Training Log Archive: Nadim

It was mostly a travel day. My ankle is much better already. I mowed the lawn and accompanied Max on a trip to the playground. After that, I was probably more lazy than anything else so I didn't run as I had earlier hoped.

Middlesex Fells Park, near Woburn, MA: Warm-up from the Sheephold dog park field to the start area of the US Long Championships hosted by Cambridge Sports Union (CSU). It was around 50 F and sunny this morning.

CSU: US Long Championships at Middlesex Fells Park, near Woburn, MA: It was a much better day for me today though I made a fair number of errors. I started out over thinking the route to #1 and changing my route 30 seconds into the course. Instead of a trail run most of the way, I cut across forest and got hung in some green. I was fine going to #2. I ran well to an attack point but let myself get distracted by other orienteers and missed. I made a quick recovery. Going to #4 I went around to the right a bit more than planned, then going left I overshot the control. That lost me about a minute. I forewent the trail to the left and went right again going to #5. Along the way I stumbled and bashed my
left shin on a rock, hopped around and got going again to spike the control. The short dash to the water control next was fine.

For the long leg, I went straight on the main trail for most of the way, going straight at the second big intersection. I cut in from a trai bend and planned to follow a reentrant to the next trail. I over thought what I was doing again and cut back when I thought I was going the wrong way at a reentrant junction. I thought better of it after losing a minute, then went on to spike the rest of the way to the control.

I dog-legged back toward #8 but at the next trail, I missed a trail intersection. I corrected after not so long by doubling back then crossed the next ridges hesitantly. I was much more confident getting to #'s 9 & 10. I stayed on trails for #11. Going to #12, I chased and passed a NEOC runner but screwed it up when I mistakenly started running to # 2. I got there too in not the best way, before realizing the error. I was shaky and hesitant going the rest of the way.

I was much smoother the rest of the way running on trails. On the run-in I sprinted down the grassy slope. I stepped in a hole along the way, then 4-5 steps from the finish as I was focusing on the punch box, I twisted my right ankle in a rut. Subsequently, I flubbed the punch. That was one of my worst twists in a long time. Immediate swelling occured.

This was a decent run for me though I left a lot of room for improvement. I may have had more fun doing the longer Red course but I placed 3rd in M50+. That's a rare event for me in this part of the country.

Green-X Long - Splits

Lynn Woods Park, MA. From the assembly area I ran the model event on the way to the start. Leaving the parking lot, it took a while for my eyes to adjust to the 1:10,000 map that was printed on a 3"x3" square. However I adjusted pretty well and found things pretty we'll despite there not being any actual controls or streamers in the woods. Only the largest boulders were mapped and the vegetation was about what I expected. Along the way, I saw Janet Porter getting helped back after she injured her hamstring. Despite not being able to run theough the terrain well, doing the model well helped get me more confident for the race.

CSU: US Championships, Lynn Woods Park, MA. I started cautiously and then made a simple parallel error mistake leaving a trail on #2. That led to a 5 minute error and some less confident navigation for the next several controls. I started to get over it by #7 though I made some more errors after that. I finished well on the easier last several controls.

Green-X Middle - Splits

Event: US S/M/L Champs 2011 & WRE
 

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to Arlington Rd. with Max on his trail-a-bike, then to the Bethesda Metro Station.

From the Bethesda Metro Station, to Arlington Rd. to pickup Max and his trail-a-bike, then to Northfield Rd.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to Arlington Rd. with Max on his trail-a-bike, then to the Bethesda Metro Station. I was tempted to ride all the way in but with a long busy day ahead and already being late, I didn't.

From the Bethesda Metro Station, to Arlington Rd. to pickup Max's trail-a-bike then to Northfield Rd. in the dark.