Training Log Archive: Nadim

SVO: Mid-Atlantics at Pine Grove, PA. Between being busy and stressed, I didn't do much training this week. I felt de-trained. Once I got going, I was okay. I like the Pine Grove area well enough but the map could use some work. It didn't show the vegetation well enough and with visibility not so great, it was hard to attack confidently. The trails and clearings were also not to be relied upon. I liked Sam Kolin's course well enough but mispunched on #9, the last real control in the forest. There was another control just outside of the circle and pretty much on the attack route. I got excited being so close to finishing that it was the one control I didn't check the code for.

S-1 - I started after Paul Hession who was on my course. I was going to give Paul more time but the SVO starter encouraged me to go ahead. I passed Paul on the road and started to leave it a little early--I planned to thread the cabins which were out of bounds (with contours and the out of bounds stripes it was hard to be sure). Seeing bad bushes in front of me, I dropped to the road again and encouraged Paul not to go up. When I did attack, I got to the edge of the reentrant but couldn't see the control. It just wasn't visible and was behind a tree from where I stopped. A step or 2 more and I saw it.

1-2 I used the road but cut the corner on it to climb above the cabin. Tring to contour across, I climbed too much and bounced off the ride. Some other people were coming down from the ride and that helped me locate it.

2-3 - I went straight but bounced off the ride, SE of the control. Kim Jepsen was just ahead and had done the same. He and I realized we needed to go back in. I think Kim got there just ahead of me.

3-4 - I ran straight but drifted right. Kim had drifted right more than me and had fallen behind. When I saw the stream, I turned back and found it.

4-5 - When leaving #4, I saw Kim looking for it. Vegetation pushed me left of straight so after the stream I cut right. To get around more deadfall, I went further right than I wanted too. I cut back left again after getting around a line of deadfall--the map showed no green and just some of the rootstocks but I found it right away after the zig zag.

5-6 - I kept checking my compass but drifted a little right on this short leg. I stopped where it looked like I hit the right contour rise. I figured it might be behind some evergreens which weren't mapped light green, and it did turn out that way.

6-7 - I went straight and was right on the line. The leg line on the map was covering a contour so making a parallel error, I climbed to the right a little early. Since I had to cut right to do so, I guessed that I must have drifted when In fact, I hadn't. Once up the little hill I cut right further but realized that the contour didn't match. Guessing my position, I cut left to climb higher and I was correct. Bill Wright was in the area and converged just behind me.

7-8 - I went straight but realized I was drifting left and right. I made small corrections. At the trail crossings, I didn't stop and they didn't make enough sense. Reading the contour at the end I was happy to realize I'd spiked it perfectly.

8-9 - I decided to go down and use the road, but along the way I stopped for a nature break. On the road, I moved okay and passed a woman but I found myselft leaving the road very quickly. I crossed the yellow trail and the marshy bits perfectly dry. Going up I walked and stayed away from the cabin. I came across the spring that was mapped under the leg line, and used it as an attackpoint. When I found a control just a little bit to my right I figued I had done it and left without checking the code--later I'd learn that I miss had punched. The real control was just ahead and would have been easy. It was supposed to be on a charcoal platform but I'd punched a control on a depression.

9-10 - I ran down the hill staying a little left of the line. A better option would have gone right and used the trail/road. Once I got on the trail/road, I could see Max ahead and I shouted to get him moving---he'd injured himself so he didn't speed up much. I caught him quickly and passed. On the hilltop above the lake, i started to go staight but realized the trail was the best option.

It was disappointing to have mispunched. Compared to others, my time was not bad--I'd have been 3rd on the Green course 2 seconds ahead of Greg Balter, or very close.

SVO: Mid-Atlantics at Pine Grove, PA. - I ran with Laura Linville and Virginia Debons on a 6 point team for QOC. Both women kept us in striking position.

S-1 - I was hesitant leaving the start but got moving enough later.

1-2 - I passed a woman on the road. I attacked from a trailhead and spiked the control. This turned out to be the control that I'd mispunched earlier on the Green course.

2-3 - I basically went straight but it was slightly left of straight. Once across the road and over the hill, I could see Jody Landers and Keg Good in the area. I punched just behind Keg.

3-4 - I went right around the lake, passing Jody and someone else. I cut right a bit to get around the unmapped evergreens. Once on the road, I just ran to the spectator control, back where I'd started.

4-5 - I used the field and trails but left at a gentle bend. I crossed one trail but didn't see the other one that I expected. Going on, I saw the control and another guy leaving it.

5-6 - I wanted to go straight, but the vegetation didn't look so great for that. Instead, I cut left to the trail, and took it around bends to an intersection. Cutting right, then off trail at the depression, I attcked from the end of the depression and spiked it. I'd gained time on the guy I'd seen at #5.

6-7 - The other guy had cut left more than needed but my way was a little steeper. When I hit the trail, the other guy was just ahead of me.

7-8 - I tried to make a straight line to the trail head and bridge but lost time to the other guy who went left first and got around some green. Once in the field, I closed in all but the last 1/3 of the distance we'd gotten separated by, but I never caught him. I was running out of energy fast.

Both the team of the guy I finished with, and my team got 2 points for 5th and 6th place. QOC won back the Broken Compass Award, keeping the point lead it'd gotten going into the relay.

Green - Splits

Relay Leg 3 - Splits

From Northfield Rd. to the Bethesda Metro Station.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd.