Training Log Archive: Nadim

From Northfield Rd., to Norfolk Ave., via Battery Park, then to Wisconsin Ave. & Battery Ln., then back to Northfield Rd. I towed Samantha on her trail-a-bike to the downtown area for lunch. We also stopped by and checked-out the new Harris Teeter grocery store; now the closest grocery store to us. It's underground and had a surprisingly good selection. It was hot out; 95 F. A slight breeze helped.

Friendship Park, Anne Arundel County, MD. After flying to BWI, I hit the ground running. Starting from the Thomas A. Dixon Jr. Aircraft Observation area, which is right under the landing flight path (and one of the places used for this year's QOC SSS Squirel Kill event, I ran the BWI Trail in a counterclockwise direction to Stewart Ave. and back. During the SSS, I had opted to leave one control from the score-o, and this run would have gotten to that control. I felt better than I thought I might for it being in the low 90s F. That was 20 degrees warmer than what I was running in in Colorado. Maybe I was feeling a bit of a bump from the change in altitude. Going out, I was just under 11 minutes so I had come back faster, despite it being more uphill on the way back. A woman who passed me while on her bicycle cheered me on by saying when she grows up, that she wanted to be like me. She was about as old as I and I didn't have the heart or breath to tell her that I'm significantly slower from when I had "grown-up".

Spring Canyon Park, Fort Collins, CO. From near the Horsetooth Dog Park, I ran into the Pine Ridge Natural Area. I'd run here previously but it had been a long time back. It was evident that they were managing it more tightly, with some fences to keep people from making new trails, a few trails gone, and lots of signs. It is still a nice area and for a while with shadows getting long, it seemed like I was going to have it to myself. From the parking lot, I ran to the paved Spring Creek Trail, to a connector trail that took me to the Reservoir Loop Trail, then to the Timberline Trail, then back via the Reservoir Loop Trail. In the past I've gone all the way around the reservoir but I didn't need to do that with having run long yesterday, and with darkness coming. There were a few hikers and some runners with stalky legs characteristic of a Colorado ultrarunner who's used to climbing mountain trails. I was very slow climbing to the ridge from the parking lot and there were ups and downs after that. The Timberline Trail is rocky too. It was all very pretty and I saw a few animals--rabbits, a prarie dog, a deer. I needed a restroom and was glad to find one open when I got back at dusk.

Fort Collins, CO. From Centre Ave. on the Colorado State University campus, to the Spring Creek Trail to County Route 38E and back with a slight detour in the middle. Going out I thought that I was feeling the altitude since my legs were dragging sometimes. However in the dark I didn't realize that I actually was going uphill. The darkness fooled me too. I meant to turn around at a parking lot I'd used a long time back but passed it. Similarly on the way back I took one wrong fork but somehow found my way back on course. I guess the moon and Big Dipper helped. Though it was longer I still managed a negative split on the return. Going downstream really helped as did the overall gentle grade on the smooth concrete trail.

From Northfield Rd. Glenbrook Rd./Little Falls Pkwy. to the Bethesda Outdoor Pool at Hillandale. Rd., and back. I had a little extra distance with a false start return to home a short way out. I felt tired from doing things around the house earlier. At the pool, Samantha went into the water but I was to tired. I sat on the grass and my back didn't feel that well. Later I kept drifting to sleep. The ride back wasn't bad. I might just have been low on blood sugar or my cold was reasserting itself. I did have to clear my throat a bit.

QOC: Summer Short Series on the Mall in Washington, D.C. Gary Smith continued to expand his map of downtown Washington and set another nice course. With rest and eating more, my strength was better. Having my light orienteering shoes seemed to help too. I was able to turn over my stride more efficiently, kicking forward with a lot more ease. It helped that this was about as flat a course that one gets. After hitting the first 2 controls, I took a detour to a restroom and stopped my watch for that. There was a line and the only real way to compare w/others was the running time. I didn't stop my watch for traffic lights, of which there were many. With my stop, I had to pass Peggy, who'd started behind me. I saw several others along the way, including the Hessons, Darcy Good, David Onkst and Don Fish. Going to a control at the American Indian Museum, I technically mispunched. I approached it from the wrong place, on the wrong side of a forest garden. Seeing through the trees, I could see a fence around a construction area. Gary had mentioned that there was something to look for around the last control and seeing David Onkst appear to be running away from the same area, I made the wrong conclusion, that I couldn't get to the control. Had I come around from nearer Independence Ave. I could have gotten in and would have had to go back out the same way. This was probably resulted in close to a 2 minute shorter run for me than others who went to the control. I made a slight error on the next control, coming to it from an inefficient direction and getting confused for a few seconds. Running in was fun. I passed some of the places that I walk through during my work lunch hour. Unlike recent runs, I felt that I could run strongly up the hill to the Washington Monument. I had to dodge the kites and kite strings from there. It was a fun map and course. Gary could add a lot more detail to it for shorter sprints but we all got in a good run on a very pleasant weather (70s F, sunny) day.