Training Log Archive: Nadim

From Nortfhfield Rd., Custer Rd., to Wilson Ln. to MacArthur Blvd., to Sangmore Rd., to the Capital Crescent Trail to Falls Rd., to Glenbrook Rd., to Wilson Ln., to Custer Rd., to Northfield Rd. I was a little tired from running long on Sunday. However, this helped get some soreness out of my legs.

Event: QOC Jug Bay
 

QOC: Jug Bay - The Chase (a.k.a., the Beer Chase). I ran Blue. On the first loop, I was not keeping up with the pace. Peggy was slowly pulling away after the first control. I had people around me a fair amount but I relied upon myself. In a few places, it helped me to have someone nearer to the control however I was following bearings pretty well and successful at reading the contours to see which direction to turn to find a control along the side of a gully. I saw Marie Pangracova near the end of the first loop, but she wasn't looking like her usual form. She was walking as if she had gotten injured.

My beer drinking wasn't quite in form either. I had to two-gulp it. Going outo on the second loop, which was a score-o/random order format, Jan Merka and I were near each other. I moved ahead attacking but I'd read the control to be on a stream bend and didn't find it, as I came straight at it. I went north, crossed and came back on the other side once realizing the control was on a small reentrant, not the stream. Jan had moved out, along with his daughter Alexis and friend Lucy; the later 2 had caught-up to Jan and I. We had all decided upon the same counter-clockwise loop, and there didn't seem much worth in going any other way. Jan and I both confided after running that we wanted to use the road towards the end, when we'd be more tired. Leaving the 3rd control the 3 others were still ahead, but they opted to cross a spur rather than go around it through the sometimes marshy flat land like I had. I got ahead of all 3 that way, but instead of continuing up the valley like I had, Jan crossed and climbed. The better footing up there got him ahead of me again approaching #109. I did back-track a little to use a trail bridge at one point, so that might have aided Jan in getting ahead too. The girls were not far back at #109. I went straight to #107. Jan had done so mostly too but I passed him and he was falling behind. I hit the edge of the next stream valley and correctly turned left to pretty much spike the control, and Jan was only a few steps behind, having corrected earlier. I went over a small spur to get to and cross the Pindell Branch stream. That kept me ahead of the others. Once climbing up and on the Pindell Bluff Trail however, the girls were right behind me. Lucy seemed strongest at that point. I thought she'd pass me but she seemed to wait for Alexis. Jan had dropped off the pace. At the road I stayed on the trail. and then cut in when I saw some marshyness to my right. The girls had come off of the road somehow. I'd gotten slowed by thicker vegetation near the marsh and they were somewhat ahead of me. However, I was reading the marsh edge well enough to look to my right and see the control first. After getting there, I left quickly and got back ahead of Alexis and Lucy to down my next beer a little better than the last.

The last loop was fairly short but with some still significant navigation necessary. I did not hit #22 well. I'd missed my attack point along the road, mistaking the mapped distinct tree symbol for a cairn (because of the smaller than usual symbol sizes on this map). I saw a ditch but wasn't sure it was the mapped linear marsh. I ended up getting north of the control and coming back. Alexis and Lucy passed me and got back to the road before me while heading towards #23. Their route seemed to be going on the wrong side of the larger marsh, so I made sure to go my own route around and on the east side of the green vegetation. The vegetation extended more to the east than was mapped. I picked-up on it and adjusted to hit #23 pretty well. Alexis and Lucy later told me that they had to go back to the road before getting to #23. I took the trail route to #24, and was a little to the right approaching #25. Recognizing it by the contour of the valley edge, I corrected and spiked #25. I went straight to the barn control and finished still feeling good--perhaps better than I had on the first loop. I think my recent cycling training has helped.

We had a nice picnic lunch on the lawn overlooking the bay. The weather was the best that I could remember ever for a Beer Chase. It was in the 70s with a pleasant breeze. People went into the water and we watched the club awards. We hung around a long time an enjoyed everyone's company.

Blue - Splits

From Northfield Rd., to Moorland Rd., to Glenwood Rd., to Old Georgetown Rd., to W. Cedarl Ln. to the Elmhirst Trail to Beach Dr. to Jones Mill Rd., to the Mormon Temple. The last hill getting up to the temple was rather steep.
and we were riding without our cycling shoes. Peggy and I toured the temple. It has been open for tours for just a few weeks; the first time in about 40 years since when it was first opened. From outside, afar and up-close, it is an impressive looking white tower with 5 golden spires up high. Inside it was less impressive from an aesthetic view. It was very neat, almost hotel-like, but we didnt get to see any big rooms. Across the approximate 7 stories, which we walked, there were many small rooms for changing clothes, being baptized, getting married, receiving instruction, and a spiritual room. The hosts were all very nice and working as volunteers to guide the crowds and even to kneel down and put on and take off wrappings over our shoes going into and leaving the main building.

Afterward, we biked on Jones Mill Rd., to Jones Bridge Rd., to Mano Rd., to Connecticut Ave., where we had lunch at the old Einstein Bagels restaurant. The bagelry is being surrounded by new condos and will eventually be replaced by a condo building too. All the growth is related to the new Purple Line light rail station that being built too.

From there we went to Jones Bridge Rd., to the Bethesda Trolley Trail, to Maple Ridge Rd., to Huntington Pkwy., to Custer Rd., to Northfield Rd. It was breezy and pleasant outside.

From Northfield Rd. Custer Rd. to Huntington Pkwy., to Old Georgetown Rd., to Glenwood Rd., to the Jefferson St. trail to Northfield Rd. I needed to walk to help my digestion.

From Northfield Rd. to Norfolk Ave. to pick-up lunch, then back.

From Nortfhfield Rd., Custer Rd., to Wilson Ln. to MacArthur Blvd., to Sangmore Rd., to the Capital Crescent Trail to Woodmont Ave. to Battery Ln. to Wisconsin Ave./Rockville Pike, to W. Cedar Ln. to Beach Dr., to Grosvenor Rd., to Fleming Ave., to the Bethesda Trolley Trail, to Beech Ave. to Old Georgetown Rd., to Huntington Pkwy. to Custer Rd., to Northfield Rd. It was hot and I was still a little sore or swollen from riding and hiking last weekend. I did okay.

I rested most of the day but felt the need to stretch out and get some blood flowing. That helped. From Northfield Rd. Custer Rd. to Huntington Pkwy., to Old Georgetown Rd., to Glenwood Rd., to the Jefferson St. trail to Northfield Rd. After the weekend of cycling and hiking, my right knee felt oddly better. Maybe it was just numb.