Training Log Archive: Nadim

MCRRC Winter Trails. Since it had been rainy, the county park trails were closed. The group reset to run in the mud in Seneca Creek State Park instead. We started at Diamond ES, which is above and near the the main stream dammed to create Clopper Lake. The mud wasn't bad and it was slippery in only a few places. The full route was to go counterclockwise around the lake, onto the Greenway Trail, onto the Seneca Ridge Trail, down to MD Rte. 118 and back mostly the same way except continuing counter-clockwise around the lake; a total of 18 miles. I had no plans to do that much. Like last year, I got to the second set of power lines, after Riffleford Rd. (5 miles out). I went on until I hit the Power Line Trail intersection. I took the Power Line Trail into the power lines, then got back on the Seneca Ridge Trail. At Riffeford Rd., I detoured off route again on trails taking me past Smokey Glen BBQ. This got be back to the Greenway Trail for a shot while, but I used the Mink Hollow Trail to get to the lake. I felt good initially--it was about 50 F and foggy so I was running in only my shirt and shorts. Later I felt okay. I started with the leaders of the 2nd group, but they were moving too slowly. After +1 miles, I left them and almost caught up with the last of the "fast" group. When I'd finished, I thought my run was a mile farther but that's because I wasn't seeing so well.

Serpentine Barrens Conservation Park, MD. After a little rest and nourishment, I went out to do more fieldchecking. As I was driving the last quarter mile before parking, I saw some light rain drops on the windshield. I waited out the shower and was lucky that there was any good weather at all. My paper got wet a few times in other light showers. I fixed one crossing of the Greenbriar Branch where the stream bends I had were incorrect and I'd mismapped some features earlier. I did a little more along the stream, going over and adjusting some earlier fieldchecking but mostly I focused on the nicer terrain further north. I mostly hopped boulder to boulder. I was glad that at one point all my triangulation proved correct as I looped back correctly to a boulder that was previously mapped. I found one boulder on a hilltop which looked like a grave marker. The rains came again. For a while I was able to use pencil and make notes without ripping the wet paper. I checked the radar and could see there was no hoping that the rain would stop so I finished-up. I weighed out at 193 lbs.

I did some leg stretching while outside watching my cats. The stretching felt good (hamstring and calves). My legs were tight.

Serpentine Barrens Conservation Park, MD. I covered a lot of ground despite not getting to the park very early. I went about my plan to finish off the vegetation mapping of one area of the Greenbriar Branch, then headed to the open terrain. I still spent a while checking/adjusting point feature alignments. It was easier with some of the items already positioned on the map. The northern extreme that's close to the quarry took longer than anticipated since I found more ditches rootstocks and a small area of blowdown. One of the ditches was flowing with water that was being pumped out of the quarry. I got some other GPS tracks of smaller parallel ditches in a reentrant that start and stop. The last +1 hour, especially after crossing the power lines, I was hopping from one new point feature to the next. I got a call from Samantha as the light was getting dimmer and I had to rush out to get home since she'd forgotten her key.

Event: Pepper Woods
 

2020 Pepper Woods -- New Year's Day sprint (long sprint) starting and ending at Valerie's house. The map had been expanded since the last time I ran there several years back--it now includes Wakefield HS. I started about a minute after Peggy. Max started after me. I paused on the way to #1, not reading a way to the back side of a school--a fence gate ahead was open. I was clean through the next several controls, without pauses or errors. I caught Peggy on the way to #7. I continued w/o error through #14, taking direct routes. From #14, I took a bad route out, to avoid crossing a side stream. Some others crossed the main creek. This was a fun way to start the year. Valerie even had food for us afterward.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station. I had virtually no traffic and I hit most of the traffic lights and intersections well. The roads were damp.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd.

From Cedar Ln. up the Rock Creek Trail to the Ken Gar Palisades parking lot and back.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station. The roads were damp but I got this commute in before the rains started again. I was trying to go slow enough so as not to get a wet stripe on my but and the back of my coat. I partially succeeded.

From the Bethesda Metro Station, Woodmont Ave. to Wisconsin Ave., to Norwood Park, to the Little Falls Trail, to Dorset Rd., to Falls Rd., to Glenbrook Rd., to Edgemoor Ln. and into to the Bethesda Metro Station. It was in the mid 50's F, and I wore shorts. I started with a jacket and took that off. Running without the sweats felt better but I was still somewhat slow and had been a little reluctant to run at all in the dark. It turned out fine.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. I took it easy and had a very full backpack.