Training Log Archive: Nadim

From Rosedale Ave. Max and I went down the Georgetown Branch Trail and over Rock Creek to East-West Hwy. then up the Rock Creek Trail and Beach Dr. to Ken-Gar Park. It was a treat to have a 70F morning. Max did well at first and enjoyed the view from the railway bridge overlooking Rock Creek. We stopped at a playground but because it was wet with dew I soon took him away to get to another. This didn't go over well and he refused to wear his helmet. I got it on but he was successful two more times at removing it before we got to Ken-Gar and met Peggy. We did get to the playground there too.

QOC Summer Short Series on the Squirrel Olympics map. The event was preceded and followed by several non-Olympic sports such as shooting free throws (5 for 10), croquet (tied second to last due to a bad initial start), standing broad jump (86 inches; not the ~108 I used to be able to do), plastic golf ball driving (3rd place?), disc golf, soccer, dandilion pulling, air hockey (I won the tournament) and foozball. My game skills just weren't up to what they used to be.

The all important orienteering was also preceded by a quiz. It wasn't on the clock so I was about last to leave what otherwise would have been a mass start. Ted had explained that the map was in poor shape due to a major LIDAR based revision being in progress and that it was also greener than mapped. Upon getting my map, I realized I had a bad copy with no route lines. I lost about 40 seconds getting this sorted out so my official time was longer--despite my entry donation, my protest failed but it didn't lose me any places. A little delay ocurred after #1 when Keg Good and Tim Blaisdale questioned the next control on the map and I thought they might have had the same trouble that I had. I went back to verify but lost 30-40 seconds in the process. What may have made me lose me places was a big error out of #5. I was closing-in on the lead pack who had left #5 about a minute ahead when I read the next leg incorrectly and headed toward #3 again. I realized the error after nearly getting to #3 then thought to correct by going straight across the mixed white/green woods shown on the map--I'd forgotten that squirrels weren't the only things killed in these woods. I got hung-up on greenbriar and to avoid more of it I ran off the map. There I hooked-up with Dave Onkst who'd already run a 50K mountain trail race earlier in the day. Eventually I found the control. The 870m leg took me 17:23. I wasn't exactly clean the rest of the way but finished without much fanfare. My time got me 3rd place to Tom and Andy Strat. Both of them had also won the overall Olympics.

From Rosedale Ave. in Bethesda, MD to C St. SW in Washington, D.C. I pushed a little and rode all alone. There was debris on the trail from the storm and a bit of headwind the last few miles. My back still was tight a little. Oddly the right side was tighter toward the end. However streches in the elevator afterward revealed the left, down to the heel, to be tighter overall.

From 12th & Independence Ave. SW, Washington, D.C. to Rosedale Ave., Bethesda, MD. Good headwinds and being a bit tired from the morning made for a slow combination. From Georgetown, I rode and chatted with a guy on a track bike all the way to Bethesda. I also stopped to pickup dinner.

From Rosedale Ave. the Two Mile Loop. It was 86F after 10:30pm; after a short rain. My gut hurt initially. I was thinking a bit and felt like I was going slower than yesterday. There is just some slight back trouble still.

From Rosedale Ave. the Two Mile Loop. It was 88F after 10:30pm. My gut hurt for the first mile. I felt like I was going faster than yesterday. My back is mostly good now.

From Rosedale Ave. the Two Mile Loop. It was 87F after 10pm with 47% humidity. I kept a steady pace. My gut hurt starting out. I felt heavy and was--too many cookies lately. My back hurt less today and I think the heat may have something to do with it.

From Rosedale Ave. in Bethesda, MD to C St. SW in Washington, D.C. As I started off, the bumps would bother my back but this eased as I got further along. I moved modestly due to lack of training and the heat. Getting passed around MacArthur Blvd. I drafted to past Fletcher's Boathouse where we caught another guy who took us both in, sprinting at the end of the trail, into Georgetown. Sucking the warm air made this much easier.

From C St. SW, Washington, D.C. to Rosedale Ave., Bethesda, MD. At work, I felt the morning ride had aggravated my back problems. It was well over 90F on the way home. The left side of my back was tight extending down to the left leg so starting out, I had to take it easy. I would have done close to that pace anyway however I got some additional help keeping it slow from headwinds. I felt fairly out of shape climbing the hill.

30 pushups. The first two hurt a bit then they got a bit easier. The pain has moved from the base of the spine to the left side where the pelvis joins.