Training Log Archive: Nadim

In Rock Creek Park, on the MD side, but near the Washington, D.C./Maryland border, I did the Boundary Lines loop (Valley Trail to Beech Dr. and up to the Western Ridge Trail to get back). I started from a small pullout. Peggy had come along to do a bicycle ride. The area was busy with lots of hikers, runners, and cyclists. It was about 80 F starting out--the temperature is expected to reach the upper 90s later. I kept the pace very comfortable and felt like I was crawling up hills, so I was surprised that my pace wasn't slower. It turned out faster than some other recent trail runs.

After going home, I worked outside to finish off a renovation project that Max and i had started. Our trash/recycling bins are kept behind privacy fencing, adjacent to our driveway. The driveway and where the trash goes, are surfaced with pavers. Erosion into the neighbors yard had made a mess of the pavers in the trash area. Rather than just fill-in with more sand and dirt, we fixed it the right way, putting in a concrete foundation and a short brick wall that rose to the level of our driveway. Max had dug it out and we'd gotten concrete in weeks ago with the wall on top. However I didn't have the time and we couldn't get Max to come up with it either, so the hole and wall sat there with a pile of stuff taking up half our driveway.
I finished-off by getting the pavers in place and level to our slope, and then I cleaned-up. It was in the 90s F all of this time. As I was cleaning myself up before my sister and mother arrived for my sister's birthday party, I weighed-out at 199lbs., the lowest in a while.

Event: Rescheduled - BAOC: California Orienteering Festival
 

From Bradley Blvd., I ran southward on the Cabin John Trail, and turned around at River Rd. As I'd left the house it was 91F. However, before I'd gotten a mile while driving, the temperature dropped to 89 F. It was 88 F as I parked and it felt cooler under the trees. I ran comfortably. There were several hikers. After finishing, it was down to 86 F.

From Northfield Rd., Custer Rd. to Wilson Ln. to Glenbrook Rd., to Bradley Blvd., to Arlington Rd., to Old Georgetown Rd. to the Huntington Pkwy., to Custer Rd., to Northfield Rd. I was feeling full from dinner and so it felt like I was starting out pretty slowly going up the first hill. There was a nice breeze. It seemed to come from different directions even on the same stretch of road. Though the humidity was up, it was pleasant at around 80 F. I did feel like I was plodding along but I didn't feel so tired.

From Northfield Rd., to Norfolk Ave., then back. I had picked-up lunch for the kids and myself.

From Northfield Rd., Greenwich Park, to Old Georgetown Rd. to Beech Dr. to Johnson Ave./Hempstead Ave. to McKinley St. to Garfield St., to Roosevelt St., to the trail at Jefferson St. to Northfield Rd. I moved slowly through this. A breeze had come up just before I started making it better, but it was still humid. I was still feeling full from a not so big dinner. There was a tailwind going out and it was more humid than the previous day, but overall it was nice. I was feeling tired finishing-up.

From Northfield Rd., to Custer Rd., to Park Ln. to Battery Ln. to Exeter Rd., to Edgemore Ln. to Glenbrook Rd, to Moorland Ln. to Wilson Blvd., to Hampden Ln. to Charlcotte Rd., to Northfield Rd. I was feeling tired after finishing work but I got out for a short run before dinner anyway. I felt much more capable once I got moving. The temperature was in the low 80s F and it seemed that the humidity was low.

Later in the evening I tried to see comet Neowise with Max and Samantha. Some friends had told Max they were able to see it. However by the time I got to the same place it might have been below the horizon. I went to a much nicer area behind a school later. I used binoculars and could see more stars that way, but I still couldn't see Neowise.

From Northfield Rd., Greenwich Park, to Old Georgetown Rd. to Beech Dr. to Johnson Ave., to Hempstead Ave. to McKinley St. to Garfield St., to Roosevelt St., to the trail at Jefferson St. to Northfield Rd.

Redgate Park, Rockville, MD. I got out to try Peggy's Long Mixed course on her new map! Our whole family went. Max orienteered while Peggy hiked with Samantha. It was fun but I was rusty and just how out of shape I'm in showed. The course was set using Usynlingo. I had forgotten to take my running pouch that I usually use to hold my phone so I held it in my hand. Redgate Park used to be a golf course and now it's been made into an open park. Some of it is getting mowed while other parts are not. it was in the 80s F when I started and fully sunny.

S-1 - I was chatting with some other nearby people before starting (explaining orienteering) and after hitting the start button for Usynlingo, I realized that my Garmin watch hadn't gotten setup. I paused to catch satellites before going. I was just to the right when I saw the depression--like most here it was an old sand trap. The happy Usynlingo music started before I got to the feature but I went on to it. It was nice starting downhill.

1-2 - the control was next to a pond so I ran straight to it. Again, there was a difference in timing with Usynlingo recognizing me being at the control but overall, Usynlingo was easy to use and worked well.

2-3 - I went around the pond on the left side and ran straight from there. The took me across the first bits of rough open terrain. That zig-zagged me a bit but I used the paved trail at the end to run around the reentrant, rather than dip across it.

3-4 - I ran straight and along the edge of the woods, avoiding as much of the rough open as possible. I recall tripping but I'm not sure it was this leg. I rolled with it, trying not to crush my phone.

4-5 - I went straight. My instinct was to go right around the lake but I couldn't tell how good or bad the rough open grass was. I decided using the paved and dirt trail was a good option. As soon as I left the paved trail I had to walk. I did however go across the rocky part of the lake and I was dry. In hindsight, my instinct to go right would have been faster overall.

5-6 - I came off the top of the trail and dropped down a little. I heard music before getting to the rootstock but I kept going to it anyway, by walking on the tree trunk.

6-7 - I cut across the field to the first trail and cut left. I cut across right in or just below the white forest. I emerged to the next paved trail above the trail intersections. I attacked from the trail bend, crossing the last trail to get there. The hills were starting to tire me.

7-8 - I got to the paved trail and used it rather than cut across the rough open. Coming off the trail, I didn't go straight but I hit the control well.

8-9 - I made my first real mistake here. I'd come off #8 to the left. I got to the right area but was left of the control. I cut right but didn't go far enough. I went far in the other direction before coming back. I lost 3 minutes. Had a control flag been placed, I'd have seen it with just a little error.

9-10 - I ran straight to the bend in the spur. I missed to the left and went far too low. Returning I got too close to the buildings and missed again. Finally I returned still too close to the building, but I curved around and then saw the knolls. I'd seen other smaller knolls and some depressions. The bright sun on the page and my deteriorating eyes made it hard for me to read a depression apart from a dot knoll. I lost 2:30 minutes, but again, if there had been a flag, I'd have seen it right off with little to no error.

10-11 - I ran straight initially, but I got confused after crossing the white forest, and emerging at a trail merge that I didn't recognize on the map. It was the one north of #7, but I had only seen 2 trails merging, not the 3rd that's there. it was well left of straight. I went down the trail a little but got concerned that I needed to be on the parallel trail to the left. I crossed the rough open to get there and as soon as I did, I saw the big reentrant ahead, that was near #3. I cut back across the rough open, just missing the control when I hit the trail. I went on and even got so far south that I was in the scattered open trees. Coming back, it was a long correction. I lost 1:50 minutes.

11-12 - I went almost straight, across the rough open and a little around the reentrant at the end, to finally get back on track.

12-13 - I ran straightish. I went past the finish, stayed well left of the big lake, cross some white forest, then got confused. I wanted to avoid climb by staying high. I started looking at control 15 and ran right to it, then realizing my error. I corrected, but from my GPS track, I probably lost 3:30 minutes.

13-14 - I hugged the edge of the forest to get into the shade, and spiked the control.

14-15 - I used the paved trail and bridge to cross the stream. I'd already been to the bridge at #15 so I knew it'd be better than trying to cross at #15.

15 - 16 - I was doubting that I could get finished in 8 minutes (I'd heard David Onkst had finished in 57 minutes). I went close to straight. I saw the manmade object first. It was only when I got close that I was sure the feature was the boulder cluster--I had trouble reading it in the bright sun.

16-17 - I went straight but tripped on hidden deadfall in the rough open. I didn't hurt myself, and continued on to the visible sand trap depression.

17 - 18 - Climbing wasn't as bad as I thought. I crossed the road and got on the trail. I decided to go straight since the visible rough open didn't look so bad. I did slow to a walk, and hit a depression before the one for the control. I hit another and was surprised not to get music indicating I was there. I talked with Peggy about the area needing some cleanup on the map (which overall was very good) since the forest edge came all the way over, and I had to get to the depression close to the trail before Usynlingo recognized me getting to the control. I lost about a minute.

18 - 19 - I went just about straight on #19 and spiked it.

19-20 - I went to a good rootstock but didn't get music. On my way down to a low small rootstock that I didn't think was mapped, it sang. I might have lost 20 seconds.

20-21 - I ran straight and used the edge of the forest to guide me in. It seemed that the control feature was a tree--I didn't check the description. I got a little past the control before going in the copse of dead trees to the rock. I lost maybe 10 seconds.

21-22 - I almost stepped in the marsh leaving #21. I used the trail mostly but went higher to avoid walkers coming at me. I attacked from the bend but it seemed a little more to the left than I'd expected. It really was visible from the trail so no time lost.

22-23 - Up the correct reentrant, I kept moving but walked a lot. I still was having trouble reading in the sun so the trail intersection I hit first confused me. I went on to spike the control.

23 - F - I ran fairly straight but used the trail a little.

It was a fun area to use! I plan to join Peggy's mapping to the rest of what I'd mapped for Rock Creek, Lake Needwood, Lake Frank, and the Rockville Civic Center. The area makes a great addition and I'm glad that the county isn't developing it (at leas for now).

Our family had lunch and did some shopping afterward.

From Northfield Rd., to Bethesda Ave., and back. I got my haircut. I had a mask but they gave me a different one so that they could cut while I wore it. I still had to hold it in place a couple of times.