Training Log Archive: Nadim

From Northfield Rd., Max and I looped through downtown Bethesda for lunch. I did this after another round of painting Max's room. It was rather windy on the ride, especially coming back. I was surprised at how much effort I needed to keep us moving. It was a bit unpredictable since Max would pedal hard or soft on the trail-a-bike, along with the angle of the wind and hills.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD to Arlington Rd. with Max on his trail-a-bike, then to C St. SW, Washington, D.C. It was in the low 50s F this morning wtih fairly calm winds. I had to stay up a bit late to get my flat tire changed on my commuter bike but I couldn't pass-up the opportunity to get in a nice weather ride. The view along the way was rather different with all the scruffy vegetation gone or flattened; I probably haven't ridden all the way to work since October or November. I enjoyed passing the cars stuck on MacArthur Blvd. but I was tired riding and not in shape for this with the recent increase running. I wore a jacket but it was probably too much to wear too.

From C St. SW, Washington, D.C. to Arlington Rd. and then Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD after hitching Max's trail-a-bike. It was windy going back most of the way. Once past the Dalecarlia reservoir, it was more at my back. I carried an extra pannier filled with my work clothes and a jacket from the day before when I ran. It was nice to be cycling in shorts and a t-shirt in February.

Washington, D.C. From 14th & Independence Ave., SW, down The Mall along Independence Ave. and the Reflecting Pool to the Lincoln Memorial, to Ohio Dr. to the Rock Creek Trail, to Calvert St., to the Woodley Park/Zoo Metro Station. This was a very similar route to my Tuesday run but I got out earlier and could use a different building exit that shortened my run. I got moving faster than last time early on in the run when there were a lot of other runners nearby. There were a lot more runners in general, brought out by the 68 F temperatures. I probably ran too fast for my current physical shape and sometimes had to force myself to think about keeping a more appropriate pace. Going up the hill at the end was still a struggle but I thought I had a good run. Once home, I could feel soreness in my legs and I thought it came rather quickly.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station. I put Max on the bus again. It was chilly but not so bad out. I spun well. There were a lot of police cars cruising about (5 on one neighborhood block) which suggests to me that the Obama's were going to be at a nearby private school.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. I got some groceries that I carried in a back pack and was carrying a somewhat heavy gym bag in one hand from my run yesterday.

Washington, D.C. From 12th & Independence Ave., SW, onto The Mall, past the Washington Monument, Constitution Gardens Pond, and the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial to Lincoln Circle. to Ohio Dr. to the Rock Creek Trail, to Calvert St., NW to the Woodley Park/Zoo Metro Station. It was dusk when I got going and the air felt cooler than the 45 F that the National Weather Service had reported a little before starting; at least the winds had abated. I felt slow and heavy and must have been. There were a few small construction detours. It was nice to get on this route again.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station. I spun well. There was a slight detour where a Edgemor was closed off for tree trimming. I rode my road bike again. With the warmer weather, I would have liked to have left earlier and bicycled w/Max (he was on the bus today) but I still have to fix the flat on my commuter bike before I can hitch Max's trail-a-bike.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. It was windy and I was carrying a bag that I dropped once.

Manassas Battlefield Park, Stuart's Hill. Warm-up in the pavillion area. Some of this was running in place while in line.

C • Unfair Weight Advantage 3

QOC: Manassas Battlefield Park, Stuart's Hill. This was a fun outing. I didn't know what to wear with a strong cold wind but 50 F temperatures and some snow/ice over a lot of the ground. Driving to the park, I also got to see a lot of tree damage from recent ice and snow--I figured it'd be slower than mapped in the woods. After getting to the start, Andy Britton and I were ambivalent about whom should start first. I plowed-in and hit my first 2 controls well. Running fast in the open areas winded me (lack of training and I'm way too heavy).

Going to #3, I anticipated it being dot knoll on the side of a knoll near the road. I went straight to the road, passing the control before I got there--I don't usually complain about a mapping problem but after finishing I finally understand why I've been making errors in this area (previous 2010 race included). The mapping makes it look like a knoll near the road but that's partly because there is a tick mark on the wrong side of a contour. I should have been looking for a dot knoll on the side of a depression; additionally, the control was further east (toward #2) than is mapped. Had I been thinking, I should have realized I was going too far but a knoll further ahead had some features and was mis-mapped too. That knoll should have been mapped with scattered open or even open since it had grass and distinct trees were mapped. Leg #3 cost me about 5 minutes.

I didn't like making an error so early on but figured I could still make the best of it. I hit the next several controls pretty well and though I still felt slow at times, I was still moving swiftly at a pace I felt more comfortable with. I skipped taking water at #7 and after the short leg to #8, I headed back toward #7 a bit to get through the deadfall where I knew it was not too bad. after getting through it and over the ridge I cut back to the right. I ran along the deadfall, on the side of the ridge expecting to see the control but somehow missed it. I could see below where #6 was and I could see a ditch leading out of it. I circled a while before coming back and finding it. A couple that I'd seen at #7 was just getting to it and Andy Britton got there right behind me after making an error of his own. Leg #9 cost me about 4 minutes. Our course setter afterward told me that he had picked the location when there was more snow on the ground, himself raising the question of the location; it was at least close but there were other stoney ground areas very nearby.

I chased down the couple while going to #10 and trying to get away from Andy; in the process I got a little bit too low, perhaps drawn down by the couple's line. To get around the green, I went a bit out of the way to get into the field when going to #11. I passed Sid Sachs at the creek crossing and spiked the control. Andy was still right behind me. I saw #12 and #13 from far off, spiking those. On each control, I was trying to read ahead just before getting there so that I could exit well. On the leg to #14, I tried to get to a trail w/o finding it. The vegetation pushed me more right than I wanted and I briefly lost contact with the map. I felt assured when I hear Andy nearby again, then relocated in a field. Attacking from the pond, I pulled-up short before going further and seeing it.

I ran straight to #15 and exited that well by climbing up the ridge, left of the straight line. That got me around some deadfall. I couldn't hear Andy chasing as I descended through some deadfall. I felt I was moving well and efficiently through it. I crossed the main stream then heard Andy running parallel on my right, on the other side. I believe I turned left up the correct side stream but couldn't see the control. I must not have gone far enough. I figured I had the wrong stream so I went on down further. Before relocating between two stream junctions, I saw Andy again running on the other side of the main stream--I figured he'd found the control and was moving-on. When I went back, I finally found #16 when coming from the NE. To my surprise, when leaving I saw Andy approaching. Leg #16 cost me about 5 minutes.

I knew it was inevitable that Andy would beat me overall at this point but I felt my day would be saved if I could stay ahead of him. It was (but it was fun running with Andy too). I crossed the main stream, took a more direct line over the ridge (I had anticipated being able to contour around it but the slope was too steep), then crossed the stream quickly again to get to the GO control. I was tired but it felt good running hard for most of the way in. In fact, it felt good having Andy to push me to run harder the last 8 controls and to get most of it accurately. Of course, it would have been better without the mishap at #16. Overall, it looks like I lost +13 minutes on the course which is pretty bad.

Red - Splits