Training Log Archive: Nadim

Quantico Marine Base, VA. For my warm-up, I walked to the start and was there in plenty of time. However just before they called me up, I realized that I'd left my compass back at the car--it had felt strange when I left and thought I was ready. I walked back and forth, and got a later start.

QOC Junior Nationals--Green Long Course, Quantico Marine Base, VA, on the Beaver Dam map. Generally I don't think of a 7.7K course as a long course. I usually run Red and Blue courses for local events. Being injured has affected that a lot more lately and I hardly did any running since March began. I was concerned about my endurance with 2 races yesterday and it being humid. Unlike yesterday, it did not feel as hot.

I got a good start on #1. I'm not sure if the route was efficient but I did it smoothly, running most of the way. For #2, I figured it best to go left around the green. I crossed Beaver Dam Creek only getting wet up to my knees at the most. Once across I was in the open ground. I looked at the contours, corrected my bearing, and spiked #2. I got there just before or after Kean Williams. Kean came into and left #2 a little awkwardly, so I got ahead pretty well. For #3, I kept a fairly straight route but a little to the right to save climb. This kept me right of the road area. I counted reentrants and actually paused before #3, even though I could see it--it seemed I might have been off to the right but I wasn't. For #4, I ran straight, and through the green near the stream. There was the makings of an animal trail but not a clear one. Emerging from the green, I ran the left side of the stream until it got too green again. I crossed the creek twice and attacked, spiking it. A Junior had come in just ahead of me, from my right. I kept moving well toward #5. Hitting the fencing, I crossed where it was easy and dropped into the reentrant to get to the control.

Leaving #5, I stayed high for a short while before dropping the flat area by the creek. I got on the trail until the rocky spur. There I crossed the creek on rocks and got through the green pretty easily--I hadn't really seen that there was a bridge just ahead. After climbing, I ran south of the trail that was parallel to me, and I crossed it when it bended. I saw Ken Walker Sr. make a change of direction there. At the end, I was hesitant, and I was not reading the contours well--I took up for down, but seeing a control point/man-made object to my left, I trusted my bearing and spiked it shortly after. A woman Junior was catching-up to me from behind, I crossed her path leaving #6. I ran well to #7 but hesitated on the way down the spur. It was just a little further than I'd thought. I figured the woman I'd seen at #6 would catch me, but she hadn't--perhaps she was running Red?

Going to #8 I took the trail but I was having trouble reconciling the map to my compass. I slowed and eventually left trails going up the spur south of #8. I'm not sure what happened along the way. From my GPS track, I'd gotten distracted by a control to my left, and ran out of my way to it. Realizing it was wrong, and seen the trail nearby, I corrected a bearing and spiked it from there; it almost seemed like I was going back where I'd come from, but this time I hit the control. Going to #9, I crossed the creek at the boulder but I was having a hard time focusing my eyes and wasn't sure if I was seeing a boulder on the map. It worked out okay and I didn't lose any time. I was still worried about people catching me as I ran off to #10. I held a pretty good bearing in this flat area. I was a little hesitant after the marshy area. I was running too fast toward #11. I was off to the right but fortunately realized it, and corrected at the end.

I did get caught running toward #12. It was the woman I'd seen at #6. I was thinking I was close to finishing as we left #12 and headed to the field. Soon I realized it was just the spectator control. The woman left the spectator control going to my left. I started to do that too, but decided staying in the field was better. I got on a trail taking me to the road, and I turned left on it. This was perhaps unnecessary. I just felt like I'd get closer for an attack and the streams were standing out as a good way to attack. I ran/walked up the spur to the control Leaving #14 I drifted to the right. I figured it was okay since I planned to follow the stream in--this may have cost me a little time since I hit the creek at a S bend and crossed it 3 times. I followed the hillside into the control. Leaving #15, I went right a bit since it was clearer. With mapped green ahead, I went left to get around it. I guess I got pushed too far right while still climbing. I crossed the road seeing a ride and used it to get to the field. I saw the Go control ahead and started running to it, forgetting about #16 at the field edged. I got 1/4 of the way there before realizing the error. I corrected going to the left (SW) and got #16. I saved a bit of strength getting to #17, and kept increasing intensity until finishing. It was another pretty good run for me but Andras Resvez got me by 3 seconds this day. He's running so much faster than me these days so I suppose it's an accomplishment for me to be that close. I thought Kim Jepsen would catch me this day too but Kim had troubles. Stephan Slutsky was true to form and finished 11 minutes ahead. I was 8th on the course. It was encouraging. Hopefully I'll be able to continue running training again and thus be able to improve my speed.

Day 2 - Long - Green - Splits

Event: QOC Junior Nationals
 

QOC Junior Nationals--Green Course, Quantico Marine Base, VA, on the Beaver Dam map. I was fairly uncertain about how my running would go this weekend. My right calf is not fully healed. It felt okay Thursday but I could still feel some issues on Friday when leaving work.

I was a bit excited at the start, and also feeling heavy. On the way to #1, I went for using the road instead of going straight at the control. It got me running and got me into reading the map. I was pretty good knowing where I was when crossing the creek near the spur. I have confidence in being able to follow a bearing through QOC's terrain and did so to a marsh. I followed that to the first control.

The 2nd control required just being just a little careful to get on the right side of a ridge. The 3rd control was a short straight shot over a ridge. I took the 4th going straight too; I didn't see the stream confluence but could tell it was below the first stream I crossed. For the 5th control, I sought to save climb by crossing the ridge early and going up the next reentrant. By this point, my glasses were fogged-up pretty well. I resorted to reading the map by looking over them (the glasses are cut with no glass on the top half).

Leg 5-6 was the longest on the Green Middle Course. I wasn't feeling fast to gain advantage by going around to the right. I probably also didn't fully explore that option before starting. Instead, I sought to go as straight as I could while still getting further north of the green vegetation. I executed this well, finishing with a run down the spur, but I hear the route on the ride further north was best.

I think I started catching-up with Dennis Dougherty on the way to #8, but first I passed Florence Tan. I was a little less direct on this leg. I cut right after the stream crossing, and came up the spur to the control. Florence went a straighter route and probably got there not long after me.

I lost site of Dennis Dougherty as I went left to get around the green vegetation. Going left put me on the wrong side of a ridge, so cut back when I saw a gap. I was unsure if I'd gone far enough, but when I didn't see #9, I cut left until I did.

Going to #10, I zig-zagged around vegetation, but was fairly solid getting there. Leaving #10, I made a 90 degree error. I knew there should be a change in direction but since I lined my compass up on the leg line from 9-10 instead of the meridians, I lost time--I realized it in 15-20 seconds, and then corrected. Dennis was ahead of me as we closed in on #11. For #12, I passed Dennis and went to the right to save climb and use the creek. After passing a spur, and adjusting direction again, I picked my way to the other side of the stream and was hesitant until I hit the control. Dennis was close behind. We left #12 differently; I backtracked. Dennis went high initially and got to the road ahead of me. We both cut in on ride. I passed him in the woods and used the edge of the field to know where I was and punch.

Finishing-up I ran right around some green, but when it went too far, I cut through it. I used the hillside to pick my entrance to the field. I had at first thought the control was in the forest but re-reading the map corrected that notion. I kept ahead of Dennis for the run-in but was feeling the heat and not pushing all the way. I was fairly clean on this run, and just lost time when leaving #10. I got 2nd in my age group, and 4th on the course.

QOC Junior Nationals--3rd Leg of Relay, Quantico Marine Base, VA, on the Beaver Dam map. I hadn't really planned much for this weekend. Peggy had taken the role to setup QOC teams. At first the numbers were going to be uneven so she asked me to be on Boris and Allison's team--they were both unsure if they'd be running since Boris is injured and child care for Inarra can be difficult. Boris led and came back fairly near the leaders--he was not running all out. Allison seemed to do well. She said she'd gotten passed and didn't pass others but in a forked relay it's hard to tell.

I went out running okay. The run in the morning was past me and I'd eaten 90 minutes earlier. Riley Culberg, former QOC member, passed me on the way to my #1, though he was going to a different control. I moved okay but not so fast through the next several controls. I had only one hesitation when I was on a saddle and could not see the next control which was in a depression. The woods to this point were mostly more open than the run in the morning. As it got greener in the controls prior to the spectator control, I got caught and passed by another person or 2 though I may have passed others. I decided to contour around leaving the spectator control. It was a little greener gong that way than expected, getting to the creek. I crossed the stream where a nice ditch was emptying into it, but in retrospect this ditch is not the one that I saw which had been mapped. I was more to the right. I climbed up to a change in steepness, before a small field, and bounced off that to get to the next control. A junior from BAOC was nearby. We were close to each other for the next few controls at least one of which was forked. I was sure he'd sprint past me on the run in so when I was going for #9 and he asked me, I didn't tell him which control code I was going for. He got to #9 just ahead of me, but I got ahead of him later as was leaving #9. Heading to our last control in the forest, I was doing well but decided to go around some green vegetation, on the right side. If mapped right, I should have ended up at the base of the hill with the control. There was more green there than mapped so I climbed most of the wrong hill before correcting. I chased the Junior from BAOC into the field and watched him pull away on the home stretch. I also got passed by 2 other Juniors on the run-in. It was a nice run for me except for the bobble at the end. I held up physically and that was the best part. My team with Boris and Allison finished 3rd in the 3 point category. Max's team came in well behind us.

Day 1 - Middle - Green - Splits

From Northfield Rd. to Bethesda Metro Station. There were headwinds and some traffic. It was around 50 F but it felt cooler.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. I was carrying home dinner. My right calf feels better. It's not hurting going down stairs like it had been. I will continue to rest it prior to the weekend.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. It was about 50 F when starting out. It turned out that I had a slight tailwind. It wasn't evident until I'd gotten to Ohio Dr. The Cherry Blossoms are fading now and there were fewer tourists. However, there were a good number of cyclists that I passed while on the way. I kept the pace steady and tried to keep spinning well.

From 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. There were some headwinds. I didn't feel nearly as strong as I had the last time I rode in.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station. I encountered traffic en-route. It was about 60 F. I'd been tempted to cycle all the way to work with the warm weather predicted. I was short on time and as I rode to just Bethesda feeling sore, it was probably best as it turned out to be. My legs and right calf feel better walking around, and when on stairs. I'll try not to push it.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. I felt like I was going faster.