Training Log Archive: Nadim

Event: QOC: Jug Bay
 

QOC: The Chase at Jug Bay, MD. I hadn't gone into this race planning or expecting much. I was pre-occupied with getting things ready for the start and the annual QOC meetings; the noon start on a day with a high predicted at 91 F didn't really make me look forward to running either.

As it was I thought I drank my first beer quickly enough but I was a few seconds behind others I usually would pace with and had been positioned further from the Lemans style map pickup spot. The larger crowd was visible going left down a road while my inclination had been to go straight through the woods. I hesitated, then chased the crowd and started catching them minutes later as we finally entered the forest on a dirt trail. In the early years of my having run the Chase or the Beer Chase as it had been called, I would never feel the effects of the beer until finishing--not true this time. I felt it right away on the road and the trail. As we finally plunged to attack, Eddie Bergeron, Jon Torrance (QOC's new club President) and Ken Walker were crossing our paths. We hadn't figured out where the control was at this point and wondered if they were still going to it. The group scattered and I found it after Ted Good. I trailed him not so smoothly until I lost sight of him around #4. I crossed a trail without seeing it and relocated as others caught-up going more directly. I was then able to read my way in with the crowd following me. I got out of #4 well and finished a few more controls of the loop good, not knowing that Ted had troubles with #4 and was behind me.

On the second loop, I was feeling the effects of the beer even more but felt I was still doing okay going to the 2nd control. I unfortunately got a little bit high and overran the control, off the map. It took a while to relocate and others started catching up. Ted was the first one I saw followed by Andy Britton whom I hadn't seen orienteering for the better part of a year. I found #3, then ran to #2 and back to #3. The 4th control was easy but I was wide to the right on #5. I went well past it and down a trail a long way to relocate. Andy, and Bjørn Skjævestad were headed to #6 as I ran back. I also saw Mark Mace around here. I finished the loop rather tired and hoping the 3rd loop would be short as most of the past Beer Chases had been--unfortunately, it was not short.

The length left at least gave me hope of being able to catch-up to others. After the easy first control, I was dragging even more from the 3rd beer and the heat. I passed Sid Sachs, Patti Mace (going the other way on a different loop), and caught sight of Bjørn again only to make a killer error. With 3 reentrants to cross I crossed two and started searching early. I hadn't expected to cross 3 since I was supposed to be above the middle one. I hadn't read the detail showing the stream extending much further up and I cut south without realizing why it took so long to find the deeper part of the reentrant. I was beat tired. The reentrant was deepish, steep, thick and mucky at the bottom--it sapped my remaining strength and worse, slowed me enough to let the beer hit my head. I was wobbly. After searching one way, then all the way back to the other end I realized what I'd done and went straight to #2. Behind Tim Good at the point, I caught him near #5 from loop 2. I used that control to cross his path behind him and hit the 3rd control from the 3rd loop. I spiked the 4th control but returning on what was I think the 5th leg, I somehow crossed a trail without seeing it (Sam Listwak said it was rather overgrown though it had been runnable on nearby parts of the map). I ended-up way past the control again and had to come back after another relocation. I hit the next control but wasn't efficient to the one after that. The last few near the field were easy.

I was sooo tired in this race. It was disheartening to perform badly again (about 20 minutes lost on just 4 of the controls I missed on). At least this time, there was a potential chemical reason for my confusions. After the run, I had to sit a long while to gather strength and balance. The edges of storms came through during our club picnic but it cooled things off nicely.

Long - Splits

Lake Needwood, MD. I got a late start and couldn't stay long to do much field checking today. I actually spent 2/3's of the time checking and fixing what I'd gotten drafted since my last outing. I fixed a lot and hope it will make for a much better map. Of the new areas that I went over, I continued finding more rock low but I also found a line of some going up a hillside. There were various rootstocks and dot knolls on the hillside too.

From Northfield Rd., to Montgomery Ave. with Max in his trailer via the Georgetown Branch Trail tunnel, then to the Bethsda Metro Station, back to Northfield Rd., then back to the Bethesda Metro Station. I was tired enough from being up late last night and riding all they way in the last two days that I thought a shorter ride would be better. More rain is predicted too. With the switch-up, I got to the metro station the first time only to realize that I left my lock at home (I use another that I keep at work when I ride all the way in) so I had to go back.

From the Bethesda Metro Station, to Montgomery Ave. to pickup Max's trailer then to Northfield Rd. via the Air Rights Building tunnel.

From Northfield Rd. to Montgomery Ave. with Max in his trailer, then to C St., SW, Washington, D.C. via the Capital Crescent Trail and Ohio Dr. I rode a bit faster than the day before for most of the ride and felt like I was taking it easy in some places but I strained more toward the end. There were a few places with congestion and the winds were again from the SE--headwinds.

From C St . SW, Washington, D.C. to Montgomery Ave., then to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. Well after lunch I was tracking the progress of a storm on the National Weather Service's radar map to know what to expect on my ride home. It wasn't that big and was over Wheeling, VW when I first saw it. From the animation, I could tell it was going to hit Washington, D.C. and I even got the timing pretty close--I figured it be finishing-up as it was time for me to go home. I hung around waiting for it to die-downabout as long as I could without getting my bike locked-in a courtyard, then started out in a steady but thankfully warm rain. At the first opportunity to see the western sky, I could see a clear end of the clouds--unusual since most thunderstorms arrive suddenly then end gradually. I got wet but the top half of me was about as dry as usual after passing through Georgetown. I kept a fair but easier pace yet I still started tiring out and slowed. I got rather hungry and somewhat hypo-glycemic. My cycle computer had segments of tracking washed out so the time is an estimate.

From Northfield Rd. to Montgomery Ave. with Max in his trailer, then to C St., SW, Washington, D.C. via the Capital Crescent Trail and Ohio Dr. The big difference in today's ride was nothing visible in the stats but it made a big difference to me in how enjoyable the ride was--I rode the entire way without any chain skipping for the first time in over 6 months. After having changed-out the rear cassette last year and the front chain rings last week, changing the chain was the thing that did it! Shifting was nice and quiet and I didn't have to constantly rebuild speed. There was some traffic along the way. As luck would have it, no other cyclists passed me but it was slower riding in DC--especially crossing under the bridges near the Lincoln Memorial. Technically the trail is closed there but they haven't started any construction work yet and going around would have taken me through more traffic. There were some winds fromt the SE and it was in the mid 70s F right from the begining.

I noted some achilles tendon pain on my right leg this morning before and after the ride. I felt it again as I was getting ready to ride home. I had done some quick stretching during the day here and there.

From C St . SW, Washington, D.C. to Montgomery Ave., then to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. It was nice getting out of work and riding home. I had a tailwind till around the water treatment plant, then it was neutral. I spun well most of the time. Leaving Georgetown, two apparantly older guys passed me. I let them go but caught one anyway just keeping my pace. I was 39:45 at Montgomery Ave.

From Northfield Rd., to Montgomery Ave. with Max in his trailer via the Georgetown Branch Trail tunnel, then to the Bethsda Metro Station. It felt much hotter and stickier than the ~74 F it was supposed to have been. I had anticipated rain (50% chance). The weekend had also been so busy too that I didn't change my bike chain and I decided not to try to ride all the way in to work. My hands felt rather tingly and tired at work.

From the Bethesda Metro Station, to Montgomery Ave. I expected to only pickup Max's trailer but as I turned into the parking lot, I saw Max and Peggy. As usual, Max asked to or more or less told us that he wanted to go with me. We loaded-up, then went to Northfield Rd. via the Air Rights Building tunnel. It was in the upper 80s or low 90s F and humid. I spun my way along but there was a lot of traffic on Bethesda Ave.

From Northfield Rd. backroads to River Rd., Capital Crescent Trail (CCT) to the Little Falls Trail near Dalecarlia, Falls Rd. to River Rd. to the CCT, to Glenbrook Rd. to Park St. to Custer Rd. to Moreland Ln. to McKinley St. to the other side of Old Georgetown Rd. to Moreland Rd. to Northfield Rd. We went for a family ride with lunch at McDonalds (Max's choice) and after looping further, Max (on his Trail-A-Bike) stopped off at one his friends houses before I went home. It was around 90F and humid.