Training Log Archive: Nadim

MCRRC: Winter Trails., at Great Falls Park, MD. From the Angler's Inn parking lot the group set out for it's last run of the season. Most of the group will run the Seneca Greenway Trail Marathon or 50K. I'm not quite up to that distance yet. but I do feel that I've been improving somewhat. The routes MCRRC sets up are marked with streamers and they hand out maps via email or paper. The streamers have been known to get pulled down by people before the club's run has commenced. The run today was to be a taper and was scheduled for only 10 miles. We were supposed to do an odd figure-eight with an out and back extension along the river. It looked like it'd be short to me. We started up the Berma Rd., and the Valley Trail which parallels Falls Rd. At the top we were supposed to go right and left to do a portion of the Gold Mine Loop. I was in sight of the leaders as they turned left. The group I was with followed. I figured it didn't matter since we'd be short anyway. We ended up doing a loop through a reentrant a couple reentrants over from the Valley Trail. It brought us rather close to the Angler's Inn again. As the leader's figured this out, they were seen ahead coming back up and we all turned up the Angler's Inn Spur Trail, which parallels the Valley Trail, but is on the ridge. I got them onto the Gold Mine Loop, and they managed to get to the Overlook Trail okay. I was slow on the climbs but passing people and catching-up to the leaders on the downhills. The leaders turned left on a dead-end spur that overlooked Great Falls. This time of year, the views from there are very good, even though one sees the falls through the trees. I paused but went on the designated route. I found other MCRRC people doubling back--these were people who hadn't done the extra loop that I'd done with the leaders--it turned out that part of the Overlook Trail had been closed-off. From there, I made my way past other MCRRC people to the Tavern area. There was construction and the towpath near the observation deck was closed off. I crossed north of the deck on a temporary bridge but didn't see a trailhead for the River Trail, until I'd run a long way up the towpath. I didn't see an obvious turnaround point ahead that would fit the 10 mile run but eventually turned around where I saw a creek merging on the other side of the canal. I took the River Trail back to the construction area. The River Trail and especially the part getting up to the construction area, was often muddy. Finishing-up, I climbed up to the Trolley Loop and got on the Gold Mine Trail. I was seeing club members running in all directions so they all seemed to be trying to get their 10 miles in. I did walk up the steepest parts of some hills and added on myself after getting to the top of the Valley Trail again, by doing a very short stretch on the Berma Rd., and towpath that took me to the start of the Billygoat B section Trail head. I kept moving okay through this run but the hills did take it out of me. I chatted with folks afterward, got some food, and needed a nap once I got home. Even in bed, I was chilled and hungry at home for over an hour. It was fun to get this run in and to have the group to help motivate these fun weekend runs in general. Peggy missed this one since she had to do vetting for the Jr. Nationals.

This run, with the earlier orienteering, gives me 33 miles for the week!. It also puts me at 132 miles exclusively running miles for the year. That's 2 more miles of exclusively running, than I did in all of 2018.

From Northfield Rd., to Georgetown Pike via Greenwich Park, to Beech Ave., to Anniston Rd., to Ewing Dr., through North Bethesda Middle School to Bradmoor Dr., to Folkstone Rd., to Hartsdale Ave., to Heampstead Ave., to McKinley St., to Garfield St., to Roosevelt St., to Jefferson St., to Northfield Rd. I was feeling a bit lethargic but I had the time and was motivated for an easy run. I expected to do a longer run the next day, so I planned to take it easy, and did. The run helped me digest and I felt much better later on.

Washington, D.C. From 12th and Independence Ave., SW, on the Mall side, I crossed the mall and ran along Madison Dr., NW to cross 15th St., rounded the Washington Monument, past the WW II Memorial, into Constitution Gardens, to the Lincoln Memorial and partway around the circle, to 23rd. St., SW. to the Rock Creek Trail along the Potomac River, along Ohio Dr. past the Jefferson Memorial to Main Ave., SW, to 12th St., SW, to Independence Ave., SW. This is the same route that I ran on Tuesday. It was about 48 F when I started but the sun made it feel much warmer. I ran in shorts and my sweat top. I did set out a bit faster to try to match my pace earlier in the week. I was surprised to find that I was faster. However, the first mile did seem to wind me. I set into a steadier pace afterward. I also worked on doing more steps per minute.

Max cleaned-up the bulk of the driveway and sidewalk of the snow and slush but I cleared the van and from the driveway into where it'd been plowed. Being wet, it was heavy for snow. I tried not to twist or lift too much. At one point I heard a little crack from my back and took it even easier. Of course 2-3 minutes after I'd finished, while the street was quiet, a snow plow came through and pushed some back. It did feel good to get out since I'd been working inside all day.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station. It was cool this morning with a little bit of traffic at the end.

Washington, D.C. From 12th and Independence Ave., SW, on the Mall side, I crossed the mall and ran along Madison Dr., NW to cross 15th St., rounded the Washington Monument, past the WW II Memorial, into Constitution Gardens, to the Lincoln Memorial and partway around the circle, to 23rd. St., SW. to the Rock Creek Trail along the Potomac River, along Ohio Dr. past the Jefferson Memorial to Main Ave., SW, to 12th St., SW, to Independence Ave., SW. It was pretty nice out after work, though still cool. I thought about taking the day off, but with snow coming in this night, I figured it best to run. At the 14th St. crossing, I caught up with a woman who was also waiting for the light to change. She took off quickly and I felt okay at first going at about the same pace. She probably pulled me along to run faster the first mile, though it was also a net downhill mile too. We split at 17th St. and I ran more slowly. There were more cyclists out than runners, and not so many tourists. I cruised along the river and when it came time to climb to the finish, I didn't feel it like I had been in January. The training has been helping, however this is the second day I passed blood after running--not automatically something to worry about per my doctor.

From the Bethesda Metro Station, to Northfield Rd. I was a bit tired from the run. I was carrying my laptop too so I took it easy.

Glen Echo, MD. From the Lock 7 parking lot, to the C&O Canal Towpath, then south to the pumping station below Lock 5, then back. I ran this route one month ago today, when there was a bit of slushy stuff on the towpath. Today it was pretty dry, despite the rains last night. There was a bit of wind; mostly behind me on the way out, so opposite on the return. Going out was slightly downhill too. My legs felt a little tired from the last 2 days, but not too much. After the first and second mile came in under 9 minutes, I did work to keep my pace up. However I was tiring. I wore my new Nike Zoom Structures again. I'd adjusted the laces since the last run on them. They felt okay however the ball of my right forefoot was feeling it by the end--that's probably just lack of training and my weight.

Event: QOC Wheaton
 

QOC: Wheaton Regional Park, MD. I didn't have a lot of time to run my course today since I needed to get back and get Max to his team's basketball game. After several back and forth's between the car, the registration areas (where one can't wear spikes inside), and the start, I finally got going. I'd kept forgetting things like my map case, registering my epunch and putting on my epunch.

Chris Gross' course was a bit different from approaches that many had taken when setting here. He told me just after finishing that made several long legs to emphasize route choice. It was nice.

S-1 - I moved okay going generally downhill toward the lake. Someone ahead had paused at some green woods. I cut right for a little bit longer way through, at a gap. I rounded the lake on the SE side, glad that much of the mud way still frozen. After the lake, I took a fork to the right to climb, rather than the longer downhill along Brookside Gardens. I left the trail at a big bend and kept fairly straight. Crossing 2 trails and the creek, I found myself right on target when I passed a cairn on my right, and attacked from it.

1-2 - I went straight, and used a ditch to my right, after crossing the creek, to spike it. I hesitated since I didn't see it on the approach. It was behind a tree.

2-3 - There was some deadfall and low vegetation early. It got me off line, so when I saw set of gullies ahead, they were the ones east of the one with the control. I corrected without getting to the wrong set of gullies so I didn't lose much time.

3-4 - I climbed higher to the right to get around deadfall. After crossing the creek I did get onto the trail and climbed; coming down from it at a bend to spike the control. I was happy that it was visible pretty far away and I got there ahead of someone coming from the east.

4-5 - I walked much of the way up the hill. weaving straightish through the deadfall. I had to correct a bit toward the end.

5-6 - Going straight over the bit of hill, I found the reentrant and stayed in it. Had I read the map better, I would have ran around the deadfall that was in the reentrant. I was concerned that I might miss the control if I left it but the map showed the deadfall stopping above the control and almost at the trail.

6-7 - I took the trail to a bend and crossed on what used to be a trail, near the mapped earth wall. I didn't see the earth wall so prominently as I remembered it but I was on the old path. After getting to the road, I climbed over the ridge and could see the control ahead.

7-8 - Initially, I thought I'd go left around the maintenance area. Along the way I saw the trail route to the right. Further along, I decided to cut distance by running on the NE side of the maintenance area. After getting through to trails and at a T-intersection east of the control I cut in. This was not the place to do it. I should have turned left and right, and then attacked. I don't remember crossing the smaller trail and I'm surprised I didn't make a bigger error. I kept to a bearing and even adjusted to the right a bit to hit the control okay. I must have lost some time.

8-9 - I ran angling toward the a trail intersection, but I hit the long NE/SW trail further north than I thought I would. At the paved trail, I cut right and then left the paved trail at a bend. I guess I did that a bit too soon. I corrected by seeing the parking lot on the other side of the green woods, and aiming toward it.

9-10 - I figured it'd be faster to stick to the open areas south of the ball fields. This worked pretty well, saving me some climb. There was a bit of unexpected green after the ball fields, but I hit the control okay.

10-11 - I took the paved trail until west of the soccer field house, then cut across to the field house. After rounding it and the dog park I entered the woods. To get around green, I went a bit north. Reaching just above the big reentrant, I couldn't see a rootstock or a control--the control was actually on a dot knoll that I'd mapped a while back as a dot knoll. I cut right up the reentrant, getting to almost the boulder groups, then ran back to the control. I lost 90 seconds.

11-12 - I aimed straight but actually went a little to the right. I hit the control well.

12-13 - Straight, but I hesitated short of the control.

13-14 - I had trouble keeping focused on the correct leg line since there were many crisscrossing. I should have ran right back to the trail, but went down the reentrant before cutting backward to it. Once on the trail, I moved well despite the mud. I came along the lake and past the stream east of the control, before climbing the spur. I saw Ted running, probably toward #11. After that I spiked it.

14-15 - This was one of the few green legs on the course. However it wasn't bad. I got to the train tracks and attacked, seeing it soon afterward.

15-16 - I started straight, and may have crossed a trail, unseen. Getting to the train tracks, I took the one on the left. In the open, I climb the ridge, and had to go further left to get around green forest and across the tracks again. Finishing, I ran up the hill and spiked the control, using the paved trails to point the way.

16-F - Straightish, using the paved trails to get across the rocky ditch.

After finishing I rushed to get my shoes changed, and download. I had just enough time to pickup Max and get him to his game 5 minutes before it started. He did well, scoring 6 points, and blocking several opposing team shots.

Red - Splits