Training Log Archive: Nadim

Event: Flying Pig IX (US Team Trials)
 

In Loveland, OH. At Camp Friedlander for the Flying Pig Sprint. After flying back to BWI going home to sleep a little. We got up late missing our flight 6:45 flight to Ohio. Our alternate flight got us to the meet with plenty of time. I had to wait around for everyone else to run. It was entertaining but I thought it odd seeing so many of the others running the course. I knew the location of the last 2 controls. I tried not to listen to the others after their race. It'd have been fun to have run with the big bunch of QOC and others I usually race that came in in a pack.

Flying Pig Sprint in Loveland, OH. I felt like I wasn't clean on most legs but didn't make big errors. Lack of planning routes and hesitations were probably my biggest kinds of errors. Except for last couple controls I ran by myself. See the Split List.

Sprint - Splits

In Fort Collins, CO. From E. Horsetooth Rd., to Northstar Crse. to Warren Lake, around it clockwise on roads and back to E. Horsetooth Rd. I got out early before work so that I could at least do something before flying home in the evening. On my flight home I was literally squeezed into a seat next to a very large guy who could not fit in his seat alone--I think he had too many cookies.

In Fort Collins, CO. From the visitor parking lot off W. Prospect Rd. in Colorado State University, to the Jack Christiansen track and around it several times. A coldish (~37F) wind was whipping snow showers out of the north snapping the flag straight out. I got there just as the track was officially opening to the public at 6pm.

It felt like a pitiful effort trying to do 8 x 200m with a 200m jog. I used to race 1,600m faster than my splits would have added up to (34.6, 37.3, 36.3, 37.6, 37.8, 36.4, 37.3, 36.2). Even with mostly a tailwind it felt slow yet I was tiring less than 100m into each run.

From the Jack Christiansen Track in Fort Collins, CO along the train tracks and College Ave to the Spring Creek Trail headed east. From the Prospect St. underpass I turned around and ran back to Centre Ave. to the CSU visitor parking lot off Prospect Rd.

I thought to run after eating so I could see the Amazing Race but couldn't find it on the tube. Instead I ate first and got tired. 45 situps.

In Fort Collins, CO. From Horestooth Rd. into the Pine Ridge Natural Area looping over the ridge, around the Dixon resevoir and other side loops. The maps led me astray when searching for the Foothills Trail so I didn't have time to get up there. The prarie dogs were cool. Starting off into the stiff wind up the ridge and feeling lack of sleep, the change in altitude (~5,000ft.) and yesterday's runs, I felt rather weak. The sun and running w/o sweats was nice.

In Pocahontas State Park and Forest southwest of Richmond, VA. Warm-up with Dave Onkst on the roads with a couple of pickups.

QOC: Pocohantas State Park Score-O. Course setter Tim Gilbert gave us our maps in which all the controls fit within only 2/3's of an 8x11" page and explained that due to the downfall, he didn't think anyone would be able to get all 20 controls in the allotted 90 minutes. All the MD contingent did except Peggy who injured her ankle early in the course and made a good decision to go back early. Starting after Ted Good, Peggy, and Dave Onkst. With a road down the middle of the map it divided the controls up neatly. I decided to do the west half first since they seemed easiest--I wanted to get a feel for the map which had been photocopied, blown-up to 1:10,000 from the original 1975 1:20,000 version and none of the vegegation except clearings was shown. I whipped through the first half tentatively at first but picking-up speed and getting 11 of 20 in under half an hour. I went slow to my first control and missed #20 by a spur over because new changes to the road threw me off. I missed on #19 by climbing much too early being in a couple reentrants over. I missed on #18 (too far south), took a slow route to #15, and made a massive parallel error leaving #14 headed toward #13 (I got near #12 and zig-zagged back toward #14 before relocating). I also overshot #11, then left it wrong getting to the finish. I estimate about 9:00 of errors.

Control Time Error
9 2:08
8
7 4:59
6 2:58
3 2:16
5 1:42
2 2:16
4 1:46
1 1:48
20 3:07 1:00
19 6:12 1:00
18 3:46 1:00
17
16 5:39
15 3:47 0:40
14 1:45
13 8:54 5:00
12 3:46
10 3:05
11 4:37 0:40
F 2:41 0:20

In Pocahontas State Park and Forest, southwest of Richmond, VA. Dave Onkst organized another crew (Dave, Mike Ball, Keg Good, Ted Good, Peggy and myself) to examine parts of the park that we didn't run the Score-O through. The large park had been used for an A-meet in 1975. Contours were still very good and not very steep. I started just below the lower dam on the west end of the park cold and wet from the shin deep crossing. I explored the northern portion of the park above the lake back to the footbridge and parking area in the east. The initial loop I did was great with open woods, a few boulders and other point features. Old felled areas looked ominous but once in these closely spaced pines, one could still run at a slow pace and linear broken ground areas were inside; leftovers from felling that were probably bulldozed together. These sometimes formed dot knolls. The pine areas were often 100m wide and with several of them, it was easy to pass through and make errors when emerging back into the oaks. There were some large fallen oak trees but these could be run around. Going west, I found it got a little worse. The pine areas were older and fallen branches motivated me to change directions when running through. In a couple places there were series of rides and more linear broken ground features that didn't follow contours--these would be technical when matched against contour features. I passed some nice streams with some boulders, a slightly thorny marshy area with blowdown, several roads, a big open felled area, some smaller trails, and nice areas along the lake. It seems worth the effort to map this park however, the club would need to think of the ability to perform logistics for an A-meet so far from the majority of members. The two hour drive south from Bethesda took closer to 3:30 coming back in heavy holiday traffic and rain.

In Brandywinde State Park, DE for DVOA's meet. We ran into traffic on the drive up I-95 and had to rush a warm-up run to the restrooms and back to the start. However, the drive up was fun with the QOC crowd discussing O' technique yet self-depricating our abilities to live-up to them.

DVOA: Brandywine Creek, near Wilmington, DE. Starting after 1pm with Mihai Veres, Ted Good, Dave Onkst, and Michael Warlters minutes ahead, I chased. I only ever saw Michael but placed okay. I kept second guessing myself, changing plans and resulting with errors. Since we were rushed starting after starts were to end, I lost a little time at controls by not having written control descriptions and codes on my card. I had to verify by unfolding the maps then find myself on the course again after checking the codes. See the Split List--I have been getting so used to e-punching that I kept forgetting to take splits at several controls.

Red - Splits