Training Log Archive: Nadim

Washington, D.C.: From the intersection of Nebraska Ave. NW and Oregon Ave. NW, into Rock Creek Park, following mostly the Western Ridge Trail to Blagden Rd. then onto the Theodore Roosevelt Trail to the Valley Trail to Beach Dr. via the Rolling Meadow Bridge, to Nebraska Ave. NW via the paved trail along Bingham Dr. NW. This is a very hill route. The Western Ridge Trail goes up and down a lot before dropping a good bit to the valley at Bladgen Rd. There were many rutted sections where the trail was covered with wet leaves. The section of the not necessarily properly named Valley Trail that I ran heading back is a good candidate for the toughest trail in the park. It never climbs very far out of the valley but continually goes up and down steeply. Fortunately, there were fewer wet leaves covering it but there were plenty of tree roots and rocks sticking out. In years past, I was able to keep pace with slower runners below (on the smooth, straight, but gradually climbing Beach Dr.) but not today. Since it was about 52F when I started, I ran in shorts and a long sleeve shirt.

Since it was raining out I opted to spin a bit. I had spent much of the evening getting my new cycling computer (a gift from Peggy's sister's family) installed with all the kinks worked-out. It has a cadence monitor feature so I could see that I wasn't really spinning all that fast; initially and at the end I was over 60 rpm but in the middle I was doing a bit under 60 rpm. It's a long way from the 75 to 80 that I'd do for hours outdoors in years long past but that's very achievable again with some consist training.

From Rosedale Ave. Maryland Ave. to Jones Bridge Rd. to Rockville Pike, to Cedar La. to the Elmhirst Pkwy. to Cedar La. to the Rock Creek Trail to Kennsington Pkwy. to Jones Bridge Rd. to Lynbrook Dr. to Chestnut St. to Maryland Ave. to Rosedale Ave. Going running from home after work I felt a little guilty leaving Max and Peggy behind. I like this run and hadn't done it much this year. Running in 44-45F weather sure felt nice. Also nice was not slipping around on the snow. I was fairly tight at the base of the spine starting out the first mile but I ran pretty smoothly later and through the end of this run. I did start getting tired on the hill climbs toward the end.

C • don't feel guilty! 1

After a leisurely morning at the hotel, some chasing of Max as we partook in the amusement rides in the Mall of America, and the long flight back home, I got on my bike at home in my basement. Outside would have been good too. After Minnesota, 36F in Bethesda, MD felt balmy but it was 10:30pm by the time I was ready and damp. I also felt that a low impact exercise would be good. My back/base of the spine/right hip was rather tight after the sliding around the lake on Christmas.

St. Paul, MN; Como Lake. Thinking the Christmas Day - Joyful 5k race (billed as the only 5k in America on 12/25/07) would start at 10:30am and was close by, it actually started at 10:00am and was in a park much farther away from our hotel. I got to the park too late to enter and race. I had slept in and wasn't all that keen on running fast when it was cold and slippery anyway. The race was in progress when I got there. Since it was two laps around the small lake, I was able to use the kilometer markers. Despite beginning at least a half hour later than the racers, I caught some of the slower runners. I had no warm-up. Kilometer splits for what I ran were: 5:16, 4:35, 4:53, 4:29, 5:29 though I probably didn't start where everyone else did. I also ran a bit over 5K since I ran around the finish line twice as I completed each loop (so as not to confuse the race results) and did a little dog-leg back to where I started from at the beginning and end (the loop around the lake was 1.68 miles and I did the first 1.7 miles in 12:38). The trail was slushy/icy on one side of the lake but a little pavement was showing for much of the other side. The temperatures were around the upper 20's F. All considered, I ran fairly well.

Minneapolis, MN; Hiawatha Park. From E. Nokomis Pkwy. at about 4:43pm, clockwise on the trail around Lake Nokomis, via Cedar Ave. S. I used Cedar Ave. S. not knowing if the trail would have completed a loop around the part of the lake on the west side--it saved me from crossing a busy road too. By the time I was done it was very near dark. I probably didn't wear enough. Temperatures were probably around 13F (the high was 14F) with a light breeze. My socks could have been thicker. Within a mile, my toes were hurting from the cold which is rather unusual for me. The trail was plowed but with a slight layer of ice and packed snow still there. I warmed up a bit but don't think I ever got a sweat going. The distance around the lake via Cedar Ave. S. is 2.53 miles but I parked my rental car a little off the trail.

Bloomington, MN. The temperature hovered around 12F all day with horizontal snow falling throughout. I was tempted to go out but decided I'd get a better and longer workout by using a treadmill inside our hotel. I still don't think that treadmills compare running across the ground but the distance that the treadmill recorded was 4.05 miles. That would have been good enough for 7:24/mile pace, I had started slower but at the very end I was running at 6:00/mile pace.

Bloomington, MN. At our hotel across from the Mall of America, I went to splash around with Max and Peggy. The water was warm to me but it was surprising how fast Max's lips turned blue. He shivered a bunch but had fun. So did I.