Training Log Archive: Nadim

EMPO US Long Individual Championships at Camp Wakpominee, NY (near Lake George). I ran a little around the assembly area, and to the finish, then headed-up to the start. It was supposed to be a 1.2k, 80m walk or jog but 1/4 of the way there, I realized I'd forgotten my control descriptions. I ran back to the assembly area and picked mine up, stopping briefly to catch-up with Tapio Karras. I headed back to the start and listened to two people talking about the difficulty seeing the map in the rain yesterday. I was 1/5 of the way there and realized that I'd forgotten my glasses. I ran back, then jogged just about the whole way up. I was well warmed-up by then and it was in the upper 50s F.

C • Scottish 6 days 3

EMPO US Long Individual Championships at Camp Wakpominee, NY (near Lake George). After the longer than planned warm-up, I felt calm at the start. I headed up the trail to the intersection at #1, cut right and went through the saddle intending to come under the stony ground. I kept an eye on the reentrant to my right which I knew pointed to the control. Coming up the unmapped ride, I could see the large cliff on my right. Remembering the reentrant, I felt mostly confident that it was my cliff though there was some doubt in not really being able to discern the cliff better on the map. My eyes were too watery-blury, even with my glasses on. I could only make out a blob that after the race and at home I could see was a cliff with tick marks. I walked across the rocks and other bad footing, not rushing at all and went straight to the control.

As I was leaving #1, I saw Greg Lennon and another younger person. I went up the reentrant and got ahead of them. From the notes, I thought the map had been updated for the new logging activity but it didn't appear to be. I danced over the branches on the ground, following a bearing and knowing that I'd hit a trail before the control. I intended to attack off of a trail bend but where I hit the trail, the bend was less evident. I also didn't realize that both trails were mapped--seeing two didn't slow me; it was just more unmapped stuff. On the last curving slope, I recognized the contour and being just below the control. However as I rounded the corner on the slow terrain, I didn't see the control (#2) in the reentrant. It was behind the mapped boulder but I lost just a little bit of time pausing.

I had left #2 just after another woman had left it (she hadn't given it away when I'd approached #2). I started down the newly cut areas since it was fast and I had been frustrated that dog legging as I had approached #2 would be slow again. This lack of patience in getting to the trail cost me. At the bottom, I failed to cut left to the trail and went a little more before hitting a different trail. Mistaking it, I ran on it a short way and then realized I needed to make a correction. I cut across woods to another trail and more to get close to the water--that was another error, I had to cut back to get around a pond finger and a cliff. I got over the cliff, then to a marsh. My attack from the marsh was badly off; too high. It took me some more time to get lower to the control (#3) and only after backtracking a little bit. This leg would have been nice to do over.

The error on #3 led to more rushing on #4. I ran out intending to take the lower trails to the ridge that #4 was on. On the first trail, I headed down a bit before second guessing myself. U-turned back up the hill following trails toward the ridge so I could attack from above. I left trail and then last big reentrant at a pond so I knew where I was. On the ridge, I got distracted seeing a control to my right, and on a small rocky knoll. This confused me at first but I figured I was above the control. I corrected and got there just after Tom Nolan who'd come from a slightly different direction.

Leaving #4, Tom was standing and reading and staring to the north. I commented aloud "Good question!" I looked for longer than usual but took off headed the way I'd come, up the ridge and past the control for another course. I felt that attacking #5 from the trail was the safest thing and that using the trail would be fast. Having come part of this way already when running to #4, I figured going through the light green wouldn't be too bad. I even found the remnant of an old ride that was going my direction to the NE. I stayed on the ridge. Visibility was not good but I moved steadily. Eventually things opened up and I cut more to the right. I climbed at an angle that eventually got me to the trail, and started running faster. David Onkst running the Red course was coming up the hill I was going down. I read the trail bends well and cut down on a bearing from NW of the control. I saw a boulder that I recognized to be mapped as I descended and seconds later, I could see the marsh, still well below. I ran to it, then scrambled across the new deadfall to spike #5. That made me happy and improved my anxiety at already having messed-up going to #3 and #4. Having gone slowly to #1 didn't bother me at this point since I'd spiked it.

For #6, I started going straight, thinking it not worth angling much to the trail. I also worried about getting to an difficult crossing point in the marsh ahead. It looked too risky to cross due north of the control though it probably would have been fine in hind sight, after having crossed near the first waterfall. I did cross by cutting east, away from the control, and this put me at the foot of the cliffs that I'd wanted to be further east of. I found an angling ledge that led me up the cliffs and took it. I should have just stayed low at that point. On top of the cliffs, I found a control and went on. Dropping across a reentrant, I found the trail and crossed, rather than seeing on the map how it curved toward the control if I'd have cut westward on it. I saw the ponds and knew where I was but had to go further south to get around them, and not lose too much elevation. On the other side, I found a water control on a ridge but it wasn't the control on the saddle that I was looking for. I paused and read the map a while before going down the ridge to #6. That was far too much time lost on a not so hard control.

The remaining terrain was easier. I went fairly straight toward #7 and used the corner of the ride to track my position once across the reentrant. I went over the hilltop just left of the line, then got a little distracted by the yellow, as I was looking for more significant drop off. I hit the marshy stuff and cut right, to come into the control from the NE.

I ran straight toward #8 but shifted sharper to the left to get around the marsh. I stayed low and followed the reentrant into the control. Going to #9, I passed Gayle Gagarin again, but got confused after passing some cabins and seeing what looked like a T-intersection much too soon. I paused a while, losing time, the followed the road to the left to the correct T intersection. Attacking, I got confused again by seeing rough open ground to the left--it wasn't mapped and I mistook it for more open ground that was mapped more to the north. I cut right to adjust but once over the edge of the hill, the control was way to the left. Going to #10, I ran straight but started to drift right after crossing the bottom of the reentrant. The map was busy here and hard to see the contours. I stopped a little bit and forced myself back down into the reentrant. I paused at a control that wasn't mine, then went on, straight to the correct control. I ran straight at #11 and hit it well. I had trouble seeing the control, read the code, saw the two boulders, and confirmed it was #11. A trail of people were headed toward my #12 but they were on other courses. I got around some of them before punching. For #13, I took off, passing others and using the road/trail on the west side of the stream. My thought had been to cross the stream on the road but I changed it when two others were going straight--it seemed faster so I risked getting hung-up crossing the stream. It was pretty easy to cross. I went over the hill and past the control on a boulder that others I'd passed were headed to. For #14, I played it safe, backtracking to the road the same way I'd come. I would have saved time cutting straighter. Entering the finish arena, I paused to read the map. I couldn't see where the control was with a bushy tree in my line of sight. I should have pushed more on the run in. As it was, I was only ~40 seconds ahead of Clint Morse for the day.

I left a lot of time on the clock by making errors and not being patient. By contrast, I ran with better navigation on the Middle the day before, only my main error was bigger because I couldn't relocate. Today, the navigation was easier so my errors didn't hurt me as much--I got second in M50+ which was nice but Joe Brautigam and Sergei Velichco were running M45+ this weekend and they've been running faster than me for several years now (since stopping speed training after my torn meniscus). Others didn't run in M50+ too, and of those that did, they often had cleaner races. After comparing notes with the other M50+s on Green Y, I'd been sitting on a bench, eating, and waiting for the awards to start and I got a nasty hamstring cramp in my left leg. I was able to stand but it didn't abate. My other leg started to cramp bur fortunately it held off. It was a fun weekend!

Long Green Y - Splits

EMPO US Middle Distance Championships at Lake Moreau, NY. Hike from the bus drop-off to the start area.

EMPO US Middle Distance Championships at Lake Moreau, NY. I looked forward to the challenging terrain today. It didn't disappoint me. It was made more challenging for all with mostly light rain. The rain was heavier for me in the early part of the course.

I'd told myself that I'd plan better and go more slowly but the excitement, the technical difficulty, difficulty to read in the rain, and concern that competitors were on my tail blew that apart early. Andras Revesz started 2 minutes behind me. Clint Morris started 6 minutes behind. I did what I often do; I ran straight on a bearing and tried to read my way across. I did figure that I'd see the line of marshes before the control. I did see them, hitting right at the southern gap, though on the run, I couldn't read the gap. I angled up from there and spiked the control--whew, it was good not to mess up the first one!

It had been tiring getting to #1 and that may have helped me settle down. I thought it risky to go straight to #2. I chickened out a bit too much intending to bear right and bounce off the trail to the west. As I set out however, I had been pushed left by the terrain. I lost contact figured I was running parallel to the the trail. I got wishy washy and started running more south toward the control. Fortunately, I hit the tip of the marsh that I was going to run around anyway. From there it was easy to get to the control--not a confidence building leg but it wasn't an error.

For #3, I thought to run a bit to the left at first because it'd save a bit of climb and the lower terrain to the terrain straight looked slow. I'd interpreted the trail to the left to be cliffs. I stayed on the hillside near the ridge but lost track of things. I stopped short and moved ahed before stopping more and must have looked bewildered. A friend offered to help but I didn't want it. I cut to my right and was at the control 10 seconds later. For #4, my plan was not so good. Going on bearing, I started reading carefully but going up one hill where i still knew my location, realize that I could run to the large marsh. Setting out for it, I hit it at the north end and attacked. I hugged the marsh too closely going to the wrong cliff before seeing it, and the John Baker coming from a more efficient direction. I can't remember much about getting to #5 except using a bearing.

For #6, I intended to stay on the ridge and follow cliffs until near the control. I didn't see the run on the left, along the marshes. I started getting pretty tired on the ridge but thought I knew where I was 1/3 of the way there. I figured that I missed the control further up but was surprised at not hitting the trail. I went further and further and started to think I ran past the trail. I doubled back lower, on the right (east) side of the ridge--that had been my mistake right from the start. I'd misinterpreted the contours and should have been looking on the left (west) side. I turned around again and got to the trail, near a bend only it took me long. Coming back down from a bend, I found control #7 but with my glasses wet, I didn't connect the code with my clue description. I went lower and did another loop, finding another control along a marsh. I convinced myself that I'd over shot the first trail earlier when I went over bare rock, and really near a second more southerly trail. I went back up to that trail and read the bends as I ran along it, still believing this theory. Both trails had similarities. Heading off of it at a bend, I stumble into #6 and was surprised.

Going to #7 from there wasn't hard since by then, I'd figured the control I was at earlier was indeed what I'd seen earlier. I hesitated one cliff too high and had to round it on the low side to get to the control. I hit #8 well after that by going straight. My pace and energy picked up from there. I played it safe going on the trail toward #9 and didn't try to cut corners. I read my way in satisfyingly well from the north side of the big marsh.

Going straight toward #10, my path converged with both Mike Eglinski, and Vido Vitalin. It was sketchy for me near the end but I lucked-in to seeing the control first. I took off for #11 like I'd done for #6, expecting to follow the ridge. Mike and Vido fell back a bit. I pulled-up when I saw a reentrant to my right and realized I had gone to the right too much. I corrected and saw Mike and Vido leaving the control. I caught Mike and Vido as neither we're running hard, then got ahead spiking #12. Mike got ahead at the marsh. We hopped to the island, then left. From there, Mike went straight and I cut right. I spiked my control and figured Mike and Vido had another. Leaving #13, I passed by the Red course control with Mike and Vido just getting to it. I ran up to the trail and the Go control. I had to pause after punching to be able to read the code on my clue description which was wet and hard to read with my glasses. I passed one person running in.

I was happy to get around the course well for the most part. The one large error on #6 was avoidable if I'd planned better. Even now after the race, I still read up and down incorrectly there and it may be due to the control circle hiding a knoll. Relocating sooner might have kept me in contention for a medal. Tomorrow is another day.

EMPO US Middle Distance Championships at Lake Moreau, NY. Hike back to the bus pick-up from the finish.

Middle Green Y - Splits

Event: 2013 U.S. Individual Championships/Team Trials
 

EMPO US Sprint Championships at Camp Wakpominee, NY (near Lake George). Warm-up along the camp road going back and forth. Sometimes, Max would play by trying to bump me as I passed so I did likewise. I looped by the finish at one point.

EMPO US Sprint Championships at Camp Wakpominee, NY (near Lake George). I started feeling okay; I took the trail but pulled up short of the first control. I was confused by the scale (1:5,000) and the small size of symbols. Leaving #1 kicking myself for the hesitation, I didn't read the leg well. I went straight and in doing so felt that initially using the trail would have been better. Getting back to the trail, I cut across the next corner only when the slope wasn't too steep. When I hit the next trail, I climbed but couldn't gauge my location accurately. I hesitated looking for a bend in the trail that the map showed but was unsure I that I was seeing. I used the boulders to work my way in and spike it but I had already lost time.

Going to #3 I started fine but got confused with the stony ground and the wall. The scale got me again and I plowed past the control missing it to the right. I had completely missed that there was a stream to follow ;(. I couldn't make sense of the trail, and seeing another control. I went to on near #4. I cut back and found it but lost 1.5 to 2 minutes. I ran with a poor bearing to the same control that I'd been near before then corrected to #4.

#5 was finally better. I took trails to the right, and popped up jus past the control at the building. I went around to the left to #6, spiking it. I spiked #7 but I was hesitating. #8 was easy. I headed for the trail to go to #9. I hit the power line first then moved slowly on it thinking I was on a trail to the left; I didn't see the power line until I didn't see an expected trail bend. I adjusted but I'd lost some time. I was a little slow hesitating whether to use the trail or go straight. I took trails around to the left going to #11 because I didn't feel that I was running well in this type of forest. Along the was, I saw Tom Overbaugh who'd started 2 minutes ahead of me and had been leaving #12. Spiking #11, I went straight to #12 but got on the left side of the building and had to go between them to get to the control.

For #13, I used the trails at first, then went straight and spiked it. I went straight and along the shore somewhat to spike #14. I had to get around 2 people at the end. I hesitated leaving #14, then still wasn't running with confidence; I feared mis-punching but it wasn't to be. The run-in was so short that I couldn't get up to speed.

The day wasn't terrible but it wasn't a good day for me.

Sprint Green - Splits

From Northfield Rd. I ran up to Custer Rd., to Wilson La., to Exeter Rd. to Glenbrook Rd. to the Bethesda Trolley Trail, to the NIH grounds, to Maple Ridge Rd. to Georgetown Pike, to Huntington Pkwy., to Custer Rd. to Northfield Rd. It was rainy today again, and I expected to need to work late so I didn't plan a run from work. I didn't work very late. I felt that getting out would help my digestion. I also felt sluggish on this 59 F damp night.