Training Log Archive: Nadim

Prince William Forest Park, VA. Checking out a few things for the starts. As I was jogging by a lake, I took my eyes off the path to prepare for getting around a gate. In a sort of slow motion, one foot went over on some vegetation and slipped into the water. I thought okay, well one foot is not that bad and it's hot out anyway. It didn't hit the bottom for a way causing my other foot to go in too. My map and clipboard was next. How silly.

Prince William Forest, VA. Checking out some of the mapping after adjustments.

Prince William Forest Park, VA. I had heard that the park had sponsored a trail maintenance day last weekend so I ran around checking some trails for changes. New blazes had been added but not much else.

I have a low grade cough. Every now and then I'm coughing up phlem that tastes like chlorine.

45 situps. Busy and taking it easy for the Susquehanna Stumble.

Washington, D.C.; From 14th & Independence Ave., down Independence Ave., between the Reflecting Pools, around the Lincoln Memorial to the trail along the river, to the Rock Creek Trail, to the the Olmstead Walk in National Zoo (all the animals must have eaten and gone to sleep; I only saw one mule), to Connecticut Ave. to the Woodley Park Metro Station. The weather service said it was 81F but it felt warmer. I felt I was running okay but slowed at the zoo. I felt pretty slow on the 7 minute climb up the hill to Connecticut Ave. too. On the run and afterward, I sweat out a lot so on the metro train going home, people gave me a wide berth. Standing, I left puddles.

C • Wide berth 2

From Rosedale Ave. the Two Mile Loop. It was 71F at 11:40pm and fairly humid despite the lack of recent rains. I lumbered around but it woke me up so that I could do more work on the US Champs which are coming up in a month.

I had a busy day. I was tempted to run after work but thought better of it. Instead, I did 45 situps.

From 14th & Independence Ave., Washington, D.C. to Rosedale Ave., Bethesda, MD. In preparation for the Susquehanna Stumble, I thought I'd need to do at least one longer run and leave a little time to recover. I ran after work down The National Mall, between the Reflecting Pools, past the Lincoln Memorial, on the trail along the river to Thompson Boathouse. Continuing along the water until Wisconsin Ave., I ran Water St. to Potomac St. to the C&O Canal Towpath. At Fletcher's Boathouse, I got onto the Capital Crescent Trail (CCT) until the Little Falls Trail. Taking that to Massachusetts Ave. I got back on the Capital Crescent Trail all the way to Pearl St. and to Rosedale Ave. The low 70F dry air really saved me. By the time I was done my shirt was completely sopping. I weighed-out at 171lbs. I moved along at a steady determined pace. In contrast to cycling it, the grade up to Bethesda is hardly noticeable on foot. I could have made the run slightly shorter and had planned to stop at Bethesda Ave. but I wanted some variety of scenery and by the time I'd gotten to Bethesda Ave. (just past 10 miles) it seemed silly to stop. This agrivated my knee injury a bit but I didn't feel it while running; afterward. It seems so long ago when this would have been just a regular daily run. It was nearly half my total miles logged running last month. Available mile splits (broken up by switching trails):

Towpath: 7:21, 7:31
CCT: 7:31, 7:22, 7:20 (all uphill)

C • How the mighty are felled... 2

Day 2 of the Boulderdash at Nottingcook Forest near Bow, NH. I started better but by #2, things were starting to feel like the day before. A misplaced water stop on a trail that I left, threw me (and Sergiy Gnatiouk who started 2 minutes behind me) off for a 7:30 early error. Sergiy found it just before I did but I was headed there already. I was shakey on #3 and #4 after that. On the day before with my confidence bad, I had dreaded the prospect of crossing a stretch of forest on a long leg and was glad to have a nice trail option. Today, going the opposite direction across the same stretch, a trail run didn't make sense. I navigated my way across smoothly to spike #6. With some elation, I moved through #7 and most of the way to #8 before making a bobble. Then leaving #8, I somehow thought I was leaving #9, correcting within 100m, I still felt out of place and unsure where I was. An animal track going in my direction got me in-step with Ksenya Popovich who popped out in front of me (she'd made-up the distance of a 12 minute head start on me). Mostly chasing her to #9, we ran near each other until just before #11 where I pulled-up short for 10 second before finding it further ahead 30 seconds later. I didn't see Ksenya anymore until I'd finished so I may have thrown her off. As I got to #11, Ted Good appeared in front of me. Leaving close together, I got ahead to our common next control. I liked the flatter ground toward the finish and find it easier for me to navigate in such areas. Approaching #15, I got to the road intersection and found Sergiy again. He and Clint Morris had been in and out again. Sergiy asked where we were. I pointed but kept moving. We went fast to the pond, then going off memory rather than reading the map, I cut right. I cut left soon enough but not without visiting another control on a rootstock. From there I knew what to do but got there seconds behind Sergiy. Fortunately, I had a better line to the road on the next control (Go). I didn't flub it this time, despite it being the same as the last time and mapped incorrectly. I felt much better about this race despite the early errors. Physically, I felt better too; I could run up hills and through the bad footing like the old days. My 2 day total got me 3rd in M45+ behind Peter Gagarin and Daniel Schaublin. JJ Cote had the best M45+ time (other than Peter Gagarin who was running down), about 3 minutes ahead of me.

C • Slavic nomenclature 2

Warm-up at Nottingcook Forest, near Bow, NH for the Boulder Dash.

Red Day 2 - Splits