Training Log Archive: Nadim

Seneca State Park, MD - From Riffleford Rd. I field checked grounds north of Seneca Creek, on both sides of Riffleford Rd. A lot of this was green and the features weren't as densely packed as on the North Branch or Rock Creek where I'd been field checking earlier this year. A lot of what I covered were field edges too. I felt I covered a good amount of ground. Starting out, I'd not noticed that I left the car without my eyeglasses. I couldn't pinpoint what felt funny until about an hour into this. By that time I didn't feel it worth the time to go back to the car.

Event: QOC: The Bumble
 

QOC: The Bumble, at Lake Frank and North Branch Parks. Having mapped the parks and having recently updated most of the areas used I had an advantage and was fairly accurate. This was further aided by there being many short legs. My errors had to do with heading to the wrong controls.

I felt that David Onkst set a fun course. It's not easy to set in this narrow terrain, which we had to double-back on for part of it. Exiting the first window I didn't see that I had to go to a control that was adjacent to the window (there was no leg line). I had seen the control but figured it was for the Orange course or for on the way back. I actually passed it a second time but that would have been accurate as I went right to control #15. It was there that Vido Alexsiev asked me whether or not I'd punched #8. I stopped and found it on the map and went back. To be legal, I would have had to do the whole second window again. Running Blue (above my age groups on this age/sex handicapped race), I figured that I was out here for fun. I went back to punch #8 so that I could say I went to all the controls butdidn't bother going back through the second window again. This was of course a mispunch.

I ran through the rest of the course making 3 or 4 more bobbles. I was a little inefficient in getting from #18 to #O. Similarly I added unnecessary climb from #R to #S. My route from #T to #30 was mostly on the trails and I lost a little ground to a guy who went more directly (he was stronger too). I ran over #W, expecting to see it a little further up, so I got #X first.

My window selections were:

Window 1 - ECDBA
Window 2 - KJHGF
Window 3 - ONPLM
Window 4 - QRSUT (I'm sure this was most efficient)
Window 5 - VXWYZ (not efficient due to missing W)

I didn't feel that fast but kept running wherever it wasn't too steep. It was a fun day and I'm glad to see these mapped areas finally getting to be used for a standard club event, instead of just for a Summer Short Series. I also look forward to mapping the areas north of the ICC sometime so we'll have even more terrain, and could possibly start out of Magruder HS, further north on Muncaster Mill Rd.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. There were headwinds and it was cold.

From Northfield Rd., to Huntington Pkwy., to Old Georgetown Rd. to Beech Ave. to Johnson Ave,. to Heampstead Ave. to McKinley St. to Garfield St., to Roosevelt St., to the trail at Jefferson St. to Northfield Rd. I felt much better than on Tuesday, but not that strong through the run.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd.

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. I didn't feel very good on this run but I'm glad that I got out.