Training Log Archive: Nadim

I didn't sleep that well last night. I woke up before 6am when Peggy rushed off to go help vet the orienteering courses for the World Police and Fire Games in Fairfax, VA. After that I lay in bed but then the kids woke up early at about 6:30am too--the cats were doing crazy cat things so that both Max and I had to scold/shoo them. At least I was able to get out of bed without as much trouble as the last few mornings. I still have to spin to the left and stay low to do it, but the leg pain from going vertical subsides to a manageable level.

My back woes are improving. I again can get around a little on crutches and can sit in chairs for a few hours. I have to favor my left side for movements or bearing my weight. I still get radialculopathy pain in my right leg and it shifts from thigh to ankle and in between. There is a touch of numbness in my right quadriceps which is different from before last winter when that was in my calf and ankle. I had thought that at first was from lying in contorted positions for long hours but it is more than that. I have an appointment with my orthopedist next Monday. I have been watching what I've been eating and drinking to save trips to the bathroom and really, I haven't been very hungry. Since I could stand a little today I was able to weigh myself. It took a few tries since digital scales don't deal well with shakiness. My current weight is at least a good positive benefit from all of this.

C • back pains 2

My back problems worsened more so I'm bed ridden for a while. Radialculopathy pain down my right leg to my ankle is severe when vertical and abated but still nearly omnipresent when lying down. I've started some medications but won't see my orthopedist till next week since he is on vacation.

My back problems worsened. Something apparently shifted. Radiculopathy is back in my right leg.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. I hadn't wanted to miss working out the last 2 days. Work and rain did me in on Monday and my wedding anniversary was the other. However I missed two of the hottest days of the year so far; this morning was much better. It started out at 72 F with less humidity. There was a headwind from the SW that I certainly felt at times. However going up Ohio Dr. along the river, I was able to draft behind a tour bus. On the CCT, only on cyclist went past me. I tried to stay with him for a little bit but he was too fast.

From 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. Traffic made things slow right from the start and it continued until I was past Georgetown. I rode the CCT alone for most of the time and eventually picked-up one drafter. My strength felt better though I had geared down early enough to not be worn out too bad toward the end. The temperatures were cooler since a shower had passed earlier and it was still cloudy. Afterward at home my back really stiffened-up and hurt a lot more than it has in a while, when I worked at a computer more.

From Northfield Rd., to Garfield St./Aberdeen Pl. to Aberdeen Rd. to Oldchester Rd. to Radnor Rd., to Brite Rd., to Bradley Blvd., to Kennedy Dr., to Elwood Rd., to Parkway Dr., to Kennedy Dr., to Dorset Ave., to the Capital Crescent Trail, to Woodmont Ave. via the detour, to Bethesda Ave., to Clarendon Rd., to Denton Rd., to Elm St., to Exeter Rd., to Battery Ln., to Park Ln., to Custer Rd., to Northfield Rd. After some rain and dinner, the whole family went for a bicycle ride. It was still warm and humid but mostly dry. In downtown Bethesda, we all squeezed onto a bench and ate ice cream. It was just starting to get dark when we got home.

From Northfield Rd., Custer Rd. to Huntington Pkwy., to Old Georgetown Rd., to Maple Ridge Rd., to the Bethesda Trolley Trail, to W. Cedar Ln. to the Elmhirst Trail, to the Rock Creek Trail, to Kensington Pkwy., to Connecticut Ave. to Newdale Rd., to the Georgetown Branch Trail, to Woodmont Ave., to Elm St., to Exeter Rd., to Battery Ln., to Park Ln. to Custer Rd., to Northfield Rd. Samantha had been looking forward to another (trail-a-bike) ride the last two days. She seemed to enjoy this one well enough, albeit a little less enthusiastically than earlier. It was our warmest ride together yet. We left close to 11am (after cleaning-up the house) and the temperature was in the 90s F. It later dropped 10 degrees when rain clouds moved-in. Samantha had time to go to a playground in Rock Creek Park (she coaxed me to go down a long twisty slide ahead of her, and perhaps to get her own courage up), and we both had lunch in downtown Bethesda. The rain held off.

Seneca Creek State Park, Lake Clopper Area, MD. I started from Riffleford Rd. aiming to finish-off the land south of Great Seneca Hwy., east of Seneca Creek, and north of Riffleford Rd. That had been a goal when the year started. From that standpoint, I was successful. There are places that I'm sure could use a second pass, and I didn't follow the streams up all the way to their ends when the valleys got extremely narrow (surrounded by houses). There was only a small bit left so for most of the time for the day, I was going over land that I'd been over earlier. I made corrections to some things so it was good to catch the errors. It was just disappointing after having looked forward to having time to do this, to have only covered so little new ground.

The new ground that I did cover was generally nice and had some nice features. I crossed Riffleford Rd. to the south side and all indications seem to be that the shooting range is no longer active. This should open up a lot of advanced terrain and may be the focus of my mapping in the next leave-off season. The long spur I covered very quickly had several ruins, some fences, and even some old defunct cars. It was thicker than terrain on the north side but fairly passable. There was more occurrence of wavy basket grass there. That invasive species could be in more of the parts north of Riffleford Rd. too but it wasn't visible in the cooler months.

I went over to map north of Riffleford Rd., on the west side of Seneca Creek for the first time too. I'd begun to cover what looks to be similar terrain earlier--wide flat floodplain with ditches and depressions. Grasses had grown up and I'd not seen any of that earlier in the year. It will make it hard to map--maybe too hard if there's a lot more of it. I may have to wait until next season to cover this. I didn't get a chance to get into the heart of this area before I got a call from home and it was time to go out to eat with the family.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. I got out a little more on time today but it was already warmer and more humid. I was feeling tired from earlier workouts this week. On the CCT, I soon caught a guy that I thought was older but as we traded pulls going to Georgetown, I could see he was of similar or younger age. He also was just riding, not commuting. I slowed at around the Kennedy Center and had slight headwinds along the water. I told the buiilding guard that it was I was hot when she asked how I was. She realized and vocalized that I'd at least enjoyed. I was also thinking that I was glad that I hadn't taken the metro rail (I'd heard just before leaving that there were big problems) nor driven (I was passing cars backed-up near the Lincoln Memorial).

From 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, with a detour at River Rd., to Butler Rd. I got through Georgetown's traffic passing some fast cyclist and expected that one of them would catch back up. He did and he pulled me up to a little way past the trestle bridge over Canal Rd. I had my laptop with me and was already tired enough so I didn't try to keep up with him as we accelerated and slowed down again and again passing other riders. I let him go. I was able to pickup Grays medicine at River Rd. this time.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. I got a late start after talking to our contractor about the remaining tasks to finish-up our basement/laundry/bathroom projects at home. There were few people on the trail and I cruised most of the way after starting out slowly.

From 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, with a detour at River Rd., to Butler Rd. I hit the traffic lights pretty well getting out of work. There was a tailwind along the river on Ohio Dr. I got through Georgetown smoothly and passed some fast riders there. I knew one of them would catch me again and it didn't take long after getting on the Capital Crescent Trail. I stayed behind him until Massachusetts Ave. There I tried to pull for him but I was moving too fast being rested and pushing harder knowing that I was about to pull off at River Rd. I tried to stop off at the veterinarian office for more medicine for our youngest kitten but they'd closed. Gray is doing much better. I wasn't fast or slow finishing up.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station. I was sore but riding wasn't bad. Since I'd left my running clothes at work, I figured it best to ride only to the metro station and run on the way home.

From the Friendship Heights Metro Station at the DC/MD border (Western Ave. & Wisconsin Ave.), Friendship Rd. to Willard Ave. to the Little Falls Trail, to River Rd. to the Capital Crescent Trail, to Bethesda Ave. (via a detour due to construction) to Woodmont Ave. to the Bethesda Metro Station. Like yesterday, my back was bothering me a bit. I warmed up and with that the back pain faded, but my right leg felt it behind the knee. My right quad was also sore. I passed a few women runners but one guy whom crossed my path just as I was getting on the CCT slowly pulled away.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. I was spinning well. It was cooler (low 70s F?) and the sun was a red ball from a cloudy high haze.

From Northfield Rd., Custer Rd. to Park Ln., to Batter Ln., to Exeter Rd., to Hampden Ln., to Fairfax Rd., to the Elm St. Trail, to Glenbrook Rd., to Hampden Ln. to Moorland Ln., to Wilson Ln., to Hampden Ln., to Charlcotte Rd., to Northfield Rd. After getting home, Samantha had wanted to go for a ride (on her REI Afterburner which connects to my bicycle). There wasn't much time as we started just before 8pm. I'm not sure how much she was pumping. I felt like I was doing all of the work.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station. The kids helped out by getting ready quickly this morning--a rare happening. I had a big early meeting at work and I was stiff so I didn't try to ride all of the way to work.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. I was lucky to get back in between rains. My back loosened a little bit.

From Northfield Rd Bethesda, MD., to Old Georgetown Rd. via Greenwich Park, to Johnson Ave. to Heamsteadt Ave. to McKinley Ave. to Garfield St. to Roosevelt. Ave. to Jefferson St. to Northfield Rd. A thunderstorm was approaching and it was in the 80s F. I felt like I was plodding along the whole way but it was good to get out and do a run. I had intended to run from work but it was hot as I was leaving, my back felt too stiff and the back of my right knee was not feeling right when walking all day. I was afraid that I'd get 2 miles out and then have to walk a long way.

Event: QOC Jug Bay
 

Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary, MD. I warmed-up from the caretaker's (Dave and Peggy) house to the barn and back. My back was stiff and achy and it hurt along the back of the knee on my right leg.

Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary, MD. I was a little rushed getting ready, forgetting how early the annual meeting started. I forgot that my glasses had gotten removed from my o-bag and I thought it was too late to borrow Peggy's spare again. Except for a slight error going to #1 in which I got passed by, and then chased Hannah Culberg more than followed my compass, I did okay through the first 2 loops. I was weak and slow but my navigation kept me in the running for a while.

On the third loop, I took a risk just as Victoria Campbell had passed me on the road--instead of going around and following the ditch down along the green like I'd done when setting the course the previous year, I risked it feeling I knew what to expect. Shortly after getting into the woods, I got mixed up about which ditches I'd already passed. I would have relocated a few times earlier at a ditch along a stream but I couldn't find it without my eyeglasses and part of the stream had been covered by the Stumble-like window--I kept thinking I was at another reentrant intersection in the stream further ahead. I lost a load of time before giving up to attack the next control. I then realized where I was when crossing the wet marsh, and went right to W.

The rest went pretty well except for at the end when Ted Good and Peggy teased me into thinking I had another loop to go. Going out on the second loop, I'd already been a little unsure if I was using the right map (on the back side of my fist loop). I stopped to talk with people for almost 15 minutes before I downloaded and Victoria told me that I hadn't punched the finish. Technically that would be a miss-punch and maybe that would be better than the poor time.

It was however another fun day and a fun course. The beer might have helped me make a bad choice going to W the way I did but I've done worse before without it. Samantha got a canoe ride with Addie Nolan, and Max inspired people's imaginations by trying to canoe a floating log in the bay. The weather was pleasant and breezy.

From Northfield Rd., Custer Rd. to Huntington Pkwy., to Old Georgetown Rd., then to the Bethesda Trolley Trail to Grosvenor Rd., to the Rock Creek Trail, to Cedar Ln, to the Elmhirst Pkwy Trail, to Cedar Ln, with became Oakmont Dr. eventually. From there I cut through on small trail to Oak Pl., then to Hempstead Ave., past Samantha's school and then homeward via McKinley St. and Garfield St.

I'd slept-in and Peggy had gone to a trail race. Sleeping-in threw my day off but I needed it. Instead of doing some field checking, after Peggy got back I adjusted the trail-a-bike and went out for a ride with Samantha. I'd asked Max to come along but he was in a funk. We stopped a lot. The first time was about 3/4 of a mile out when Samantha announced that she needed a bathroom. I knew of a port-a-jon ahead a few miles but didn't tell her about it. She decided that she could go on rather than go back home. When we got to Fleming Park we stopped for the port-a-jon and the playground. We got going again with the promise of another playground. The Rock Creek Trail was a little wet from recent rains but not as much as I'd expected. It was however, rather bumpier than expected. Samantha might have been getting tired again. She didn't like getting wet from the puddles (the trail a bike has a mudflap but it didn't catch everything). Since her life had been so insular before coming to us, I figured the mud was good for her. She kept wanting to stop but I told her that a playground was just ahead. She wouldn't let it go but once in sight when I offered to stop, she insisted we go on.

The rest of the ride after the playground stop was good. One guy in a car with his daughter seeing us climb W. Cedar Rd. at a traffic light, asked what's that thing? I thought he meant a building to my right but he was interested in the trail a bike. This REI Novara Afterburner 2.0 is a better model than the older one that I used to take Max out on.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. I was lucky to get back in between rains.

I had wanted to run each day after the Mason Neck meet. The first day, I felt that some rest would be good (I was feeling sore and still in my back) and thunderstorms were predicted anyway. It rained the next 3 days too and each of those days I ended up working late; my workouts consisted of carrying my running clothes back and forth to work and up the metro escalators.

I'm still having some good days and some days that are worse. Yesterday it was hard to find a comfortable spot at all but I probably aggravated things by trying to get the trash out. I didn't sleep well for several hours but the pains calmed down enough to sleep-in.