Training Log Archive: Nadim

From Northfield Rd. to Old Georgetown Rd. via Greenwich Park, to Johnson Ave. to Heampstead Ave. to McKinley St. to Garfield St. to Roosevelt St. to Jefferson St. to Northfield Rd. Running after a party and after midnight, I was really slow starting out. My stomach was full and I was a bit sleepy. I got only slightly better. Earlier in the day I had bought some slate and sod for a few projcects around the house. My arms got a decent workout moving and putting those down.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD to Arlington Rd. with Max on his trail-a-bike, then to C St. SE, Washington, D.C. It was somewhat chilly starting out (upper 50s F?). It felt good whenever I was in the sunshine. It was also breezy and at times I felt like there were headwinds. It could have been that I just was a bit tired from running yesterday. After Fletcher's Boathouse while doing around 19mph, I got passed. Tucking-in behind him, the pace quickened to 23mph across the flats; I'd only been doing 21mph down the long grade earlier. Along the water after Georgetown I had good tailwinds but like Tuesday, road work construction detoured me at the Memorial Bridge underpasses to go up the Mall past the Reflecting Pool and Washington Monument.

From C St. SE, Washington, D.C. to Arlington Rd., Bethesda, MD, to pickup Max's trail-a-bike, then to Northfield Rd. Heading out through pedestrian and and auto traffic, down the Mall unlike my usual route around the Jefferson Memorial, I avoided underpass construction as I rounded the Lincoln Memorial. The headwinds weren't too bad and I pushed through at a moderate pace. The traffic on Water St. in Georgetown was just about as bad as it's ever been. Even on bicycle, in the gridlock I had to wait in places to get through. Halfway out of Georgetown to Fletcher's Boathouse on the CCT, I got passed by a guy whom by looking at him, I wouldn't have guessed to be as strong as he was. I accelerated and tucked in behind him. Eventually I took some turns leading too but the stronger rider did more. I got to Arlington Rd. in 40:03, then home in another 4:47.

From Northfield Rd., to Arlington Rd. with Max on the trail-a-bike, then to the Bethesda Metro Station. I was a bit pre-occupied trying to figure out how I'd take Max's scooter, my running clothes and his lunch while cycling so after getting almost half way to Arlington Ave. I realized that I'd left his lunch by the door. Circling back, we picked it up and got there pretty well. With Max being older now, there are lot's of commute variations to work out.

From the Grosvenor-Strathmore Metro Station to Tuckerman Ln., to Rockville Pike to Beach Dr. to the Rock Creek Trail, to the Kensington Pkwy. to Connecticut Ave. to the Georgetown Branch Trail to Woodmont Ave. to Edgmoor Ln., to Arlington Rd., then back to Edgemoor Ln. and to the Bethesda Metro Station. It was much cooler today and still low in humidity. Like earlier in the week, I ran with a backpack lightly filled with my bicycling gear and some essentials. I couldn't really tell my pace much. I was a bit tight initially. Halfway through I frequently put more focus to bringing my heels up higher. It felt awkward since I'm not in much shape for running but I've been running so slow lately, it just seemed time to re-learn my stride again. I was passing other runners but it felt like it was happening too slowly--when I looked at them seeming to run so slow, I was a bit incredulous and shamed that I was only running a tiny bit faster. At the end, I had started to go to Arlington Rd. but once I approached where I had been stopping, I realized that I had locked my bicycle at the Bethesda Metro Station today and had to run back.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Arlington Rd. to pickup Max's trail-a-bike, then to Northfield Rd. As I arrived, Max greeted me and was happy to see me but he had been crying since it was bed time.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD to Arlington Rd. with Max on his trail-a-bike, then to C St. SE, Washington, D.C. It was in the low 70's F but there were some pretty good headwinds. Due to road work construction I got detoured at the Memorial Bridge underpasses. I ended-up going up the Mall past the Reflecting Pool and Washington Monument.

From C St. SE, Washington, D.C. to Northfield Rd. Bethesda, MD. I was carrying extra clothes home from the day before and some books I'd bought for Max. With a change in weather coming, the winds had shifted to become strong headwinds as I headed home. Because of the construction, I had to detour around the Lincoln Memorial again. Once through Georgetown, I was either protected from the wind or going at a better angle to it. It was much less a factor and I moved along pretty well. At Fletcher's Boathouse, I picked-up a drafter and then slowly picked-up several more. I lost or outlasted them all getting to Bethesda Ave. After stopping off at a bike store to get a new lock for Max's trail-a-bike, I picked-up his trail-a-bike and took it easier going home.

From Northfield Rd., to Arlington Rd. with Max on the trail-a-bike. I rode in my work clothes again and was glad it was cooler than last week when I did this.

From the Silver Spring Metro Station, Colesville Rd., and N. Portal Dr. to E. Beach Dr. to Kalmia Rd. to W. Beach Dr. to the Valley Trail in Rock Creek Park, to an unammed trail on the east side of the creek, onto the paved Rock Creek Trail to East-West Hwy. to Freyman Dr. to Terrace Dr. to the Georgetown Branch Trail to Pearl St. to Montgomery Ave. to Wisconsin Ave. to Edgemor Ln via the downtown Bethesda walkways, to Arlington Rd. to Moorland Ln. I keep leaving work late while just trying to get what needs to be done, done. I started out well getting into and through most of Rock Creek Park. It was in the low 80s F with around 60% humidity--not bad as my longest run in a long time, but enough to slowly wear me down. My calves started tightening up toward the end--just a sign of not having trained enough. The pace wasn't bad considering that a hunk of this run was on dirt trails and I was carrying a small pack--bicycling gear, wallet, phone and keys so I can get back to work tomorrow.

From Arlington Rd. to Northfield Rd. with Max's trail-a-bike in tow. I was rather thirsty but it was a nice evening to be on a bicycle.

Crownsville, MD. Joining other orienteers, Peggy, Max and I walked most of the day at the Maryland Renaissance Festival. I would have liked to have gone running but this was fun and one just has to take time out for fun like this when the opportunity strikes. My brief workout was swinging the rubber mallet to try to ring the bell. My arm strenghth is clearly diminished but my technique wasn't quite there either. I got 2 levels below Valhala and ringing the bell :(. It was a nice day. I had a little better success throwing knives and shooting arrows.

It was a shame that I didn't run today--I was just too busy. It was my 35th anniversary of being a runner; going by when I ran my first organized Cross Country workout. I don't count the few races that I did for field days and physical education before then.