Training Log Archive: Nadim

Lake Needwood Park, MD. I ran about to do some field checking before the first official QOC meet here scheduled for mid September. When setting up for the Summer Short Series training here earlier this summer, I'd discovered a new trail being created so I mainly went to map it. From west of Lake Needwood I went downstream as far as Rte. 28 and looped back across the Lake Frank dam. I took time out to make a few updates.

Lake Needwood, Rock Creek, and Lake Frank park areas. I made some map updates and was curious how things had changed. The summer vegetation and some invasive species made it much harder to be precise than in the winter when I'd done most of the mapping. Though David Onlst is doing the course setting for September, I scouted a place for a Super Sting-O that I'm setting-up. As I was finishing-up, another of the early bands of rain from hurricane Irene was going through.

From Custer Rd., Bethesda, MD, to 12th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. It was in the upper 60's F when I started out but much more humid than earlier in the week. I moved without pushing for a way but got faster as I passed people. I often have to speed-up to pass, so as not to be on the left when there is oncoming traffic. That speeding up carries through and generally gets me going faster than I planned. It's exacerbated when I pick-up drafters like today after passing a rider at the water treatment plant. He stayed with me until Georgetown and I think he might have been the same guy who rode with me on Wednesday. Along Ohio Dr. there was a lot of activity and traffic. I think they were dismantling the MLK dedication arrangements since it was postponed due to the approach of hurricane Irene. There was a very slight tailwind on Ohio Dr.

From 12th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. I was loaded today with some new books for Max. There was more tourist traffic along with trucks dismantling the MLK dedication stages and seating due to the approach of huirricane Irene. the later was kind of sad given how much volunteer work and dreaming went into it. It had rained and dried before I got started so it was warm and very humid, even for August in DC. I moved fast and well without pushing too hard. As I got closer to Bethesda the ground became wet and eventually I'd gotten caught-up with some light rain.

From Custer Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station. The ride was awkward while getting my laptop comfortably settled on top of my backpack--it never did get as comfortable as I was able to do so yesterday. There was another aftershock at around 1:09am last night. The radio reported this morning that it was 4.5 on the Richter scale. I felt it go on for over 2 minutes in steady pulses like a heartbeat. It felt like Peggy moving in the bed.

C • Hey! 2

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. I escaped the rains which had ended before I left work.

From Custer Rd., Bethesda, MD, to 12th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. It might have been in the upper 60's F when I started out. I was moving fast and there were a lot of people on the trail cycling--even a police officer whom I passed. I suppose many didn't want to face metro delays from the earthquake yesterday. After getting close to Fletcher's Cove, the cyclists thinned out. I had picked-up one drafter by then and he stayed with me to Georgetown. I figured there must have been a tailwind since I'd been doing 23-24mph down the grade and 22mph on the flats but there were headwinds along the river to the Jefferson Memorial. I slowed most of the way after Georgetown. I must have been to the building in 35 or 36 minutes but all the gates I went to were closed. Eventually I got in and got my laptop so I could work from home. The building had been closed so that engineers could check the extent of what was at least some superficial damage.

From 12th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. to Arlington Rd., Bethesda, MD. I was loaded with both my backpack and my laptop. There were some headwinds but I also got tailwinds too. Being tired, I took it nice and easy but still had to work a little at times. After finishing, I weighed myself and was happy to see a figure I hadn't in a long while--168.5lbs. It's mostly a water weight loss but still, it's nice to see.

From Northfield Rd. to downtown Bethesda for lunch and back.

From Custer Rd. to the Bethesda Metro Station.

From 14th & Independence Ave., SW, Washington, D.C. down Independence Ave. over the Kutz Bridge, to the Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial, to the Lincoln Memorial, to the Rock Creek Trail, to the C&O Towpath, to the Capital Crescent Trail (CCT), to the Little Falls Trail, to the CCT, to Falls Rd. to Arlington Rd. to Bethesda Ave. to Woodmont Ave. to the Bethesda Metro Station.

It was an interesting day. Our adoption dossier papers seem to finally be complete (though there will be other papers). We should move to the referral wait list pretty soon. I also found out how a new work reorganization would finally affect me--okay there. At around 1:51pm, I was finally awake for an earthquake--I had been asleep for the one that hit around 5:30am on July 10, 2010 in the Rockville area. Being on the 6th floor at work this time, I knew pretty quickly what was happening. It rumbled slowly for a while, calmed, then shook a lot more. I was feeling comfortable through it and just starting to wonder if it'd be enough to shake the bricks loose when it stopped. The building complex was evacuated and some people believed that some cracks and broken windows in the building next door were caused by the quake. After a long wait we got to collect our things and go home early. The subway was reported to be very slow and busy. I saw lots of people heading there and decided to run homeward. I hadn't planned to run as far as to Bethesda today but it seemed about the right time of year to get some longer runs again and the transportation problems tipped the scale. Police helicopters had been circling the Washington Monument apparently trying to inspect it for damage. They blocked The Mall for the whole big block around it. This detour brought me to the new, not yet officially dedicated MLK memorial where I stopped to check it out--nice crescent of marble right on the Tidal Basin with 3 big blocks including the one the statue is carved into. I thought some more greenery would be nice and it seemed a bit odd that they posed him staring toward the water. The statue looks better in person than in other pictures I've seen in the papers. The symbolism of hope coming from despair was nice. Back to running, I had been tired from cycling yesterday (quads) but I was surprised when I was able to time my first mile on the towpath and it was quicker than I thought. It was around 80F--very good for August but still warm for me not being in shape for longer runs. It felt cooler on the towpath in the shade. I did okay but slowed a lot on the Little Falls Trail. I dragged myself to Bethesda after that. For some reason, the CCT was closed after Falls Rd.--police had cordoned it off and were detouring everyone. Available mile and half mile splits: 7:36, 7:49 (1.03 miles), 3:59, 3:55, 3:50, 3:54, 4:12, 3:59.

To cool down from the run, I walked around the Bethesda metro complex to get a better idea of how to map this area. It's multi-level with an open plaza and the bus station/metro entrance under it, so not technically something that should be mapped for orienteering. However, there are some possibilities if I can keep it simple. I rode slowly from the station to Northfield Rd. afterward and was dehydrated. In the evening, I was tired and felt what seemed to be a small earthquake aftershock around 8pm. Some things at home had fallen off the shelves earlier.

From Custer Rd., Bethesda, MD, to 12th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. Max's bus was late but after getting him off to his last camp week for the summer, I enjoyed the cool weather on my road bike. It was probably in the low 70s F--great for August in D.C. Being late, I saw fewer riders but for those out, there was a greater differential beween speeds. I think the winds were swirling because it felt like I was struggling at times. It was definately a tailwind from the NW by the time I had gotten to Ohio Dr. There was lots of activity on Ohio Dr. I believe it was preparation for the unveiling of the new Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial along the Tidal basin on August 28th.

From 12th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. to Rock Creek Pkwy. up Beach Dr. to Rockville Pike, to Grosvenor Rd. to the Bethesda Trolley Trail, to Old Georgetown Rd. to Huntington Pkwy. to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. The winds had picked-up a lot going home so I opted to go through Rock Creek Park where the valley is more protected. It was much nicer doing this on my road bike than when I last did so on my commuter bike. I kept a decent pace despite it being almost one long gradual uphill climb to the Trolley Trail. Along the way, I saw David Onkst running on the Rock Creek Trail near the Mormon Temple. I got hung-up in some traffic on Old Georgetown Rd. This was pretty fun.

I was busy working around the house most of the time. Planned bike rides and runs were rained-out. However, I did get some more of the Bethesda Woodmont Triangle map put into OCAD. My legs were sore whenever I bent down. I believe it was from the lateral movement in the super string-o yesterday.