Training Log Archive: Nadim

From Nortfhield Rd., to Norfolk Ave., via Charlcotte Rd., and back. I went to get lunch for myself and the kids. Due to repaving of the replacement gas line road cuts, I went the long way there. However after climbing the initial hill I realized I'd left my mask in the car--I'd meant to grab it on the way out but I'd gotten distracted by the construction activity. I looped back via Huntington Pkwy., picked-up my mask then started again with a detour on Charlcotte Rd., and Huntington Rd., I returned that way too. It was very windy. The wind helped some of the time but mostly made me push my sore legs harder.

I had taken the day off from work. After lunch I spent a while cleaning out a tool shed. I had to open a lot of old cans of paint that the previous owner had left in the shed about 20 years ago. The county requires the cans to be dried out before they collect them so I opened a bunch. About half were dry and half still wet. Opening the cans required a lot of bending over. It made my back ache so I'm likely to not run today.

Event: QOC Balls Bluff
 

QOC: Balls Bluff Regional Park, VA. I started after the rain had stopped. It was around 50 F. I was a little tired from increased training this week but held up okay.

S-1 - I went somewhat straight, going above the first 2 ditches but doing so a little late. I crossed the large reentrant as it curved SW.

1-2 - I ran a little left of straight. I paused above the reentrant, thinking at first the control would be in it. I didn't see it so I looked across and saw 2 guys who'd started before me nearby a rootstock. It looked plausible so I went on to it.

2-3 - I started straight and found a small trail taking me into the reentrant. Crossing the bigger reentrant. I climbed the big spur and rounded a more shallow one on my right. I used a trail a little but left it quickly, eventually descending with a smaller one on my right to spike it.

3-4 - I climbed right away, keeping the reentrant on my right. I used a trail a little but left it at a bend. I'd gotten too far left, trying to save climb but used the open park terrain to correct. There seemed to be an unmapped trail in this area. I crossed the next reentrant staying above the unmapped greener parts and dropped into the control well.

4-5 - I stayed low in the reentrant, and used a trail. Leaving the trail, I crossed a reentrant and followed another to the control.

5-6 - I climbed to the road and got on the trail that parallels the green to the west of straight. With my glasses foggy, I never saw the extension of the trail along the green. Instead, I followed the one I'd already gotten on, down to the reentrant where it bends east. I made my way up to the field in the side reentrant. In the field, I started to pass the control, then I hesitated on where to cross the fence before reaching the control.

6-7 - I ran out to the road rather than cross the fence and run cross wet grass again. I left the road just before the field ended and rounded the reentrant ahead to drop into the control from above.

7-- 8 I went right of straight, hitting the gap in the mapped green, then I dropped into the correct reentrant, following it to the control.

8-9 - My foggy glasses led to small error. It didn't seem right from my bearing but I let myself get sucked down the small reentrant that was in between #8 and #9. On the map, the contour doesn't shown enough of it being there and I was reading it as just one reentrant over. I corrected well before the field but I'd still gotten past the control when I crossed to the correct reentrant.

9-10 - I was getting tired. I drifted a little left where there were other depressions.

10-11 - I ended up going straight but had thoughts of using the trails to the right. There was more ditch detail just before the large reentrant with the stream before #11 and so I wasn't 100% sure when I turned left to get into the right one. The leg line also hid the smaller reentrant that I climbed initially.

11-12 - I went across the top rather than back down the hill I'd just climbed. I came down a small reentrant past the cliffs and that allowed me to see the control better than if I'd come from below as the leg line was drawn. The leg line should have been shown straight, not favoring one side of the cliff or the other.

12-13 - I stayed low leaving #12, and turned west up the stream. I crossed quickly however. It wasn't clear to me which trail I got on and my compass didn't seem to line-up with the one that took me to the saddle. Coming down from the saddle, I crossed the small reentrant and could see the stream junction with the control from above.

13-14 - I went up the side of the reentrant still heading SE through the first intersection. I followed the next reentrant down to the stream and ran over the small spur. Goiong up the stream past #3 (which I didn't see again), at the next junction I headed south and got on the trail where I saw David Onkst on the Blue course. I criss-crossed the streams through the reentrant junction and slowly climbed the spur to the control. Kathleen Lennon was there having just left after punching, as I approached.

14-15 - I was surprised to see Kathleen walking tried to spur her on by telling her she needed to move faster to beat Peggy, but I later found out that she was out with a bulging disc. Kathleen had crossed the first reentrant and I ran around it. I was slow climbing back and wondering why I wasn't seen the control as I kept going but I didn't lose any time.

After finishing the Fab 4, spouses and others got to chat a bit which was reminiscent of older days.

Green - Splits

From Riffleford Rd., I ran the trail heading toward Thurgood Marshall Elementary School (Peggy says this has been renamed as an extension of the Seneca Ridge Trail) and looped that back to the Greenway Trail. Using the Greenway Trail, I took the Mink Hollow Trail to Clopper Lake, then used the Long Draught/Greenway Trail to get back to Riffleford Rd. It was about 38 or 39 F starting out. We met Michael Dickey to pickup controls from him for future QOC events. Peggy and I felt pretty good starting out. I felt less so the last half of the run, which was the longest for me in a few weeks. The route was hilly. It warmed-up a little during the run and there were more people around the lake than elsewhere.

From Rockville HS, on Baltimore Ave., to the Rock Creek Trail, then north. Before reaching Avery Rd., I turned up the unammed dirt trail to get to the Lake Bernard Frank Parking area off of Avery Rd., to the trail across the dam, then back into the Rock Creek Trail and Baltimore Ave. to Rockville, HS. It was around 50 F and damp everywhere, even in the air. Running through the Rock Creek valley, I could see that much of it had become bushier with ground plants. It still looked pretty. I think the terrain higher up was still pretty good. I'm not sure why I show a sudden weight gain. I hadn't been eating more than previously. I guess it's part of the colder weather setting in.

I voted prior to running and though the polling station was busy, there was no line. I also had to take my PC in since it won't boot and Windows can't repair itself. There seems to be something wrong with the solid state drive and other hard drive partitions. :( I'd been putting together a new base map on it the night before and all seemed fine.

From Northfield Rd., Custer Rd. to Wilson Ln. to Glenbrook Rd., to Bradley Blvd., to Arlington Rd., to Old Georgetown Rd. to the Huntington Pkwy., to Custer Rd., to Northfield Rd. It had been pouring down rain most of the day but when I started there had been a lull, and it was about 52 F. I ran a sweat top for the first time this fall, and in my old shoes but only got them wet in the last half mile or so. I felt a little more tired while running and when I did, I kept the pace modest and my stride short. This was almost 2 minutes faster than on a humid day in August.

From Northfield Rd., to Georgetown Pike via Greenwich Park, to Beech Ave., through North Bethesda Middle School to Bradmoor Dr., to Folkstone Rd., to Hartsdale Ave., to Heampstead Ave., to McKinley St., to Garfield St., to Roosevelt St., to Jefferson St., to Northfield Rd. I got through the first 2 miles faster than I thought I was going but I faded finishing-up. It was in the 70s F.

From Northfield Rd., to Custer Rd.,, to Wilson Ln., to Glenbrook Rd., to the Elm St. Trail and Elm St., to Clarendon Rd., to Denton Rd., to Edgemor Ln., to Clarendon Rd., to Wilson Ln., to Del Ray Ave., to Battery Ln. and Battery Park, to the Bethesda Trolley Trail. to Maple Ridge Rd., to Old Georgetown Rd., to Custer Rd. to Northfield Rd. I figured I should run more than 2 miles and added onto this old route as I went along. It turned out longer than expected. It was good to get out after the recent rainy days. I didn't have any problems with the injury I'd been feeling earlier and I ran faster than anticipated.