Training Log Archive: Nadim

Event: QOC Greenbelt
 

Event: 2015 Billygoat Run
 

QOC: Greenbelt, MD. I had hedged a lot about whether or not to run the short option of the Billygoat, or stay home. Having been in Kansas City all week played into staying home, as did seeing my mom and getting Samantha to some birthday parties. I also had run a little more so I thought to give it a true weekend warrior try and do Blue.

I was probably first out on Blue and I knew that the course setters were both setting their first courses. Greenbelt Park is aptly named with a lot of greenbriars so I wasn't sure what to expect. I figured that just getting out and going longer would be good.

S-1 I went fairly directly, crossing the road and using the trails a little to get over the ridge, then dropping to the stream. I followed the stream down to the control. What I had trouble with was getting used to the small symbol size of the revised map. The map had been re-done last year but I had missed that meet and didn't realize how hard it was going to be to read. Just about everything was accurate on the map but smaller than standard. I continually struggled to find my place on the map despite having magnifying eye glasses.

1-2. I ran for the trails and crossed the road. I went straight after the trail hit a t-intersection and right to the control. However, I misread the map and though that I was looking for a ditch intersection a little further down. I had to circle back and lost almost a minute.

2-3. I ran straight across the ditches and spiked the control.

3-4. I ran the trails to get near to the road, then ran on that. At the end, I got one reentrant too far to the left so I had to come over a slight hill. I lost about 30 seconds.

4-5. I saw another guy heading out my direction and by taking a more direct route, I almost caught him. However on the road, I plunged into the green sooner than he did. It was slow in the green and I thought that this control could have been better placed elsewhere.

5-6. Out to the road, I dropped almost to the stream, then wen west along it. I pulled up a little short by looking at where the bridge crossed a gully on the other side of the stream. I corrected appropriately but still there was no control. I zig-zagged wondering if the new course setters had made a mistake. Soon the guy at #5 had come to the area. We both went on another loop before I decided to go on. The control had been stolen.

6-7 I ran just left of straight and passed a homeless encampment on top of the ridge. Crossing the reentrant, I climbed to a ditch, then cut further west. I cut back eastward, then sure of my position, I attacked without finding the control, so I decided to move-on to #8. I had checked the area thoroughly.

7-8. I ran straightish and could read the ditches. still, there was no control. I was really doubting the course setters by this time.

8-9. I ran westward down to the trail and attacked from low. I was able to spike it.

9-10. I missed the route option to climb and go through the campgrounds. Instead, I got onto the Perimeter Trail by cutting across the forest. As I was nearing the Blueberry Trail, I couldn't see the trails on the map. Approaching the intersection, I got distracted by a guy with 2 big leashed dogs. I climbed the wrong Blueberry Trail and made a parallel error that I never would have done if the map were more legible. The trails were getting lost in the vertical slash. I lost over 10 minutes partly because I was again doubting the course setting (the course setting was just fine with the exception of a few controls being somewhat hidden.

10-11. I ran the Blueberry Trail to the Perimeter Trail, then hesitated as I crossed Still Creek on the bridge (I could have gone a straighter route but didn't want to get wet). Coming along Still Creek, I found the reentrant and climbed it to the control.

11-12. I climbed to the Laurel Trail and took the Perimeter Trail until I could attack the control.

12-13. I ran to the trailhead at the parking lot, crossed the road and then the creek, then cut right. When I hit the Perimeter Trail, I mistook a trail bend for one further west. Subsequently, I went down the trail too far before attacking and missing. I cut back and hit the control well. I probably lost about 1 minute.

13-14. I went straight, climbing a bit. When I crossed the road, the leg was so similar to #1, that I crossed a gully at the same top of it location. I hesitated just a bit before spiking the control.

14-15. I felt teased being so close to the finish but having a loop to do first. I went straightish, crossed the stream, and got onto the Perimeter Trail. I took that to the bridge south of the control, then ran in.

15-16. I ran back to the Perimeter Trail, over the hill, then back into the thorns. It was a little slow and I was moving slowly at that.

16-F. It took me a while to get around the thorns but there was no time lost really. I crossed the stream on the Perimeter Trail bridge and got onto the road. I went on the west side of the parking lot and just wasn't able to run very fast. This was the longest that I'd gone since November and I was weak on my right side.

I tightened-up pretty quickly after running and had to limp a little. My back was hurting at the base of the spine on the right side. My right hamstring, right back of the knee, and top of my right calf were sore. I'd also bruised my left foot when running on something that must have been like a beaver spike--I remember thinking at that time that it was a really good thing that I had strong shoes.

Blue - Splits

Seneca Creek State Park, Lake Clopper Area, MD. I started from Riffleford Rd. and worked my way up a reentrant. I spent half the time on some detailed gullies, and a big chunk of the rest of it laying out some indistinct vegetation boundaries. It was sunny and 77 F. I didn't have much time since before going, I'd dropped-of Samantha at a birthday party and I had to be back when the party ended.

I had some things to catch-up on at work and by the time I was done with that, I rushed out to fly home.

After another full day meeting, I ran with Michael Martinez, one of the other managers. Michael hasn't run as much as I have in the past but does get out a few times a week. I did find myself slowing down for him at times, though I didn't feel all that energetic myself. We ran from Lenexa Park, over to the Tomahawk Trail to then back. We added on just a bit to make sure that it totaled 4 miles.

I had an office dinner so I didn't run, and back home it was Peggy's birthday.

Overland Park, KS. From College Ave. and Woodson Dr., I cut through a corporate parking lot, got onto W. 115th St., took Glenwood Ave., got onto W. 119th St., got onto the Sprint Parkway, took W. 117th St., took Nail St., took W. 112th, St., and stopped at Woodson Dr. again Before going, I was having definite lower back pain but this time it was a little on my left side. My bak felt better later, after the run. I also had gotten rained on for a short while. I hadn't intended to go this far. My legs were sore from the day before and I'm so out of shape that I don't want to push it much. However, I got going around the huge Sprint campus and it was much bigger than I thought it'd be. These parts of the Kansas City suburbs are odd in the way they change so much from block to block with rural, corporate, and urban terrain. So far this week, I've more than doubled the non-orienteering running miles that I've done for the entire year.