Training Log Archive: Nadim

Event: QOC PWF Turkey Run
 

QOC: Prince William Forest. Since Max had Junior training at 10am, I got one of the first starts on the Blue course. I had considered backing this down considering running a shorter course since I had a long run the day before, and afterward I'd been field checking for a long while. I stuck with Blue since PWF is one of QOC's best places to orienteer.

S-1 - I spiked this, running down the ride and being a little cautious of the rolling hills. It did come up a little sooner than expected.

1-2 - I crossed the main reentrant directly, then angled up to the control.

2-3 - I dropped down the reentrant and paused to think about crossing the creek. I've done it safe and dry in other events but Gary had said the water was high. I ran around and then spiked the control.

3-4 - I dropped down to run along the water. I passed through the saddle. It looked like more than a formline up. Before the side stream, I climbed, crossed it, and then around the reentrant to the control.

4-5 - I dropped down at the reentrant with a side stream, then the climbed up at the next side stream to spike it.

5-6 - I stayed high initially, to get across the streams, then followed the side stream up. I hit the trails right at the intersection and started to go around the green on a trail. The way looked block so I got confused. I started thinking I was on the wrong trail. I headed toward the houses but realized I'd been correct initially. The blockage on the trail was only partial--I could run around but hadn't seen that possibility earlier. I rounded the green, read the hills, and only got a little past the control before turning around and seeing it. Addie Nolan popped out as I was running to the control and got there in front of me.

6-7 - I chased and gained ground on Addie, while trying to pace myself. W ran the left side of the reentrant and climbed before getting to the right ditch.

7-8 - I decided my route and got running before Addie. I led toward #8, by crossing the big reentrants, then climbing in a smaller side reentrant. Others were there and the way was greener than mapped. I went a straighter route than Addie but because of the deadfall, she got there ahead of me.

8-9 - Addie started off first, going straight. I yelled about using the bridge to get over the creek, then pursued that route. Once across the creek, I climbed and went past the top of the first reentrant. When I got to the gully the control wasn't there. Addie came in not long after. I looked lower, then higher. I walked, then ran back to the first reentrant without finding it there. I went the other direction, passing the correct reentrant, and going to the next (this is close to where it was actually and incorrectly hung). Not finding it, I went back to the correct location and gave up. Ken Walker and his daughter Samantha, and several others came in too. After the event, I heard that Jordan Laughlin had found it, and moved it to the correct location.

9-10 - I was sloppy on this. In retrospect, I should have gone low and around. I'd seen the route along the creek but thought I could stay high enough avoiding excessive climb, and do better. I didn't execute my route well enough and lost contact with the map. I'd drifted left. Relocating at a stream that I need not have crossed, I went directly to the control.

10-11 - I went fairly straight. Jordan had passed me along the way.

11-12 - I went fairly straight again and spiked it.

12-13 - Going up the reentrant got me to the road as planned. Going down the other side, was taking longer than anticipated and there wasn't a lot to read. I cut right after the reentrant opened up, did a small clockwise loop through the green, and was back where the reentrant opened up. I saw Joe Barrett do a similar thing and I may have drawn him off line. I cut right again where the valley opened up, went up a way, then realized where I was. I went directly to the control after that.

13-F - I got on the trail. Another orienteer got onto it before me and was going to the finish too. I kept to my route as we weaved apart and closer together. I used the trail bridge to cross the creek but he didn't. I used the trail and was behind when I lost sight of the other guy. At a trail bend where the rough open areas started. I paused. I thought I was at the T trail intersection. I went straight and actually cut the corner to a trail bend, thus saving me distance and time. I cut other corners but did cross the creek on the bridge. A younger orienteer passed me there but stayed on the trail. I cut up to the buildings near the finish and finished ahead of him. As I was walking back to download, I saw the other guy finish; the one whom I'd started the leg close to.

Blue - Splits

MCRRC Winter Trails. Since it had been rainy, the county park trails were closed. The group reset to run in the mud in Seneca Creek State Park instead. We started at Diamond ES, which is above and near the the main stream dammed to create Clopper Lake. The mud wasn't bad and it was slippery in only a few places. The full route was to go counterclockwise around the lake, onto the Greenway Trail, onto the Seneca Ridge Trail, down to MD Rte. 118 and back mostly the same way except continuing counter-clockwise around the lake; a total of 18 miles. I had no plans to do that much. Like last year, I got to the second set of power lines, after Riffleford Rd. (5 miles out). I went on until I hit the Power Line Trail intersection. I took the Power Line Trail into the power lines, then got back on the Seneca Ridge Trail. At Riffeford Rd., I detoured off route again on trails taking me past Smokey Glen BBQ. This got be back to the Greenway Trail for a shot while, but I used the Mink Hollow Trail to get to the lake. I felt good initially--it was about 50 F and foggy so I was running in only my shirt and shorts. Later I felt okay. I started with the leaders of the 2nd group, but they were moving too slowly. After +1 miles, I left them and almost caught up with the last of the "fast" group. When I'd finished, I thought my run was a mile farther but that's because I wasn't seeing so well.

Serpentine Barrens Conservation Park, MD. After a little rest and nourishment, I went out to do more fieldchecking. As I was driving the last quarter mile before parking, I saw some light rain drops on the windshield. I waited out the shower and was lucky that there was any good weather at all. My paper got wet a few times in other light showers. I fixed one crossing of the Greenbriar Branch where the stream bends I had were incorrect and I'd mismapped some features earlier. I did a little more along the stream, going over and adjusting some earlier fieldchecking but mostly I focused on the nicer terrain further north. I mostly hopped boulder to boulder. I was glad that at one point all my triangulation proved correct as I looped back correctly to a boulder that was previously mapped. I found one boulder on a hilltop which looked like a grave marker. The rains came again. For a while I was able to use pencil and make notes without ripping the wet paper. I checked the radar and could see there was no hoping that the rain would stop so I finished-up. I weighed out at 193 lbs.

I did some leg stretching while outside watching my cats. The stretching felt good (hamstring and calves). My legs were tight.

Serpentine Barrens Conservation Park, MD. I covered a lot of ground despite not getting to the park very early. I went about my plan to finish off the vegetation mapping of one area of the Greenbriar Branch, then headed to the open terrain. I still spent a while checking/adjusting point feature alignments. It was easier with some of the items already positioned on the map. The northern extreme that's close to the quarry took longer than anticipated since I found more ditches rootstocks and a small area of blowdown. One of the ditches was flowing with water that was being pumped out of the quarry. I got some other GPS tracks of smaller parallel ditches in a reentrant that start and stop. The last +1 hour, especially after crossing the power lines, I was hopping from one new point feature to the next. I got a call from Samantha as the light was getting dimmer and I had to rush out to get home since she'd forgotten her key.

Event: Pepper Woods
 

2020 Pepper Woods -- New Year's Day sprint (long sprint) starting and ending at Valerie's house. The map had been expanded since the last time I ran there several years back--it now includes Wakefield HS. I started about a minute after Peggy. Max started after me. I paused on the way to #1, not reading a way to the back side of a school--a fence gate ahead was open. I was clean through the next several controls, without pauses or errors. I caught Peggy on the way to #7. I continued w/o error through #14, taking direct routes. From #14, I took a bad route out, to avoid crossing a side stream. Some others crossed the main creek. This was a fun way to start the year. Valerie even had food for us afterward.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station. I had virtually no traffic and I hit most of the traffic lights and intersections well. The roads were damp.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd.

From Cedar Ln. up the Rock Creek Trail to the Ken Gar Palisades parking lot and back.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station. The roads were damp but I got this commute in before the rains started again. I was trying to go slow enough so as not to get a wet stripe on my but and the back of my coat. I partially succeeded.

From the Bethesda Metro Station, Woodmont Ave. to Wisconsin Ave., to Norwood Park, to the Little Falls Trail, to Dorset Rd., to Falls Rd., to Glenbrook Rd., to Edgemoor Ln. and into to the Bethesda Metro Station. It was in the mid 50's F, and I wore shorts. I started with a jacket and took that off. Running without the sweats felt better but I was still somewhat slow and had been a little reluctant to run at all in the dark. It turned out fine.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. I took it easy and had a very full backpack.