Training Log Archive: Nadim

Arlington, VA. Starting at Bluemont Junction Park at Wilson Blvd., north on the W&OD Trail to the Custis Trail (on the north side of I-66), to N. Glebe Rd., to Fairfax Dr., to the Bluemont Junction Trail, to George Mason Dr., to the Lubber Run Trail, to Arlington Blvd., to N. Granada St. to N., Greenbriar St., to the W&OD Trail to Bluemont Junction Park. It appears that I last ran these trails and streets on 4/7/2006. Being in the area made it convenient this evening, and I like Arlington too. I've been coming here for a long time. It was a regular hangout for me in the 90s and 80s. I rode the W&OD trail from my parents home near Fort Hunt, to Harper's Ferry back when they were still constructing the trail in Arlington, and when it was all dirt in Fairfax County--that was about 1984. Running the the dark, most of it still made sense, though I did have to look around more carefully--some little things had changed while others were essentially the same. I was stiff starting out and generally climbing out of the Four Mile Run valley. Once to Ballston (another hangout), it was mostly downhill to the W&OD Trail, with some exceptions. I'd carried a headlamp in my hand but never used it. I thought I might need it in Lubber Run Park, but unexpectedly, there were a few lamps lighting most of the way. They helped me see the sudden short steep hills there. I felt like I was picking up the pace on the gradual railroad grade climbe of the W&OD Trail as I was finishing-up, but it looks like I was down--that was due to being cautious on the steep winding descent to the W&OD Trail in the dark.

Event: QOC Patapsco McKeldin
 

Black Hills Regional Park; Boyds, MD. Starting from the Little Seneca Boat Launch, on Clarksburg Rd., I went north across the bridge over the lake where there used to be Ten Mile Creek many years ago (there's a wide shoulder on the bridge and further north for a little while). The lake is one of the larger drinking water reservoirs in the area. I got on the extension of the Hoyles Mill Trail on the north side of the bridge, returned to Clarksburg Rd., and continued north. I took the Cool Spring Run Trail to the northernmost end of the lake and soon after I got on the Ten Mile Creek Trail. The Ten Mile Creek Trail took me all the way back to where I'd started. I had printed and taken a country trail map with me, and I read it along the way. It was mostly accurate and I was glad to have it. When I'd finished, my watch had registered 1,200 ft. of climb, but that seems to have gotten adjusted down to half of that. The trails seem mostly well graded but designed for mountain biking with many small ups and downs. For a little while in the middle of the run, the ball of my right foot was feeling like the callus on it was hurting it. My left knee ached a little toward the end.

The Ten Mile Creek Trail goes up and down fingers of the lake and it's larger reentrants. There's a mix of thick, and open forest along the trail, but the park land is mostly too narrow to be effective for orienteering usage.
From the north end of Clarksburg Rd. to the south end of it, a distance of 6.45 miles, there was only about 3 steps on pavement. That was crossing Ganley Rd. where it dead ends. I'd explored some of the west side of Black Hills Regional Park before, but that exploration was about 21 years ago. I was mountain biking with a GPS at the time, and doing it for a running guide book that I was making. There were some big fields then, but now those areas appeared to be tree covered (probably the thick forests that I saw). The route made a really fun run for me, and I had a great day to do it on--sunny and in the 50s F. There are a lot of good views to be seen with the trail often high over the water, and there being no leaves to block one from seeing far away. The ground at the shoreline tends to be steep. The water looked deep too, with a pleasant green color. The trail tends to get close to the water at the mouths of the lake fingers.
With the long shape, the lake seemed similar to some Scottish Lochs. Initially there were few people to see, but as I got closer to the southern end, more people were to be found hiking and cycling.

Doing the loop as I did it is probably not common. I guess that most probably go out and back on Ten Mile Creek Trail from where I started/ended. Where the trail emerges north of the lake bridge, the upper parts of Clarksburg Rd. incur a steadily climb, but the road also narrows there with no shoulders. People drive fast on it.

Hoyles Mill Conservation Park. After my satisfying run, I got some lunch from a general store at Boyds. It was under new management and I was suprised to see that the proprietors were southeast asian like me. I field checking started from the Hoyles Mill Trailhead parking lot on White Ground Rd. I mostly went along the Hoyles Mill Trail and along the northern forest edge of the park. I knew this area to be green, but since it's a part of the map I'd started, it needed to be done. This is also a good time of year to get out into these areas too, since it'll be harder to make sense of it later on. I did find a few interesting things, but not a lot of features. Most of what I found was manmade. That and more thorns were to be expected for former farmland. However, I did find some pleasantly open land too. There were some interesting ditches and intermittent streams, along with areas of disturbed ground and dot knolls. The vegetation seemed particularly tricky to map.

Lake Neewood, Rock Creek Regional Park, MD. From the trailhead or what's better known as the end of the of the Rock Creek Trail, I ran trails on the east side of Lake Needwood to the pipeline ride, through the tunnel under the Inter-County-Connector (ICC, Route 200), through a part of Zadok Macgruder HS, to the paved trail through North Branch Park, to Muncaster Mill Rd. at Meadowside Rd. (the entrance of Lake Frank), to Avery Rd., to Needwood Lake Dr. (entrance to the Lake Needwood area), down to the lake trail, and back to the paved trailhead for the Rock Creek Trail near the dam. I was pretty weak on this run either from breakfast, not being rested enough or just not ready to run.

I hadn't intended to go this far today either. Having slept-in I ate a small breakfast and then decided to go with Peggy when she announce a plan to run at Lake Frank. She'd mixed-up the names of the lakes as many people do, so when we went to Lake Needwood, I had it in my head to run trails around Lake Frank. Having mapped a lot here, I planned a loop to go along Lake Needwood, through North Branch Park, and along Lake Frank. That turned-out to be too far with Peggy expecting me and waiting after her shorter run. Realizing it, I improvised this shorter route. Some trails had changed a little. I was disappointed that a paved trail with a promised bridge over North Branch Rock Creek hadn't been built yet. It stopped where I'd last seen it built to, despite Google's site making it look complete.

Earlier than that, cutting through the high school, I got partway before being turned away. It was probably because I didn't have a mask. I still feel that I can't run with one and so I run at late hours or mostly in little traveled areas. I passed 50m away from some kids doing outdoor Karate in the front end of the school, but in the back, on the football field and 150m away from anywhere I was going, other people were doing something and I was turned away. I had to go through the pipeline ride that I'd been following since Lake Needwood, but the ride near the high school was thorny with only an intermittent animal trail to get through it on. After getting through that and losing a small amount of blood, I was surprised to find that they'd mowed the big field in North Branch Park. That would have been perfect to make the area useable for orienteering. It's likely to grow back to a mess again but nice to know that they do still mow it sometimes.

From Northfield Rd. to Old Georgetown Rd. via Greenwich Park, to Cheshire Dr.. to Grosvenor Rd. to the Bethesda Trolley Trail at Fleming Ave. to Old Georgetown Rd. to Northfield Rd. via Greenwich Park. Temperatures were in the upper 60s F as I ran and I had a headwind part of the time on the way out. Sleeping more and elevating my legs before sleeping is seeming to help. Of course running without sweats has been good too! I kept pace pretty good and my energy held out. There were lots of people out enjoying the weather even groups of teens playing basketball.

30 sit-ups.

Washington, D.C. From the John Ericsson Memorial Circle and Ohio Dr. in West Potomac Park, 23rd St., SW, to Lincoln Circle, across Memorial Bridge to the Mt. Vernon Trail, across Key Bridge to the edge of Georgetown, down to the C&O Canal Towpath, to 33rd St., NW, to Georgetown Waterfront Park, to the Rock Creek Trail, to John Ericsson Memorial Circle. I had nice running conditions again--68 F with a gentle breeze and what seemed to be clear night skies. I think the lack of a good night sleep made me slower today. My legs were feeling like lead the last half. There were lots of people outside. A group of cyclists were touring on the Mt. Vernon Trail and there were other runners. Near M Street, NW, people were active but the waterfront along the river was the busiest of all with many eating out and others laying the grass.

From Northfield Rd to Norfolk Ave to pick-up lunch, then back. It was about in the 60s F with headwind from the south that I felt was slowing me down.

From Northfield Rd., Greenwich Park, to Old Georgetown Rd. to Alta Vista Rd., to Linden Ave., to Pooks Hill Rd., to Rockville Pike. and the Bethesda Trolley Trail, to Maple Ridge Rd., to Old Georgetown Rd., to Huntington Pkwy., to Custer Rd., to Northfield Rd. The weather continued to be nice. It was 68 F starting out so I ran in a t-shirt and shorts again. Though my speed wasn't great, I felt like I was running better again today. There were lots of people on all sides of NIH.

30 sit-ups.

From Northfield Rd., Custer Rd. to Wilson Ln. to Glenbrook Rd., to Bradley Blvd., to Kennedy Dr., to Dorset Ave., to the Little Falls Trail, to Hillandale Rd., to Bradley Blvd., to Arlington Rd., to Old Georgetown Rd., to Huntington Pkwy., to Custer Rd., to Northfield Rd. It was in the low 60s F when I started, wearing just shorts and a long sleeve t-shirt. I felt like I was running better. There were a good many people walking around in Bethesda.

30 sit-ups.