Training Log Archive: Nadim

Event: QOC Mason Neck
 

QOC: Mason Neck State Park, VA. I was signed-up for doing Beginner Instruction at noon, so I had to run early. Rather, I planned to walk the whole course since I'd had trouble trying to rune yesterday. With Max waking up slowly and walking our neighbor's dog I didn't get to the start until just after 11:00am.

S-1 - I dutifully started a brisk walk and it felt pretty slow. I planned to go as straight as possible to save time. I entered the woods just past the house and got a little hung up at the first ditch--it was filled with a lot of water. I backed-up to go around it. I did go straight from there to the trail, hitting the intersections, and proceeding on the trail to cross the stream. I left from a reentrant with a control in it and went straight to the marsh.

1-2 - I went straight out, crossing the road to the trail. I felt like I'd pulled to the right. It seemed harder to keep a bearing walking at my slower pace. I ran the trail a little to the big bend. I walked straight toward the control and saw the green on my left. I also spotted the new trail which was also on the map. I decided it safest to use the trail and attacked successfully from the bend; it'd nearly been visible from the trail.

2-3 - I went straight, still walking. I'd site a bearing to a tree and go to the tree sometimes. That let me go around deadfall or thicker areas at my walking speed. I did start warming up so I snuck in a jog for a few steps sometimes. I was a little surprised at the amount of water when crossing the second reentrant. I sighted side reentrants and figured I was on target--I was, and I spiked it.

3-4 - I went straightish, moving around some green at times, and looking for the reentrant.

4-5 - Leaving #4, I was well on target. I paused at the reentrant (+30 seconds), descending into the flat area. When I got to the other side, I found my bearing climbing the spur hill, instead of being on the right side of it. Dropping, I was okay crossing the next reentrant. I ran up a spur, then on the side of it. Before I got to the control, Florence and another guy were crossing my path leaving it.

5-6 - I could see control #6 from #5. I ran straight across the big puddle of a marsh. My feet didn't sink much into mud.

6-7 - I thought about staying in the long curving reentrant the whole way but still felt I was moving too slowly for that. I felt skilled enough to go straight. I was okay initially. I read the green on my right and edged around it. At the first side reentrant crossing, I still felt good, but perhaps I stopped reading my bearing. I climbed out and found things looking too flat ahead. I decided to cut left. I could see what I thought was the reentrant ahead. Getting closer, I figured I'd see the control in it, but I didn't. I next overcompensated and cut left more, perhaps even backward a little, to check the next reentrant to the west. When I figured that reentrant wasn't it, I doubled back to the other reentrant that I'd seen, and this time I could see the control. I probably lost close to 2 minutes.

7-8 - I ran straight across the big reentrant and up a spur to a knoll. I kept going straight (checking side reentrant to be sure where I was) and gained on Florence and the other guy I'd seen at #5. I passed the other guy but didn't quite catch Florence.

8-9 - I ran straight, checking off a side reentrant as I climbed out of the big initial one. I kept straight, to the next reentrant system, then went around the fingers, to the control.

9-10 - I ran straight checking off reentrants along the way. At one point, I felt like I was losing count. Fortunately I hit the ditches SE of the control. I made a slight correction there, to spike it.

10-11 - Going straight, I saw the wooden foot bridge crossing the marsh so I cut left a little to use it. Trails took me to the road from there. I pretty much kept my bearing, but was a little to the right when I saw it. A tree had hid it in the direction I was coming from.

11-12 - I ran straight and ended up hitting the trail near the bridge over the stream that I'd used on the way to #1. I used the trail a little but cut more left up a reentrant as a troop of scouts were filling the trail. That got me to the parking lot. I stayed on the paved trail until crossing the first reentrant. From there I cut left, crossed the next reentrant and found the control. I was a bit hesitant at the end, as to whether the control should be nearer the tip of the reentrant or not.

12-F - Going straight, I hit the green just before the circle. I got hung up in the thorns a little. A straight route might suggest hitting the trail so either I executed it poorly, or #12 had been deeper down the reentrant that mapped.

I felt happy about the run despite the problem at #7. The happiness was largely from being able to run instead of walking the whole way. The warm-up walking, and the soft and flat ground probably helped.

There was only one couple needing beginner instruction on my shift. Jim Chapman told me that his scout numbers were down but that he'd been seeing growth in Islamic Boy Scouts, from other regions. He sent a group of them to me for course review that would help them earn a merit badge. They were a great bunch of kids. Half of them had gone out before, but it was the first time for the rest of the group I talked with. They surprised me by completing the Brown course! Plenty of long-time orienteers have a lot of trouble on advanced controls in this park and these newbies did it smiling at the end! I was heartened to see new people with similar backgrounds as my own, having fun with, and being interested in the sport. Knowing the challenges of growing up in their parent's culture and living in this country, it made me happy to see them having fun.

Green - Splits

From Cedar Ln., on the Rock Creek Trail toward Grosvenor Rd. until the trail returned to the roadside. I'd taken the week off basically, since my right calf was still hurting. Each day it got better. I could barely feel it walking around this day so I decided to go out and try a short run on it. I picked the flat ground the the paved Rock Creek Trail. As I started, I felt okay. I increased the pace slightly and soon felt a little reminder pain. I slowed but again felt a bigger reminder that I'm not healed. At that point, I stopped.

On the Rock Creek Trail, back to Cedar Ln. After feeling myself still hurt, I walked back. I was able to do this without much concern, though I did feel the injury more than I'd been feeling it earlier in the day.

From the Bethesda Metro Station, to Northfield Rd.

From the Bethesda Metro Station, to Northfield Rd. There were headwinds.

From the Bethesda Metro Station, to Northfield Rd.

From the Bethesda Metro Station, to Northfield Rd. There were some pretty good headwinds. I worked a lot more than my time would suggest.

From the Bethesda Metro Station, to Northfield Rd.

From the Bethesda Metro Station, to Northfield Rd. There were headwinds and I didn't want to push too hard on my right calf.