Training Log Archive: Nadim

From Northfield Rd., to Lynbrook Park with Max on his trail-a-bike. There, Max played on the first playground that I had ever gotten to take him to (most of the equipment had been changed in the last year). Afterward, we had lunch in downtown Bethesda, and rode home. Max was pedaling more consistently so his help ensured that we had better speed, rather than just ~60 lbs. of dead weight.

Oregon Ridge Park, MD. Summer Short Series. For what will probably be the last SSS for the summer, Eddie Bergeron set 2 courses. The first was a Prelude to get us used to the map and ready for a longer second no compass exercise. It was 88 F shortly before starting and I haven't been doing that much training recently. I had decided in advance to take it somewhat easy. After getting past the hang gliders practicing on an old ski area I moved slow and steady. I think the first control was slighly mis-hung. It was to be a depression near some green and a small clearing. I found the depression but not knowing if we were looking for real bags or streamers, I went past the streamer doing so. I was hitting things pretty well and rather enjoy running in this park that has so much open ground. Even the spider webs were rare to find. I got slightly low going to #5 and the end control, a man made feature near a ride and a trail intersection wasn't really there--I took some time on the clock for both.

Oregon Ridge Park, MD. For part II of the SSS training, I put away my compass and set off. I ignored a simple trail route to #1 but was a but unsure about the control feature as I got close. I misread the line on the clue sheet and thought I was looking for a depression. I pulled-up at a spring which fit the description, then went on to the boulder. With two different colored streamers on it, I was still unsure what I was to be looking for (a control or streamer). Francis Hoegel had come-up from below; probably the trail route and explained it. I left climbing steadily, surprised at my ability to run without much running training. The cycling in July really had helped despite my 2 week break while sick. I was a bit high at #2 but seeing a rootstock clued me in and I lost little time. Going to #3 I probably left on a bad bearing--without a compass going up a hillside it's hard to tell. Once across a ride, I straightened out a bit but crossing a reentrant and a curving hill, I must have drifted more. I ended-up left 2 reentrants over. I corrected did a better job reading the next reentrant as I crossed it. As I approached #3, Francis was just leaving. I chased and caught him on the way to #4 but in the process of focusing on passing him, I made a classic mistake of not watching the terrain well enough. My sense of distance was off and I wasn't sure if I'd already passed a reentrant on the left. I cut across the creek, and then went on. With a stream fork somewhat hidden I stayed left of it presuming I'd see the fork. Francis passed again as I did this and so I got to #4 after him. I made-up time on him going to #5 and got there just after him. He set of more quickly than he had been running so I still didn't pass him for the next 100m. I chose a more difficult but shorter attack to #6. I angled up a hillside presuming I'd hit a reentrant that I'd seen on my mistake going to #3. This worked well but went I got to the right reentrant after it, I was too high. I could tell by seeing a reentrant fork below and to my right. I corrected and hit the control just fine, finally ahead of Francis for good. I passed another orienteer leaving #6 and hit both #7 and #8 well. #7 seemed further down than expected. Going to #9, I stayed on the right side of the curving reentrant, then didn't cross it until a bit too late. I ended up very near the pipeline ride without having seen an intermittant trail that I must have crossed. I corrected and went right to #9 without much time lost. I also noticed a second streamer on a small unmapped man-made feature just past the streamer. Going to the finish, I didn't have a good bearing and was too far left. I was heading to the top of a hill and was running to what seemed to be the high point. I corrected easily. I thoroughly enjoyed training without the compass. It was a confidence builder that I really needed, not having done much real orienteering training in a while that wasn't mapping or course setting. I was also glad of being able to run through this pretty well. I walked up some hills but my speed was quite good for the effort level that I put into it.

Oregon Ridge Park, MD. After the SSS no compass exercise, I jogged to the old ski area and down the grassy slope to the parking lot.

Bethesda, MD. From Northfield Rd. to Custer Rd. to Wilson Ln. to Glenbrook Rd. to the trail to Cornish Rd. to Honeywell Ln. to Wilson Ln. to Aberdeen Rd. to Garfield St. to Northfield Rd. It was in the 70s F this evening and though more humid than San Antonio, not so bad--I had wonder if I came back to the right city or some parallel universe since it's August after all. I'm still getting my land legs back. The run was hillier than in TX but with it being cooler, I ran faster with only similar effort.

San Antonio, TX. From E. Market St. into the Riverwalk, then out to get around some construction, then back in where it's less touristed down the river. I left again on Beauregard St. and took that into the Hemisfair Park grounds. Winding my way back through the buildings, I finished at E. Market St. again. I snuck this run in in-between a work meeting and a retirement dinner. It was slow making my way through the tourists downtown in the Riverwalk. The first mile went by much more quickly than it seemed.

San Antonio, TX. From E. Market St. to S. Alamo St. to E. Sheridan St. to Madison St. to Geunther St. to the River Walk Trail, to E. Nueva St. to S. Alamo St. to E. Market St. I replicated my run from Monday mostly to check the distance with my GPS watch. I felt slow running. I'd been kind of cold all day in a chilled conference room so it took the first mile before I really began sweating. It was ~92 F out but still with moderate humidity. I ran at dusk. Though this was slow, the good news was that my left knee did not hurt before or afterward.

C • that is good news 2

After the run on Monday, my left knee was stiff and didn't bend well. At times I limped walking and during my conference, I could tell it was generating a lot of heat just below the kneecap on the left side. After work, I went to see the movie Inception at the IMAX theatre right across the street from my hotel. It was an aficianado's sci-fi thriller with an inventive complex plot and lots of fun. I stood up after the 2.5 hours watching it and the tendons in my left leg felt rather tight. I walked it off and before I got to my hotel it felt better than it had all day--wierd but good. It was late enough and with enough injury risk that I didn't attempt to go run.

San Antonio, TX. From E. Market St. to S. Alamo St. to E. Sheridan St. to Madison St. to Geunther St. to the River Walk Trail, to E. Nueva St. to S. Alamo St. to E. Market St. After flying in I waited for it to cool down. It was getting dark and a fullnmoon was out. Though still hot out (~100 F), the warm air felt good. It wasn't humid like at home. I moved along okay but it had been a long time since going for a road run. After stopping my left knee felt like it really needed to be popped as I often do in the morning. However, I couldn't make it happen. It felt swollen under my knee cap, like a bubble but without any visible sign.

Sandy Point State Park, MD. Splashing around in the waves with Peggy and Max. I hadn't been to this park for about 40 years when my parents took my family there. They still have jellyfish--I was stung twice but it only felt like some intense nettles. It was windy so the waves were bigger than expected for the Chesapeake Bay.