Training Log Archive: Nadim

Rocky Ridge, outside Milton, ON, Canada (near Toronto). Peggy and I did the streamer-O with Max first. He liked the e-punching and seeing the Winnie the Pooh characters. Max went in daycare right after that. To warm-up, I ran from the meet HQ to the start area on the rocky and twisty trail.

North American Middle Distance Championships on the Rocky Ridge map near Milton, ON, Canada. This was a pretty area. The leaves were orange and yellow. The terrain was tough to run on with lots of rock and what's called "limestone pavement" in area. The limestone pavement was eroded flatish rock with fissure-like breaks, and irregular shapes. With the fallen leaves it could be rather dangerous. I ran okay. I had many slight errors but was reading my way acoss most of the time and the errors I made were often corrected by sighting the control when I guessed I'd gone the right distance or was otherwise drawn in by nearby features. I was surprised to get 3rd in my age group. I guess it helped being the youngest in the age group, having somewhat low attendance, and probably having kept from making big errors that others probably did. See the Split List.

Middle Course 6 - Splits

Event: 2006 North American Championships (Golden Leaf Orienteering Fest)
 

N. American Champs model event at McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada. Max wouldn't sleep in the car so I got my chance to warm-up on the model area quite late. It was straighftorward and easier than College Park because it was flat. I'd gotten a little in the parking lot at the first control.

McMaster University, Canada. Golden Horshoe N. American Champs Sprint 4. I got to the starting line late and ran the race without a compass. My real time to complete the course was 19:57. I didn't do bad considering this but I made a few mistakes and lost my place several times. See the Split List.

Sprint 4 - Splits

From Rosedale Ave., Bethesda, MD, to Montgomery Ave., then to 12 & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. going around the Tidal Basin as I usually go. I towed and dropped Max off at daycare then took off on the trail. Going downhill I was riding faster than I had recently been doing at around 21-22mph. At the bottom near Fletchertown Boathouse, I got passed by an older man doing 24mph. We traded some pulls on the flats doing 21-22 through Georgetown and then split. I'm sure to feel it later. The cookies really hit the G-factor but they'll balance out soon enough.

From 12th & C St. S.W., Washington, D.C. to Rosedale Ave., Bethesda, MD. It seemed that I had early tailwinds. Overall I felt stronger than I had been.

From Rosedale Ave. Pearl St. to W. VA Ave. to Kentucky Ave. to East-West Hwy. to Wisconsin Ave. to just past Cheltenham Dr. I got out for a late slog. My legs were rather dead. I finished the somewhat hilly run at the local drug store to pickup diapers and cookies.

C • and 1

From Rosedale Ave., Bethesda, MD, to Montgomery Ave., then to 12 & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. via the CCT and Independence Ave. I towed and dropped Max off at daycare. I heard nary a word as I used the plastic bubble to keep the cool 50 F breeze off of him. He's now able to recognize the daycare building from the bicycle path in the back and started to cry when we got in sight. I guess he wanted more time with Peggy and I with the daycare being new and him not seeing us much yesterday. Going on to work, I was somewhat slow; perhaps a bit tired from The Stumble. My left knee was giving warning signs and my gut is hurting like it was last Spring. Due to the late opening of the daycare (7:30am), me being a bit late getting myself and Max ready, I'm still getting to work (8:30am) a half hour later than I should be. I suppose getting up earlier might be in order but 5:30am sounds a lot earlier than 6am for a night person.

C • 5:30!!! 6

From 12th & C St. S.W., Washington, D.C. to Rosedale Ave., Bethesda, MD via the Georgetown Branch Trail. It was more great weather out. I was slow starting out. It felt like a headwind but there wasn't a lot. I could only muster 16mph into Georgetown. I picked it up on the CCT, then climbed most of the trail at 16mph, averaging that same speed to Max's daycare. Max had already been picked-up by Peggy but I had to pickup his trailer that I had left there in the morning.

Event: Susquehanna Stumble IX
 

SVO Susquehanna Stumble IX. I went in with no real expectations but came away with one of the better results in a long while. Mostly, I was happy to be able to finish without dieing too badly; due to my generally poor fitness level. The early pace was quick as is with most mass start events. By around the 5th control Ted Good and I started running together and stayed that way until just after control 24. I pulled away mostly because Ted was slowing faster than I was. I'm sure Ted and some others kept me from making errors at times and I hope I did the same. My window choices were: [B, C, A], [G, D, F, E, H], [K, J, L, I], and [O, P, M, Q, N].

I had intended to go [C, B, A] on the first window but Ken Walker Jr., Eddie Bergeron, and Chris Gross (Short Stumble) were going [B, C, A] and I wanted to maintain contact. I was planning to do [H, E, F, D, G] for the next window but Ted and I discussed it on the run and did [G, D, F, E, H]. I almost missed seeing control L on the map but being with Ted helped out there. Going to #24, I started to pull away from Ted but I missed seeing an attack point and ran almost 400m out of the way. I did pull away on the way toward #25 but saw Ted again leaving control P as I was coming into the area. I probably took a sub-optimal control order in that last window but stayed ahead of Ted to finish 4th overall.

My overall endurance was okay. I slowed when needed to keep from cramping badly.

Long - Splits