Training Log Archive: Nadim

Wheaton Regional Park, MD. I ran trails in the central part of the park to get GPS tracks and to update the map. The existing mapped trails had some initial misalignments, and some of the physical trails had also been moved. The original misalignments probably resulted from contours which were not so detailed. It got dark fast. I stopped running after about 4 miles but did more. My calf was fine for the first 1.5 miles but something made it twing and slow me down afterward.

Wheaton Regional Park, MD. After I stopped running, I kept walking and jogging. It got dark and I got into some areas behind the ice rink which were a bit greener. It felt good to get out. Afterward, I had more shopping to do with Peggy.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to Arlington Rd. with Max's bike in tow, then to 12th and C St. SW, Washington, D.C. It was right at freezing when I started. I work some of my vintage cycling clothes. The wool cycling tights were from 1981. My neoprene boot covers were more recent; probably from around 1985. The leather ski gloves I used were from the early 1990s. My winter cycling jacket was bought around 1997. It all was in good shape with the only one finger of the gloves showing some wear. I'd repaired the wool tights a little bit over the years but the good condition that all of the paraphernalia were in is probably indicative of me not riding very much during wintery days. The ride was a bit slow and I felt tired. It did however, make me feel better than I have been lately. There were almost a normal number of cyclists out today but fewer runners and walkers.

From 12th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. to Arlington Rd., Bethesda, MD, where I met Max and then rode together with him to Northfield Rd. I started with a tailwind (not the whole way) which was I was grateful for. I left early, about 2.5 hours later than I was supposed to, so it was still light out and just at sunset, 50 F--not bad for December riding. Though I knew I was riding more slowly up the hill than usual, I was still only a minute slower at Arlington Rd. than usual; probably because I got through Georgetown more easily. I noted that there were very few runners, and cyclists and and no rowers or volleyball players. I should be getting out for more winter rides.

From Northfield Rd. to Arlington Rd. with Max's bike in tow, then to the Bethesda Metro Station.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Arlington Rd., then to Old Georgetown Rd. with Max, where he and I picked-up Chipotle burritos for dinner. We then rode to Northfield Rd.

From Northfield Rd. to Arlington Rd. with Max's bike in tow, then to the Bethesda Metro Station.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Arlington Rd., then to Northfield Rd. with Max. Since I'd brought his bike with me in the morning, he was able to ride home with me in the dark. We had good lighting. Max was riding somewhat slowly.

From Northfield Rd. to the Bethesda Metro Station. My calf injury is feeling much better. I could go down the escalator stairs much better.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Arlington Rd., then to Northfield Rd. I met Max after work and rode very slowly while he walked. Going that speed took effort to balance.

Event: QOC Prince William Forest
 

QOC: Prince William Forest, Happyland. Having had a good sleep and gotten to the meet site early, I went out on Red (not Blue because of my hurt calf) trying to beat the rain that was expected. My right heel felt out of alignment but this feeling soon went away. I spiked #1 though with the placement on the far side of what was really a cliff rather than a boulder, I could have been quicker. I had left the start without my glasses and could have used them on leg #2. I missed seeing that the bridge over the creek was only +100m out of the way to the north. I would have taken that route had I seen it. Instead, I got fooled into thinking there really was a strip of white woods as mapped, on the west side of the creek. I walked and ducked and crawled on my knees to get through it. After crossing the creek, Vito came up fast and passed me as he did the Blue course. As he went down the trail toward the same control, I angled up a reentrant. Along th way, I got confuesd and started thinking that the control was in the reentrant that I was in. After getting up too high, I cut over--the time spent in the wrong reentrant wouldn't have lost me much time but dropping into the right one, I didn't see the control. I cut left, then went a long way right, passing John Baker going the other direction. Turning around, I found the control not far from where I'd just been. It was tucked in low in a ditch. With the green leaving #1, being in the wrong reentrant, and then fumbling left and right at the end, I estimate that lost +9 minutes.

Going to #3, I angled to the right to keep out of the green. I thought I was coming over once I hit the right reentrant but I was over to the right more than I thought, and too low. I made up for it by running up the hill pretty well. I went around to the right for #4, and followed the reentrant up to that control, hitting it right on. #5 was a nice leg and fortunately for me, the green was mapped well. I started straight, then stayed to the right to avoid the green before spiking it--I was just not running that fast because of my calf. Feeiling like my navigation was getting more on track, I ran fairly confidently toward #6. I like running across the flatter hills that the leg took us through. I was still able to read features and know pretty much where I was along the way. To avoid the reentrant with a small stream, I went around to the right on the next leg. I did not see the many cairns that should have led me into #7. To avoid more green and some climbing, I went to the right (yet again), hit the trail, and crossed the creek at the road bridge. I saw Illiana coming behind me, probably headed to what was my #13. I stayed low the rest of the way to #8. For the long leg to #9, I cut through the campground, going due west initially, and picking up trails that got me to the roads. Going south, I felt my hurt calf while on the road. I jumped off just after the stream crossing and contoured toward the control. I pulled-up short, losing 15-20 seconds.

I went straight at #10. Much of this was the reverse of what I'd done at night with a small flashlight. I'd unexpectedly seen Illiana behind me when I left #9 and it looked like she'd be going to my #10 too. I ran straight but after the last ridge, I mistook my position to be crossing at a saddle when I must have been further east. I didn't trust my compass when I had a hard time matching things up. Eventually, I went east when I should have gone NW. I found the wrong control, then went straight to the right control. I'd figured Illiana had been long gone but later I found that she made a worse error here and that Peggy had made the same kind of error that I had.

The green was bad on the direct route leaving #10. I just wanted to get to the road. I considered dog-legging it back around the green (going SE) but I went NE into it--big mistake. Eventually after a lot of scratchy bits, I popped out at the road at a 4-way intersection. I stopped briefly to tie my shoe, then went "down" the road. It was the wrong road, so after 120m, I turned around and went don the right road. The rest was easy, leaving the road just past where I had last night to get to the same control. I ran down to the creek leaving #11, angled across the flat, and crossing before I had to climb. I went right past a control that wasn't mine but got hung up in thorns again. On the trail, I went to the next stream. Not having my glasses, I cut up along the stream here when I should have stayed on the trail just a little longer to the next bend. I debated cutting across the creek to get to #13 and even paused at one spot to evaluate it. However ultimately, I went to the road on the trail, crossed at the bridge, and then cut across the low land like I had when going to #8. I climbed a bit early but curved around into the reentrant--the control was very deeply tucked in the ditch.

I used trails getting to #14. Ieft the field at just the right place put at the stream, I couldn't see the control when looking up and down stream. I did see Francis walking in the ditch but went the other direction initially. I had to cross the stream and go back up to where Francis had been to find it; the control was literally less than 2 inches above the stream water, and right against the bank which was green on the other side. That cost me over a minute for what should have been an easy control. For #15, I was just a bit brain dead. I got up to the road crossing and started thinking that I was on the "road" at #15. I looked downward, then upward where I saw a control and went to it. I realized then that I needed to cross the next rentrant. I picked-up the trail along the climb--it had been hidden on the map by the leg line. My calf was hurting on the jog in. I felt I'd been pretty slow for the "race" and that I made far too many errors. I was rather surprised that others didn't beat me on the course but some faster people went to Green and Blue. Those others on Red appear to have had some pretty good errors of their own.

Red - Splits

Night-O - Splits