Training Log Archive: Nadim

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station. The effect of the Chipotle dinner last night was at least a part of the swing in weight.

Washington, D.C. From 12th and Independence Ave., SW, to Maryland Ave., SW, to 3rd. St, SW, to Pennsylvania Ave., NW, to Constitution Ave., NW, to 14th St., to The Mall, to 12th St. SW, to Independence Ave., SW. I didn't feel very strong during this. Earlier when I'd restarted running after some knee issues, I thought I'd be doing well to get 40 miles for the month. The miles were adding fast after that so I set my sites on 50 miles for the month. I'd gotten that and saw that there was still a shot at getting 60 miles (in 2019, I'd gotten 75 mile in January). With missing running on Thursday I felt freer to take it easy and hopefully avoid further knee-back problems.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. I was still tired from a long day at work.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station. As I'd crossed Huntington Pkwy. I passed a guy whom I'd seen on my way to work on other days. However he had appeared to be run commuting when I'd seen him before. He was on bike, and as I slowed a little climbing he passed me. He slowed on the downhill so I passed him back and in my competitiveness, I kept moving fast later.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station. I had intended to run after work but since I'd left late and had a late solar power telephone conference scheduled at home, I decided there wasn't enough time. Getting some rest was probably good too. I also was carrying home dinner.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station. I kept running into traffic.

From the Bethesda Metro Station, Wisconsin Ave/Rockville Pike to W. Cedar Lane, to Old Georgetown Rd. to Arlington Rd.., to Edgemoor Ln, to the Bethesda Metro Station. I'm feeling worn out but have been trying to make up for low mileage earlier this month. Like other recent runs this one had started out with both a shaky knee (left) and some lower hamstring pain in my left leg. The hamstring pain went away after half a mile. It was pleasant outside. I moved slowly early on. Construction and the closing of sidewalks on Wisconsin Ave./Rockville Pike had me cross back and forth twice. I did okay on the longish climb up W. Cedar Ln. and moved faster on Old Georgetown Rd.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. I was pretty tired, still sweaty, and feeling weighed down.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station. I may have been overdressed in my winter coat. It was 38 F.

Washington, D.C. l ran my old Memorial Tour route. From 12th & Independence Ave., to SW, 15th St., SW to Ohio Dr. SW, past the Jefferson Memorial to the 14th St. Bridge,. to the Mt. Vernon Trail, across Memorial Bridge, to Independence Ave. SW., via the Lincoln Memorial Circle and the Reflecting Pool, to 12th St., SW. I was lumbering early on but stopping at traffic lights rejuvenated me some. It was windy getting across the river the first time and I was even running into the winds again on the Mt. Vernon Trail. I finally felt like I was running better on the flat trail along the Reflecting Pool with a tailwind. Cars were pretty good this night--I'd stop at the intersections presuming no one was seeing me in the dark, but the cars stopped to let me over the crosswalks. The renovations of the Memorial Bridge were complete on the side that I had run on (south), but now the north side is closed for maintenance repairs. It was in the mid-40s F.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. My time is estimated since the battery on my watch ran out. I was tired and going slowly anyway. I made it home just before 8pm. At that time Peggy and I took a scheduled call to start discussing a contract to install solar panels on our house.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station. There was some traffic and my legs were tired.

From 12th and Independence Ave., SW, Washington, D.C. I ran to Main Ave., then to the Tidal Basin to go clockwise around it. I passed the Jefferson Memorial on the road side, went to the Rock Creek Trail along the river, crossed the Kutz Bridge, and continued on up Independence Ave. to 12th St. SW. I was feeling slow running. The temperature was around 42 F and it was a little breezy. Within a half mile, my left knee was hurting but after reaching the bottom of a small hill it got a little better. I was running into the wind along the river.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. I was tired and there were headwinds.

QOC: Fountainhead Regional Park, VA. This was supposed to be an easier day for me since I ran long (almost 11 miles) the day before, and have been ramping up my running again. I ran almost 8k on this just under 5.9K course. Most of it was good but 2 legs were just bad. I knew Jon Torrance (course setter) would have some tricky legs in this park that he knows better than any of us.

S-1 - I ran up the road and in from just past where the road split. I tripped on some light deadfall just about 10m from the control and bruised my left thigh.

1-2 - This was a simple leg and it seemed just to get us out into the woods again. I hadn't run Green for a while and was starting to think it was being dumbed down. The biggest problem was trying to figure out how to get across the terrain. I crossed the creek at lest 3 times but tried to stay high most of it. I could see the control once I'd hit the flat lands.

2-3 - (oops where are my leg comments for this?)

2-4 - I was eagar to make good time. I looked at the leg quickly and it seemed like another easy one--long run across the creek valley, then up along the trail toward the big reentrant system before the power lines--I never realized that #3 was in the middle between #2 and #4 until the end of the run. As I was passing where I would/should have turned up to get #3, I noted my position and just kept running. Not seeing it seemed to at least partly be due to have #3 be in almost a straight line between #2 and #4. The control circle was among a good bit of green and the circle was broken and I might have mistook what was left to be contours since the remains of the circle were almost parallel and touching the contours. The numeral "3" was also printed away from the control on top of an index and a regular contour. When I showed this to others who hadn't run green, it took them a little while to see control #3 also. I just didn't look long enough when I was on the course. Others on green didn't seem to have any real issue with it as no one else skipped it. I spiked #4 though I was a little shakey where the trail had been rerouted. I wasn't seeing the remains of the old trail much.

4-5 - I decided that the climb and debris would be slow on the direct route. Trying to make the most of it, I left quickly and ran away from #5 to go back up to the trail and around. I stayed on the trail even after crossing the power line ride. I returned to the power line just before the bend in the power line ride. I stayed on it briefly, just until it looked like there was easier running. I was worried about entering the woods at an indistinct place but felt the reentrant to my left would guide me. At one point it seemed like the reentrant was flattening out and I got confused. I crossed the stream for a short way, paused then returned to hit the control well.

5-6 - I went fairly straight. I did have to cut right a little at the end.

6-7 - I tried going straight and stopped at the ridge that the control was on. I got a little below the control as that was where the deadfall mapped and in reality, had lessened. I turned up from there and found it. It wasn't exactly my plan to aim off, but it was probably efficient for me.

7-8 - Either from the hill of the deadfall, I proceeded a little left of straight. I tried to correct once across the power lines but it seemed a long way to the saddle that I was thinking of hitting. I crossed and climbed up the reentrant that was hidden by the leg line, and saw it after cresting and getting through the holly trees.

8-9 - I ran mostly straight but contoured a little getting across the big reentrant. I knew from the top of the next reentrant that I was just about on the leg line, and I saw it soon after.

9-10 - I jogged/ran where I could, hitting the trail bend and then crossing the power line. I was a little left of the line going in due to better runnability, and I looked for a big deadfall ahead to guide me in.

10-11 - As I was leaving #10 another guy was there too. I took off in a hurry. I initially planned to be a little left of the line. My bearing was a little off so at the first reentrant I veered left and ran down that spur. I was just trying to move well and not reading the map much. I was making things fit. At the bottom, I could see the stream bending--I thought it odd since that would have put me much lower than I had planned. I crossed the stream and climbed. This put me back on the spur that I'd wanted to run down, not across the larger stream that I still had to cross to get to #11. I got nearly to the top and was having difficulty figuring out what had happened. Ahead and a lot closer to #11 than I was, I could see the guy that had been at #10 when I was. I hunted around a little where I was, then concluded that I'd made some weird error putting back near #10. After that, I moved well and almost caught up to the guy that had started the leg with me. Disappointing it was that I'd made such a bad error! AP shows I lost only 3 minutes but if that's all it was I did good. It felt like I lost a lot more.

11-12 - I went left of straight. I didn't consider going around until approaching the bottom but that looked too long anyway. The guy I'd seen at #10 had gone straight and was climbing a bigger steeper hill out of sight. I spike the control.

12-13 - As I was leaving #12, I saw the guy I'd seen at #10 again and his eyes told me he was wondering how I'd gotten ahead again. I decided to be safe and to use the ride. I was doing well with this and got on the mapped trail. I left at the hairpin bend without stopping. Soon I saw Mark Mace on my right climbing. I signed to him about having lunch later and was thinking I should be more focused. I started getting a little confused and when I saw a gully that I couldn't match-up I was more confused. This gully was east of the control and only shows up as a little reentrant notch in the hiilside. I don't recall seeing before though I had been below previously, at the pointy map border. I ran around at the bottom more confused as I didn't find the control in any of the reentrants that I'd turned right to inspect--in my mind, I had a memory of a boulder cluster control that Gavin had used in the summer short series here last summer. It might have been the same one as #13 but my memory of it placed it in the areas I was searching. I was making the mistake of using my memory rather than reading the map. Concluding that I was nearing the bigger stream with the bridges leading back to the parking lot, I turned back still unable to match-up reentrants. The one gully that wasn't mapped was really confusing me. I ended up running into the out of bounds areas north of the control and realized it when I climbed and saw the houses. After that, I ran right to the control. I lot over 8 minutes on this adventure and did a lot of extra climbing.

13-14 - I took a step or two up the hill, then decided to stay mostly low--I'd been there already and knew it was very runnable. That unmapped gully got in my way a little but once I dropped fully, I ran well. After crossing the bridges, I ran up the now unmapped ride of the old trail. In the EX2 Bushwhacker Adventure Run in 2012, pre-many inuries, I'd sprinted up this ride after a 10 mile run and left behind other racers. This time I walked. Near the top there was a guy hunting for a control that was probably the one I was headed to. I kept going and spiked it.

14-15 - I started going straight and crossed the trail a step or two before pausing. I was having trouble reading the trail. That was probably because it was just a trail segment not connecting to anything anymore, in the direction that I was going. I decided to play it safe and use it even though it was a little longer. It took me to within sight of the control on the spur.

15-16 - I went straight and liked that we had a different finish. We usually end up coming past the cemetery and sprint in across the grass. As I got moving, the guy I'd seen as I was going to #14 came up behind me and on my left. I picked up my pace and even though I had to cross the reentrant where it was deeper, I got there first.

After downloading I found out that I'd mispunched. This must be the 4th time in about 6 races. The last one at PWF wasn't my fault since that control had been mis-hung before it got reset by Jordan Loughlin. I really need to do better at focusing. That should come as I get in better shape again, as long as I don't overrun my map reading. Overall, the course today was fun. I was tired.

Green - Splits

MCRRCP Winter Trails: From the playground parking lot in Cabin John Regional Park, to the Cabin John Trail, to Seven Locks Rd., to River Rd., to the Cabin John Trail, to the playground parking lot where I started. It was 42 F starting out and rains that had been going all night had just stopped. I got started toward the front of the group. I didn't want to get stuck behind people as they negotiated across the mud, rocks and puddles. I stuck within sight of the lead group until just after crossing Democracy Blvd. I was hardly running with anyone, but more nearby them. Runners would slow in the rocky, and muddy sections so I'd make up ground on them there. They'd slowly pull away until the next obstacle.

My left knee did start to hurt on the way out after 3.5 miles and sometimes my back would too when climbing. The left knee pain was on the inner, right side, extending a little above the knee but more down toward the shin and calf. My back aches were on the lower right side where I'd had surgeries. Coming back, the paid didn't get much worse. I took an easier pace, walking up the steeper hills. Peggy had run about a mile less and finished not long before me.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station. There was a headwind.

From the Bethesda Metro Station, Woodmont Ave. to Wisconsin Ave., to Norwood Park, to the Little Falls Trail, to Dorset Rd., to Falls Rd., to Glenbrook Rd., to Edgemoor Ln. and into to the Bethesda Metro Station. I'd forgotten to bring sweat bottoms but it didn't matter. It was in the low 50s F. I ran in my shorts and a sweat top that got me plenty sweaty. Unlike yesterday, today, I felt like I was running a little faster than I really did. My knee and other body parts felt okay. I was a little tired near the end.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. There was a tailwind from the approaching rain. I felt overdressed wearing my sweat jacket and winter coat under my backpack, and then just my running shorts and shoes.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station. It was 27 F and there was very little traffic.

From 12th and Independence Ave., SW, Washington, D.C. I ran to Main Ave., then to the Tidal Basin to go clockwise around it. I passed the Jefferson Memorial on the road side, went through the Roosevelt Memorial, and passed the Martin Luther King Memorial on Independence Ave., too. It was a quiet night and I thought I was going slower than I was. Starting out, my left hamstring felt precarious. I ran with shorter steps for a while and forgot about it altogether afterward. My knee was okay through this. I saw a big crowd of tourists in front of my office waiting for a bus or something. I guess that they were here for the march on Friday.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. I hit the traffic lights and intersections very well.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station. It was in the 20s F but less windy. My nose wasn't as cold as the day before.

Washington, D.C. From 12th and Independence Ave., SW, to Maryland Ave., SW, to 3rd. St, SW, to Pennsylvania Ave., NW, to Constitution Ave., NW, to 14th St., to The Mall, to 12th St. SW, to Independence Ave., SW. It was 39 F when I started. I thought I was running slower than I did the first mile. I could feel my endurance waning on the second. Running on Pennsylvania Ave., I saw a group of buses getting a police escort which is odd at this time of night. At first I thought it might have something to do with the Impeachment Trial going on at the Capitol building that I ran past. but later I thought they might have been here for the march on Friday. My knee didn't bother me much during this run, but I felt it more in the last half mile. I was pretty sweaty afterward.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station. I was a little sore from orienteering the day before.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd.

Serpentine Barrens Conservation Park, MD. After getting others going on a training event that I'd organized on Martin Luther King Day, I took up part of a course I'd set, rather than stand around in the cold. It was in the upper 20s F and there was a breeze going. This is the first time I got to run a leg on this new map that I'd been making. The map is getting nearly complete but there's a small area to field check still, and then there are some areas to go over a second time. I enjoyed actually running here. I'd forgotten to wear my eyeglasses but I knew the map pretty well and could read enough of it to navigate successfully without errors. The training focused on point feature navigation. There were a few times that I drifted but was able to correct myself.

I got good feedback on the map. People didn't seem to mind running around in an area that I call the thorn maze. They took it slow enough to use the corridors and told me that they matched-up well. A few people cut across thorny areas that I'd mapped as fight. I didn't use the low vegetation symbol for these areas since with slash, one would not be able to pickout the corridors well enough. Some feedback was about the contour interval and in one area, Peggy said I needed a formline. Many appreciated the ditches that I'd added though at least one person indicated that some of them could be linear marshes instead. Running the course and seeing the many boulders that I'd mapped, many did seem small and were difficult to observe in the field. It was a fun day--a bunch of those who came had lunch together.

C • Thank you 2

Serpentine Barrens Conservation Park, MD. After lunch, I went out to retrieve controls. I jogged about starting to go the reverse of how I'd sent them the day before. However, I quickly detoured and improvised coming up with a shorter route. I used an animal track through the thorns that I'd mapped earlier. I saw a fox on this outing and spiked all of the controls. It was below freezing but I was dressed pretty well. Afterward, I weighed out at 193 lbs.

Serpentine Barrens Conservation Park, MD. I'll label this field checking though the prime purpose was to set out controls for a training event. I was dehydrated starting out and didn't carry any water. I knew the map needed a second look over in several places. I got a slow start since I was doing so much adjusting early on. Most of it was to line-up point features better than before. I did find some more rock including one boulder cluster in an area that I'd been pretty near several times before. There was also some vegetation in one area that I hadn't really mapped through field checking. The further along I got with the controls that I was hanging, I had fewer and fewer map adjustments to make. I did get concerned about the onset of sundown at one point, so I all but stopped trying to do any more field checking. The map needed less of it anyway. I'd forgotten to bring a bag for the Go control so I had to go back a short way after getting back to my car the first time. The sun was low when I finished.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station.

From the Bethesda Metro Station, Woodmont Ave. to Wisconsin Ave. to Norwood Ave. and Norwood Park, to the Capital Crescent Trail, to the Bethesda Metro Station. My left knee had been hurting earlier and it had been rainy. My knee was feeling better so I was glad to get out for a much needed run.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. I'd decided not to run since my left knee had been hurting and it was rainy.

Serpentine Barrens Conservation Park, MD. It was sunny and calm outside but still warm. It was forecast to hit 70 F. I even had a bug land on me--far too warm for being the time of the dead of winter. I did a little more in the green maze of the map and made better sense of areas I was having difficulty with the day before. I limited my time in this area and moved onto the other side of Greenbriar Branch; the side with much super open terrain, scattered boulders and rootstocks. I started that by covering parts where it's more obvious that the park is bordered by houses. Despite a wide rough open pipeline ride between the park and the houses, I found a fair amount of dumping. Most of that was vegetation cuttings but there was some trash, including a hot water heater. There were also a lot of oddly scattered black plastic buckets, like someone was onetime trying to clean up the park, and then just quit leaving the buckets scattered around. It was hard to believe the winds scatted them like that, but possible. I did find more of what I came for--lots of scattered boulders with a few rootstocks amidst them. Even though I was walking most of the time, my left knee was achy. I jogged most of the way back, just after sunset.

MCRRC Winter Trails at Little Bennett Regional Park, MD. I was worried about trying this since my left knee had been hurting and recovering all week. By Friday evening, I felt it was worth a try. From the golf course parking lot, we crossed a field initially. The trail runners were much more concerned with that than I so I got in with the second pack of runners. I was fine going their pace for 2 miles. Shortly after Clarksburg Rd., I started falling off. We'd been climbing gradually and I knew that around a few corners there was a steep climb ahead. After the steep climb a pack of 2 women and 2 men caught me. The women were leading and I got behind them. Things were going pretty well though I could have used a bathroom for a few miles. The whole group was planned to do 2 loops of this lollipop route. I knew I was just going to do one due to my knee. We started catching up to the pack that I'd started with near the end of the first loop. It was good to get out early. The temperatures were in the mid 50s F and when we ended it was 60 F.

Serpentine Barrens Conservation Park, MD. It was overcast outside but warm and breezy (in the 60s F). I had to take off my rain jacket since I was getting hot. I spent a while checking my mapping of vegetation and boulders in the green, maze area of the map. I was happy that most of it was correct. I moved onto other parts in the greener parts of the map and had a lot of difficulty getting this onto paper. It's complex and has fewer features to read. One stand of thorns looks like others after a while. I did find some more open forest amidst the green and in it, there were a bunchings of rootstocks. After finishing, I weighed out at 194.5.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station. The roads were a little icy from the melting snow the day before. I rode cautiously.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station. I'd planned for this to be a rest day, but my knee and back was also hurting after the orienteering yesterday. My knee was worse. I felt it riding but also when going down stairs and walking. It'be been getting progressively worse since July when I was running in Harper's Ferry, WV.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd.

Event: QOC PWF Turkey Run
 

QOC: Prince William Forest. Since Max had Junior training at 10am, I got one of the first starts on the Blue course. I had considered backing this down considering running a shorter course since I had a long run the day before, and afterward I'd been field checking for a long while. I stuck with Blue since PWF is one of QOC's best places to orienteer.

S-1 - I spiked this, running down the ride and being a little cautious of the rolling hills. It did come up a little sooner than expected.

1-2 - I crossed the main reentrant directly, then angled up to the control.

2-3 - I dropped down the reentrant and paused to think about crossing the creek. I've done it safe and dry in other events but Gary had said the water was high. I ran around and then spiked the control.

3-4 - I dropped down to run along the water. I passed through the saddle. It looked like more than a formline up. Before the side stream, I climbed, crossed it, and then around the reentrant to the control.

4-5 - I dropped down at the reentrant with a side stream, then the climbed up at the next side stream to spike it.

5-6 - I stayed high initially, to get across the streams, then followed the side stream up. I hit the trails right at the intersection and started to go around the green on a trail. The way looked block so I got confused. I started thinking I was on the wrong trail. I headed toward the houses but realized I'd been correct initially. The blockage on the trail was only partial--I could run around but hadn't seen that possibility earlier. I rounded the green, read the hills, and only got a little past the control before turning around and seeing it. Addie Nolan popped out as I was running to the control and got there in front of me.

6-7 - I chased and gained ground on Addie, while trying to pace myself. W ran the left side of the reentrant and climbed before getting to the right ditch.

7-8 - I decided my route and got running before Addie. I led toward #8, by crossing the big reentrants, then climbing in a smaller side reentrant. Others were there and the way was greener than mapped. I went a straighter route than Addie but because of the deadfall, she got there ahead of me.

8-9 - Addie started off first, going straight. I yelled about using the bridge to get over the creek, then pursued that route. Once across the creek, I climbed and went past the top of the first reentrant. When I got to the gully the control wasn't there. Addie came in not long after. I looked lower, then higher. I walked, then ran back to the first reentrant without finding it there. I went the other direction, passing the correct reentrant, and going to the next (this is close to where it was actually and incorrectly hung). Not finding it, I went back to the correct location and gave up. Ken Walker and his daughter Samantha, and several others came in too. After the event, I heard that Jordan Laughlin had found it, and moved it to the correct location.

9-10 - I was sloppy on this. In retrospect, I should have gone low and around. I'd seen the route along the creek but thought I could stay high enough avoiding excessive climb, and do better. I didn't execute my route well enough and lost contact with the map. I'd drifted left. Relocating at a stream that I need not have crossed, I went directly to the control.

10-11 - I went fairly straight. Jordan had passed me along the way.

11-12 - I went fairly straight again and spiked it.

12-13 - Going up the reentrant got me to the road as planned. Going down the other side, was taking longer than anticipated and there wasn't a lot to read. I cut right after the reentrant opened up, did a small clockwise loop through the green, and was back where the reentrant opened up. I saw Joe Barrett do a similar thing and I may have drawn him off line. I cut right again where the valley opened up, went up a way, then realized where I was. I went directly to the control after that.

13-F - I got on the trail. Another orienteer got onto it before me and was going to the finish too. I kept to my route as we weaved apart and closer together. I used the trail bridge to cross the creek but he didn't. I used the trail and was behind when I lost sight of the other guy. At a trail bend where the rough open areas started. I paused. I thought I was at the T trail intersection. I went straight and actually cut the corner to a trail bend, thus saving me distance and time. I cut other corners but did cross the creek on the bridge. A younger orienteer passed me there but stayed on the trail. I cut up to the buildings near the finish and finished ahead of him. As I was walking back to download, I saw the other guy finish; the one whom I'd started the leg close to.

Blue - Splits

MCRRC Winter Trails. Since it had been rainy, the county park trails were closed. The group reset to run in the mud in Seneca Creek State Park instead. We started at Diamond ES, which is above and near the the main stream dammed to create Clopper Lake. The mud wasn't bad and it was slippery in only a few places. The full route was to go counterclockwise around the lake, onto the Greenway Trail, onto the Seneca Ridge Trail, down to MD Rte. 118 and back mostly the same way except continuing counter-clockwise around the lake; a total of 18 miles. I had no plans to do that much. Like last year, I got to the second set of power lines, after Riffleford Rd. (5 miles out). I went on until I hit the Power Line Trail intersection. I took the Power Line Trail into the power lines, then got back on the Seneca Ridge Trail. At Riffeford Rd., I detoured off route again on trails taking me past Smokey Glen BBQ. This got be back to the Greenway Trail for a shot while, but I used the Mink Hollow Trail to get to the lake. I felt good initially--it was about 50 F and foggy so I was running in only my shirt and shorts. Later I felt okay. I started with the leaders of the 2nd group, but they were moving too slowly. After +1 miles, I left them and almost caught up with the last of the "fast" group. When I'd finished, I thought my run was a mile farther but that's because I wasn't seeing so well.

Serpentine Barrens Conservation Park, MD. After a little rest and nourishment, I went out to do more fieldchecking. As I was driving the last quarter mile before parking, I saw some light rain drops on the windshield. I waited out the shower and was lucky that there was any good weather at all. My paper got wet a few times in other light showers. I fixed one crossing of the Greenbriar Branch where the stream bends I had were incorrect and I'd mismapped some features earlier. I did a little more along the stream, going over and adjusting some earlier fieldchecking but mostly I focused on the nicer terrain further north. I mostly hopped boulder to boulder. I was glad that at one point all my triangulation proved correct as I looped back correctly to a boulder that was previously mapped. I found one boulder on a hilltop which looked like a grave marker. The rains came again. For a while I was able to use pencil and make notes without ripping the wet paper. I checked the radar and could see there was no hoping that the rain would stop so I finished-up. I weighed out at 193 lbs.

I did some leg stretching while outside watching my cats. The stretching felt good (hamstring and calves). My legs were tight.

Serpentine Barrens Conservation Park, MD. I covered a lot of ground despite not getting to the park very early. I went about my plan to finish off the vegetation mapping of one area of the Greenbriar Branch, then headed to the open terrain. I still spent a while checking/adjusting point feature alignments. It was easier with some of the items already positioned on the map. The northern extreme that's close to the quarry took longer than anticipated since I found more ditches rootstocks and a small area of blowdown. One of the ditches was flowing with water that was being pumped out of the quarry. I got some other GPS tracks of smaller parallel ditches in a reentrant that start and stop. The last +1 hour, especially after crossing the power lines, I was hopping from one new point feature to the next. I got a call from Samantha as the light was getting dimmer and I had to rush out to get home since she'd forgotten her key.

Event: Pepper Woods
 

2020 Pepper Woods -- New Year's Day sprint (long sprint) starting and ending at Valerie's house. The map had been expanded since the last time I ran there several years back--it now includes Wakefield HS. I started about a minute after Peggy. Max started after me. I paused on the way to #1, not reading a way to the back side of a school--a fence gate ahead was open. I was clean through the next several controls, without pauses or errors. I caught Peggy on the way to #7. I continued w/o error through #14, taking direct routes. From #14, I took a bad route out, to avoid crossing a side stream. Some others crossed the main creek. This was a fun way to start the year. Valerie even had food for us afterward.