave

According to Google Maps this route is mostly flat. 30 m is a low ball guess of the actual climb.

Division St to Paint Branch Pkwy to Fort Totten

Route: Sligo Creek Trail to Anacostia Trail System to Chillum Rd to Ingraham St to Galatin St to Galloway St

Division St to Paint Branch Pkwy: 39:00; 8.3 miles; 13 m
Paint Branch Pkwy to Ft Totten: 37:00; 6.7 miles; 75 m

Capital Bikeshare usage fee: $4.50

- Gorgeous day for a bike ride.
- The terrain was not hilly at all until I left the trails and started to work my way towards Fort Totten.
- Riding along Chillum Road (for 1 long block) I decided to stick on the sidewalk, other than that I rode entirely on streets and trails.
- I took a paved trail through Avondale Park from LaSalle Rd to Eastern Ave only to discover that the paved portion of the trail ended as I crossed from MD into DC, a couple 200 feet short of Eastern Ave.
- I wish there were some CaBi stations along or near the Anacostia Trail System

Fort Totten to Division St

Route: Gallatin St to 3rd St to Van Buren to Sandy Spring Rd to Willow St to Maple Ave

Division St to Rhode Island Ave to Division St - via Sligo Creek Trail and Northwest Branch Trail

Division St to Rhode Island Ave: 26:25; 5.4 miles; 4 m
Rhode Island Ave to Division St: 30:30; 5.4 miles; 71 m

I considered bicycling further but I wanted to finish in under an hour, mostly because the usage fee jumps from $1.50 to $4.50 at that point.

Neighborhood walk: Home - Long Branch Creek - Piney Branch Road - Sligo Creek - New Hampshire Ave - Glenside Drive - Garland Ave - Home