Training Log Archive: Nadim

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. It was sunny and 51 F starting out. There were no headwinds. I rode alone for a while. I passed a few people and one of them caught back up with me, drafting off of me until the CCT intersected the Glover Archbold Park trail. I felt tired from running over the weekend.

From 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C., to Clarendon Rd., Bethesda , MD, then to Northfield Rd. Leaving work, I continued to feel tired from the running last weekend. I still had a good start and there might have been a very light headwind. I slowed naturally at the Lincoln Memorial due to traffic that kept up until I got past Wisconsin Ave. in Georgetown. I'd passed a few cyclists there as I often get through traffic more quickly than others. However, not long after getting onto the CCT, an older man passed me. I felt I'd be pushing too hard to keep up so I let him go. Next, a very obese man passed me. He was pushing pretty well for his weight which was easily over 300lbs. I'd passed both men in Georgetown. The obese guy passed the older guy and one of both left the trail ahead of me at the boathouse. I got passed some more but not by a lot of people. I was moving pretty slowly up Clarendon Rd. The weather was wonderful--70s F with low humidity. In Bethesda, I got some new cycling gloves and headed home. I was taking it even easier and surprisingly got passed by younger woman. I passed her again after we both stopped at an intersection for traffic.

Event: QOC Gunston Hall
 

Walk from a parking lot to the arena area of the Troll Cup.

NEOC Toll Cup, Day 2. I ran trails going to #1, so I ran too zig-zaggedly. I did the same for #2 but got a better result from it. For #3, I navigated correctly to the right area but got sloppy and doubtful; I was sloppy by not getting far enough over to properly see the reentrant with the control. I ran just on the other side of the saddle that it was near. Passing it, I hunted the next knoll before coming back. For #4, I used the trail but didn't read the control location well. I checked the wrong rock past the control first.

#5 was my worst error. I used the trail but somehow got on the one going left. I corrected but lost confidence about where I was. Still going on anyway, I eventually decided to climb to locate exactly where I was. A brown course runner was there ahead of me, and I saw him dead down almost right away. I next did what I'd done the last 2 races, I read the wrong leg. The one for #6 had a parallel setup with a road above it, so I suddenly assumed that I was there. This resulted in hunting the wrong reentrant, and going back toward #4 to relocate. I realized it soon enough, and had no trouble finding the control after that.

For #6, I went low using the trail, and spiked it. Leaving #6, I was on the wrong bearing. This took me parallel to the trail, not using the trail. I corrected after hitting a neither trail. At the intersection, Rick Bressman passed me. We both went up the hill as others whom I'd seen at #5 were coming down. After hitting #7, I ran down, to the trail again, partly chasing Rick. We made good time before the easy cut-in to the control. Next, I descended down. Rick paused doing the same but stayed ahead of me. We both took the trail all the way to #9.

For #10, I chased Rick on the left trails route. Rick cut off early, choosing to cross near a marsh. I got to the control first, as Rick was approaching it as I was moving toward #11. I went straight toward #11, hitting it well. For #12, I went straight and got confused by the reentrant. After going up, I stopped to read and ponder. When I looked up, the control was under my map! It was just green enough for me not to see it earlier.

For #13, I read the vegetation, staying mostly to the right of the greener parts. It was risky but it worked. I went straight toward #14 and hit that well. I had Ethan Hall right behind me. I moved well and the trail was too narrow for him to pass.

The boom on #3, #4 and #5 was disappointing. I need to be more calm during these New England races.

Walk from the arena area of the NEOC Troll Cup, to a parking lot.

Classic Green X - Splits

Event: 2016 NEOC Troll Cup: High Rock
 

NEOC Troll Cup Prologue. I started okay spiking the first control, drifting then correcting well to the second. On the third I was getting distracted by others, and a little unsure on the trails. Sticks and other stuff on the ground kept me from running smoothly. I used the trail coming under rocks then hooking back up to #4. I spiked the next control only it was #6 instead of #5--I'd just gotten confused en-route with the leg parallel leg lines on the map. I ran over to #5 which was only a short way away, and ran with confidences to #6 a second time. Carl passed me back during this. I got to #7 okay but not in a great way. Leaving #7, I did just about a 180 error, then corrected from there. I used the trail to get down the hill, and angled up to the control. Tim Parsons and I crossed paths, then converged going up the same hillside. I went on memory rather than look at my map again, so I got past the control. Tim went more directly. Going toward #8, he pulled away steadily--I'm just too out of shape. I hit #8, #9, and #10 well. For #11, I fumbled after crossing the road by staying too high too long. Going up to #12, I got too low and off to the left before correcting. I was tired getting to the Go control and didn't push the run-in. For much of the race, I abandoned what I do in QOC races. The terrain was much more rocky but I could have used the contours better. I rushed things too much, forcing the errors.

Warm-up to the start of the Troll Cup Preliminary.

NEOC Troll Cup. With a backward chase start, I did better. The terrain was slightly easier to run through and there were more trails to use. I hit #1 okay, though it didn't feel very efficient. I spiked #2 feeling good on this short leg that troubled several others. I took the trail going toward #3 but got impatient. It was my physical shape again that tempted me to leave the trail too early. I could have gone around all the way but I tried to cut some off going past #11. As I got close to #11, I had gotten confused and had to stop. Finding #11 set me straight again, but only for a short while. I crossed the next trail without checking where I was closely enough. I hit the wrong knoll, then ran over to the next. The problem was the I ran the wrong direction to the next knoll. Eventually, I got on the trail again and hit it from a bend. I got through the next couple of controls doing better on each, then went brain dead again. I started reading the leg for #8 when I was on #7. Fortunately, I was headed in the right direction and woke-up enough to make adjustments. Going to #9 Tony Muffatti and I converged. We ran the next few controls together. He started pulling away with a slight error I made on #10. We both took the trail to the right going to #11 but he cut off earlier than I did. Having been to #11 already, I went straight to it sticking to the trail longer, and I got ahead of him. He passed me dog-legging back to the trail toward #12. I saw him go left around a cliff and I went up the right side to use the trail longer. I never saw him again but apparently he got there first. I hit #13 and #14 well by going straight at them. Getting to the Go control, I had drifted to the right a lot. Like others, I didn't want to cross the run-in tape, so I followed it to the control from outside of the chute. My run-in was slightly better than the morning run. Once again it was disappointing not running calmly on this race, and making mental errors. Poor physical shape did me in.

Middle Prelim Green X - Splits

Middle Final Green X - Splits

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. There were some headwinds.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station. I had intended to run but instead, I worked late.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. I had headwinds an I was carrying a small grocery bag.