Training Log Archive: Nadim

From Northfield Rd Bethesda, MD., to Old Georgetown Rd. via Greenwich Park, to Johnson Ave. to Heamsteadt Ave. to McKinley Ave. to Garfield St. to Roosevelt. Ave. to Jefferson St. to Northfield Rd. It was a much cooler day; probably around 58F and breezy. I still didn’t feel so strong. I wanted to shake things out before the Hudson Highlander.

I was busy all day. After work we went out so I didn’t run.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. to 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. I knew it'd be warm later today, and since I didn't ride yesterday, I decided to do that today. I moved normally getting to the Bradley Blvd. but with other cyclists around I picked up the pace. I had been telling myself not to ride hard today but on the CCT I caught one who'd been slower getting around other cyclists and walkers. The guy was much stronger than me as he took off. I hung on, almost losing him a few times as we slowed and sped up to pass others. Eventually there were others behind me. I was in Georgetown in under 23 minutes which is a good pace. The guy I'd been following slowed and so did I. Others didn't so much but we caught some of them before breaking up at the end of Georgetown. I road much more calmly afterward. This was probably my fastest ride into work this year.

From 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. Starting out, I was sore from the morning ride and there were headwinds getting to Georgetown. The temperature was 97 F at 5pm but maybe a little cooler when I got going. I settled into a comfortable pace and didn't get passed until near Falls Rd.

From Northfield Rd. I ran up to Custer Rd., to Wilson La., to Exeter Rd. to Glenbrook Rd. to the Bethesda Trolley Trail, to the NIH grounds, to Maple Ridge Rd. to Georgetown Pike, to Huntington Pkwy., to Custer Rd. to Northfield Rd. Having started the day off poorly by waking up late, I didn't bicycle as planned. I also worked late and brought dinner home so I didn't get out until late. Resting more this week, I felt better walking around and the initial steps on the run were similar, but very soon on the hill starting out I was out of breath. The ball of my left foot hurt. After about half a mile, picked up the pace slowly and felt more competent running, but I never felt strong. It was 75 F and humid.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd.

Event: QOC Swanson Road
 

QOC: Swanson Park, MD. I decided to do Red since it was hot and I'd run long the day before. I didn't want to wear myself out for the Hudson Highlander next weekend. As it turned out, Blue wasn't much longer. With the terrain as nice as it was I'd of been able to do Blue without much trouble.

S-1 - This was just a straightforward short leg to get us in the woods and I went straight.

1-2 - I stayed left to avoid climb. I first glanced the control to be across the field at the saddle but when I looked again at some point, I got to thinking it was more across from the knoll on the field. I did look at the map but didn't realize my error until in the woods in the wrong place.

2-3 - I contoured across, staying high until the end. I guessed it'd be greener going low. I don't know if it really was green or not going low but elsewhere, the park was remarkably open compared to other parks in the DC area this time of year.

3-4 - I went up and through the field, since I drifted too close to it. The grass was high but an elephant track went right through it. Coming off the road at the telephone pole was easy.

4-5 - Fairly straight, using a deer trail for some of it, I just tried to stay right of the top of the knoll and out of the stream edge.

5-6 - Along the mowed field edge to a forest corner and in.

6-7 - across the first side reentrant to the bridge over the stream, then angling up and counting ditches to spike it.

7-8 - I was ambivalent thinking I could stay low and go around, but thinking it'd be too green and slow as I got nearer, I ran the trail to the top. I crossed the saddle and descended a little early. Recognizing where I was I practically looked over and saw it 70m away.

8-9 - I dog-legged back up the hill, walking and then crossed the road. I angled to the end of the ditch but wasn't following a bearing well afterward. I got confused perhaps reading up for down. Slowing down, I climbed to the trail mapped as a ditch, and ran till I was close to the field. I looked down from there and saw it. I probably lost 45 seconds.

9-10 - I mostly contoured around the first hill and read the long spur to the right. Keeping it there, I paused right before the control where it got greener, not seeing it straight in front of me. I paused only 5-10 seconds which was long enough to know the reentrant to the left was the one N of the control on the map.

10-11 - I thought about this a little before I descended to the field. Staying out of the out of bounds, I left the field past the runway, at a corner. At about that point, my eyes focused on control 14 instead of 11. The many contours kind of camouflaged it for me. I went to the power line and that was slow because of high grass. I had to stop to relieve myself in the green forest, before attacking toward #14. Just before climbing, I realized my error and proceeded directly to #11, climbing the spur before it, then cutting over. I lost several minutes.

11-12 - I went straight at it. I crossed the top of the first reentrant to keep me on track. Someone else was ahead of me as I closed in.

12-13 - Running downhill was easier than going up. The guy who got to #11 ahead of me was still ahead but off to the right. I climbed a little early but was realizing it as I saw the hill ahead (having been there before). Though the control (a pit feature) was not visible from below, the presence of the other guy helped.

13 -14 - I memorized the route and ran down the hill quickly. The other guy stayed to the right and more in the valley. I climbed a little to shorten distance before going all the way to the bottom and got ahead. I hardly looked at the map until the right reentrant, then followed the ditch.

14-15 - Like most, I stayed low for the mowed grass and little climb. I followed the stream, staying low, but reading the contours looking for the flat spot before the control to spike it.

15 -16 - Just estimating the height I needed to be above the stream, I spiked it. Others I passed were higher and lower.

16 -F - I started to go straight but when I found myself close to the field, I decided the running there would be faster. After the first field, I was worried about the second not being mowed. The woods looked okay so I ran in them until getting hung up at the end where there was deadfall at the mapped marsh. I'd passed Tanaka Hideharu getting to #16 but he passed me in the field on an elephant trail as I was still getting out of the deadfall.

Overall this wasn't a bad race but I left definite room for improved concentration and better planning. My running held up in the heat.

Red - Splits