Training Log Archive: Nadim

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD to Montgomery Ave. via Bethesda Ave. and the Georgetown Branch Trail, to 13th St. SW, Washington, D.C. via the Georgetown Branch Trail and the Capital Crescent Trail. Figuring that I would have little opportunity to work out much of this week (I'll be traveling to Fort Collins for work), I decided to get at least one ride in. It was in the low 50's and fortunately I found some cycling gloves. I had some pretty good tailwinds after passing Fletcher's Boathouse but a combination of the winds and some sore legs from the weekend made me feel a bit slow. The weather service reported it to be 51F and sunny later.

From 13th St . SW, Washington, D.C. to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. During the day I watched what I expected to be a sunny and warming day turn colder almost every hour and become rainy. I hadn't brought a rain jacket or even a jacket so I used a clean trash bag and made it fit. It worked pretty well though I thought it had blown off (it hadn't) after only a mile. There were headwinds and light rain for most of the way back. Having good cold weather gloves really made the difference in comfort. I used my lighting system but for some reason the light seemed weak. Perhaps the battery is starting to fail. Even though I felt like I was doing work, all this combined with carrying a laptop on my back made for a longish ride. I was able to steadily catch and pass the line of blinking red lights in front of me but it took from Georgetown to Bethesda and a traffic light to catch up to one guy that I saw most of the way.

Mt. Tom, MA. NEOC: Day 2 of the Heart and Troll Revival. I took some aspirin before leaving since my knee was aching a little. I ran much better today but for one control. I was all over the place going to #2, a long leg along the mountain side. I was better going to #3 but flubbed #4 a little as I was rushing to get out. I had thought Dharia was behind me at #3 and I left in a hurry, not reading that I needed to cross the first trail, then turn left on the second. I turned left on the first trail and was crossing the reentrant correcting when I saw the same woman again on the trail a few contours up above me. It turned out to be Ksenya. I almost caught her going to #4. She headed to the trail attacking it almost perpendicularly. I angled over toward it figuring to save the distance and still be safe enough with her flanking me on the right. I didn't see her again until we finished. Neither of us found the trail and I stopped trying quickly. Passing #9 on the way, I spiked #5 and moved ahead. Making up for lost time at #2, as I was leaving #6, I saw Peggy, who had started 2 minutes after me. I navigated pretty well the rest of the way and was partcularly happy with spiking #12 after crossing the stream. I had a few baubles finishing. Overall it was a much better day than Day 1 was for me. It still was a long drive going back home and Max, who couldn't get himself to sleep was rather worn out.

Red Day 2 - Splits

Event: NEOC Heart and Troll Revival A-Meet
 

Mt. Tom State Reservation, MA. Warm-up jog from the parking lots to the start area of NEOC's Heart & Troll Revival.

NEOC: The NEOC Heart and Troll Revival at Mt. Tom State Reservation, MA. I didn't have great expectations going into this. Perhaps there were no expecations at all and a lack of focus. However, I didn't expect to get spanked as badly as this. I blew the first 4 controls, then managed to make other errors of the type which I hadn't done in a long time. Things like getting distracted by others, going to the controls out of order and choosing a couple of poor routes all came together on this effort to produce a rather poor showing. I even made a trail error going to the Go control. I'll chaulk some of it up to the often difficult to navigate terrain. I often don't run well in New England. Still, others did manage to run as smoothly as they usually do. Many times there were big features to help one zero in. I was rather poor at zeroing in on controls when within the circle. I also had troubles knowing how high up I was. Times overall were slow too. At least for Red and Green course runners, the nearly 6% climb kept winners from breaking 10 minutes/K. I had troubles with simplifying what I was seeing and reconciling it with the map--they just have so much rock up here that it's no comparison to QOC terrain. I also had trouble trying to run and read. I couldn't do it for fear of stumbling. Toward the end, I was getting tired which contributed to some bad legs. I ran about 6.26 miles trying to complete this course.

Red Day 1 - Splits

From the southern Lake Frank parking lot, I did some field checking of the area west of Rock Creek and between Avery Rd. and Southlawn Rd. The woods were very nice. I found another intermittant trail and lots of point features. I repaired a few cairns too. Other than drafting, I've nearly finished this section. My knee was hurting on the steep slopes when side hilling.

C • Safe and sound 3

From Northfield Rd. to Maple Ave. with Max in his trailer, then to the Bethesda metro station. It was about 40F and my fingers were hurting from the cold. I need to find my winter cycling gloves. My left knee was hurting when waking around afterward. I again don't know if it's from the changing weather or the run last night or both.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Maple Dr. to Northfield Rd. via the Georgetown Branch Trail. On my way home I picked up some dinner then picked up Max's trailer and rode home in the dark. I hadn't used my light much and had charged it earlier in the week but it ran out on me about 2 blocks from home.

From Northfield Rd. to Maple Ave. with Max in his trailer, then to the Bethesda Metro Station. It was colder but Max expressed wanting to bicycle rather than use the car. I was dressed for work but fine doing that. I also took running clothes.

From Maple Ave. in Bethesda, on the Georgetown Branch Trail to the Rock Creek Trail, to Linden Ln., to Brookeville Rd. to the Georgetown Branch Trail to Bethesda Ave. at Woodmont Ave. the back to Maple Ave. on the Georgetown Branch Trail. I wanted to get in an hour run after work. Since I'd ridden to the metro station in the morning, I went back on the train and after riding my bike to Max's day care, I dropped some things and hopped onto the trail (I ran with my small fanny pack filled with important items). I could have gone all the way home before running but I wanted to run on the flatter and softer Georgetown Branch Trail. I took it easy. I would have done the loop going counter-clockwise but it was getting dark very fast and I wanted to run up the darkest part between Linden Ln. and the Rock Creek Trail, instead of going down it. It seemed safer that way. Not having run most of the last 6 months, I feel a bit less used to running in the dark without a light like I used to. Perhaps that's from the expectation of pain in my knee if I stumbled. I ran easy initially but picked up the pace a bit. It was getting cold even though after returning home the weather reported that it was 50F at National Airport. There was some wind but mostly this run was sheltered. My arms felt stiff from the cold midway through but the rest of me was mostly fine; I had on shorts and a t-shirt. The last two miles I felt some increasing pain in my left knee but it didn't slow me much. I added the out and back portion to Bethesda Ave. to make sure that I got in at least one complete hour.

From the day care facility on Maple Ave. to Northfield Rd. In the dark, I towed Max's trailer which was loaded with my gym bag. Having a jacket on felt good as did puting my night light to use again. Some of the bumpy streets where construction is going on have been paved.

From Northfield Rd. to the Bethesda Metro Station. After driving Max to school and getting back home, I commuted in, wearing my work clothes and carrying a gym bag. It was easy though it took longer than I probably would normally. There was a detour again and some roads were rather bumpy from construction. I hit a few traffic lights too. My weight has continued a steady drop with today being a low point since cutting back on some things. Perhaps my haircut yesterday helped :)

Washington, D.C. I did a reverse version of what I call the Memorial Tour from my office (From 14th & Independence Ave. SW, past the Tidal Basin, and Jefferson Memorial over 14th St. Bridge to the Mt. Vernon Trail, past Lady Bird Johnson Memorial to Memorial Bridge past the Lincoln Memorial, along the Reflecting Pool, past the WWII monuments to 14th St. to C. St. SW. to 13th St. SW. It was fortunate that I checked the weather before going out. I calculated more shelter going clockwise than counter-clockwise. The winds were coming from due west and reported to be 21mph. At first I felt engergized and a little surprised at feeling so. I soon noticed white caps and choppy water in the Tidal Basin. There was enough wind to see dust being blown off the land like a dust devil out west (but not in the same swirl) and well out over the water. When I got on the 14th Street Bridge, the water and dust was the same. I figured the weather report was out of date because the wind was coming directly from the north. It was hard too! Hitting me sideways, I had to lean hard to the right to keep upright and I still got pushed into the wrong lane on the trail. Once I hit land again I was more sheltered and realized that the wind was just shifted on the bridge so that it could blow straight down the river. It was coming out of the west as reported and hitting me on my other side; just not so hard. I later learned that it was a steady 31mph. I enjoyed tailwinds on Memorial Bridge and most of the way back. This was a good run for me and probably the fastest on roads since my initial knee injury in March. I wore good thick socks and my shoes felt gooood. I hardly felt my knee except starting out and felt strong climbing. My legs and lungs clearly weren't used to moving this fast but maybe they will again.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd., in my work clothes and with a gym bag. It was very comfortable.