Training Log Archive: Nadim

Lynn Woods Park, MA. From the assembly area I ran the model event on the way to the start. Leaving the parking lot, it took a while for my eyes to adjust to the 1:10,000 map that was printed on a 3"x3" square. However I adjusted pretty well and found things pretty we'll despite there not being any actual controls or streamers in the woods. Only the largest boulders were mapped and the vegetation was about what I expected. Along the way, I saw Janet Porter getting helped back after she injured her hamstring. Despite not being able to run theough the terrain well, doing the model well helped get me more confident for the race.

CSU: US Championships, Lynn Woods Park, MA. I started cautiously and then made a simple parallel error mistake leaving a trail on #2. That led to a 5 minute error and some less confident navigation for the next several controls. I started to get over it by #7 though I made some more errors after that. I finished well on the easier last several controls.

Green-X Middle - Splits

Event: US S/M/L Champs 2011 & WRE
 

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to Arlington Rd. with Max on his trail-a-bike, then to the Bethesda Metro Station.

From the Bethesda Metro Station, to Arlington Rd. to pickup Max and his trail-a-bike, then to Northfield Rd.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to Arlington Rd. with Max on his trail-a-bike, then to the Bethesda Metro Station. I was tempted to ride all the way in but with a long busy day ahead and already being late, I didn't.

From the Bethesda Metro Station, to Arlington Rd. to pickup Max's trail-a-bike then to Northfield Rd. in the dark.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to Arlington Rd. with Max on his trail-a-bike, then to 12th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. It was in the low 60's F wtih no winds. I started feeling good. I had a slight detour when my cycle computer fell off on Arlington Rd. and I went back looking for it. Later, myself and 2 other cyclists converged on the CCT. I moved to lead but not being that strong on my commuter bike, I got passed on the downhill of the River Rd. bridge. A commuter on a mountain bike set a blistering pace and I just hung-on. We dropped the other guy and passed others all the way to Georgetown. There he slowed and I went on--I certainly wouldn't have made it there that fast without him. There were a few other cyclists out along the river. I had to estimate time since my cycle computer wouldn't register. I had a hard time getting to sleep the night before; lots going on.

From 14th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. to Arlington Rd. in Bethesda, MD via the National Mall to pickup Max's trail-a-bike, then to Northfield Rd., I started riding through the inner courtyard and basement of the building, where I work. I had anticipated late from work again like last week, but this time I brought my headlamp. I got through Georgetown before switching it on. I made better pace than I thought I would. The helmet felt heavy and slid around more with the light and battery on it.

Event: QOC Hemlock Overlook
 

QOC: Hemlock Overlook Park, VA. It was a great fall day with temperatures in the 60s when I was running. I got off to a decent start.

On #2 I took the safer way to the right to get down to the bottom and hesitated seeing Marit struggling taking the more direct drop down. I yelled up but am not sure if she heard me. She was near the bottom after I punched so I went on. I committed early to climb over on #3--it just looked too messy to go around the ridge.

Going to #4, I was moving well and concentrating on rock-hopping across the trail. I saw the reentrant I should have taken on me but was expecting a more pronounced trail there. I didn't see a control for another course there that I must have passed. I realized my error soon enough, and then just climbed more-or-less directly up the steep slope to the control.

I was wishy-washy heading out of #4. I was thinking I'd go to the right along the shore but by the time I got to the top of the reentrant, I realized going left was better. I passed the start and headed to the intermittant trail leading south away from the winery but I somehow ran over it. I was worried about going more east on the ridge that would have taken me to the control; my memory of that area was that it was greener than mapped so I cut back up to the intermittant trail. That was slower than expected with lots of deadfall and I soon left it. In a way, this was not a bad thing for me. It forced me to be more careful about reading the map and I got into a good rhythm staying in contact. I hit the control well, coming to it from high.

I headed around the first hill toward #6 but the next reentrant was wet. Crossing that higher to the north, I then again was planning on using the mapped trail. It was barely visible and seemed slow with deadfall. I went to the main trail, and found the other trail that from the map looked like it'd take me to the control. It was slow too with deadfall but I was able to read and follow it to spike the control; somewhat slower than others who went more straight.

Going to #7, I saw one of the younger Blue runners looking for #6, then I saw Ken Walker climbing near #12. I was happy to find good running by staying low for most of the way to #7. I never used the trail.

I climbed okay to #8, spiked #9 by going straight, and did the same for #10. For #11, I think went around some initial green. I hit the trail at an odd angle and concluded that I needed to turn left. This was mostly because I recall a similar error in this area last year or the year before. Perhaps something is wrong with the map or there's a magnetic anomoly? I hit the control okay.

For #12, I went straight and spiked it. I did the same for #13 and #14 but for #14, I had to cross 3 ditches when I expected to cross only one. Perhaps the reentran before the control counted as one. I came to the control contouring after not seeing it on the ditch that I expected it to be at.

For #15, I attacked off the field/trail intersection. Crossing the reentrant where it was steep, I concluded that I only needed to contour to the knolls. Seeing the knolls but no control, I climbed the ridge further and found it 40m uphill. Lots of people had trouble with this control.

I Ran the reentrant and intermittant trail toward #16. I attacked once I lined-up with the barn in the field. I flubbed #17 a bit. I'd seen it when arriving at the meet site and had even joked that it'd be a Blue course control. I had pulled-up a little short, not reading the control description, and having difficulty focusing on the center of the circle. Once found, I was slow starting to the finish, then decided to run it harder.

This was a fairly decent run for me. My errors were kept low. With several controls being at the bottom or tops of lanforms, it wasn't that technically difficult. I enjoyed it nonetheless.

C • Slope around #2 2

Hemlock Overlook Park, VA. I got 4 controls including one water stop. I kept forgetting to remove the streamers (large fat yell caution tape), and had to go back twice after leaving controls when I remembered it. I did get to control #11 on the Blue course, coming to it from an different angle and this time it was right in line. I noted the double-ditch at #10 from the Blue course that Dave had mentioned. The one without the control was about 15-20m away.

I had a nice time stopping at the garden center to get some pumpkins with Max, Peggy, the Onksts, and Lennons afterward. Dinner was nice too since we'd completely missed lunch.

Blue - Splits