Training Log Archive: Nadim

Winchester, MA. After waking up slowly, and walking around the Boston Children's Museum a lot, Andy Hall gave me a tour of the Middlesex Fells Reservation. It was very nice. We started from the Long Pond parking lot and tried to stay out of the way of the cyclists. Though orienteering maps exist for parts of the area, much is unmapped. The unmapped parts are considered too thick by local standards but if QOC had such places, we'd have been sure to map them due to the nice rocky point features, confusing trails and contour detail. I think that around here they must have many other nicer places to choose from. At one point on the run Andy and I left our clockwise loop around South and Middle Reservoirs and crossed many ridges to get to an old lookout. I could see my hotel in Medford, the Boston skyline, the harbour and hills beyond--it was very nice! The run distance is estimated just by pace and I was unsure just what that pace was due to the many ups and downs with often rocky footing.

Medford, MA. 45 situps in the hotel room. Our flight from Baltimore was delayed. By the time we got in our hotel, it was about 11pm. Getting to the hotel, we had wandered some darkened streets where the power was out (man holes blew off). We discovered that for the 4th time for us in the last year, the hotel had booked had since changed its name--this one went from AmeriSuites to the Grand Hyatt and raised its rates.

From Rosedale Ave.; Bethesda, MD, to C St. SW, Washington, D.C. I started fairly slow and left a little late. It was much cooler than it has been. Very shortly after dropping off Max, I got passed by two older men--they had momentum going up a hill that I was getting going on. One stopped but one kept going after Bethesda Ave. I drafted off of him until River Rd. where I unintentionally dropped him on the bridge climb. After that there was a fairly steady flow of people and some walkers tto pass. There were mixed winds but nice tailwinds along Ohio Dr.

From C. St. SW; Washington, D.C. to Rosedale Ave.; Bethesda, MD. Enjoying the cooler weather, I still had to face headwinds beyond Georgetown. As in the morning, I steadily passed people--I felt pretty good. However, I got caught by a roadie doing 19-20mph up the grade. I latched on for a good way but broke contact as he got past some slower riders and I didn't due to oncoming traffic. By then there were a few more to draft off of and to pull. I stopped for Chipotle before going to the day care for Max's trailer and before going home.

45 situps. I had prepared to run home but working late blew that. I also needed to get things done before going to Boston.

From Rosedale Ave.; Bethesda, MD, to C St. SW, Washington, D.C. It was about 80F this morning but it was much more humid than yesterday. I had some headwinds and took it easier. Eventually I caught up to a guy wearing a Ride Across the Rockies jersey--the same one that I had gotten. We reminiced the fast descent coming over Wolf Creek Pass and also the wild tailwind of the last 6 miles on the ride into Salida. It's hard to believe that was almost 10 years back.

From C. St. SW; Washington, D.C. to Rosedale Ave.; Bethesda, MD. It was rather humid after the afternoon thunderstorms had passed. I had headwinds to Georgetown. From there, I picked-up one rider in my draft and towed up to River Rd. before he cut off. The rains had left lots of leaves and Sycamore tree bark on the trail. There was one downed limb blocking the trail. I took it easy finishing the ride. It seems like the grade of the hill such that even when I slow down, the resistance stays the same--probably because my cadence slows too.

From Rosedale Ave.; Bethesda, MD, to C St. SW, Washington, D.C. It was about 81F this morning but it felt cooler after having yesterday afternoon to compare it to. I dropped Max off and as soon as I hit the trail again, there were cyclists ahead of and behind me. I found it hard to hold back. Cruising at 24mph down the hill and 22mph on the flats, I towed a small crew of people behind me all the way from Bethesda to Georgetown. I slowed a bit there and wondered about whether or not I had a tailwind. It's possible but the willow trees that I usually can tell by showed no sign of it.

From C. St. SW; Washington, D.C. to Rosedale Ave.; Bethesda, MD. I had some initial headwinds and took it easy until leaving Georgetown. I had just passed someone and he rode my draft until River Rd. There, he and another guy finally took over. There might have been 4 of us altogether. It was warm out. I pushed hard at times but eased back others.

Greenbelt Park, MD. The QOC Summer Short Series event for the afternoon was setup by Peggy and Kris Beecroft. Dasa Merka's mom watched Max and Alex. It was quite nice. I had not really looked forward to it since the afternoon was so hot and I figured I'd feel it in my legs from the run yesterday. Surprises are a nice thing--there was a breeze and once in the woods, it was fairly cool. I also felt my legs had much more spring in them than anticipated. I hit the first three controls well, catching Dasa Merka on the way to #2. I caught Jan Merka as we both made made a slight mistake on the way to #4 being in the wrong gully/ditch. I passed Mike Brooks on the way to #5 and remembered the location incorrectly; I walked right by it looking on the wrong side of the trail. Mike nearly caught me while HE was walking. On the way to #7, I knew going via the trail would be faster but I decided to test going straight through a green area. I got too far to the right, then remembered the control incorreclty again looking in a green reentrant for a gully that wasn't there. As I corrected, I saw Jan leaving the control but I caught him at the next. I was a bit lucky because I was thinking the control was in a gully much further away that I'd been to many times before; I just happened to pass it on the way there. Catching Jan and moving slightly downhill made me feel good. Going to #8, I opened out my stride getting to the road, then used the road a bit before cutting across the white woods to a trail to get there ahead of Jan; Jan had gone straight through a greener area. I almost stopped early on the way to #9. Forr #12, I was hedging between two gullies but ultimately picked the correct one. This was a fun event. It would have been more challenging and beneficial for me had it been in a park that I was less familiar with. I would have had to go slower in other parks. The event served its purpose which is to get us out to train in the summer heat. Dinner was nice afterward but twice as expensive as the restaraunt used to be.

C • And Valerie 4