Training Log Archive: Nadim

Event: Birkhead Wilderness Classic (US Classic Champs)
 

BOK: Birkhead Wilderness Classic, US Classic Championships (near Ashboro, NC). After my run Thursday night, I was rather worried about how much I'd be able to run. I was pretty worried that my right Achilles tendon would not hold-up. During my recovery week from the 50K last weekend, just a small rise was enough to set it off on Thursday. With a course full of steeper hills I knew I was risking further debilitating strain. However, a day of rest and good sleep really helped. I felt my right leg going up the first hill and subsequently walked a bunch of it. Once up, I felt okay and was able to run. As I passed Peggy (she started a minute or so ahead of me), I warmed-up more and turned more attention to the navigation. However, my run to #2 was not so good--I ended-up too low. I was a bit too high going to #3, then okay on #4 and #5. I was fine on the way to #6 but hitting one of the stream junctions, I didn't notice there being two of them. I ran on past the control when I should have followed the stream up. That was a 2:30 error. I made up for it on #7, #8, and #9, running smoothly and cleanly. Just like many people, I didn't climb high enough going to #10. I corrected that quickly. I started tiring going to #11 but hit it well. I was a bit high but corrected getting to #12 without any noteworthy loss of time. I was still tired getting around #13, #14, and #15, I ran the flatter ground into #16 on trails pretty well but didn't have much of a sprint finish. I think I was just feeling tired still from the 50K. I shouldn't have made the error that I did going to #6 but I was pretty happy after this race mainly due to being able to run without hurting my right Achilles tendon again. The softer ground and naturally slower speeds in running off trail probably offset the effect of the steepness and minimized the hurt. I did run with magnifying eyeglasses today; first time for me in an A-meet. They worked okay, as they had done at QOC's event in Pohick, VA, 2 weeks back.

Green Day 1 - Splits

From Northfield Rd. to Bethesda Metro Station. I felt strong though there was at least some tailwind. It was cooler too. Last night it was warm enough for shorts but very windy. There was at least a 30mph gust.

From Northfield Rd., Greenwich Park, to Old Georgetown Rd. to Beech Dr. to Johnson Ave./Hempstead Ave. to McKinley St. to Garfield St., to Roosevelt St., to the trail at Jefferson St. to Northfield Rd. I felt so much better starting out today. I was 7:55 at the first mile. I'd stretched before starting. My right calf was still tight. About halfway through in distance, I turned up Beech and tightened-up. I soon stopped but was stiff for a while after getting going again. After turning downhill a way later, I felt better but not a lot.

From Northfield Rd. I ran up to Custer Rd., to Wilson La., to Exeter Rd. to Glenbrook Rd. to the Bethesda Trolley Trail, to the NIH grounds, to Maple Ridge Rd. to Georgetown Pike, to Huntington Pkwy., to Custer Rd. to Northfield Rd. It was in the upper 50s F with a full moon. I missed running at and from work since I was busy. Getting home late always makes it less likely for me to run but catching up on some AP logs helped. I've also been feeling like it was time to get back on the horse and test out my aches and pains. I figured that moving some would also be better than not doing so. I was slowest in the first quarter mile up a small hill. My right calf turned out to still be pretty tight--pins and needles but at least I'm bending at the ankle the last 2 days. It loosened more as I went. After about a mile, my right thigh hurt more but that went away mostly too. My feet were kind of heavy and hitting hard. I felt like I could go a long way but for the pains.

It was kind of busy at work. I've been feeling better and like I ought to run. The tight calves from the race on Saturday are getting less tight. There are still some other aches and pains.

45 situps.

After moving about gingerly from still being tight, I started the morning discovering that one of the new tires I bought for our van was flat. This prompted a replacement job with the spare on a cold morning. Oddly, having to bend down and put some strain on my left leg to make the change, made a lot of the tightness go away. It was sudden. It stayed away too. Unfortunately, it didn't do so much for my right leg. I was able to walk about much more freely during the day but rushing to make a train at the end, my right knee hurt in a warning way. I moved about more slowly and got the improperly installed valve on the tire fixed.

I was fairly sore as could be expected. My calves are extremely tight so going down stairs is hard. Other aches and pains from my wrist to my toe manifest as other things become less noticeable. My right thigh is still hurting too. I relaxed being careful about eating. I got all the tires replaced on our van. This prompted some walking around the local mall and helped loosen me up.