Training Log Archive: Nadim

Patapsco State Park, MD; Avalon area. Walking from the loop road on the north side of the Patapsco River, Peggy, Samantha, Max, and I walked around to the south side of the river. to the picnic area where QOC's event center was. Samantha was walking very slowly, so she and Peggy fell behind Max and I.

QOC: Avalon Area in Patapsco State Park, MD. I ran Green and it was a pretty nice course. It did seem to have more climb and green than it was rated or mapped at but I enjoyed it. I lost some time for route inefficiency.

S-1 - I went fairly straight, reading along the way. I skirted the right side of the first hill, and the left side of the next, and spiked it.

1-2 - I again went fairly straight, going through the spur area mapped as light green. I kept going but got turned back and to the right in the verge before the field. In the field, I ran mostly on the elephant path. At one point, I paused and almost second guessed myself about the small island of vegetation 3/4 of the way across the field. Ultimately, I spiked it and kept going.

2-3 - Straight to the field corner, then straight again towards the control. I felt I was benefiting a little bit from those who'd gone before me and had trampled down an elephant path through the verge. At the end, I hooked right and then left for better running terrain. I spiked the control.

3-4 - I ran across the reentrants rather than climb or drop to flatter ground. I used a trail briefly, but kept not far from the leg line. I was having my doubts early on if this route would be efficient. I spiked it while another guy was hunting on the spur before the one with the control. Seeing the rocks ahead on my left, above the control, clued me in.

4-5 - Straight, but I had to be conscious about keeping higher than the out-of-bounds area. Seeing the rock ahead kept me from dropping down too far.

5-6 - I kept pretty close to the leg line; side of the reentrant, then in it and on the ground mapped as open ground. At the end, I was lower, and wonder if the control should have been lower too. I didn't lose any time since I could see it wasn't below, and I'd gone up.

6-7 - I cut across forest to link together trail segments. The longest was through the field edge. Like everyone else, I found it to be greener when approaching the control. It seemed like there was a reentrant prior to the the mapped ones, and that it slopped toward the field. I hit the reentrant before the one with the control, and set a bearing that took me NE of the control. I came to the control without much problem and even could see it from 50m out.

7-8 - Being tired from all of the climb, I was starting to look to the course being just about over, but did realize there still was a good bit of orienteering left. I ran straight, the cut right a little near the saddle. The control circle seemed to be centered on the SE side of the knoll. I headed there initially and not seeing it, I went to the S end of the top to find it.

8-9 - Once across the first reentrant, I climbed to the trails. After rounding the hillside to where the vegetation opened up some, I left the trail and ran across another reentrant to spike the control.

9-10 - I climbed to the trail and hit the trail. I stayed on it until west of the control, and spiked it.

10-11 - I didn't think this one through and got burned for it. I went down the spur toward trail, then cut hard right to cross the big steep reentrants. I didn't climb too far on the first reentrant and had trouble getting out due to sliding back down. I eventually crossed the 2nd reentrant SW of the control. The rest was a slow slog up.

11-F - I came out a bit left of straight, and then had to side-hill.

Green - Splits

Cabin John Regional Park, MD. From the Tennis Center parking lot, I took mostly the Cabin John Trail along the creek and power lines northward to the trailhead near the dog park and train parking lot; then I came back. It was in the mid 60s F and the trail was dry. It looks so different from when I last ran here since the greenery blocked most of the views. Lots of people were out an most were without masks.

From Northfield Rd., Custer Rd., to Huntington Pkwy., to Old Georgetown Rd., to Maple Ridge Rd., to the NIH grounds, on the grass and dirt to Woodmont Ave., and on the grass more to the Bethesda Trolley Trail, parallel to the Bethesda Trolley Trail to McKinley St., to Grant St., to Northfield Rd. I ran on the grasses and dirt again as much as possible from home, so that I kept it easy on my left knee. The knee was fine. It was marginally harder running on the grass. I saw Ken Walker, Jr. on his run just as I was finishing.

It was a nice day in the upper 60s F when I ran. After stretching and finishing-up watering plants, I saw my first live cicada of the season. It was just out the ground apparently (after 17 years). It crawled and hadn't molted to show wings yet. There will be millions of them soon.

C • Cicadas 1

From Northfield Rd., to the trail at Jefferson St. to Roosevelt St., to Garfield St., to McKinley St., to Heampstead Ave. to Bradley Park, twice around Bradley Hills ES on the grass, then to Heampstead Ave. to McKinley St. to Garfield St., to Roosevelt St., to the trail at Jefferson St. to Northfield Rd. I had an unexpectedly big lunch as Max and I tried ordering from BIBIBOP. It was in the 60s F again.

From Northfield Rd., to the trail at Jefferson St. to Roosevelt St., to Garfield St., to McKinley St., to Heampstead Ave. to Bradley Park, twice around Bradley Hills ES on the grass, then to Heampstead Ave. to McKinley St. to Garfield St., to Roosevelt St., to the trail at Jefferson St. to Northfield Rd. After having a rest day, I wanted to try more running again. To avoid more left knee complications, I tried to keep on the grass as much as possible. My knee seemed to do well with this. I was feeling bloated before going out and the run made me feel better. The temperatures were in the mid-60s F.