Training Log Archive: Nadim

With rain predicted, it was also a good time for a rest day.

Event: QOC Swanson Rd
 

Swanson Road Natural Area: Warmup for the second QOC event in this park. My legs were a bit sore from the days before.

QOC: Swanson Rd. It was a good thing that it was such a nice day in the Swanson Road Natural Area--I spent a lot of time out there on the Red course (no Blue offered). I figured I'd be in for a tough day when just before I started, I asked Ken Walker if he'd broken 50 minutes form the 7.5K course and he told me that he finished in 75 minutes. Other people were better able to surmount the issues which caused me trouble. The leafy forest was one thing. Dave Linthicum, the mapper had told me long ago when I'd set the first Summer Short Series event here, that he had not really field checked some areas thoroughly--his purpose for mapping the park hadn't been all about orienteering. Things were just a bit inconsistently mapped. Much that was mapped white, wasn't white. Some of what was green, wasn't that green. In some places,the contours and formlines had been worked on a lot; this wasn't true in other areas.

I started poorly on #1 but running okay on the long way around on the road and mowed field. With the line covering a narrow ridge, I looked in a ditch in a reentrant before moving up to the end of the ridge to find it. I went straight over hills at #2, reading contours well but missing high. I did a 180 leaving #2, but did find #3 quickly, a bit left of where I expected it. I aimed off to the right for #4 and spiked it while passing Billy Allaband. Going back over the ridge straightish to #5, I was on target but hesitant--I didn't see it until I was right on it. I went a bit to the right going toward #6, saw a trail bend and came down off of it into what turned out to be the wrong reentrant. The bend I left from wasn't the same one shown on the map. At the bottom, I turned the wrong way but eventually got there w/o a really large mishap. The same kind of thing happened going to #7. There was a lot more going on with the map in that area than shown--multiple ditches, and some mappable depressions and rootstocks. The trail run to #8 was okay. I saw Billy Allaband again as he was leaving it--he was probably running on the Green course. I passed him getting to #9 by going along the top of the edge of the hill but I'm really not sure what happened there. From the reentrant that I started down, I didn't see the control. I looped back and forth not really getting things to line-up as expected but stumbled on to it somehow. I'm not sure when BIlly found it.

I was fine going low to #10. I ran across the hillside going to #11. I knew that there was at least one major extra reentrant on this hillside from my earlier course setting. I think there really were a few more. I was still feeling like I was reading the map well enough and judging distances. When I hit the two reenrants the conrol was supposed to be in, I didn't find it. Other ROTC kids were looking and asking for help--I felt bad refusing it though I was in just as much trouble. I went low to relocate on the earthbank and stream bend and was just about where I expected. I came up again only to miss again. I finally found it going on after fully exploring what seemed to be 4 reentrants.

I came right off the stream bend and followed a ditch up toward #12 but didn't find it. Another depressed ROTC asked where we where. I pointed out the direction of the finish and he was satisfied with that. I did however, tell him that he'd probably see some buildings on the way that he could relocate from. I hit #13 and #14 just fine by basically going straight. After using the field edges to approach #15, I stumbled and by happenstance, one of my fingers got stuck under my thumb compass at the pointer as I stopped my fall on the ground--that left a bloody L shaped divute in my fingerprint. Good thing that I'd already gotten re-fingerprinted recently. Finally at the right location, I stood and looked around and up and down the ditch. Literally one step further, and I found it right under me, tucked rather low. On the way to #16, I went straight; the contours weren't always making sense until half way there. Tom Nolan crossed my path, on a path there. Continuing straight, I went over some hills and down past some deadfall only to find Tom having just gotten there ahead of me. We both found the control quickly after that. It was steep at first going to #17. I led walking, then ran still ahead as it flattened. At the top was the nicest running we'd had except for the start, and the one trail run to #8. I kept along the edge of some open an less open forest, staying a bit left of a knoll. Tom went over the knoll to my right and got there just ahead of me. The route to #18 was a dogleg back. I hit the bottom of the reentrant just a bit lower than the control so I lost time circling back. For my run-in, I didn't want to cross the rough open field. I went around to the field people parked in like I had going toward #1.

It was a poor day but given the many issues, I'm not going to get depressed about it. I got a fairly good workout in (7.3 miles and 356m of climb on what was billed as a 7.5K, 145m climb course). Peggy's brother Paul had met us at the park and we had lunch afterward. We also got home early enough to enjoy the neighborhood block party,

Red - Splits

From Northfield Rd., Jefferson St. to Bradley Hills ES, to Folkstone Rd. to Ewing Dr. to Greentree Rd. Fernwood Park, to Newbold Dr. to Greentree Rd. across the WMAL radio tower fields, to Derbyshire Ln., to Greyswood Rd., to Harrogate Rd. to Stratton Park,. to Democracy Blvd. to Cabin John Regional Park, to Seven Locks Rd. to Bells Mill Rd. and a small trail paralleling it, to Democracy Ln., to Cabin John Middle School. I took a rather circuitous route to run to Max's soccer game. It was almost 3 miles further than expected and I missed the game. When I had run between the same points but in the opposite direction on a different route a month ago, it was only a bit under 5 miles. Today, I had strung together several parks on this route and it was just longer than anticipated. My planning had been mostly a mental map, rather than done with an actual map, and there really were no roads in a direct line. I crossed parts of Cabin John Regional Park off trail and there were enough scratchy things that it was slow without gaitors. I also had a slight unexpected detour at Seven Locks Rd. as I tried to find a trail head that didn't exist. I guess it's good that I got some more runnng in but it was more than I wanted for today.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to Arlington Rd. with Max, then to 12th and C St. SW, Washington, D.C. It was in the 40s F. I felt like I was straining much of the time. The more dense air might have been it or I'm just tired. There didn't seem to be any wind. I hit the Capital Crescent Trail just in front of the guy I rode behind earlier in the week (who didn't like my lack of fenders). He stayed behind me for a mile or so until he was tired of going slow (just under 22mph). I stayed behind him until he inexplicaby stopped to drop down to the C&O Towpath at the trestle bridge. Though he seemed to be commuting, earlier in the week he broke off earlier just after passing the Lincoln Memorial. There was pedestrian traffic today from a fund raising for cancer research walk, passing along the Jefferson Memorial.

From 12th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. to Arlington Rd., where I picked-up Max's bicycle, then to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. At around lunch, I saw the flags again around the Washington Monument and all of them were standing on end from a wind blowing out of the NW. I wasn't as lucky as earlier in the week when the wind direction changed. I did however move okay getting to Georgetown which is the toughest most exposed part. I passed a few people in the traffic and got moving better on the flats. I got caught going up past the Palisades. My legs don't have the power right now; tiredness and carrying the weight of 2 days of cloths plus extras for the cold morning, then going into the wind weren't a good combination for me. The two who passed me were at first doing 19mph up the grade which is pretty good anytime. The leader broke off quickly and I stayed behind another guy up to Falls Rd. Without the clouds that had been hanging around, I was fortunate to get home before it got dark.

From Northfield Rd. to Arlington Rd. with Max, then to the Bethesda Metro Station. It was 49 F but sunny.

From the Silver Spring Metro Station, to 2nd Ave. to Grace Church Rd., and following the Georgetown Branch Trail over the road portion, (Talbot Ave. Pennsylvania Ave., Kansas Ave. and Stewart Ave.) to the unpaved portion, to Woodmont Ave. in Bethesda, to the Bethesda Metro Station. It was kind of cool out. My hamstrings were feeling stronger though my quads were tired from cycling. I'm getting used to running in the dark again.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Arlington Rd. where I picked-up Max's bike, then to Northfield Rd. It was a nice warm down but kind of cool in a sweaty shirt.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to Arlington Rd. with Max, then to 12th and C St. SW, Washington, D.C. I rode alone today but moved okay. My pace was more steady. I managed to hold 20mph on the flats despite feeling tired. It seemed that every time I needed to pass, there was oncoming traffic and I had to wait. There were some headwinds near the Kennedy Center. Having worn a vest which kept me comfortable, I got a bit sweaty. I didn't sleep well last night, perhaps because I was falling asleep earlier in the evening.

From 12th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. to Arlington Rd. Once there, I watched Max's team of second graders scrimmage a third grader girl soccer team. The girls were bigger and looked to be faster but it was surprising how much less aggressive they were. The boys won 3 to 2. After that, Max and I rode home in the twilight to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. My ride was kind of crazy initially. The Washington Nationals, playing in the first baseball playoff game here in decades (I believe they lost game 3) with 41K in the stadium finished just before rush hour started, and the traffic was abnormal. Traffic lights were out of their usual synch so it probably was a mess for the cars. However there were lots of pedestrians and cyclist doing wacky things like stopping in the middle of the trail under a bridge where it was difficult to get around them. Some of these must have been fans but most were probably just enjoying the warmer, sunnier weather. I had a slight unexpected tailwind for a little while; I'd expected a headwind after seeing the wind blow flags around the Washington Monument southward. I was able to hold a better pace today, even when the wind wasn't helping.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to Arlington Rd. with Max, then to 12th and C St. SW, Washington, D.C. It was the first real fall ride this season for me. It was about 49-50 F, and damp out from rains within the last hour. Max rode more slowly than he has been. I pulled onto the Capital Crescent Trail almost right behind a guy carrying 2 panniers. By River Rd. I caught and passed him. He stayed behind me until the Dalecarlia reservoir where another guy caught and passed both of us. I rode the draft untill Fletcher's Boathouse where I breifly took the lead. I think I must have committed an error in commuter etiquite (for the people who ride a lot) by not having fenders. The faster rider mumbled something about this and didn't stay behind for very long; being tired from running, When leading, I had tired and slowed quickly too. I was able to ride a draft right up to Independence Ave. near the river. There might have been a slight tailwind.

From 12th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. to Arlington Rd., where I picked-up Max's bicycle, then to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. It was a lonely trail today; there were few cyclists. It was in the low 60s F but still damp. It had started to get dark by the time I was finished. My quads, the right one especially, were sore from recent workouts. I moved slowly over hills.