Training Log Archive: Nadim

Silver Spring, MD. From Rte. 29, north on the Rachel Carson Trail on the east side of the Northwest Branch Creek, crossing over to the west side, I proceeded north more into Wheaton Regional Park, to complete the Campground Loop Trail, then I returned south Northwest Branch Trail on the west bank of the Northwest Branch Creek to the parking lot on the south side of Rte. 29. I had been thinking of doing this run earlier and when John Pifer talked about it the other day. Working in Beltsville today I had the opportunity to do it and I came prepared. I ran in the dark with my headlamp. It's a really good one and I needed it. The Rachael Carson Trail is really bumpy (sometimes rocky) and narrow at the south end. The north end of it is twisty. It was pretty cold for around here lately--20 to 22 F with a breeze. The cold was another reason to retreat to this fairly sheltered valley. In Wheaton Regional Park, I climbed without slowing much--I felt strong but had been moving slowly all along. Running in the dark can do that but I know my body is also tired. I was pretty surprised to find a short but totally new trail. It looks like they are relocating part of the campground loop. It took me past two new rootstocks that I had just mapped earlier this month. I ran it twice to get a good track. Heading back, I enjoyed the flatter Northwest Branch Trail. It looks like they have been working on the trail there too--it was smoother. I moved well for a mile or so. I probably frightened one guy walking his dog as I plowed through the dark, though they saw me coming. Near the end, I know I was pretty tired. I didn't have much energy going downhill and was not feeling in balance sometimes. I did sweat on this run but I was a tad on the cold side.

Wheaton Regional Park, MD. I first covered some areas close-in near the old ice rink. Next, I made my way further west and checked some areas that I had updated earlier. I got to the far southwest where the woods are mostly open and made quick work of that. I got to the northwest after that and fixed a few things that I'd gotten before but had been lead astray on from old online imagery. I did some work around the fence and barn, including some open terrain behind an administrative building. The fencing near the barn is being extended so I mapped it too. The woods in this area were far out of date and mostly green. I didn't have time to get into one section but got some ditches in another. After a few updates around the lake, I realized it was getting late. I still needed to check the placement of a boulder so I did that and made my way back. I hadn't realized that I'd been out so long. I was getting bleary eyed and not concentrating well once the light level dropped--a definite sign to stop field checking.

Event: QOC Greenbelt
 

QOC: Greenbelt Park, MD. After my long workout yesterday, I thought I would be hurting and pretty slow doing Blue today. I warmed-up during the race fairly quickly. It reached a high of 58 F (it didn't feel like it because of the wind), and I had my heavier long sleeve shirt on to protect me from thorns. I subsequently didn't feel so bad. I was just never very fast.

I enjoyed the run across the grass toward #1 and hit it right on. I went a bit left toward #1, then used the trail to attack from high. Going from low would have done me better. I pulled-up short and high, then fumbled my way through the unmapped deadfall to the control. As I closed in, Videlin Aleksiev came in from behind. He'd beaten me the last two QOC events (with some help from my errors) so I wanted to get going. I pushed to the next few controls. I hit # pretty well, attacking fromt he right but getting just past the control before seeing it. I used the trail going to #4 and spiked it. I went back to the trail to attack #5 from the north and spiked that too. From my GPS track, I can see that something, either the mapping, or the control locations of #5 and #6 was wrong. I subsequently missed #6 coming off a knoll and finding myself near the road. I corrected but lost time. I went straight at #7. I crossed a gully, then the stream and figured I'd still be able to aim off into the control. However, finding myself at a sewer, I adjusted cutting back a bit as I went up the hill. I didn't see it when I figured I'd gone far enough so I cut right more where there was another ditch. That wasn't it either. I cut back again but higher and as I got near, Videlin (Vido) popped-up and pointed at it downslope about 15 m away. I punched and ran at #8. It was just up the larger reentrant but old deadfall obscured sight lines. I projected a path of least resistance and saw it a bit further up than anticipated. Going for #9 which was somewhat back down the same reentrant but on the other side, I went left a bit for better running. I closed in on John Baker while doing this. He punched right before me with Vido coming in close behind. John went straight at #10, diagonlly downslope through some not so clear woods. I cut over horizontally to hit the trail and attack closer in from a bend in clearer woods. I got there first. Next, the three of us headed directly uphill with me leading. Hitting the trail, I went to the bend before attacking. When my estimate of distance ran out and I didn't see anything, I cut left, and John hunted behind me. I saw Videlin going up an empty ditch. He indicated it wasn't the right area. I had my look, then went back to where I'd been, behind Vido. I came in higher than I'd been, and further west before I saw how the new deadfall had obscured my view earlier. I got there first. From my GPS track, I should have been on top of the control on my first attack so something is probably wrong with the map here too. Vido was right behind me but I'm not sure if John found it near when I had. I headed off somewhat lower than straight since the running was better. In hind sight, going down to the trail is what I should have done. Instead, I went across, almost straight to attack the control from the campground loop. Vido was behind but within sight when I went into the greenbriar on the right side of the reentrant. I got to the control pretty well, still a little surprised it was as far down the hill as it was. After this (#12), I didn't see Vido or John again until after the race.

I took off from #12, hitting the lower trail--not sure that the new mapping of it made sense or whether it was accurate--my GPS track showed a bigger curve to it. Once past the intersection, I ran up the spur to #13. I got just a bit too high but easily close enough to see it. I ran right a bit on the way to #14; to get around some green. I adjusted at the bottom of the reentrant and climbed. Feeling I'd gone far enough, I stopped and checked the map before going on. It was visible within my next 5 steps, straight ahead. I went straight at #15 until the woods got trashy with new unmapped deadfall. I passed an adventure racer who'd pulled up short. I kept going expecting to see the buildings ahead but never really did. The deadfall obscured me and I seemed to find a lot of unmapped ditches. I cut left a bit and found it soon after, lower on the hill. The adventure racer apparantly got there just ahead of me. I took off fast, passing Keg Good who was going the other way, but also on Blue. I had to zig-zag some going down and as I crossed some ditches I became unsure of my location. At the bottom, I crossed a ditch, near where it crossed the Perimeter Trail so I instantly knew where I was again. I splashed across the creek, headed up the hill and cut over to the reentrant. The control was visible 40m away. Going to #17, I used the trail and climbed higher on it. The area was mapped green so I didn't go more directly until being much higher on the trail. I finally cut across when I thought that I was near a switchback but this was slow. I also wondered if I missed the trail doing this but soon I saw what looked like Mark Mace ahead and walking on the trail. Getting there myself, I found Gary Smith. I passed Gary and left the trail again. After crossing the road, I saw another adventure racer with a backpack coming up. I hit the control and decided that he took a favorable route toward #18, so I u-turned after #17 too. On my climb out after #17, I saw Gary again, attacking #18. I went up the road to the Perimeter Trail. In retrospect, I should have continued up a little, then cut in. It would have been shorter and once on the Perimeter Trail, I could see the road very nearby through some white woods. The adventure racer was still ahead but I closed-in--he'd paused a little, being unsure where he was on the trail. Since I'd come on the trail the whole way, I was sure exactly where I was. The new GPS mapping of the trail probably helped too. I attacked from a bend which happened to be where the old trail was, and I left the adventure racer behind. I followed the old trail to the control. Leaving #18, I ran swiftly down the nice white woods to the trail/road intersection. I crossed the creek on the road, then followed the creek. I angled over to #19 when the valley widened and spiked the control. Going from memory, I cut back from #19 in a dogleg--this was a slight error since going straight up would have been shorter. I corrected and ran across the unmapped rough open spur area with old deadfall on it. I passed 3 guys who were trying to figure out how to get through a wall of thorns--they follwed me as I ran on around it. I took trails to attack #20 from a bend. Getting near, I saw Mike Newman. I paused, attacked and spiked it with Mike behind me. I thought to get to the road for the next control but the trails to the left seemed better, given the state of the forest. I stuck to my plan but I could have improved it cutting across some forest along the way. Once over the road, a teen was contemplating where to cross the creek. We both settled on the same spot at about the same time. I almost hung my foot on a root as I jumped down--that would have caused a face plant into the shallow water but I recovered in time. The kid had been talking but I didn't realize he was talking to me. Once across, he saw me pickup the pace and then asked if we should race it in--I agreed. He started moving faster than me but I think he got hung up on some green or bad footing. I left him behind as we climbed. I read the code for #21 from my description holder--the paper had been folded so when I looked at the second to last control, the numbers didn't match--It took me a few seconds to realize that I WAS on the last control. I ran in after than--AP shows an error for me here and I'm not sure why.

This was a decent race for me. I didn't do so well in the unmapped green areas but came out ahead of the others I was near in these. I was more happy about not feeling too sore after the long Saturday run.

Blue - Splits

Event: 2013 Georgia Navigator Cup & Extreme-O
 

From Rte. 28, the Seneca Greenway Trail to the Mink Hollow Trail, to the Lake Shore Trail (at Lake Clopper), then back onto the Seneca Greenway Trail to Riffle Ford Rd., then to Black Rock Rd. and onto the Seneca Greeway Trail back to Rte. 28. I ran this with Jon Pifer and had a great time. The early miles were a little hilly but they went by fast. It was probably just above freezing but some potentially muddy spots on the trail were frozen over. Jon and I had planned 14 to 15 miles but crossing Riffle Ford Rd. the first time we were only out about 5.5. I thought the loop nearest to this road would be too short to get our mileage and so I thought to run up Mink Hollow. That turned out to be a little longer since I probably didn't calculate correctly with the many zig-zags that the Seneca Ridge Trail does. We'd stopped at the trail head on Riffle Ford Rd. for the Seneca Ridge Trail for some Gatorade and I ate a nutty bar. Jon told me that I picked-up the pace after that but it was less evident to me conciously. Throughout the run, I never felt that strong. Initially I moved pretty slowly over the hills and broke out a sweat. I focused on flowing like water over much of the route. Overall, there were few on the trail. We saw several cyclists going back and about 5-6 other runners. Jon tells me that the Seneca Greenway Trail Marthon and 50K are being planned to be run in the reverse direction compared to the route last year --starting low at the Potomac River, and finishing high in Damascus. I'm not yet fully committed to running it and don't like the change in direction so much. However, I'll give it some serious thought. I'd still like to do the training to prepare me for it since that's just fun and gives me a good base for other races.

C • climb 5

45 situps. I'd planned a short run but working late and going out to dinner cut that out of the day.

From Northfield Rd., to Elm St. and Arlington Rd. through neighborhood streets and back through different streets. I went out to mail some letters and get some groceries, running with a backpack.

Washington D.C. From 14th & Independence Ave., SW, over the 14th St. Bridge into Virginia, then on the Mt. Vernon Trail to Key Bridge, then on the C&O Canal Towpath through Georgetown to the Rock Creek Trail, then to Connecticut Ave. and the Woodley Park Metro Station. The rains had stopped but it was wet outside and 43 F. I wore my Goretex jacket and tights but got too warm as I plodded along, not very smoothly. I had to take off my jacket after 3 miles and that was much better. With a lot of clouds, there was a lot of light reflecting back and lighting up the trail. I could avoid most puddles but there weren't too many of them. The exception was when I got onto the towpath and splashed right on my first step. I did feel much smoother and even better for the last few miles. That's perplexing. I'm still surprised about my weight.