Training Log Archive: Nadim

From Clopper Rd., the Seneca Greenway Trail to the Seneca Park parking lot. and back. The MCRRC Winter Trails group had a run scheduled across this portion of the Greenway Trail and more yesterday, but since our family went to the QOC Bumble Peggy's idea was to run this section today. She'd never been on the stretch from Clopper Lake Park to the Frederick Pike. I've been on it several times and had done some mapping on a part of it a year ago. The forest was uninviting for off-trail orienteering but the Seneca Greenway Trail is fairly nice for running on. It was in mid to upper 20s F when we started. With the running group having been on it the day before, the snow was well packed with only a few rocky spots. I wore my Ice Bugs with spikes and that was good. The snow probably helped by filling in the low spots of the frozen mud. It wasn't until the first and last 150m that the trail was basically dirt with no snow. Going out was slightly more uphill. I felt slow most of the way and on just about all hills, but I ran back more quickly than I'd gone out. On the way back, I could see Peggy pretty soon after getting past Frederick Pike, but I still didn't catch her until well past the I-270 underpass. We picked-up Max from a sleepover after the run and later had breakfast at Panera Bread in Bethesda, where a different MCRRC group was also eating breakfast and socializing. Though I felt slow, I didn't feel any pain in my left knee.

Event: QOC Hemlock Overlook
 

Hemlock Overlook Regional Park, VA. This was my warm-up jog from the registration area, to the mass start. Peggy, Max, and I were fortunate that others had been late getting to the park and that the mass start had been delayed.

QOC: Bumble at Hemlock Overlook Regional Park, VA. We were given a minute to review the map prior to the start of the Bumble. I was mixing up the instructions so I planned only 2 windows out of 3 required for racing in the Green course category.

I got going pretty well at the mass start and punched #1 not far behind the leaders but ahead of the bigger crowd. With snow covering stuff on the trail, I slowed watching Ted Good lead others into the F-J window. Rick Oliver was there too. It seemed like everyone passed the first control--I peeled off across a small stream early to get G (just missed getting there first), and saw some people coming back to it. After a few, Ted was coming back too but he'd already gotten to F first. I went to F slightly behind Rick, but I'd contoured over saving more climb. I'd planned my route to go down along the river, and did so, but I was feeling disoriented. I paused to get a grip on the map. Still, at one river bend, I started looking for the control, with another 350m to go. I'd realized it pretty quickly and got to H. I saw Tom Wells when leaving H. and also Ted Good again as he was heading toward it. I hit I and J pretty well but did some walking up the steep slope and read ahead. Addie Nolan came in right behind me to I. I went straight to J and she'd gone a bit higher, but almost got there ahead of me. I was feeling a little more competent with my navigation at this point, but not a whole lot.

Since I realized by this point that I needed 3 windows, I ran south toward the U-Y controls. Along the way the hillside was a bit vague and I wasn't confident of how far I'd run. Just about no one else was visible. When I crossed a trail heading from J toward U, I realized I was further south than I thought I was. I climbed after a stream crossing but still wasn't sure which reentrants I was seeing to my left. Fortunately, my instinct was good. I felt good when I crossed one reentrant and found a ditch soon after, which led up to U. Some others were nearby. It made sense to me to take a slight extra distance to hit V and W next. After W, I went into the green and away from others and paused. When I was ready, I made my way to the trail and right to X. Vido and his daughter Diana were catching up to me from behind at X. X was a good attack point for getting to Y and I hit it with no problem.

I led the way out of Y by contouring over above the river, and then going up the reentrant to the trail. On the trail, I moved okay for the shape I'm in. I slowed on climbs and when trying to figure out where on the trail I was, so Vido and then Diana passed me. They cut in soon after and I realized then that they were going for control U. I went on up the trail heading to O and hitting it well despite not having a solid attack point. I went straight toward N next. As I got to a big reentrant, I saw Michael Dickey coming down the side reentrant on the other side that I was looking for. I made my way down the big reentrant and at the bottom was a big drop. I figured I could hold the branch of a fallen tree to keep it from being a fall, but when my feet started slipping, the branch broke. I ended up okay at the bottom. I climbed along the side reentrant, eventually crossing it up higher where it bent, and spiked the control. I ran straight at M after that and hit it okay, despite being cautiously slow on the descent. Going up the stream valley I passed Dasa as she was running the other way--it seemed she was doubting her route choice when she said we're always passing each other going the opposite direction. After a few reentrants, I cut uphill on the western bank and went directly to K. A train of people coming from L arrived right before me. Had I noticed that #27 was where it was, I would have take L first too. Going straight at L, I saw Tom Nolan heading the other way and I ended up a bit to the left. Tom seemed to be going to K, where I'd come from. I realized I was too far north as I was approaching the large building, so I cut south and backward a little, reaching over the deadfall to punch L.

For finishing-up I ran on a general bearing aiming for the trail I'd come down after #1. It seemed I was drifting to the left and I wasn't matching things up as well as I'd have liked. Crossing the first trail that I'd almost not noticed on the map, I got to the trail I was looking for. A few others were doing the same, including Tom Nolan. I didn't catch Tom before leaving the trail at a bend. Tom went a straighter way toward the control. I could see the 2 reentrants ahead converging, and the deadfall in the way, so I sprinted to the left around it, getting to #27 just before Tom. I went a bit left leaving #27 to get around some initial deadfall but wove my way straight toward the finish. I'm too heavy and still adapting to more running so I had to walk a few times. I was hoping Tom wouldn't catch me and he didn't have much room to get around me. Fortunately I stayed ahead.

I finished 2nd on the Green course, just ahead of Tom, but way back from Rick Oliver. Rick has been moving faster than me for a while but he was 9 minutes ahead today. He'd taken a different combination of windows, that might have even made a longer route for him. Peggy ran with Max. They won the overall race since it was setup that the first male or female to cross the finish on any course (handicapped by # of windows) was to be the winner. Max found that Peggy is pretty fast. He had trouble keeping up, though to his credit, he was slipping around in the snow with running-like shoes that he wears to school (without spikes).

The Bumble - Splits

From Northfield Rd., Custer Rd. to Park Ln. to Exeter Rd. to Edgemoor Ln., to Hampden Ln. to Moorland Ln. to Wilson Ln. to Hampden Ln., to Charlcote Rd., to Northfield Rd. I felt like I was running slower that I did. My left knee didn't bother me but I could still feel something hurting leftover from my long run. There was new snow on the ground, but the streets were mostly cold, hard, and clear.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station. I had started the day working from home since the commutes were icy in the morning. It kept getting colder doing the day but since I'd grabbed the wrong laptop bag when I'd left work Tuesday night, I didn't have a charger. I'd run out of power so I had to go into town to get the right case with the right charging cord. It was around 26 F. Since the wind was mostly at my back it felt fine.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. I knew it'd be worse on the return. I was already feeling tired, still from the weekend long run or perhaps due to lack of sleep, or even the ride out. When I got going, the temperature had already dropped to around 20 F or cooler, and the wind which I now had to ride into, was blowing harder. I'd rushed out of the house to make this a quick trip and decided not to worry about getting a face mask. However, I was lamenting that choice quickly into the ride. I rode slower and paused when it got too biting. My ears started to feel like they were getting nipped. I covered my face sometimes.

From Northfield Rd Bethesda, MD., to Old Georgetown Rd. via Greenwich Park, to Johnson Ave. to Heamsteadt Ave. to McKinley Ave. to Garfield St. to Roosevelt. Ave. to Jefferson St. to Northfield Rd. As I was getting home today it was snowing. I got home early enough to run before dinner, but I figured it time to try my YakTrax for the first time. It took me a while to fiddle with them since out of the box, so to speak, the straps were on backwards. I got them on pretty easily after the strap adjustment, and Peggy had let me know which way was toe and heel. A video explained that left and right were interchangeable. The YakTrax were light and not very noticeable in weight of feel. There was about 3/4 of an inch of snow on the ground, but not everywhere. My legs were still a bit sore from my run on Saturday but I moved okay without slipping. I slowed down on turns and slopes. I was disappointed that some sidewalks and roads were already clear but the YakTrax did feel good whether or not there was snow and ice. My left knee had hurt a little when I woke up the last 2 days before this, but hadn't hurt much elsewhere. I didn't feel it most of the run but I felt the need to be careful.

C • YakTrax 2

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station. It's back to work again now that the federal government reached a temporary solution. My left knee was hurting a bit this morning so I didn't try running at lunch. It was a somewhat slow day with contract staff still out, and many questioning what priorities to focus on again. We could be out again in 3 weeks.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. There was a cold breeze. I felt sluggish even walking up the long stairs out of the station.