Training Log Archive: Nadim

Event: QOC Mason Neck
 

Mason Neck State Park, VA. I did a short warm-up from the parking area toward the bay view and back. The water did look nice.

QOC: Mason Neck State Park, VA. Arriving somewhat late and not training much lately, I ran Red. I was lucky to be able to borrow Peggy's spare glasses. I wasn't moving that quickly and had some errors which this park is known to produce. I was okay out of the start to #1. I went down the road to #2 and hit it going only a tiny bit out of the way. I spiked #3.

Going to #4, I drifted left and thought I'd corrected enough. I didn't and my GPS track shows that I went over one of the more recognizable hills without realizing it. I ended up at #5 but didn't figure it out until I went off to do a small loop; I had presumed that the control I found was a different pit near #4. After coming back, I went back towards where I'd gone on the errant loop before, then realized it midway and risked going to #4 from there. It worked, then I went straight back to #5.

Going to #6, I stayed high. I could see someone who'd started out a little before me in the distance and through the trees going through the valley. As I got closer to #6, I could see the same person or maybe it was even Peggy. I expected the control to be in one reentrant sooner but had the full view of low and high so I went on to hit it pretty well. I could see that the other person turned-up the wrong reentrant and I never saw that person afterward.

Going to #7, I stayed high again, reading the contours well, and spiked it. Before I'd started, I'd run into Eugene Tsypnyatov and he warned me to be careful about getting to #8. Along the way I realized I was drifting left a little. I must have corrected because when I hit the last big reentrant before the one near the control I cut right while the reentrant that I was looking for was straight ahead of me (from my GPS track). I turned when I thought I was seeing the marshes but went further until I'd seen both before turning back and finding it.

Going to #9, I was fine and used the bicycle trail bridge to be sure of where I was before crossing the road. From there I spiked the control. Going to #10, I went straight, passing through the parking lot where Mihai was already giving advanced training. I used the trails a little from there to spike the control.

I must have been getting really tired and brain dead after that. I started out doing a 180. I turned around after 10 seconds or so, but was flustered. Some people walking a course or hiking that I saw on the way to #10 were walking the trail, so I went toward and passed them. I thought to use the trails instead of staying in the steeper reentrants because I wasn't moving that well, especially on steeper hills. I didn't read the trail correctly so after a little while I paused and started to run back. My eyes picked up on the black line to the west and since so many courses here finish by crossing the road, I presumed it to be the road; I'd already crossed the road :( . Hitting another trail, this took me to the wooden bridge which was the black line. I ended up emerging out of the woods near the bay view and a playground that I'd passed when warming up. I was embarrassed for co-course setter Jon Campbell to see me approaching the finish from near the rest room.

It was a fun course and the heat wasn't that bad in the forest. With so many errors and moving so slowly, Peggy and Ember got me easily.

Seneca Creek State Park, Lake Clopper Area, MD. I got to Rifleford Rd. while a rain shower was just ending. I covered more of the terrain along the Smokey Glen Barbequer's property. It was mostly open. There were a few ditches, a long big gully, and some mountain laurel to map. I didn't finish the area further up along Rifleford Rd. before it got too dark and I was too late.

From online imagery, it appears that the shooting range on the south side of Rifleford road has been dismantled. I know that in years past I used to hear gunfire from there. If truly dismantled, that will open up a significant area further south. I know that at least a good portion of that terrain has bushes that would be slower to navigate than the areas that I've been mapping. Maybe the sound of gunfire reduced the deer population and had that effect. I'll have to make some decisions about where to map next but I want to finish the areas north of Rifeford Rd., on both sides of Seneca Creek first.

Red - Splits

From Northfield Rd., Custer Rd. to Huntington Pkwy., to Old Georgetown Rd., to Tuckerman Rd., to Marcliff Rd., to Herbert Hoover Middle School. Max had an early soccer game that the rest of the family made it to. I slept in after a late night of drafting the Seneca Creek State Park map. I rode to catch them and got there just as they were getting ready to drive away! We went to breakfast after that. Most of the way was along Old Georgetown Rd. It was slightly uphill but with a slight tailwind too. The road was kind of bumpy too.

From Northfield Rd., Custer Rd., to Glenbrook Rd., to Falls Rd., to the Capital Crescent Trail, to the Little Falls Trail near the Dalecarlia Reservoir, to Massachusetts Ave., to the Capital Crescent Trail to Woodmont Ave. on a detour just before Bethesda Ave., to Elm St., to Clarendon Rd., to Hampden Ln., to Exeter Rd., to Battery Ln., to Park Ln., to Custer Rd., to Northfield Rd. After doing some afternoon gardening, Samantha showed continued enthusiasm to ride. Peggy had literally dusted off her bicycle from the construction work in our home and rode with us too. Max was with a friend. We cruised along nicely. I still need to make some adjustments to the trail-a-bike hitch and Samantha's seat but we did pretty well. Unlike other rides, I could feel Samantha pedaling this time. We made a stop for dinner in downtown Bethesda, then another for a playground at Caroline Freeland Park. We finished the ride somewhere before 9pm in the dusk.

My sister and I helped my mom by dismantling and moving some furniture.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. I had some fast company as soon as I got onto the Capital Crescent Trail. A guy got on it there coming from another direction, just as I had. I thought to pass but wisely stayed behind him as the pace picked-up. It was much like I would have done on my own last year but I'm not at that point yet. As we went down the trail we passed others and soon had a pretty good pace line (with the one leader). Half a mile into the flats, another rider caught and passed us. At that point I was #3 and the guy in front of me didn't pick up the pace as our leader chased the faster rider. I eventually passed our #2 but it was too late to catch onto both of the riders in front. I put some effort into it but backed-off as we got into Georgetown. Oddly, because I kept to the street and our original pace leader went on the walkway along the river, I got ahead. I was passed by him again at the Kennedy Center. I kept up more effort with some headwinds (bringing in hotter weather) along the river on Ohio Dr. It felt nice to be riding faster but I was pretty tired at work afterward.

From 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, with a detour at River Rd., to Butler Rd. I stopped-off to pickup more medicine for our Gray kitty who is still ailing. I rode alone mostly and had some tailwinds. When I was starting out I was worried that I'd get caught in a thunderstorm--I could see it raining across the river in Virginia but somehow I got around it.

From Northfield Rd., we went to Jefferson St., to Roosevelt St., to Garfield St., to McKinley St. to Heampstead Ave., to Johnson Ave., to Singleton Ave., to Bulls Run Pkwy., to Bradmoor Dr., to to Folkstone Rd. to Hartsdale Ave. to Heampstead Ave. to McKinley St. to Garfield St., to Northfield Rd. Samantha had asked about doing more cycling together (with her on her trail-a-bike behind me) and we didn't get a chance on Wednesday. I went with her and Max today and they were happy about it. We did a variation of a 4 mile run that I often do. I had to downshift pretty far to keep this at a comfortable when climbing. It was still in the mid 80s F.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. My alarm didn't go off as planned so I rushed around getting the kids to school and got going myself--a mental win for me since it's so easy in such situations to just put it off to another day. It was warmer today and in the 70s F by the time I was at work. I wasn't very energetic. The winds were mixed but more in front of me than behind. Aches and pains were not a factor.

From 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. It was warm (upper 80s F?) and summer-like except for the low humidity. I enjoyed a tailwind. I felt like I kept up a pretty good pace though I slowed by the time I got to River Rd. There weren't many people riding and only one younger guy went past me; too fast to even try to stay with him.

From Northfield Rd. to Custer Rd., to Park St., to Battery Ln. to Battery Lane. Park, to Norfolk Ave. for dinner, then after dinner, back through Battery Lane. Park, to the Bethesda Trolley Trail along NIH, to Maple Ridge Rd.. to Old Georgetown Rd., to Custer Rd., to Northfield Rd. I connected the new REI trail-a-bike I'd gotten on Sunday, to my own and rode with Samantha to Bethesda for dinner. Max rode along side on his new bicycle. Samantha genuinely seemed to enjoy the ride--her first of this sort. She pedaled with me though I couldn't tell. I kept the speed slow enough so that Samantha could get used to it all. She asked about doing more riding tomorrow and Max wanted to do it too.