Training Log Archive: Nadim

Event: QOC Oregon Ridge
 

QOC: Oregon Ridge, Cockeysville, MD. Peggy, Max and I got out to the park late in the day. With my calf having been bothersome yesterday, I got ready and took one ibuprofen pill before heading out. I started casually to warm-up. My calf held up okay going up the big hill and side sloping. I tripped on a few things early on (leaves were hiding branches and rocks) as well as did a good bit of walking when climbing. The climb seemed like a lot more than the 230m advertised--my GPS adjusted track recorded 344m. That's overall not so bad really. I saw David Onkst leaving #3 and about what seemed to be close to 1 minute ahead. I made most of this up by the time I got to #4--there David, Dan Quinn, Kim Jepsen, and I converged. My first thought was to go around to the right toward #5 but ultimately, I went up Dave's route, having re-thought being slow on the hillsides. I punched right behind David there and caught-up by taking a slightly better bearing.

Though AP shows me with a rare no-error race, I was running without proper map contact at times and this resulted in two errors on the way to #6. I had decided to save energy and take the longer high route. I didn't execute it correctly as I curved left; it kept feeling like I needed to correct my bearing as this was happening. I finally corrected and dropped into the reentrants. I saw David again, ahead of my by about 30 seconds. I gained but where David paused and went on, I cut left incorrectly for the second error on the same leg. When I saw houses ahead I knew what I'd done and had to cross an extra ridge to get onto the right spur. David was about a minute ahead when I left #6, headed toward #7. We both passed David Levine independently as we stayed left of straight to avoid side reentrants. When David Onkst went through some fallen trees rather than go around them I gained more ground. After crossing the main ridge trail, things weren't matching what I expected them to be. David Onkst was off to my left and running into a reentrant with a ridge to his right--that ridge didn't have a formline knoll so I paused. I decided to go right and that was the correct way.

After #7, I used the trail heading off toward #8. I cut left when the woods opened-up more to my liking, and climbed. I saw a control ahead that didn't look right but I was tempted to go to it. It was getting difficult to read the contours there when I saw Lacho Iliev coming across on what would have been a more direct route than I took. Mihai Sirbu came in behind him too from a different direction. The direction they were headed to made sense so I chased. As I went over a small notch, I recalled getting confused in this area in the summer. I ultimately was too high but ran down to the root stock that Mihai was leaving from.

Going to #9, I chased and passed Mihai after he started walking. I kept straight. Approaching the correct reentrant, I expected the control to be lower and visible. Lacho and later John Baker came back going toward #10 on a dog-leg route. I saw the control a few seconds later. My first thought leaving #9 was to climb on the high route to the right. It was too steep so I dog legged through the reentrant like Lacho too. At the top, things again didn't make sense as I descended. I stopped myself and realized that the saddle for a formline knoll was far to the right. I corrected with maybe 20 seconds lost.

Leaving #10, I stayed low to spread out the climb and use the trail to the left. I was slow climbinb but recovered on the flatter top and got moving well again. I went fairly straight after leaving the pipeline ride and spiked #11. John Baker was approaching #11 when I left. I thought he might catch me so I headed out quickly and kept a good bearing. I almost got sucked off to the right too early when I'd misread the map but I lost no time. I hit a trail intersection about where I wanted to, then crossed into the reentrant with #12. It seemed a long way getting there and at one spot like there was an extra reentrant. I moved well side-hilling toward #13 but didn't push it; I wanted to avoid re-injuring my right calf. Ditto for the run-in but I did pickup the pace on the grass a little bit. It felt good to finish on a gradual downhill.

I was happy to finish as well as I had given my calf still healing, and that I've been eating too much--I really had wanted to keep my weight under 180 lbs. at least until the new year got here. The big chinese dinner yesterday had a lot to do with that failure.

Blue - Splits

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.