Training Log Archive: Nadim

Patuxent River Park Scout Orienteering Day, Patuxent River Park, MD. While Peggy worked as a volunteer, for most of the morning I watched Max and we played kicking and throwing a Nerf football back and forth in the huge field. I got out around noon to pickup some of the controls from the morning. Within 200m, I had reaggrivated my left calf/achilles area. I hobbled along for the rest of the way, unable to toe-off with my left foot, and landing kind of flat on it. That was disappointing! While picking-up controls, I'm not sure if was the increased lack of mobility, or the leaves being on still, but the southeastern parts of the map seemed greener than before. It was a good thing that this was a short control pickup.

Patuxent River Park, MD. I picked-up more controls in the late afternoon. I only had 5 but had to drive out to St. Thomas Church Rd. to get them. They were a bit scattered. Fallen leaves obscured footing problems as well as the trails. My left calf was still smarting but I could jog along most of the time.

After waiting for 2 wayward scouts to return safely, Peggy, Max and I had a nice dinner with Dave Linthicum, Peggy Brosnan, Gayle Ryan, Pat Ryan, and other volunteers. There were about 800 scouts registered for this day.

I got a flu shot today. After a very busy day with rushing to get home, I enjoyed a night out in downtown Bethesda. A Wii was waiting for me at home :) Too tired to set it up for now.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD to C St. SE, Washington, D.C. This morning, except for dropping off Max, I went the usual route around the Jefferson Memorial. The underpass under the Memorial Bridge/Lincoln Circle intersections has finally opened. It's nice and smooth plus wide enough for 2 bicycles to get by. However, with the curb work along Ohio Dr. further south, the old ramp to get onto the road that got crumbled during snow removal last winter is no more. There's just the more awkward one that forces a slow-down to make a 90 degree turn. It was warm and still humid out. I rode alone but did a lot of passing. There was a slight headwind from the south. I felt bloated from a late dinner last night.

From 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, D.C. (via the Mall) to Bethesda, MD. I got locked into the courtyard so I did the usual riding/rolling through the basement halls and finally out onto the road. It was dark when I started and in the city I kept to safer venues. Even then it took some adjustment. There were plenty of tourists walking around the Mall. Perhaps the were here early for: The Marine Corps Marathon, The Rally to Restore Sanity, The March to Keep Fear Alive, the 34th Annual Maryland Scout Orienteering Day, Homecomings at the University of Maryland and Howard University, or Halloween partying in dozens of places. Once through Georgetown, I moved well. It was breezy and had cooled off but I didn't feel like I had any tailwind. I gained on a bunch of other tailights, then overtook them and pulled some of them up to about Dalecarlia. One pulled for me briefly before Massachusetts Ave., but I finished up riding a bit hard. At Falls Rd., I usually cross and turn left but to stay away from cars in the dark, I turned left on the small path and soon nearly wiped out--the trail had gotten covered with leaves enough so that I rolled right off through a mud puddle in onto the shoulder of the road. Given that I started out 2 minutes under from riding in my office building, this is one of the fastest rides back home in a long time.

Washington, D.C. I was late getting to lunch with a friend so I left without grabbing my umbrella. So that I could get onto a teleconference I jogged back from the Portals complex off Maryland Ave. to C St., SW and got the front of my shirt completely soaked in a steady warm rain.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD to Arlington Rd. with Max on his trail-a-bike, then to to C St. SE, Washington, D.C. It might have been in the low 60s F and a bit damp in places. There was a bit of headwind. I took it easy. I let one faster rider go by and pulled for another for a long way. We traded a bit picking up the pace as we closed-in on Georgetown with another cyclist.

From C St. SE, Washington, D.C. (via the Mall) to Arlington Rd., Bethesda, MD, to pickup Max's trail-a-bike, then to Northfield Rd. I had a terrific warm tailwind just about the whole way home. After getting out of Georgetown I was passing a steady stream of cyclists and picked-up a couple drafters. One helped-out approaching River Rd. but I took over again. That was a great way to cap of what was otherwise a stressful day at work. I rode the last bits with my helmet light on and had to make an unscheduled stop on Wilson Rd. to re-attach the trail-a-bike. In the dark I had apparently not connected it properly when I picked-it up :(.

I was a bit dehydrated from the day before. With rain predicted, I didn't ride and it was probably a good thing. I felt tired for much of the day and felt it when I climbed the metro stairs. I worked rather late and was too hungry to try to run upon arriving home.

Event: QOC Prince William Forest - Pine Grove
 

Prince William Forest, VA. From Pine Grove, I jogged down to the start area for QOC's local meet. I had forgotten to clear my epunch and register so about half-way there I returned and then went on again.

QOC: Prince William Forest, Pine Grove; on the South Fork map. Being back in ridge and valley terrain, I didn't have the kind of day that I expected. I hesitated and was less than perfect executing the initial +2km leg to #1--to save climb, I out-thunk myself out of taking a road option that I was initially inclined to do. My worst error was on #2. I knew where I was right up to the end when I pulled-up just short, circled way back, and then hit it perfectly. The circle covered a contour that would have helped me and the control was placed lower than mapped. I shook this off then went straight at #3. I paused on the first hill because I had focused on the next one closer to the control. I paused on the way to #4 but hit it pretty well--it was just higher than I had expected but placed correctly. I hit #5 pretty well. I think the feature was one used for the 2002 US Champs so it was a very similar leg. I ran fast at #6 but missed reading the detail in the circle. I was following the right ditch instead of the left one that was converging. It was just a small loss but it was frustrating to have to come back again. I ran #7 well by climbing over the first hill then staying on the right side of the creek the whole way. For #8, I went at it thinking I was staying left of the line, and I was not far from a reentrant that reinforced that impression. I cut slightly right climbing the last hill and found myself in a clearing. The control was a pit in a very small clearing surrounded by light green so I hunting this much larger one before cutting southeast to correct my aiming off to the north initially. I saw nothing and circled back the slow way through some green to the clearing that I was at before. I went past it and finally found the control. The big clearing had been unmapped. I hit #9 okay but went through some light green getting there. I ran the leg to #10 well up to the point of crossing and climbing out of the South Fork creek. Dropping down, things were a bit sketchy and I was a bit further north of the control than expected. I hit #11 okay but coming off the knoll, I initially had started going down a reentrant to the east of the control--the map has never been good in this area. My confidence wasn't so good so on another short leg to #12, I spotted the correct reentrant, then checked out the one before it a bit first just to be sure. I ran the shortest leg of the course (#13) just fine though reading it too fast, I had thought the control was going to be on the saddle reentrant rather than the south side of the knoll. I ran #14 very well and read the map along the way being just to the north of the leg line--this knoll was near a control location from the 2007 US Champs and I'd mapped in the area. I went the right side around the knoll getting to #15 when the left (south) side would could have been better. I had trouble matching-up my compass and the trail that I got on and overran the control. Even for #16, I let myself get sucked to the reentrant left of the trail that the control was on. I ran it strong so perhaps I didn't lose too much until being tired for the run-in. My running was perhaps about the best thing going for me today in that I ran up and down most everywhere. Some accuracy and patience would help but what I probably need more than anything is regular training time in the woods. That just doesn't happen any more.

Blue - Splits