Training Log Archive: davelevine

Event: QOC Hemlock Overlook
 

Red - 13 controls; 7.6 km; 240 m

Actual distance traveled: 9.8 km
Actual climb: 328 m

No real problems navigating today, I just took my time. That was particularly true when it came to the first control. I started by heading south to 8/117, then kept going south until I reached the next hilltop, then I turned southwest until I reached 6/121, from there I turned west until I reached 1/124.

I navigated back to 6/121 on my way to 2/122, that seemed to help.

I didn't take the direct route from 9/107 to 10/103 because the hillside looked much too steep. Instead I headed northwest, which brought me to the open area due south of 10/103. I headed north from there and climbed down the steep hillside. It took a little searching around at the bottom of the hillside before I found 10/103. I got a little distracted by other people who had probably already found it.

I took much longer than I hoped to take finding 11/113. I got in the general area without any trouble but I kept looking in the thicker vegetation for it. I had not read the course setter notes, otherwise I might have looked higher up the hill (where the vegetation was considerably thinner) before I spent all that time searching in the think vegetation.

I'm glad I did the red course. I might have finished the blue course before 3 but considering that it took me over 3 hours to finish red I think I made the right call.

The weather was great, cool but not too cool.

4 controls; 1.2 km

Actual distance traveled: 1.6 km

I hadn't planned on doing control pickup, but someone asked me to and I wasn't too worn out so I agreed to help. I was given a fairly easy group of controls to find which weren't very far from the start. I made one mistake when heading from 115 to 117: I mistook one re-entrant for another. It took me a couple minutes to figure out what I had done wrong. 117 was the 8th control on the Red course, so I had been there before. I unsuccessfully tried to avoid getting my boots muddy again when picking up 117. If I had been a little more patient I probably could have bagged this control without fully submerging one of my boots in the mud.

Red - Splits

Division St to Park Rd

Started off headed in the wrong direction, wound up biking up Lincoln from Maple to Carroll. That is a fairly steep stretch of road, although it isn't very long.

Later I turned on Kennedy St when I didn't feel like waiting for the light at 3rd & Kennedy. I was impatient. I should have waited for the light. It worked out okay in the end but I don't like the route I took today as much as the one I usually take.

Park Rd to Fort Totten

Fort Totten to Division St

Capital BikeShare Usage Fee: $1.50

I tried a slightly different route and got a little mixed up which added 2-3 tenths of a mile to my trip. I will know better the next time I use that route.

Got lucky at Riggs Rd and East-West Highway and didn't have to wait long at all before crossing.

Home to Lincoln Ave to Home

Division St to Rhode Island Ave to Fort Totten

Route: Sligo Creek Trail - Anacostia Trail - Chillum Rd - Ingraham St - Eastern Ave - Gallatin St - Galloway St

Capital BikeShare Usage Fee: $1.50

Division St to Rhode Island Ave: 25:15; 5.4 miles; 4 m
Rhode Island Ave to Fort Totten: 20:30; 3.8 miles; 73 m

Crossing major roads I encountered considerably more traffic and longer waits

Fort Totten to Division St

Division St to Lincoln Ave to Home

Division St to McKinley St

Route: Carroll Ave - Aspen St - Sherrill Dr - Beach Dr - Nebraska Ave

Aspen St was closed for a couple blocks between Blair Rd and Piney Branch Rd. I detoured over to Whittier St for those blocks and then back to Aspen.

I dressed a little too warmly. I was wearing two t-shirts, one long and one short sleeved. After this ride I took off the long sleeve one and put it in my pack.

McKinley St to Fessenden St

Route: 39th St - Harrison St - 42nd St - Fessenden St - 44th St - Chesapeake St - 47th St - Van Ness St - 37th St - Warren St - 36th St

I had to detour a little just before crossing Wisconsin Ave the first time but it didn't add any distance to my ride.

Fessenden St to Kennedy St

Route: Fessenden St - Linnean Ave - Brandywine St - Broad Branch Rd - Blagden Ave - Colorado Ave

This route across Rock Creek worked out quite well. It helped that there weren't many vehicles on Broad Branch Rd.

I'm not sure if this was my first time bicycling up Blagden Ave from Beach Dr. I can't recall doing it before but anything is possible.

Kennedy St to Division St

Route: 14th St - Aspen St - Willow St/Ave - Maple Ave - Maplewood Ave

The two blocks on Aspen that were closed earlier were now open so there was no I didn't have to detour between Piney Branch Rd and Blair Rd.