Training Log Archive: Nadim

QOC Summer Short Series at Little Bennett Regional Park, MD. It was a park fair day with many booths from various clubs and vendors setup (just like last year). The Lennon's setup a very similar course to what they setup last year. It was two loops and for each leg, runners were to use different routes, providing comparison timing via epunch tracking. There was a fair amount of vegetation to make this slower. I got through everything without getting very scratched-up but I also did a lot of walking, especially up hills. The weather was in the upper 80s or maybe low 90s F but with low humidity it was better than many recent days. It was hard to judge what was better sometimes since factors like familiarity and fatigue on the second run were hard to factor out. I had generally taken the more physical route the first time than the second. Though in absolute time, the second run wasn't always faster, it was generally more pleasant. The training was good however for making one stop to think of alternative routes.

Leg 1 5:20 This leg from the start booth, was supposed to just get us into the woods to the loop. However control 1 wasn't placed on the mapped feature. It was much higher, closer to the road, and not on a cliff. Greg thought it'd be so obvious and visible to see from our approach. However, I'd remembered when it was used the year before, and I'd come in that way only to find that I was too high. I lost about 3:30 minutes hunting around for it. I'd found the right cliff feature and a second unmapped rocky bit first.

Leg 2 & 8 9:22 vs. 9:19 - For leg 2, I went straight, on the right side of the creek until it opened up on the left. I'd gotten a little past the control and had to come back slightly. On leg 8, I decided 20 seconds into it, that I should go up to the road on the right, where I found Peggy had already gone directly. The road route ultimately was faster.

Leg 3 & 9 3:16 vs. 3:05 - For both legs, I went the same route, right of the green and along the stream to the first junction. The leg was kind of too short for much else, though I could have gone around left or right of a green spot in the middle.

Leg 4 & 10 13:47 vs. 14:15 - Leg 4 was straight over the hills, while Leg 10 was low mostly around them to the left, but through more vegetation. The 13:47 should really be 12:13 since I had a pit stop along the way. I was on target pretty well for both, and came to the controls a little differently. The first time, I had closed in on the control and seen it just about the same time that I'd spotted Peggy closing in on it ahead of me, but from lower to the right.

Leg 5 & 11 3:44 vs. 3:47 - Leg 5 I was probably rushing more, since I knew Peggy nearby. I ended up going left of some early vegetation on leg 5, that I avoided the second time. I'd just gotten to the control ahead of Peggy on leg 5, though I hadn't seen her much until the final approach when she gone farter around in an S pattern, coming in from the left more.

Leg 6 & 12 4:17 vs. 5:05 - This was a comparison of going straight through the vegetation, vs. going around through the fields on the right. I may have rushed more the first time, since competitiveness with Peggy urged me on. I definitely was more fatigued the second time. The field should have been the faster of these routes--it wasn't much longer. I was accurate both times and used the large mapped rootstock with a trunk to help zero-in.

Leg 7 & 13 13:30 vs. 11:22 - I knew on leg 7 that going straight should be slower. I went through the amphitheater area, crossed the road and proceeded off-trail through the campgrounds. Besides the vegetation, it was hillier. I came near the large unmapped spur we'd discovered last year At the end, coming from the campgrounds, my attack wasn't very easy since I had to guess at where the control really was. I lost 20 seconds or so because I'd gotten too low again. On leg 13, I went through the amphitheater, but took roads the whole way around. I struggled to keep running the whole way once at the amphitheater but did. I knew to keep going right to the control since there was a new unmapped but small amphitheater right near it along the road. Even with all of this, it was clear that the road route was faster.

Leg 14 1:22 - This was just back to the finish booth. People were packing up.

After the training we were fortunate to be able to use the showers in the campground. From the jostling and effort in the warm weather I peed red but I think this single incident was nothing for immediate alarm. We later had lunch with the Mace's, the Lennon's, and Nick at Wegmans.

After that, Peggy, Max, Samantha and I went to the County Fair. This was Samantha's first time. We enjoyed the rides (long, long lines for the last day), seeing farm animals, and seeing 2 shows. We missed the live showing of Mathew Centrowitz's fabulous 1500m performance. However the pig race we did see was fun! We also saw what a real goat race looked like.

https://youtu.be/IhrZuXuGORg

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. I rode a very steady pace. My lungs still have phlegm and so I think that made me weaker on hills. Fortunately a lot of the way is downhill and I probably had a slight tailwind too. One rider passed me, moving quickly, like I used to do, just before Georgetown.

From 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C., to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. I was mostly just slow and weak. There were some headwinds wherever there weren't trees too. It felt like I was going faster at times. One guy passed me and after getting ahead 30m, I ended up trailing him at that distance for a few miles. I lost him on the steeper hills where there were bridges. I was however feeling a little better with my cold going away. I still had phlegm in my lungs, throat and nose.

From Northfield Rd., to Arylawn Park towing Samantha's Trail-a-Bike, then back. Once again, Samantha had things that I had to carry back for her. I took my time on the hills as I've been weak on them anyway.

From Northfield Rd., to Norfolk Ave. for lunch, then back.

Because of my cold, I stayed home and worked from there. I was pretty tired in the evening and there was a big thunderstorm for most of that time anyway.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. After the rain last night, the trail was damp but felt cooler at 81 F. I rode a steady pace, not feeling that strong. I didn't sleep well the last 2 nights and my throat is a little more sore than the day before. The trail had plenty of people riding and walking on it. I passed regularly and picked-up a drafter at Thompson Boathouse. He passed me a little way before Georgetown so that I could draft on him. I moved on once we got to Water Street. I was 30:15 at the first tunnel near the Lincoln Memorial and slowed, feeling tired. There was also a wind that was mostly to my side but part of the time it was coming more at me.

From 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C., to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. I had an appointment so I was riding at the height of the sun. It was hot where there wasn't shade but fortunately there are enough trees to keep the sun from making it too uncomfortable. I had a slight tailwind but I was also carrying my laptop. I also caught another summer cold. My throat had been feeling sore the last 2 days but now it's here.

From Northfield Rd., to Arylawn Park towing Samantha's Trail-a-Bike, then back. Samantha had lost or had her backpack mistakenly taken somehow, her things somehow got left, so besides towing her on the way back, I had to kludge a way to carry most of it in my hands. She's gotten into this habit of taking a lot of things to camp like a small blanket.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station.

From the Bethesda Metro Station, to Northfield Rd. It was windy from an approaching thunderstorm as I was going home. It rained much of the evening afterward. I felt tired most of the day and possibly have another cold coming on.

From Northfield Rd., Custer Rd. to Glenbrook Rd./Little Falls Pkwy., to Norwood Park on the paved trail, to Wisconsin Ave., to Old Georgetown Rd., to Huntington Pkwy., to Custer Rd., to Northfield Rd. Earlier in the middle of the day I'd done +2 hours of much needed yard work. That tired me out and left me too tired to run until late, after dinner. I got started at around 10:52pm, when the temperature had dropped to about 78 F. There was a slight breeze and the humidity had dropped a bit too. I probably got some inspiration from watching Olympic competitions earlier but I'd also eaten too much the day before and felt a bit guilty. The run loosened me up. Before it I had a little bit of a crick in my neck and I just felt twisted too--something like being looser on one side than another without being able to pin it down. That first uphill quarter mile was really slow, 2:20, but I picked it up some.