Training Log Archive: Nadim

Event: QOC Mason Neck
 

QOC: Mason Neck, VA. Warm-up around the field at the start.

QOC: Mason Neck, VA. This was a somewhat satisfying day. I didn't start off that well. I took a risk going a straighter path to #1, and missed to the left. It was easily corrected but not without having lost 30 seconds. The miss made me be more careful but staying off the trail also helped me have longer to adjust to the flatness of the map before some of the longer legs. I thought to aim-off for #2 but perhaps I did so too much. I also lingered when I should have been running faster along the reentrant to the control--I had just enough doubt that I wanted to make sure I didn't miss it.

Going to #3, I did a version of what just about everyone else I'd talked to did. I ran up the dirt road, but then I got onto the paved road. I cut over after a few telephone poles, the angled up for the white wooded gap near #7. I didn't bother trying to find #7 but it did worry me some that I didn't see it. I had missed it to the right but thought I was missing it to the left. I found another portion of marsh that could have served as the control location. Moving on, I found more open woods and followed the reentrant down as best as I could. After passing someone, I thought I'd reached the bottom and was on a bigger reentrant. A check of my bearing, and looking around told me to go on some more. I did and soon came to the distinctive spur 300m before the control. I went across the side reentrants confirming my position, rather than aim for the bigger, flatter, and wider reentrant. I spiked the control and told Gary Smith that I had been happy not to have messed-up that leg. I rushed off after that toward #4, and bounced off the marsh to the north along the way.

For #5, all went well up to the road crossing and even the marsh after that. I was a little to the right of the straight route the whole way. I even saw the first reentrant to the east of #5 before hitting the marsh. My adjustment to go to toward the marsh wasn't corrected afterward, and I missed the control, being to the left. I had wanted to stay out of the mapped low vegetation and I think that extended farther to the west than had been mapped. Eddie Bergeron said he saw me near #5 but I passed it and hit the reentrant near the river shore. Cutting right, I followed that back to the point, surprised at how far away the reentrant point had been. Attacking from there, I finally hit the control. I probably lost around 90 seconds.

Going to #6, I was a bit wishy-washy. I went straight but should have either crossed the reentrant earlier, or run through the bottom to the trail. I did get to the trail eventually but did some S-curving that was not necessary. I jumped off the trail at what was the correct spot but as soon as I did, I noticed a ditch in the terrain. I wasn't reading the map very well (more focused on running and dodging things) so I hadn't noticed there were 2 controls. This became evident to me when the ditch had more kinks in it than expected. I adjusted, attacking to the other dot knoll along a ditch, from the first dot knoll on the first ditch. I aimed-off doing this, again kinking my route but it all worked.

For #7, I cut to the left early to get around some green but I got caught-up in more of it right along the road. Hitting the trail to the right of the bridge, I left from the trail bend and slowed my approach. Not seeing #7 earlier when on my way to #3, I needed to be careful with my bearing. I spiked the control happily. For #8, I passed someone and cut right once to get around some vegetation. I paused on the ridge; I expected a more definable edge to it. Looking ahead, I could see the reentrant and a few steps later, I saw the marsh. The control was easy to see from there.

For #9, I started-off well. I read the contour features right up to the last reentrant or so. Oddly, at one point I saw something ahead moving across my path ahead at high speed, and it sounded like a car. I stopped to check and see if I'd done a 180 or something worse. Seeing nothing, I concluded it must have been a large bird and I went on. I had largely gone straight but did make adjustments that amounted to some zig-zag running. I remembered missing this control feature in the past and knew to look for a spur. Up and down started not making sense, nor did contours like-up as expected. I paused long enough to figure it out by better reading and observation. I had hit the spur lower than expected but happily found the pit after that.

I paused at #9 a bit before starting off. I ran straight and hit #10 well, crossing a bit of the marsh at the end. I never did see any of the pipeline features when going to or leaving from #9 and #10 but others told me they had.

For #11, I knew it was the last difficult leg. In retrospect, taking the trail would have made a good option. I ran straight as I could, making adjustments based on what I saw. At one point, I had a hard time relating the terrain to the map so I started to bail over to the marsh, past midway. I never really saw it but saw stuff that looked like it could have been the marsh. Crossing the last reentrant, I thought I'd done something wrong. It seemed that the reentrant was flowing north to south instead of south to north as mapped. Eddie pointed out to me later that the marsh to the north may have actually been a low spot. There could have been a miniscule saddle that was never mapped. After crossing the reentrant, I was really confused but I did come right up to the mapped ditch east of the control. I attacked off of it, spiking the control (if I don't count my temporary losses of map contact).

For #12, I ran to the paved road, then attacked aiming off from a telephone pole a few poles before the paved road bend. The mapped green must have been extended and hid one pole because I was much too close to the road bend when I attacked, and instead of following the reentrant to the control, I hit the reentrant being right at the control. I crossed the reentrant early when going to #13. I passed one guy on the trail, cutting corners, and didn't pause following the edge of the reentrant to the control. I went straight at #14. The woods were rather open so I could both read the map well enough to see both reentrants, and open enough for me to keep my bearing on target. I was surprised at the end to see Vido walking (he'd taken a bad fall earlier on the way to #6) and landed on a tree trunk that knocked the wind out of him). Going to #15, I ran back up to the trail, and then over. I was a little hesitant at the end, because I was looking at the buildings thinking it might be near one.

I had a decent run in but didn't get moving fast initially. It was nowhere close to Ryan S.'s that was 7 seconds faster--it'd be nice to run like that again myself. I'd seen Dan Quinn's run in--his was only a second slower (injured) but it didn't look that fast. During the overall run today I was tired much of the time. I walked over some logs because of it--it might have been the warmth and humidity, my weight, or lack of sleep and training. I was happy that I'd been careful in the race and was able to mostly hold the run together by reading the terrain well.

Blue - Splits

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to Arlington Rd. with Max on his bike, then to Freedom Plaza NW, Washington, D.C., then to 12th and C St. SW, Washington, D.C. It was Bike to Work Day. With 3 bicycles to choose from one would think that I had one in good repair but my road bike has been in the shop, still getting a shifter replaced after a guy fell on it, my old commuter bike has a slow air leak and I didn't have extra tubes for it, and my full suspension mountain bike still has a rusted-out front derailer that needs to be replaced. I took the mountain bike. It's still lots of fun and not much slower going downhill. The fun comes from being able to ride over all of those bumps that I otherwise am actively trying to avoid. with 2.25" tires, the thing is a tank on that kind of stuff and worse. After leaving Max, I rolled over potholes and kept good speed. I had to stop once to manually shift the front derailer back to the middle chain ring. After that I caught some other road cyclists and sat on one to near the bottom of the hill at Canal St. I pulled ahead and pulled the rest of the way into Georgetown. I didn't stop at the Bethesda or Georgetown Bike to Work gatherings but I did cut across the city on K St. NW, and following bike lanes--these weren't there the last time I'd been riding in the area. I found them to be a nice addition though there were some gaps in narrower street parts. TV cameras were at Freedom Plaza and various vendors were giving out swag. I didn't see any riders I knew--bad timing on my part I guess.

From C St., SW, Washington, D.C. to Arlington Rd. in Bethesda, MD. to pickup Max's bicycle, then to Northfield Rd. I left work just before getting locked into the courtyard again (Peggy was calling me on the phone right as I was leaving). I made one quick hand adjustment to my broken front derailler then took off, launching over curbs. It's fun leaving work like a kid might. Traffic was a mess and the torn-up 15th St. & Main Ave. intersection was just right for my mountain bike. People were driving crazy and a guy coming through a red light trying to nudge his way into gridlock almost nudged his way into me. I zipped out of it all and got going around the Tidal Basin. I had to stop again and spent about 8 minutes making some tool assisted cable adjustments so that I could ride without rattling. There was a slight tailwind. Traffic in Georgetown was a big mess too but somehow with my timing I got through it smoothly. I made my way past most cyclist on the CCT though one eventually did pass me near Massachusetts Ave. The mountain bike was heavy but it didn't really slow me down too much. The smaller crank and lower seat made working it harder. Even my butt was getting sore, not being used to the configuration so standing up to get up some hills felt like a relief. I think I was around 45 minutes getting to Arlington Rd. which is not much slower than usual but I did work harder and took a slightly different route.

From Northfield Rd. to Elm St. and back on various streets. I went to watch a movie and rode back. It's fun zipping along the streets at night on my mountain bike!

I worked late and wasn't able to go on a planned run.

From Northfield Rd., to Arlington Rd. with Max on his bike, then to the Bethesda Metro Station. It had been a while since riding last; that's because my road bike needed some repairs and the weather. I used my older commuter bike. I pumped up the tires before starting (they were flat) but less than halfway there, I had to stop and pump them up again.

From the Bethesda Metro Station, to Arlington Rd. to pickup Max's bike, then to Northfield Rd. I was pretty tired all day so I thought riding would be enough.

From 12th & Independence Ave., SW, Washington, D.C. Independence Ave. to the Mall, around the Washington Monument (wrapped in scaffolding to repair earthquake damage), to the Lincoln Memorial, to the Rock Creek Trail, along the Georgetown Waterfront to the Capital Crescent Trail (CCT), to the Glover Archbold Trail, up to the Tenleytown Metro Station via Van Ness St. and Wisconsin Ave., then to the Friendship Heights Metro Station at the DC/MD border (Western Ave. & Wisconsin Ave.). I felt pretty good starting out but figured it wouldn't last. Still, I moved well the first 2 1/2 miles before fading. On the climb in the forest, it was already getting dark-partly the product of cloud cover, forest canopy and time of day. I moved slowly but the weather was really nice; expecting heat later motivated me to run. My hamstring had been tight and sore after cramping badly on Sunday and I expected it to give me problems. However the slowness was just my quads feeling tired. I thought I'd stop at Tenleytown but once there, I felt better than at the bottom of the climb to the top of DC. The downhill was nice getting to Friendship Heights.

Bethesda Metro Station stairs; I often run up these but don't record it. Today it was really late (because I worked late), the power at the station was out, and I'd done nothing else.