Training Log Archive: Nadim

Event: US Short and Long Championships
 

Boyd Thatcher State Park near Albany, NY. I warmed up for the EMPO US Short Course Championships by going around the field near the start 4 times and did a few strides too. Before this, while Peggy was running, Max played with the children of other orienteering parents in a playground located strategically right next to the registration and results area. It was good to get a better idea of how the daycare works at meets and to see how other parents handle things like sharing toys, etc... All the kids (especially the Halls) were great with Max--I think he was the youngest playing and learned from the others. Max helped me warm up too by walking me around visiting the slide, dogs and bannanas.

EMPO US Short Course Championships at Boyd Thatcher State Park near Albany, NY. I really hadn't focused on this as a competition much and approached it as a chance to have fun. I succeeded in that at least. The course was fun involving good route choices and quick thinking. The trouble was that I made the wrong route choices where it counted the most and didn't execute real well when my route choice was adequate. I had troubles/bobbles on #2 (when I left #1 I thought I was leaving #2), #8, #9, #11, #13 and #15. See the Split List. My legs felt heavy and plodding perhaps from the bicycle commute Thursday. I found it difficult to run through the light green woods with some rocky areas. I didn't see any of the deep fissures akin to the park (the shallow ones slowed me enough) and therefore I'm not sure if that was good or bad...

C • Hi Nadim, Met you once here... 3

Albany, NY. After traveling around 10 hours from DC to Albany (we took the long way via Binghamton to avoid traffic and stopped for a few breaks too) we got Max a crib and got him to sleep before midnight. There was only time for the usual 45 situps in the hotel room after that. I finally got to bed around 1am.

Rosedale Ave., Bethesda, MD to C St., SW, Washington, DC. My attempt at a longer sleep would have been longer had not Max woke up at 3:45am. It was 44 F with a slight tailwind from the north. The cool air energized me. Of course leaving late does that too. I must have passed about 20 or more people who were commuting in too. Unlike Tuesday when I got a big draft off a guy that I'd caught, I pretty much did it by myself except for the small amount of drafting when passing and except for the slight tailwind. I did about 20mph on the flats. Being six seconds faster than Tuesday makes this six consecutive rides in at a quicker pace and the distance is ever so slightly longer due to more time on Wisconsin Ave. The end of the giant chocolate cake is in sight.

C • cake 9

From C. St. SW, Washington, D.C. to Rosedale Ave., Bethesda, MD. I was feeling it from the morning ride still so with a pretty good headwind I thought there'd be no way to go home faster today. I was slower right off and didn't want to struggle too hard with the weekend racing coming up. Getting to in Georgetown I somehow caught a guy on a track bike commuting home. He passed me back and took off doing 20-22mph into the wind on the flats with me tucked-in behind him. I pulled a little more but he did most of the work. I'm just not in that good a shape yet. He slowed to drink going up the River Rd. bridge then sped up and shook me loose before turning off a quarter mile later. Another guy going a more reasonable pace was ahead but with foot and other traffic, I never caught him. Once home, I was a bit surprised that I did break 40 minutes but will probably feel it over the weekend. Eventually this pace should be easy again. I got home w/enough time for the family to go to dinner with Peggy's brother Paul; he heads home tommorow.

From Rosedale Ave. to Chestnut Rd. to Lynbrook Dr. to Jones Bridge Rd. to Kensington Pkwy., to the Rock Creek Trail to Mile Marker 7 at Ken-Gar. I ran w/Max while Peggy got the oil changed in my car. Now we can drive to EMPO. Once again I stopped and took some pictures from time to time.

Rosedale Ave., Bethesda, MD to C St., SW, Washington, DC. It was 52 F again but w/no winds. I thought I started out a bit slower. I hit the trail 150m behind a guy. After my own bad timing luck at road crossings I caught him 5 miles later. We traded pulls a little but he stepped up the pace on the flats doing 24-25mph w/me hanging on. He wanted to get a workout in before a full day of sitting in meetings. Another guy passed us as we slowed to 22mph. Going still slower the first guy expressed his pleasure at being on a bike out there away from obligations including family and then pondered why there weren't more people taking advantage of the opportunity to cycle to work.

From C. St. SW, Washington, D.C. to Rosedale Ave., Bethesda, MD. Though at times it felt like there were headwinds, it was relatively calm. I felt better than last week and cruised 18-19mph on the flats. I got passed but eventually caught the guy on the hill. I picked-up another guy and towed him from the water treatment plant to Bradley Blvd. I came in faster again but thought I might break 40 minutes. The improvement of about 6 minutes from just 3 weeks ago is encouraging.

45 situps. I worked late a bit and got tired after dinner. The giant pieces of cake I've been having lately didn't help much.

Rock Creek National Park, Beach Dr. at the DC/MD Border. With Peggy, her brother Paul and her parents out on the somewhat muddy trails, Max and I stayed on the road going out to Joyce Rd. (the intersection just after the Military Rd. overpass) and back. This was done somewhat in fartlek style since I stopped and started a bunch taking pictures of the dogwoods and other spring growth that I saw the day before. I felt strong coming back. Though most of this was flatish, the time could be a little off; the distance is right. The pain I've been having in my side apears to be migrating across my gut now and I feel it more often than just when I start running.