Training Log Archive: Nadim

Greenway Trail Run: Damascus to Riffleford Rd.

I ran with the MCRRC Greenway Trail Marathon and 50K Training group. It was an early run for me, starting at about 8am but we were to meet at 7:30 at Riffleford Rd. The plan was for 16-17 miles which is longer than I've gone since an 6 hour rogaine that I did with Peggy about two years ago. With fresh fallen snow and other difficulties, I got to the meeting place 5 minutes late. One other guy (Jim) had also gotten there late too so I drove us to the start of the run in Damascus Regional Park, anticipating to get a ride back to pickup my van. With a rushed start, getting my GPS setup, I set out and caught up to the other runners. It was about 27 F with about a inch of snow cover and some thin fog or mist that stopped later. The top of the snow had a thin frozen rain ice layer but punching through this easily actually helped keep me from sliding about.

The first few miles dropped a couple of hundred feet. We were did 8:10 and 8:50 for miles 1 and 2. Without much depth in my training, my prime objective was to get through the run without injuring myself so I stuck to the pace set by the lead 2 runners. I felt that without their pacing, I'd go too fast. We ran comfortably and the snowy terrain was beautiful.

At the first significant uphill, the lead runner (Larry?) pulled away and I stuck to Rich Prior's pacing. I ran in my Gortex suit and having rushed at the start I hadn't tied the waist. The pants kept dropping down. After 4.3 miles we took a brief break, needing to pee. I tied off the pants better but still had to fold over the waist to get them to hold up correctly. There was a creek crossing where we broke; the only serious one of the route without a bridge. There were just some submerged stones and an anchored rope (a bridge, already purchased, will be installed eventually). The rocks were slippery; not worth trying to use. Getting wet feet crossing there was inevitable though Larry had apparently crossed on a log somewhere upstream. The water drained out a few minutes further down the trail. My lighter Thorlo running socks had good elastic and kept my feet comfortable. Rich had an apparently old school style having sheet metal screws screwed into his shoes--he did however run with a CamelBak. The miles rolled by nicely. Rich didn't talk much and I wondered if I bugged him trying to converse. It was often hard to hear with the crunching of the snow, the swish of my suit, and him ahead facing away but this got better.

At just short of 9 miles, heading into a hillier section of the trail, Rich said he was going to slow and offered to let me go ahead. This might have been a cue because not long afterward he let rip a few... I was following closely but being taller than him, and the source being lower served me well. My oxygen remained crisp. My feet were getting heavier. In a few spots where there were slight rises, I ended up kicking snow forward but not stumbling. At 11 miles, I realized I was running slower than last Monday but this was fine w/me because of the longer distance. There was a brief break at Rte. 355 where the race director had set out some water and food for us. I was glad for this, not having my CamelBak. I had already used some Gu. Rich said he doesn't eat enough on long runs and has trouble with it--he gets cold or weak after eating with the blood going to his stomach. I'm glad I don't have that problem.

Talking about the trail ahead, I didn't know if the planned route for today included the 50K route around Lake Clopper. I told him I wasn't up for extra mileage, fearing that I'm already ramping up too quickly. Once at the lake, Rich did decide to loop it and asked about me being able to get back. Having been there before, I assured him I was capable--after all, it was basically just a stream valley and there should have been only about 2 miles left. What I didn't count on was more rerouting of the trail (there had been some other re-routing earlier). I wanted to stay on the Greenway Trail to know what to expect for the race in March so I tried to follow the blue and yellow markers. However, they were not clear at intersections. The snowy ground at a disc golf course made it hard to know. I ended-up looping back about a mile, but once I'd doubled back to the original detour, I saw that the expected route was actually closed to hikers and others. I looped back again this time sticking the blue markers. These actually took me along an abandoned section of trail so that I was really running off trail at times. I found my way back and saw a runner coming the other direction at a side creek crossing. He confirmed it being the Greenway Trail so I climbed along. When I'd left Rich, I'd expected a downhill and flat run to the parking area but mostly, I found myself doing extra miles over some of the larger hills of the route. It was nice terrain, good enough for orienteering but not having many features.

I finally got back to Riffleford Rd. No one was there. Rich had said I could sit in the Race Director's (Ed Shultze) unlocked SUV and wait for him but I wasn't sure which one of the parked cars it was. I stretched and after that Ed arrived from the route I had expected we'd take, without the detour that I did. Ed had food and water--he's rather a saint for coming out week after week to do this for runners who are training for his race and Ed does this all throughout the year. Ed didn't even run much today since he's having knee problems. Rich arrived from the same direction not long after and drove me back to Damascus which was great too since I definitely didn't want to run back. Ed had told me that the actual marathon would be more like 30 miles and the 50K will really be 35 miles. They'll deviate from the Greenway Trail to use some newly opened but hillier trails on the east side of the creek at Riffleford Rd.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, the Bethesda Metro Station. I had driven Max to school but when I got to the metro station I realized that I'd left my wallet at home. Since I drove back home, it made sense to just ride back to the metro station and that felt nice. While walking up the escalators with my laptop in the stations, I could really feel how tight my calves were.

From Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. I was bundled appropriately so the short ride home in the dark and cold felt refreshing.

From Northfield Rd., through Greenwich Park to Old Georgetown Pike, to W. Cedar La. to the Elmhirst Trail, to Cedar La. to the Rock Creek Trail, to Beach Dr. to Grosvenor La. to the Bethesda Trolley Trail, to Old Georgetown Rd. and to Northfield Rd. via Greenwich Park. I worked late in Beltsville again but having woken up late, and not run yesterday, I was less lazy in the evening. I got out not long before 11pm. Once running, I again realized that I hadn't stretched so I stopped myself to do that. A person seeing me stopped started up a conversation from the window--just sociable or worried? I felt fairly strong. My first mile was 7:25 and though the next was downhill most of the way, the next was 7:15. I had to slow myself as I got warning signs. Both of my calves would alternate with slight pain. Sometimes it was when going down a slope but more often it was when feeling naturally inclined to push up a hill. I finished the running strong but I focused to keep the pace down. I've measured this run to be as much as 6.25 miles sometimes but my GPS watch read 6.08 tonight.

45 situps. I worked in Beltsville, MD today and anticipated running at Greenbelt Park but instead I worked late. After being home for a while, I got too lazy.

Spinning and watching a movie.

Rock Creek Park, MD. From the DC/MD border off Beach Dr., I ran up the Western Ridge Trail over the rolling hills to Broadbranch Rd., then through the valley trails on the west side of Rock Creek. At Military Rd., I crossed the creek and went up on the Valley Trail (east side of the creek) back to the DC/MD border. Just before getting back to the parking lot, I cut right at the foot bridge to continue following the creek up to where the unofficial dirt trail ended on the paved Rock Creek Trail. From there I continued northward to East West Hwy., made a u-turn and finished where I started.

I had gotten started at 4:30pm and was wondering how much of the run I'd be able to do before it got too dark. I almost took off without stretching my calves but stopped myself; I think it and the softer ground helped. I didn't feel much pain from my left calf--less than yesterday at least. I was worried about the amount of light before reaching the first turnaround at Broadbranch Rd. Once on the flatter parts of the trail I moved well. The little climb after Military Rd. slowed me up but I was so focused on getting back with the failing light that the miles went by easily. With the darkness coming, my depth perception diminished. I started having to pick my legs up after 55 minutes at Sherrill Dr. and the cars on Beach Dr. were already using headlights. In several places while descending, my eyes would water-up and make it harder to see. It was in the 30's F and breezy, even in the valley. I was still running strong when I hit the paved trail. It was fully dark by then. The longer I was on it, I felt the pounding more. My right calf on the right side was straining. I finished-up at a good time so as not to run the risk of more injury.

I was pretty pleased with this run. My left calf didn't stop me. Recent workouts have started paying off with endurance. I was glad that I even got to go this far with as late as I had started (I was visiting my parents earlier). My first mile went over some good climbs but was 8:47. My last mile on the flat paved trail was 8:16. The overall pace was not much slower than I ran a week ago on a flat paved trail for a shorter distance.

Event: QOC Laurel Ridge XC SkiO - CANCELLED!
 

From Northfield Rd. to Old Georgetown Rd. via Greenwich Park, to Cheshire Dr.. to Grosvenor Rd. to the Bethesda Trolley Trail at Fleming Ave. to Old Georgetown Rd. to Northfield Rd. via Greenwick Park. It was cool and breezy; temperatures in the low to mid 30s F. I had trouble telling my pace. I felt slow but my first mile was just over 7 minute pace. I slowed. I was about 22:53 at 3 miles. My quadricepts were a bit sore and I continued to feel like I was lumbering. I also kept trying not to push off on my left toes so as not to further aggrivate my left calf. This seemed to work but the stretching that I did before starting the run probably helped as much or more. This slowed me on hills a bit.