Training Log Archive: Nadim

Event: Vasquez Variety Pack A-meet
 

LAOC: Vasquez Rocks State Park, CA. US Trail-O Champs. For my introduction to Trail-O, I did two regular controls and a timed control for the model. I'd forgotten that no None of the choices was a possibility so I got the first one wrong. I got the second one right fairly quickly mostly by knowing exactly where I stood when looking at the choices. I got the timed control right in 22 seconds. This was a good learning experience, but not the way to get ready for a US Championship.

LAOC: Vasquez Rocks State Park, CA. U.S. Trail-O Championships. I started-off well on this nuanced micro-o sport. Experience certainly in the middle and end would have helped such as knowing whether a cliff stopped at 1 meter height or continued on as the rock gradually reached ground level. Things like understanding that trail-O (at least in this park) counted tree canopy rather than ground level trunks would have helped too. On two controls, I lost points for not knowing how flags that had fallen over would be treated--on one of these, the whole control was thrown out but on the second, where only one flag on bare rock had been down before I was there, the control was counted. I reasoned that both should have been thrown out since after a flag had fallen, one could not how far it fell down slope and changed the order of the unmarked flags. These kind of things weren't worth protesting for me. Joe Brautigam got all the controls right. I rushed the last control which was timed and didn't pick-up on the difference in rough open and scattered open to miss that one. The experience of a Trail-O competition was somewhat fun but I'd rather stick to regular foot-o for now.

C • somewhat fun but... 1

Vasquez Rocks State Park, CA. I warmed-up by running up the road from the parking area to an upper lot and back. Without trying, along the way, I saw at least one of the controls that I later found out to be on my course.

LAOC: Vasquez Rocks Variety Pack; Sprint. Following about a minute behind Tapio Karas, I started fairly well and saw him exiting the first control. I was feeling out of breath climbing up to #4 but still running pretty accurately. I almost caught Karas at #5 and managed to pass him at #6. Going to #7, I had a parallel error. I misread a trail for the road (both were mapped with similar symbols that were perhaps too close in size to be differentiated on the run). There were also similar blob rocks making the illusion more complete. Fortunately I recognized this and only had a short leg goint to #7 from #8. Tapio was on my tail going to #9 but I misread the first of two breaks in parallel cliffs and paused in confusion to give him the lead back. I thought I thought I got ahead going to #10 by taking a different way around a large long cliff but saw Tapio again in front of me at #11. I exited #11 probably being on an incorrect bearing. Realizing it as I got near the parking lot, I corrected by overshot the cliff that I was looking for; I found another similar cliff with another control and double-checked the control # twice before searching another minute. I ran well to #13 but went a bit wide to the left on #14. I corrected fairly well to that. The Go control #15 was easy and my 13 second push at the end, 4 seconds faster than Tapio, gave me a shallow 1 second overall lead on him and second place in M45+. It was a fun race with all the lead changing going on but I had an advantage following Karas out of the start that probably more than made up for my 1 second victory. Without really analyzing it at the time of this log entry, I suppose I had over 2:30 minutes of error--this is why I often don't do well in sprints.

Santa Clarita, CA. From a hotel a bit north of Sierra Hwy. and Adon Ave. to Soledad Canyon Rd. to Vina Ave. and back. I got out for a short loosening-up run before dinner. Earlier in the day, Peggy, Max and I drove-up from Anaheim and spent the day at a fun center that had mini-golf, water bumper boats, go-karts, and arcade games.

Anaheim, CA. From S. Harbor Blvd., to to W. Ball Rd. to Disneyland Dr./S. West St., to W. Katella Ave. to Harbor Blvd. After Peggy returned from her southward run with nothing much interesting to report, I started to reverse the northward run that I did yesterday. On the way out, I had to weave through various pilgrim groups on the sidewalk. On the return I took a turn a bit early by mistake but with it being lined by some nice shady palm trees, I kept on it as it bordered the Disneyland and California Adventure Parks. I felt better during the run but didn't think that I was running faster than the previous day. I avoided looking at my watch in the last mile. I cut right thinking I was going to my hotel but did so at one hotel too early. I perhaps could have kicked-in and probably would have if I knew I'd only be 4 seconds off being under 30 minutes. Later on in the day, Peggy, Max and I walked through and did lots of rides in California Adventure Park.

Anaheim, CA. From S. Harbor Blvd., to Orangwood Ave. to S. West St., to W. Ball Rd. to Harbor Blvd. From our hotel, I followed the route around Disneyland that Peggy ran before me. It had been rather busy the last few days and I never have gotten very used to running in the morning. I felt sort of lumbering and slow. I thought I was going slower than I was on this fairly flat course. There were only a few hills at intersection over and underpasses. After the run, Max had indicated not wanting to go to Disneyland because he'd rather watch TV. He was also a little afraid of meeting a full sized Mickey Mouse. Later, he was willing to admit that he was wrong which so far in his life, is a rarity. We walked most of the 11 hours that we were in the park but only got to within 50ft. of Mickey.

Venice Beach, CA. After flying most of the day of Max's official birthday, we spent more time in rush hour traffic driving to get to the Pacific Ocean. Max enjoyed a playground in the dark and we later walked the west coast equivalent of a board walk (concrete). With Venice being known as a major capital of well-to-do self-absorbtion, it was a little bit of a surprise to arrive with the smell of ganga in the air and see most of the open stores selling mostly water pipes. At least we did get to see a pretty sunset.

Great Falls National Park, MD. I finished setting out Advanced and Intermediate controls and 3 water stops. It was raining the whole time; either lightly or steadily and the temperatures (upper 40's & lower 50's F)felt like they were dropping. The woods continued to look fast. Some more of the least used trails were difficult to follow. I left the controls for the Beginner course to be put out by others the morning of the event. The woods were so open that I took in a view which I can't recall seeing before. I was well away from the river and no where near a clearing but I could see and hear the waters below. The white flowing roar of Mather Gorge was speckled with greens and lighter grays. A mist added to the view which was reminicent of that in some of the greater national parks. It's too bad that I'm going to miss the meet while I'm in California.

Great Falls National Park, MD. After working around the house a bit, I finally got out into the woods to put out controls for the course that I started on almost 4 months back. I ran and walked with a mostly full pack. With the leaves off, the woods were pretty much wide open. The young Beech trees which often grow in distinct clumps and look very uninviting in the summer almost looked open at times too. Leaves that had fallen did obsure some small rocks, other debris and at least one trail underneath at times. I went slow and paused to update the map here and there but I didn't do any extensive mapping work. The distance is measured in straight lines from control to control but with some of the mapping and more efficient routes, I did much more that what's shown.