Training Log Archive: Nadim

From Northfield Rd. to the Bethesda Metro Station. I probably had a tailwind but I was also a little tired.

From the Silver Spring Metro Station, Colesville Rd., to N. Portal Dr. to E. Beach Dr. to Kalmia Rd., to Beach Dr., to the Valley Trail in Rock Creek Park, to Candycane Park via the paved Rock Creek Trail, to Ellingson Dr. to the Georgetown Branch Trail via Susannah Ln. to Woodmont Ave. in Bethesda, to Edgemoor Ln. to the Bethesda Metro Station. It was cool and will be turning hot later in the week, so I thought it best to take advantage of it, and run. I started well but for as fast as I felt, I was still slow through the first mile, at about 8:20. As I was climbing gradually, and almost constantly after that, the rest of the miles were slow. My legs were tired.

From the Bethesda Metro Station, to Norhtfield Dr. It was still cool. I hit the first 2 traffic lights but got past the rest quickly.

Event: QOC Rosaryville
 

Rosaryville State Park, MD. I headed to the start triangle after registering (and forgetting to register my epunch). I went back for the restroom and returned. I didn't feel so good physically but was feeling better than I had started on my return trip to the start.

QOC: Rosaryville State Park, MD. Driving into the park I could see that the leaves were at their fullest. Even in the summer, they seem to thin out a bit with droughts after the kind of lush rains that we've been having. I predicted a lot of errors for all, including myself. Francis Hogle reinforced this thought after telling me he'd missed on every control on his Brown course. For others however, the day would prove to be just fine as they didn't seem to let the vegetation affect them. I figured I'd get what I needed just by doing some running with the map and getting the physical training. True it was that I made some bonehead errors. I also had a hard time getting into reading the map. It may have been the contrast from the open forest in NY last week and running faster with a pack, but other times it was the minor bends in trails not being shown or the trail alignment to north that seemed off. I also had a hard time at some trail intersections which had become vague, the streams often being in gullies, and changed vegetation mapping that threw me off.

Thankfully enough, I spiked #1 going through the field and coming off of a field edge and onto the trail.

Going to #2, I got back on the trail, but first turned left at what seemed to be an unmapped intersection. I corrected by cutting across the woods and found them to be as thick as at #1. I took the trail again but coming on where I did, I left the trail at the wrong bend. I eventually got to the road but if I'd left the trail at a later bend it would have been much faster. Once on the road, I ran to the end, and attacked from the restroom building. I felt I had a good bearing but I was south of where I eventually found the depression. I lost a lot of time--5 minutes?

My misadventures at #2 made me shy and so I opted the easy but a little longer field-road route to #3. I spiked it from the road west of #3, but I felt slow in the field, and even when getting past others including some horses on the road past the mansion.

3-4 - I got on trails and eventually to the east-west trail midway to #4. Coming off a trail bend almost due north of #4, I found myself running up a spur and being a little unsure which reentrant, left or right was correct. I checked out the right one first and corrected to the top of the left and correct one. I didn't see the control so I went further and saw a distinct trail bend. I had to come back down the reentrant to find the control--it felt a little low to me but without taking time to pace count and check it from other points, I can't be sure of it. I lost another almost 2 minutes.

4-5 - I went straight and spiked it.

5-6 - Starting out, I used the trail to cross the ridge and avoided the grass in the power line cut. at the next reentrant, I followed the trail through the bend east, to get around the green. I may have gone too far doing this but eventually, I crossed the stream and went west on the trail on the other side. I took trails to attack from the grassy areas SE of the control and hit it well.

6-7 - Leaving #6, the trails didn't seem to match what I was seeing but I did pop out onto the road where I had intended. I went down the road to the second trail intersection, the own NE of the pond. On the trail for a little while, I came up the reentrant. In the reentrant, I felt I was too far left(south) so I went more to the bottom of it and followed it up. This got me too far right of the control. I hit the ride near the bend and had to go south on it to the control. I probably lost +1 minute.

7-8 - I stayed on the ride for a while as that is where my bearing pointed me. However, following a bearing should have taken me off the ride almost immediately. I actually got a little too far left and had to adjust right to go through the saddle and down to the control.

8-9 - I ran toward the stream intersection and crossed near it to hit the road about where the trail comes out. I was on the trail a bit, but ran the hillside, just trying to contour. I didn't see it, got past the control and too high. I could see the trail ahead so I corrected and lost about another +1 minute.

9-10 - I curved my way in, trying to keep climbing a little the whole way. This took me to some small bits of deadfall.

10-11 - I crossed the road and ran parallel to the ridge. Crossing the diagonal trail, I kept straight and saw a reeentrant on my left. I figured I knew where I was as I kept straight and climbed the ridge. I got to where I could see a trail ahead and read wrong reentrant on the map, thus mistaking myself to be past the control. I came back and slowly got due south of the control where the diagonal trail intersects the one that get close to the control. I hit it fine from there but probably lost +3 minutes.

11-12 - I ran straight. The woods were better for this on this leg. Once across the gully/stream, I could read the 2 reentrants and got into the right one that took me to the control.

12-13 - Startingdown the spur, I cut more right to avoid thicker woods, and to hit the trail. I didn't want to end up in the north part of the grassy fields--those were lower in elevation and I'd already been slowed by tall grasses elsewhere. I tried to go a straighter route over the ridge but my initial cut right had gotten me too far south. When I went straight from there, I got into the green above any of the white woods on the ridge. I realized this but had to commit to the route by then. I popped out NE of the mansion, and took trails until due east of the control. There was a pretty good set of elephant trails going across the grasses. I just had to pick the most efficient ones and I think I did that. In retrospect, I should have run this harder, but I was tired and felt I'd already blown my chances for a good run.

13-14 - I passed a family group of Yellow course walkers, and gave a decent effort. Again, if I'd pushed harder, I might have been able to edge Dave Pruden who it turned out was only 10 seconds ahead of me. My run did at least keep me ahead of Yuriy, but only by 10 seconds!

I wasn't that happy about my run but I was glad to get the physical training. I'll need to get more used to the leaves being on again.

Blue - Splits

From Northfield Rd., Greenwich Park, to Old Georgetown Rd. to Beech Dr. 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. It was about 52 F. I headed out into a cool, almost cold wind. I felt pretty lousy and heavy plodding my way along.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station.

From the Bethesda Metro Station, Wisconsin Ave. to Battery Ln. where I paused for an appointment, then to Cedar Ln., to the Elmhirst Trail., to the Rock Creek Trail, to Kensington Pkwy. to Connecticut Ave., to the Georgetown Branch Trail, to Woodmont Ave., to the Bethesda Metro Station. It was in the 60s F; very comfortable. Unlike last week, when I started this time, I felt a bit spritely. That was surprising since my left quadriceps were a little sore still, from bashing it into a metro station gate that suddenly closed when I was walking through. After my appointment I focused on using good running form. I felt stronger and more able to use good form. Going up the hills too work but it wasn't laborious. I look forward to loosing more weight and having more spritely days.

From the Bethesda Metro Station, to Northfield Rd. in the dark. My headlamp battery had died but I had my flasher.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. It was about 43 F when I started. I wore a jacket and had a tailwind. Besides my clothes, I carried a laptop. As soon as I hit the CCT, I had a guy right behind me. He stayed with me all the way to Georgetown. There were many other riders out. One other guy passed us.

From 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C., to Northfield Rd. The conditions all around were favorable. Winds were blowing at my back a lot. I got passed at a stop sign in Georgetown, and got a pull to the Trestle bridge until I felt it wise and had to let go. A guy whom I'd passed when getting a pull came up and drafted off of me until Dalecarlia, and then he took over up to River Rd. Even then my strength held out most of the way home. It was in the 60s F too.