Training Log Archive: Nadim

Seneca Creek State Park, MD. From Riffleford Rd., I ran on part of the Greenway Trail for a short while, until going off trail to get across a stream and onto the unnamed trails that go past the marsh with the observation tower. I got under the Great Seneca Hwy to rejoin the Greenway Trail for just a short way, before going on a temporary road--more of a boardwalk built to get construction equipment through the Long Draught Branch stream valley. I was checking out the construction since I'm to set out controls in the area this coming Friday. I was pleased to find out that there were fewer fences than there had been previously--the courses are going to be less affected than I thought they might. I had mapped the construction earlier and the maps are printed, but this time I took a GPS track to accurately fix the map once the boards are removed.

From Colonel Zadok Magruder HS, I started heading out to field-check North Branch Park. I was going to run further but I came across a ditch that I wasn't remembering. I stopped to take a GPS track, but as I followed it, I realized it was the one I'd taken a track of previously.

North Branch Rock Creek Park, MD. I continued field checking along an old roadbed, and a reentrant system. I got good value out of the time I was there but since I haven't been able to figure out how to get my watch to display the actual time while I'm taking a track, I stayed out a little longer than expected and delayed Peggy's birthday dinner.

When I finished field-checking for the day in North Branch Rock Creek Park, I ran back to Colonel Zadok Magruder HS. I stopped along the way to take a picture of the large field.

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 Jefferson St., to Northfield Rd. I felt better than I did the last time running this. It was good to end work close to on-time, and to be able to get in a short run before dinner.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. I had gotten a late start after taking Samantha to an unplanned orthodontist visit--she'd broken or dislodged a wire and it had been poking her.

For the ride, I was still tired and trying to pace. I felt like I had a slight headwind getting to Georgetown, so I was surprised that my time as as fast as it was. I did pickup one drafter on my way down. I towed him most of the way to Georgetown, but he led the last 3/4 of a mile before stopping. There were some favorable winds getting the rest of the way.

From 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C., to Northfield Rd. I was careful to spin going home. My legs are still shot and sore to the touch in some places. When standing and bending knees, I feel a shot of pain. It's all muscle fatigue but I think it's getting better. Starting out, I moved quickly. I got to and through Georgetown with few delays. I passed a bunch of people on the Capital Crescent Trail (CCT) but the trail was not over crowded. There could have been a slight tailwind in places. One guy passed me on the long climb and I didn't even try to keep up. It turned out that a second guy caught me without passing somewhere near Falls Rd.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station.

From the Bethesda Metro Station, to Battery Ln. via Wisconsin Ave. After a stop for an appointment, I ran further on Wisconsin Ave. to the Bethesda Trolley Trail, to Maple Ridge Rd., to Glenbrook Rd., to Edgemoor Ln., to the Bethesda Metro Station. My legs were shot from (over) training this week. I felt it most in my quads starting out, and when going downhill. It got a little better and I actually went further than I thought I would.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd., in the dark.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station. It was nice and warm.

Washington, D.C. From 12th & Independence Ave., SW, down Independence Ave., to 17th St., along the Reflecting Pool to the Lincoln Memorial circle, to Ohio Dr. to the Rock Creek Trail, to P St., NW., to 20th St., NW., to the Dupont Circle Metro Station at Q St., NW. I worked late and got running as it was starting to get dark. The +80 F temperature was motivating me. I knew I was tired from running on Sunday and riding on Tuesday. However, I didn't expect to be feeling it only 150 m after starting out. I originally was going to go to Woodley Park, but hurting well before then and figuring that I wasn't getting much more out of the run, I peeled-off to the Dupont Circle metro station instead.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd., in the dark. I was pretty tired walking up the escalator to my bicycle. Once I got started I felt better and lighter, riding without a backpack.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. I started out taking it easy and there was some traffic. I got on the CCT just behind a guy and I passed him and another before River Rd. They passed me back at the reservoir. Once past Fletcher Boathouse, I passed them both and towed them into Georgetown. There were headwinds the whole way but they weren't bad. It was 52 F starting out.

From 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C., to Northfield Rd. I had some good headwinds and there was a lot of traffic--cycling, pedestrians and car. I moved okay, even going up the hill. One guy cruised past me and eventually I picked-up a guy in my draft who stuck w/me until River Rd. It was nice and warm and sunny.

Event: QOC Lake Needwood
 

QOC: Lake Needwood. I had some trepidation about going the distance on this course, knowing it would be hilly and steep. The woods have been opening-up, so that helped. Having mapped the area helped too though not always. The map needs updating for new rootstocks and deadfall. Controls were hung very low. Though #1 was very visible coming from the right side, many of the next ones were touching the ground half way up the bag. One had be right at the feature to see those.

About the time I was climbing toward #6 is where I started slowing down. I'm just too heavy for now, and haven't been doing enough running to get over these in a better way. I lost time at #8, after having taken the Rte. 28 highway bridge to avoid the swollen stream. It took me 2-3 minutes to find the misplaced control (more in the large reentrant, than on the east/creek facing hillside. With other low hung controls, I was hunting many of the smaller unmapped depressions in the area. After that, I took the trail toward the boulder (#9) and went further to get around the marsh (successfully dry). I was a slight bit off to the left going up to #10 but the cliff clued-me in before I made it worse. For #11 (in an area showing 3 rootstocks), the new deadfall confused me. I crossed a ditch and either mistook it for another, or the control was not in the right place. I'll need to go back and fix the map there. I lost at least 2 minutes. I went around partway, going to #12. After that climb, I made a novice error going to #13, probably induced by being tired. I stopped early at the first big reentrant--some people whom I'd passed and had been walking had nearly caught-up to me before I went on--I probably lost 1.5 minutes.

Going to #14, I got to the area but wasn't reading carefully. I went to the larger group of boulders lower down and lost 30 seconds or so.

Going to #15, I went straight along the ridge and over the hilltop. The climb felt steep after all of the other climbs so I had second thoughts about a better way being through the valley then on the rides to the left. On the direct route I chose I hit the cairn and manmade feature right on target and spiked the control--I hadn't even distinguished the dot knoll until I was on top of it and found the control behind it.

I went straight to #16 and #17, though I stopped short at #17. I had confused the feature to be another dot knoll and after-reading, I realized it was a rootstock further up. That rootstock is now too decrepit and will be removed from the map.

I angled across the hillside toward #18 and dropped down before the fenced area. I was misreading the hill that control was on, so I climbed the road on the left side of the fenced area to get me to where I could shoot across the pipeline ride without getting too wet. I rounded the spur to the control but was having second doubts about missing it. It just seemed a long way around, probably due to the shape of the spur being different lower than it is higher up. I went straight toward the cairn (#19), going on the left and higher side of the unmapped deadfall.

For #20, I ran up the pipeline ride on the trail until it entered the woods and went straight to it from there. I was a little unsure and slightly left at the end but essentially I spiked it.

For #21, I ignored trails getting to the pipeline ride but then too trails to just above the clearing. It seems that some additional clearings have opened up. I went down toward #22 after that and came out near the trail intersection. It was greener ahead along the trail so I attacked from the intersection, seeing the control a long way before I got to it.

I was torn between going left and right to #23. I went left, got on the trail, and then right on the trail again. I had to climb at the end but hit it well. At least by this point, I was feeling some pain in my back where I had surgery. My right leg was feeling weak too. I just planned to take it easier from there but I was too tired to run hard anyway.

Rounding the lake to #24, I went down right away to the trail and got to the road. I took roads to just past the archery area, then used a short trail to get to the pipeline ride. I kept going straight across--the green had opened up in this area. The hillside was mostly white and mapped low vegetation in the valley was mostly gone--maybe until summer. Even the grassy areas across the creek were good. I saw the manmade object (heating oil tank) and started hunting around it. I didn't see the control so I checked the description and only then looked at the rootstock right behind me to find it. I lost around 20-25 seconds.

For #25, I ran straight, but on the left side of both ruins. I like this area this leg covered and it's been underused. It's somewhat awkward to get to for advanced courses and sometimes the grasses are too high. This time is was wide open like it was when I mapped it. I was expecting the control to be lower in the forest but happy to see it from far away.

For #26, I skirted the edge of the Go Ape area. It was marked out of bounds but I recall clearing use of it with the vendor. They said it's all park land and didn't have a problem with us running under the ropes. I was surprised that the ropes expanded to the other side of the road--a guy was zip-lining above me while others hooted and howled. I did a bit of an S to get across the gullied creek, and the deadfall, and probably lost a little time.

I ran low along the lake until the boathouse area--nice running for tired legs. I got on the road and looked in the picnic area from below w/o seeing the control. When I was sure it wasn't along the road, I ran up. I lost 20-30 seconds.

I think everyone who ran or walked lost time with the controls being hung low, in areas needing a map update, and sometimes out of place altogether. This was good Billygoat training, and I need more of it. Max ran Yellow with his friend Tyler Day. Samantha, who helped hand out maps but who'd been waiting alone a lot, was tired. I risked carrying her back to the car. We had a late lunch at Urban Barbeque.

Blue - Splits