Training Log Archive: Nadim

From E. Jefferson St., Rockville, MD, to Executive Blvd. to Nicholson Ln. to Woodglen Dr., to the Bethesda Trolley Trail, to Old Georgetown Rd. to Greenwich Park, to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. It hadn't been that long since I had brunch with Peggy, Max and a few MCRRC people. I got moving quickly at the start, not having a good sense of my pace. Seeing that I was 6:50 at 0.95 miles surprised me so I decided to keep up the effort. I focused on improving my stride and form. I need to do that more often since I can't hold it well until I've built-up the right muscles. My right knee didn't hurt and I speculate that's because I've been on dirt more lately and wasn't going that far. I did get somewhat tired.

Algonkian Regional Park, VA. Aiming to get GPS tracks of the trails that I'd ran over but didn't record earlier, I got them and more. I found a few intermittent trails that look like they were being forged by cyclists. The trails were often muddy. I slowed for these, sometimes not knowing where they continued. In other areas, I sort of ran some fartlek, feeling the need to get some faster running into my training again.

Afterward, at a large family gathering, it was great seeing so many relatives and friends, and catching-up on what they are doing with their lives. It was hard to comprehend that my brother's youngest son was 29 years old. My own uncles were showing their age.

Back to work, things were much unchanged. So much and so little happens in a few days.

Cabin John Regional Park, MD. I covered another hill and a valley with a long ditch. The vegetation is leafing. I had started from a parking lot that was close to the ball fields so when I started, I didn't see what the areas that I'd already finished field checking looked like. Consequently, I had a harder time judging how the rate the vegetation. I also covered some trails around the ball fields. It was a pretty nice spring day. Warm enough not to need a jacket. I got a lot of things done around the house.

Algongian Sports Complex/Algonkian Regional Park, VA. From the sports complex parking lot, I headed up the dyke, then onto a trail that got me onto the pipeline ride with not so nice to run on, fist-sized gravel. At Westmoreland Dr. or the theoretical extension of the road by that name, I went to the Eagle Trail, back to Westmoreland Dr, onto an unammed trail that brought be back to the pipeline ride (often marshy)., then to another ride that got me to the camper-trailer storage. I ran back upstream from there. At least some of this must have been the Potomac Heritage Trail as it was blazed green. I took splits along the way to denote trail intersections but eventually got back to the stream that the Eagle Traill follows. With all of my split taking, I got the buttons confused, thus stopping the clock by accident. My track misses 1.75 miles worth of trails. The recording would have shown 2 separate tracks along the river between the east and western loops. I noticed that time had stopped when running along the river on the way back; after stopping to set a little leaf sail boat into the water. I did a few more trails (white blazes) on the way back. I had to finish along Cascades Pkwy. The run was recuperative. The water reminded me of good things. Later I visited with family all day.

45 situps after a long emotional night and day.

Muddy Branch Greenway Trail: From the intersection of Rte. 28, and Dufief Dr./Alderwood Dr., I ran down to the intersection of Esworthy Rd. and Query Mill Rd. and back. With more good sleep, I felt much stronger today. It was in the 60s F and fairly sunny all day. I parked north of Rte. 28 on Alderwood Dr. in a neighborhood and found the trailhead a bit to the west of the intersection with Rte. 28.



This trail was made over the last couple of years and only recently had been completed. It stays on the SE side of the creek. Spring is a good time to run most of the trails around D.C. but this one was quite picturesque. Most the woods were very open and in the section preceding the horse center, it was wide enough with some varied contours enough to support some o-training if mapped. I concur with Ken Walker's log regarding the beginning of the trail having the feel of running through people's back yards. This is over quickly. Though never far from houses, there are many times that one can't see any while at the same time being able to view far across open valleys. There were millions of tiny white/pink flowers on a low, almost grass-like ground cover. I got the feel of running through a garden. The trail was generally located well above the creek so despite the name of the trail, there was almost no mud (only at side streams). Conditions were quite good. Some side reentrants varied the slope and direction of the trail. There were occasional rocky outcrops but not many. The footing was rocky for only a short stretch before I turned around at the NW end of Blockhouse Conservation Park.



There were few people out though I saw a few. I passed one father-son duo heading up the trail on mountain bike (the trail seemed to be designed with this in mind). They spurred me to go a bit faster as we had to pass each other more than once on the ups and downs. There were lots of forks in the trail. Some of these appear to be due to relocation so even the blazes were pointed in the wrong direction. It wasn't very confusing but I did have to stop and think about it when I got to the the horse center. Generally, going downhill with the creek kept me on track.



I stopped and started a bunch along the way. This was to take pictures, adjust my belt, tighten my shoes, answer the phone, relieve myself, drink, etc... I never ate a Gu that I carried. My right knee hurt a little on the return. This might have been due to the change in slope with uphill generally being on my right side. On the return, I crossed paths with Eugene, a QOC regular who happens to live near enough to run this trail regularly.