Training Log Archive: Nadim

DVOA’s 50th Anniversary National Event, at Mt Penn. I jogged down the trail from the start with Ted Good, Max, and Peggy. It was cold and breezy up on top so it felt good to run, even if it was foggy and damp.

DVOA’s 50th Anniversary National Event, Mt. Penn, PA. I was hoping for a slightly better day. Overall, I didn't feel that I had done badly. There was definitely room for improvement, both physically and with my navigation. Mainly, I didn't pickup on the better route choices. It was foggy and windy at the top of the mountain where we started.

S-1 - I didn't run hard down the trail, and kept going where it ran out on the map. There was easily enough there to still follow it. After crossing the road, I went forward in the same direction, saw the ditch, and ran back up to the control. Aside from the relocation at the ditch and hesitation at an early trail intersection, I didn't think I had lost a minute to everyone, as AP shows.

1-2 - I got on the wrong trail initially, then cutover to the one that angled downward. At the next intersection, I turned right, and ran to the next intersection again. From there I attacked and spiked it.

2-3 - I walked up initially, then as it leveled out, I ran to spike it.

3-4 - I suppose my glasses had fogged while climbing to #3. I didn't see the high trail route. Though it was 4 contours up, it might have been better for me. I cut across, climbing a little and dropping. I thought I was above #1 when I hit a trail and decided to go down to bend near #1. However, I was already near #1 when I went further down. I made my way back up when I saw the road and tried to avoid the out of bounds area as I climbed. I wandered over to the triangle intersection a little confused with the road symbol for what I thought was more of a vehicle track. I spiked it from the intersection but lost a few minutes on this leg.

4-5 - I went straight and turned right when hitting the trail. I took the ziz-zaggy trail upward and saw the control from the end of the trail at an intersection.

5-6 - I thought about going far left on the road but ran to the intersection, along the power lines, into the field, and across to a trail that got me to the top of the mountain. I had to pause a little along the way to read. My glasses were foggy enough that I had read the power lines to be a trail. From the trail bend at the top, I got to the reentrant north of the control. I ran along the side of that until hitting it.

6-7 - I was catching another older runner on this leg and then a Blue runner came by from above attacking the same control. The Blue runner hit it first, then the guy I was chasing.

7-8 - I ran on bearing and passed the runner I'd seen on the previous leg. I went on the left side of the vegetation and in. The Blue runner had led the way.

8-9 - I thought about the way around to the right but felt I wasn't navigating that well, nor running well through the rocky terrain. I climbed slowly at first. Getting over the top, I drifted right a little. Crossing the power lines, I'd unknowingly picked up on my pants a whole lot of the very scratchy seeds on top of my right thigh. Later this leg would hurt a little and was a bloody mess when I finished. I'd picked up similar seeds in the Stumble a few weeks ago and was just getting rid of the scabs. From the road, I cut left and then right to go out along the spur. The end of the spur was rocky as mapped, but I hadn't expected that to slow me down as much as it did. I descended and saw Istvan with some other runners coming back at me. I thought they had been coming from #9 but they were leaving #10 and had passed #9. I got drawn off by them to the right, where I punched an incorrect control I recovered and went on to hit #9 well--it was just lower than I'd thought it'd be.

9-10 - Straight at it, I didn't go all out but hit it perfectly.

10-11 - I thought to go around the rocky spur and hill but mainly went straight. This took me up and down a few times. I crossed the road near a spur with a control and went on to spike it. I never saw the downhill trail route to the left.

11-12 - Straight up and around to the right of the unmapped bit of deadfall.

12-13 - I ran straight. A West Point runner coming from my left changed directions as our paths crossed and we both ran toward the knoll on the other side of the road. I punched the control there, then realized it was past the knoll.

13-14 - I aimed off to the left. I don't think I saw the trail paralleling the streams. I got hung-up in the green and rocks along the stream. Fortunately I pulled to the right for faster running. On the run, I hadn't seen that there were 2 streams but pulling onto the spur between the streams, I saw it--sloppy.

14-15 - I took trails but ran with caution. I wasn't seeing things well with foggy glasses. I expected the control to be more above the trail.

15-16 - I let loose to finish. It felt good being able to run downhill without worrying about tripping on rocks or sticks. It felt good running overall!

I finshed 6th in the age group with a few runners not far ahead but Peter Hartman and Greg Balter 8 and 10 minutes ahead. I didn't expect to win or anything like that but could tell I'd lost some physical conditioning by not working out much in October (work and other family things were especially busy that month). Overall, I had a fairly solid weekend for navigation (considering the fog on Sunday).

C • thank you 2

Mount Penn - Long GreenX - Splits

Event: DVOA National Event Nov 4-5
 

DVOA’s 50th Anniversary National Event, Hawk Mountain, PA. I had set out to just have a decent run. It'd been a rough week at work and getting some things done at home. I didn't get much sleep the last 2 weeks.

S-1 - Despite a pre-start view of where the start triangle was, I stood at the start line 15 seconds trying to find it. I had found control #1 on the map but couldn't see the short leg back to the start for a while.

1-2 - I stayed on the road, then turned left in front of the buildings and in. I was getting a feel for the terrain and mapping of the tent platforms. It felt a little slow. Lack of training and stress overeating was taking its toll going up the hill.

2-3 - I expected to see the trails more prominently. I guess leaves were covering them. I paused in the first set of tent platforms but went on to spike it.

3-4 - I ran the between the building and the pool.

4-5 - I went counterclockwise around the pool and in from the field corner. Had I planned it, going clockwise looks slightly faster but the second or 2 more it would have taken for me to see that wouldn't have gained me anything. I didn't expect the feature to be so small but as a symbol, it made sense.

5-6 - I ran past the pavilion, then up to the small clearing.

6-7 - I went around on the trails on the left side. A fallen tree on the trail made this longer route slightly slower.

7-8 - I ran straight until above the 2nd pavilion. From there I used trails to attack the control from above. The pavilion near the control was a dead give away and had I seen it when running, I would have gone straight.

8-9 - I used the edges of the tent platforms to keep me straight.

9-10 - I ran a little higher at first, then straight. This had me hitting the small field before the road. I had second thoughts about using the road a few contours up at that point but it wouldn't have made sense. Once again, I used the pavilion near the control to zero in while going straight.

10-11 - I ran out to the field near the small pavilion. It confused me a little since I was only reading the one larger pavilion that was further SW. From the field I was surprised that I couldn't see the road intersection but I kept going and saw it soon enough. As I was about to punch, I could hear a West Point runner coming from behind. I thought I could finish ahead of him. My new epunch wasn't clearly punching so I punched twice.

11-F - The West Point runner gained on me quickly. It was close but he probably got me at the end of the uphill finish.

DVOA’s 50th Anniversary National Event, at Penn State Berks County Campus. I circled the parking lot, trying to settle my lunch and loosen-up

DVOA’s 50th Anniversary National Event, at Penn State Berks County Campus. The day had warmed-up and was sunny by race-time.

S-1 - I started accelerating on the strange short through the forest. The parking lot came up so fast that I thought the control was further ahead. I cut back a little when I realized I was passing it. After trying to punch, I wasn't sure that it took. My epunch is new so I suspected possible version incompatibility with the box. I tried again but it wouldn't beep. I went on, presuming it punched the first time, but I wasn't sure until after finishing and downloading.

1-2 - Straight through the forest and back of the first building, to the pavement and the second building. I expected the control on pavement so I looked past the wall before coming back to it.

2-3 - Straight on the pavement.

3-4 - On the ground, it looked to be more of a copse straight ahead so the mapping confused me a little. I went beyond the trees to see it without much hesitation.

4-5 - I was starting to get into reading the map on this easy straight leg.

5-6 - I considered using the trail but my reading of the control had me expecting it to be lower. I ran the left side through the soggy field and saw the control way up high.

6-7 - I stayed on the spur a bit, for easier running, then came off the field corner.

7-8 - I ran a little left of straight, and on the left side of the building, left sidewalk, since I wasn't sure the right walkway went through.

8-9 - Straight.

9-10 - Left, around the building, then up on the stairs, and past the pavilion.

10-11 - Straight through the pavilion to the building.

11-12 - Straight to spike it.

12-13 - Straight, but the micro route 3m to the left and around the small rise of the parking lot was bugging me because I didn't take it :)

13-14 - At first, I intended to go past #8, but I realized that cutting to the right side of the building was faster. After the curve, I cut through the buildings to come at it from the south. I took the micro route through the passthru this time.

14-15 - I was trying to muster up some speed to finish with, but felt too heavy and slow and tired.

15 - F - I gave it a good effort but flubbed the punch at the end.

This was another fairly clean run. AttackPoint shows no errors, but I probably lost at least a few. I was reasonably happy with the result, but others were faster.

Hawk Mountain - Sprint 1 Green - Splits

Penn State Berks - Sprint 2 Green - Splits

From Northfield Rd. to the Bethesda Metro Station.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd.

From Northfield Rd. to the Bethesda Metro Station.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd.

From Northfield Rd. to the Bethesda Metro Station.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Battery Ln.

From Battery Ln. to Northfield Rd.