Training Log Archive: Nadim

Event: QOC Hemlock Overlook
 

QOC: Hemlock Overlook Regional Park, VA. Sleeping before this race, I was really achy. The tendon across my heel in my right foot was throbbing sometimes and my legs were sore. The night-O had taken it out of me but I did get a pretty good sleep. For a long time, my pattern had been to do well for the first 5-6 controls and then to make an error. Lately I've been messing up the first one or 2 and recovering much of the rest of the race.

I just didn't plan well going to #1. I missed the nice ridge/saddle run that I've done getting to this area in previous races. I went straight and plunged too low. I missed, came up the hill through the green, hit a (intermittent) trail that I had trouble finding on the map, then calmed down and went to the control.

I spiked #2 going just a tad left of straight to get through the mountain laurel.

For #3, I again missed the left route using the road. Instead, I angled along the hillside until the first reentrant, dropped across the bigger reentrant and hit the trails. Leaving the trail just before the road bend, I follow a ditch to a small clearing and then the reentrant system with the control. I was just a bit to the left and started to follow it down. I wasn't thinking how far I'd gone as I passed it in a side reentrant. Stopping, I calmed down, relocated and found it.

For #4, I got on the ride--that's gotten much harder to follow with downed trees so I ran along side of it a lot. Leaving at a bend, I was rather hesitant dropping along the side of the ridge to the rootstock and control.

For #5, in retrospect I should have gone straight. The formlines made me think the hills were bigger. I ran heading down to avoid the ups and downs. I felt senile forgetting which reentrants I'd crossed and soon found myself on the flats below the control. I took a while to validate that, and more to determine if I'd passed the control or needed to angle away as I climbed up. I hit a rootstock on the edge of the steep part and correctly knew I was still not far enough.

I went straight for #6 and spiked it. Someone else was converging on it from my right. I saw it from a ways off.

For #7, I thought to play it safe taking the longer way around on the trail to avoid climb. I left the trail in about the right place but pulled-up one reentrant early. I recognized my location at a reentrant junction and ran right to it afterward, damage already done.

For #8, I set out straight. At the big reentrant with a stream, I crossed somewhat straight over, then angled to my right to follow a side reentrant. Eventually, I saw Anne & Kim Jepsen on the other side of the reentrant, and I passed them. I kept straightish, reading my way across another smaller reentrant, and using the ditches to cross the last big reentrant. I ran right up to the tree and only then spotted the control behind it.

For #9, I paused to catch my breath and then ran. I was slow at first, then ran more confidently. After crossing the reentrant and walking up, I corrected my bearing by going around the left side of the deadfall. From there I ran along the edge of the mountain laurel until I could see the reentrant and the control.

I ran straight as I could toward #10, which meant bearing left a bit to get through the mountain laurel. After crossing the trail, I saw the reentrants ahead. Picking out he gullied one, I cut right and counted till I could find the right spur. I hesitated but kept going slower until I saw the control.

For #11, I dog-legged up the hill again and crossed the trail. I paused before dropping down the hill, then realized I needed to cut more to the right where the control became visible.


For #12, I ran along the hillside until I intersected the trail, I took a bearing from there, just before the trail crossed the stream. I realized I was too low so I angled up more. After a few ditches I saw the control up even higher.

For #13, I was not patient. I ran straight instead of going around the reentrant after the trail. I crossed it and ran the hillside until I got around the spur, then changed direction to hit the control well.

For #14, I went straight and corrected along the way off of reentrants. I was clear where I was until the last 125m. I got a little high being distracted by root stocks that turned out to be near the trail. I passed the control and looped around. Don Davis was hunting too and I was glad to seem him in the forest again after his accident. Don came from the other direction and got there before I did.

For #15, I ran straight but hesitated. I feared missing and dropping too low, but I was on target.

For #16, I dropped to the trail. At one point on the trail, I ran off of it by mistake, and came back. Leaves were covering it. I saw Peggy on the trail too and figured she was going where I was. She left the trail earlier than I planned. Leaving from the bend south of the control, I got there ahead of her.

For #17, I went straight and walked the hills a lot. I got to focusing on the hillside with the spur and ran to a control on the spur in the white woods, east of the control. I went on, dropping until I knew I was too low. I read the map and corrected to the left.

For #18, I dog legged back and saw the Jepsens going toward one of the controls I'd just left. I was thinking about using the trail but realized that it would be okay to cut across saving distance if not climb. I read things pretty well and spiked the control. Others were in the area but they didn't give it away for me.

For #19, I ran straight and eventually crossed the reentrant just before the big trail. I was pretty tired so when I started climbing, I had to pace my walk. I used a boulder/cliff to attack from.

For #20, I ran to the right a bit and used trails a little bit too, to get to the buildings. This was less messy but probably not the most efficient.

Overall, I felt okay about this run. I got a good physical workout and didn't make huge errors. I didn't use my head enough so that part was disappointing. Better routes could have saved a few. Maybe I can balance it all

Blue - Splits