Training Log Archive: Nadim

While vetters were out, I was streamering control sites and checking out some other potential control locations locations.

After a vetting session, I went back out to finish streamering advanced controls. As I moved down a trail, I decided to take it easy and not take a short cut down a steep slope. Going around on a switchback, I closed in on some hikers who were both walking and jogging. I got a little distracted and as I stepped up over an erosion break, I caught my spike or toe. I fell face downward on the downslope, and got my hands out in front before hitting. I avoided some rocks when I hit but the landing ripped a square inch or two of skin off a portion of my right palm. My right thigh went right into a blunt but pointy shaped tree root that was sticking up (because of the trail erosion) about 4 inches above the ground. Sprawled on the ground with my feet above my head, I wasn't sure at first if I'd broken anything--I think if it were any other bone than my femur and quadriceps hitting the root, that and it probably would have broken.

It took me a while before I could make it up. I got a contusion/bruise like never before. Usually I just bounce up after a fall, then limp around for a few minutes. Probably with some adrenaline, I was able to walk but was in some pretty good pain. I was also determined to finish my streamering to save another trip the park before more vetting. I reasoned that the walking would help the flexibility later and trudged on. It was hard to go uphill and if I led with my injured right leg, I could get downhill okay. It was however hard to concentrate. I puzzled for a while over the exact small reentrant of a control location. I'm hoping that I'll recover soon (making this entry 2 days after the fact, I can't run or ride my bicycle; walking slow is okay and stairs are still awkward. Overall, I'm blaming my fall on being too busy and a lack of sleep making my feet drag.

C • Am I suffering from selective memory... 3

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to C St. SW, Washington, D.C. It was 38 F starting out but I felt dressed appropriately. I felt a bit slow at times and adjusted gearing/cadence to try to keep it easy. There was a slight headwind coming from the east. Though there were few other riders, there were plenty of runners, many seeming to commute into D.C.

From 12th St & Independence Ave., SW, in Washington, D.C. to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. I left work late so I first had to ride through the courtyard and the building. For only the second time in many years of doing this when I left late, a guard challenged me taking my bike out through the building. The courtyard gate closes at 6pm and I'm usually rushing to get out just under the wire but there was no way to do that today. After I got out, I was a little huffed so I let loose going down Independence Ave., SW toward the river. A lot of tourists were out and the few workers who'd come to work on this Good Friday were still leaving the city for home. I set about passing the cars in sometimes close quarters but felt confident. I eased up once on the trail. Getting through Georgetown wasn't bad. One car that was driving kind of quick and had made a U-turn in the busiest section moved ahead of me, around another car, and cut off another further up that'd been either parked or was moving ahead slowly. The car that got cut off let loose it's horn and I felt he had a point. The car doing the passing turned out to be an unmarked police car. It put on it's lights, backed-up, and had some words with the car that honked. I cruised the flats and had a slight tailwind. After Dalecarlia, I saw a familiar shape up ahead and sure enough, it was David Onkst. He'd been out on another overly long training run (+25 miles which was about my cycling distance for the day) and was blowing off some steam from a tough week too. I slowed to his running pace which had been getting slower than he thought and we caught-up on things for about the next mile. I finished up the rest at a decent pace (I'd been moving well until seeing David).

Washington, D.C. From 12th & Independence Ave., SW, down Independence Ave., to 17th St., along the Reflecting Pool to the Lincoln Memorial circle, to Ohio Dr. to the Rock Creek Trail, to P St., NW., to 20th St., NW., to the Dupont Circle Metro Station at Q St., NW. I was kind of tired from 2 long days at work but glad that I could get outside and run today. I was of course a bit weak and didn't push the pace. Instead of a nice quite run in the dark, I kept crossing paths with lots of tourists. Many were still at the Lincoln Memorial or other parts of town. It was about 50 F but felt a little colder. The good thing about the run was that I didn't think of my injured calf until after finishing. It seems just about healed. I stretched afterward.

45 sit-ups.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to Arlington Dr. with Max on his bike, then to C St. SW, Washington, D.C. I had to go all the way back to October to find the last time I rode all the way into work :( It was in the mid-60s F which was rather comfortable. To begin with, I had to take my usual backpack with a change of clothes, then my laptop in a carrying bag (about 9lbs.). On top of that I had to an overnight bag for Max's. We rode slowly; Max is still weak from being sick. After leaving him, I kept my pace fairly comfortable. The potholes and other bumps on the road in Bethesda were not fun, especially with the extra weight of the laptop. Though basically downhill, there was a strong headwind that negated any advantage. I was glad when I got into the cover of the trees. However, even there the wind was slowing me down. I definately am out of shape for riding (and sitting) in but I held my own on the trail. One guy coming from behind drafted off of me on the flats after Fletcher's Boathouse and passed me just before going into Georgetown. The winds along the river were worse after Georgetown. The Cherry Blossom mania was still going on (Ohio Dr. was blocked-off) but the trees are now past peak. Snow showers of petals were happening.

From C St. SW, Washington, D.C. to Arlington Rd., Bethesda, MD, then to Northfield Rd. It was payback time--The headwind from the morning was a tailwind. I started out weaving my way past other cyclists, pedestrians and of course, cars. It was the kind of traffic requiring careful attention. One pedestrian came out from between parked cars and into my path. Fortunately she was coming from the other side of the street and I had time to react. I passed a bunch of cyclists on the Capital Crescent Trail (CCT) and kept up my cadence going up the hill. I think one cyclist whom I had passed caught back up after the MacArthur Blvd. tunnel. He drafted off of me until Falls Rd. I made it to Arlington Rd. right at 40 minutes. I was going to pickup Max's bicycle but it was gone. He probably took it over to his friend's house for the sleepover Peggy had arranged.

Event: QOC Rosaryville
 

QOC: Rosaryville State Park, MD. It had been a while since I last ran at Rosaryville. It's the park where Peggy and I got married. I only ran the Green course today since I didn't want to further aggravate my pulled right calf. Overnight, the ball of my left foot was hurting but neither the ball of my foot nor my hurt calf were really bothering me today. I took it a little easier when going uphill and when pushing off for jumps. Getting to the meet site with only a few minutes before the starts closed, my only warm-up was about a 100m jog from the assembly area to the actual start. A big warm-up wasn't needed, unlike in Patapsco a few weeks back in cold rain; it was sunny and the temperature when I finished at Rosaryville was 84 F.

S-1 - I moved okay but didn't feel fast going over the first hill, and around the green on the left side. The second green seemed to me to have gotten extended but I went around it and right to the control. There was some mashed down grass much of the way.

1-2 - I ran the field to the trail, and saw the photographer. I didn't realize until after the event that it was course setter Kenny Walker, Jr. I kept going and soon caught Mark Mace. He cheered me on by also seemed to pickup the pace behind me. I slowed a little early but took off again when I saw the control on the rise ahead.

2-3 - I wanted to cross early since I figured it'd just get harder downstream. I ran along the stream, but not too close to it. I cut upward when I saw the hill contours ahead.

3-4 - I climbed to the trails but didn't cut left to the lower one; I probably should have gone lower but I didn't lose much time getting to the power lines. I dropped to the creek in the powerline ride but cut right before crossing it. I saw the trail cutting across the stream and used that. Peggy was in the area and coming from a different direction. I took the diagonal trail to the ridge, the dropped down to the gullied creek. I followed the spur up to the saddle. Jan Merka and his dog Benny were approaching it at about the same time.

4-5 - I reasoned that the woods weren't so fast so I left #4 heading west, not NW. It took a long time to find a trail and once on one, it didn't seem like the one I thought it'd be. When I came upon a horse jump, I couldn't find it on the map, but I guessed where I was and left the trail on bearing. I ended up on a spur but it was the one to the east of the spur with the actual control. Fortunately I figured this out w/o too much loss of time--perhaps 2 minutes.

Leaving #5 to get to #6, I ran straight and hit the trail intersection. After that, I followed the edge of the green to the control.

For #7, I ran the low route, left of the line, to the control. Doing this, I skirted the left side around a rootstock right next to the stream--I wasn't sure if it was mapped. Once to the road, I rounded the lake, hopping over the stream on the NE side, as close to the lake as I could. I angled up but realized I was too far left. Without seeing the control, I corrected and spiked it.

7-8 - I ran a little left of straight, going over the ridge and spiking the control.

8-9 - Initially I stayed low, off of the ridge, until I got around the green and the first trail. I followed the ridge and detoured a little left before the next hilltop. At the trail crossing, I realized that I needed to cut right, and did so to spike the control.

9-10 - I ran straight. I was a little hesitant at the trail intersections but I read them correctly and soon saw the control.

10-11 - I thought the low rout to the left would take me up and down more so I went straight initially. After hitting the trail at the bend I followed it as it curved to an intersection. Cutting left, I stayed on it until the woods opened up enough for me to go over the ridge. After that, I cut into the field and ran diagonally across that. As I was approaching the Go control on the horse jump, 3 horse riders were hovering off to the right, apparently waiting for me to go past. Gary Smith was coming to the control from the south.

11-F - I could see Peggy ahead but I wasn't able to catch her. I also didn't think it would be good to try since I'd be likely to injure myself more. Ken Walker Jr. was taking pictures again though I still didn't recognize him.

Green - Splits