Training Log Archive: Nadim

Cuirve River State Park, MO. Warm-up jog from the parking area, to the start. There weren't any streamers; though I'd passed something that looked like it'd be the start, I wasn't sure of it toward the end. Fortunately it was about where I thought it would be and I got plenty of time to be ready to run before my start.

SLOC: A-Meet Middle, Cuirve River State Park, MO. With better sleep, a later start than most, nice sunlight, and reports of more open terrain than the night before, I went into this feeling better. I ran better too though much of the way I felt more out of breath and tired than I felt appropriate. My result was pleasing, even with some room for improvement. See the Split List.

Middle Red - Splits

CMOUSA Middle Champs - Splits

Event: US Night & Relay Champs
 

Cuirve River State Park, MO. Warm-up jog from the top of the hill near the parking area, to the start. This was essentially in the dark and trying to follow a few glow sticks. I was trying to conserve the batter power of my headlight for later. It was hard to see the glow stick and I think I only saw one of the streamers but I eventually got there.

SLOC: Night-O Championships, Cuirve River State Park. This wasn't a great run for me. I had some mistakes and places where I lost track of where I was. The terrain was greener than I would consider to be white with lots of somewhat low scratchy vegetation (my upper thighs resembled the results of a self-flagellation). In the daytime I probably would have found a way around the vegetation but it was hard to do that at night. I was using an extended cable from my headlamp to a battery in a belt pack in the small of my back like I've done in the past. However this time, the cable kept disconnecting. It happened at least 8 times and each time it took me about a minute to fumble in the dark to locate the cable and orient it into the battery correctly. I finally wasn't able to get it to go in correctly at all, just about 400m before the end. This area happened to be the worst of the green encountered on the map so far. I resorted to my very small backup LED headstrap light. I could barely see the map with it but I did get out of the green and eventually found the finish after punching a randome control along the way (because I couldn't see the map very well). All in all, it was a somewhat disappointing outing for me. I like night-o more than this. See the Split List.

Red - Splits

45 situps.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to Arlington Rd. with Max on his trail-a-bike, then to the Bethesda Metro Station.

From the Bethesda Metro Station, to Arlington Rd. to pickup Max's trail-a-bike then to Northfield Rd. in the dark

From Northfield Rd., Greenwich Park, to Old Georgetown Rd. to Beech Dr. to to Singleton Dr. to Bulls Run Pkwy., to the trail along the school to Bradmore Dr. to Folkstone Rd. to Hartsdale Ave. to Heampstead Ave. to McKinley St. to Garfield St., to Roosevelt St., to the trail at Jefferson St. to Northfield Rd. Since Max was already asleep when I got home, I forewent dinner and got out to run before I was too tired. It was damp from recent rains and in the mid 50's.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to Arlington Rd. with Max on his trail-a-bike, then to the Bethesda Metro Station. A busy and late work day is anticipated so I didn't ride all the way in. Max rode vigorously.

From the Bethesda Metro Station, to Arlington Rd. to pickup Max's trail-a-bike then to Northfield Rd. in the dark.

It was mostly a travel day. My ankle is much better already. I mowed the lawn and accompanied Max on a trip to the playground. After that, I was probably more lazy than anything else so I didn't run as I had earlier hoped.

Middlesex Fells Park, near Woburn, MA: Warm-up from the Sheephold dog park field to the start area of the US Long Championships hosted by Cambridge Sports Union (CSU). It was around 50 F and sunny this morning.

CSU: US Long Championships at Middlesex Fells Park, near Woburn, MA: It was a much better day for me today though I made a fair number of errors. I started out over thinking the route to #1 and changing my route 30 seconds into the course. Instead of a trail run most of the way, I cut across forest and got hung in some green. I was fine going to #2. I ran well to an attack point but let myself get distracted by other orienteers and missed. I made a quick recovery. Going to #4 I went around to the right a bit more than planned, then going left I overshot the control. That lost me about a minute. I forewent the trail to the left and went right again going to #5. Along the way I stumbled and bashed my
left shin on a rock, hopped around and got going again to spike the control. The short dash to the water control next was fine.

For the long leg, I went straight on the main trail for most of the way, going straight at the second big intersection. I cut in from a trai bend and planned to follow a reentrant to the next trail. I over thought what I was doing again and cut back when I thought I was going the wrong way at a reentrant junction. I thought better of it after losing a minute, then went on to spike the rest of the way to the control.

I dog-legged back toward #8 but at the next trail, I missed a trail intersection. I corrected after not so long by doubling back then crossed the next ridges hesitantly. I was much more confident getting to #'s 9 & 10. I stayed on trails for #11. Going to #12, I chased and passed a NEOC runner but screwed it up when I mistakenly started running to # 2. I got there too in not the best way, before realizing the error. I was shaky and hesitant going the rest of the way.

I was much smoother the rest of the way running on trails. On the run-in I sprinted down the grassy slope. I stepped in a hole along the way, then 4-5 steps from the finish as I was focusing on the punch box, I twisted my right ankle in a rut. Subsequently, I flubbed the punch. That was one of my worst twists in a long time. Immediate swelling occured.

This was a decent run for me though I left a lot of room for improvement. I may have had more fun doing the longer Red course but I placed 3rd in M50+. That's a rare event for me in this part of the country.

Green-X Long - Splits