Training Log Archive: Nadim

Event: QOC Oregon Ridge - Susquehanna Stumble
 

QOC/SVO: Susquehannah Stumble at Oregon Ridge, Cockeysville, MD. Francis Hogel set the course today. It was warm for October with highs somewhere in the 80s F. I got a decent start trailing Eddie Bergeron, Wyatt Riley, John Torrance, Ted Good, Zachary Barker, and a few others. It was kind of a blur going to #1; faster than I'm used to running these days. I mostly trailed Ted Good through #7.

On the first small window, I went in numric order #5, #6, #7 (CAB).

We took separate routes to #8 with me staying low longer. I may have lost a few seconds on that route but ended about as far apart as we'd started the leg.

Going to #9, I went high to the right. I briefly lost contact with the map but recovered quickly. I never saw Ted after separating early on the leg. Ted went more directly. I went up a ridge headed toward #10 and after crossing a trail near the top, I saw Ted a little bit behind me coming up a reentrant. I crossed the ridge and descended a little but when things didn't look right to me, I stopped. Ted led on going further down to the control.

For the next window, it made sense to leave from #13 (E). For that, going down to #12 seemed best. Rather than climbing to use the trail, going down to the north edge of the map was how we went. After passing the last house, it seemed a long way to the trail. Ted stopped but got going again just ahead of me. Leaving #12 on the trail, I passed Ted and at the trail bend I crossed the reentrant to get to the spur #11 (F). I dropped down to the left and ran up the reentrant to #13 (E).

I ran straight up toward #14. It seemed a long way down the reentrant. I pulled ahead of Ted some more on the climb.

Going to #15, I debated going low through reentrants but ultimately chose staying high, to the left. Once again, I lost contact going this way. I probably hugged the reentrants too closely and as I did, I ended up having to cross a reentrant that I hadn't intended to. As I descended toward #15, I saw Ken Walker climbing, coming away toward #18.

Going to #16, I hit the trail but left it a little early. This put me a bit wide to the right. I hit a depression but there was no control. The control seemed too close to the trail when I got there--was it on the wrong feature?

Going to #17, I passed Ted who was headed to #16, then took a second fall for the day. This one shook me up. I was just reading my map on the run, and stumbled on rocks in the trail. I stuck both arms out in front of me as I'd often done before. This kept my body off of the protruding rocks but during the impact, I could hear an audible crick, like something (cartiledge) broke in my left shoulder. I'd injured this shoulder a year earlier and it took a long time before that got better. It took a while but I got moving again and when I did, I passed the group of Kathleen Lennon, Gayle Ryan, Don Fish, Patti Mace, and Lydia Andrews who were running the Short Stumble. I had just passed Kathleen when it was time to climb up to the control. Since she was then following behind me, Kathleen had put the pressure on me to not make a mistake and I'm glad that I spiked it.

Going to #18, I ran (mostly) straight up the hill. At the east-west trail, I turned left and took the trail around. Descending from th SW to the NE, it seemed a long way down but got there okay.

I skirted the lake on trails, cutting across the woods when it was shorter. I crossed the bridge to the building, ran past the beehive, and descended to the control. Gary Smith was resting there but he got moving again quickly.

I went fairly straight to #20.

For the big window, I ran #22, #21, #25, #26, #23, #26, #25 (L, J, K, I, H, G). Coming out of #21 into the tallest set of nettles (5-6ft.) I'd ever seen, I got sidetracked going around them and headed down the road, over the creek. I realized that this was wrong so I reversed direction (losing just less than a minute) and used the field and trail. It was kind of green in this window so I found it somewhat unpleasant.

Heading into the final loop and crossing fields, I was eager to get out of the hot sun. I hit #28 and #29 easily, then climbed toward #30. There was an extra unmapped charcoal terrace that distracted me near #30. I finally started to cramp-up climbing toward #30, but only in my left leg. I got to #30 and looked back to see a younger racer in blue and white closing-in on me. I took off going downhill and was happy that my cramping went away. Went around most of the trees to get to #31. The finish was much closer than the map showed.

Overall, I felt that I ran pretty well for the little training that I'd done; in earnest, I didn't really start till the last 2 weeks of August.

Long Stumble - Splits

I had another busy day and with long race tomorrow, it didn't seem worth it.

I rode while Max rode his scooter to go to play with a friend.

From Northfield Rd.,, to Madison St. on my road bicycle, then back to Northfield Rd. with Max on his bicycle. I intended to do more but I was working on home projects most of the day and then had a visit to make in the evening.

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 cooled off nicely this evening (60s F). I had a busy day so it was good that I got myself out late. I was 7:55 at the 1 mile point.

Greenway Trail: From Berryville Rd. north to the Rte. 28 Darnestown Rd. Rd. parking lot and back, with some side trails. It was already about 81 F when I started out. The first mile of trail was mostly overgrown with grasses, even where there was light tree cover. It got better and the path in one clearing was mowed but even in mowed areas, it was not easy to see the terrain under foot. In the better forested areas, leaves fallen from drought hid roots. I moved steadily if not swiftly. Aiming to get 9 miles, I added on by exploring some of the side trails. I hoped to see some sign of a new trail being built on the west side of Seneca Creek but I never found it. I'm sure that it will be more obvious later on.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to Madison St. on my road bicycle with Max on his bicycle, then back to Northfield Rd. towing Max's bicycle.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to C St. SW, Washington, D.C. I rode fairly steadily but felt out of shape. It was in the low 60's; warmer than it's been lately. The winds were calm and the traffic seemed normal. As I hit the DC/MD border on a downhill curve, I saw a new barricade across the trail. A note on it said it was due to the Federal Government being closed. It seemed a poor decision on someone's part and I rode around it. The trail from that point on was on park land but it's not like it needed people to operate it. Patrolling it for crime is possible but having the barricade there was probably more risky. I thought of the Federal Highway system and if they would have closed that but one can generally at least connect the highway system as being a critical service.

From C St. SW, Washington, D.C. to the corner of Norfolk Ave. and Delray Ave. in Bethesda, MD, then to Northfield Rd. Off work early after a busy morning, it was nice to get away on bicycle. The Federal government shutdown included blocking-off Ohio Dr., in front of the Jefferson Memorial. I saw Asian tourists there anyway. I could see a few other road closings but it was easy to get through Georgetown. I felt weak, partly from not eating, and partly by sore quads. I stopped in Bethesda to get some lunch.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to Madison St. on my road bicycle with Max on his bicycle, then back to Northfield Rd. towing Max's bicycle, then to the Bethesda Metro Station.

Washington, D.C.; From 12th & Independence Ave., SW, up Independence Ave., and along The Mall to the Capitol Reflecting Pool, then across the Capitol Building grounds, to Maryland Ave.to Stanton Park, to C Street NE, to 7th Street NE. I ran with my backpack and felt okay. At the Reflecting Pool, my path merged just behind that of a small running group. I was dropping off the pace going up Capitol Hill but otherwise running pretty well with the weight.

Washington, D.C.; From 7th St. SE, to C St., NE, to Stanton Park, to Maryland Ave., NE, Constitution Ave., across the Capital Building grounds, to The National Mall, to 15th St., NW, to The Ellipse, across the White House and Executive Building grounds to 17th St, NW, to the Farragut North Metro Station at K St., NW. At least something in the Federal government was running this night of fiscal crisis. I did a sort of major power tour starting out by passing the Supreme Court, then the Capitol Building and then the White House all in a half hour. It was dark but the lights were on or about normal at the Capitol Building--one can never tell what's going on inside there just by looking from the outside. The Executive Building next to the White House however did have many lights on. I ran with a backpack and wasn't feeling as strong as I had on my earlier run. My quads were tired.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. in the dark.