Training Log Archive: Nadim

Event: Mid-Atlantic Championships
 

Warm-up jogging around the parking lots for the Mid-Atlantic Championships hosted by SVO. Though I tried to, I didn't sleep well.

Mid-Atlantic Championships hosted by SVO. I ran the Green course. I had trouble right away.

S-1 - I was a little intimidated going into this since I hadn't run in the area in a long time, and had done so poorly at Antietam Lake. I had trouble right away. I knew people were going down a trail but I couldn't get my compass to settle right and got going about 180 degrees off. In the wrong parking lot, I turned around and got on the trail. I came off of it just past the ditch and crossed the ditch to get to the control. I at least hit that right from an attack point.

1-2 - I angled down to the trail and ran to an intersection. I ran past the intersection and sought to cut off distance on a switch-back. However I was one intersection too soon--I should have listened to that voice in my head about that. I got on the wrong trail and descended hesitantly to the east edge of the park. Turning around, I couldn't make sense of the trails because I thought I was elsewhere. I climbed back 2 intersections and cut right but this put me on a trail that paralleled the eastern edge of the park again. I ran hesitantly being unsure of where I was at first. It looked too thick to cut over to the road. I climbed and looked for a mapped intermittent trail to take me there but I never found it. I did a lot of extra climb and distance getting to the power lines, well past the control. Using trails, I attacked a short distance from the north. I think I lost more time on this than AP shows.

2-3 - I ran straight and hit the reentrant before the control. I went around the top of it. Dasa Merkova was approaching from the reentrant and got there just before me.

3-4 - I went left of where Dasa was going, to get above the green. Aiming for the power line bend, it was slow getting there. I got on the trail going right under the power line tower but couldn't see where it went into the forest on the other side. The trail curved backward and I followed it knowing something wasn't right. I finally got to where the next trail emerged but hadn't realized it. I started looking for where to cut down again too soon. Once at a reentrant, I realized where I was and went to the control with no more trouble.

4-5 - I started straight at it but kept getting turned by vegetation. Finally hitting a trail, I took it to a bend and knew right were I was. I attacked from there and crossed another trail before getting near. I slowed near the house and Istvan Naggy closed in from behind. He was more confident of where we were and went right to it. I punched after him.

5-6 - I chased, then passed Istvan, barreling at it, and spiking it. Having the barn nearby helped.

6-7 - I started walking almost immediately and marched straight up. At that pace, I was confidently reading the boulders into the charcoal terrace. I did manage to run after crossing the second trail. Istvan was nearby.

7-8 - I charged off straight at it. The terrain wasn't that thick at first. I knew where we were when passing the control between 2 boulders. The trails confused me a little but I figured them out. I slowed to attack and Istvan caught-up. He attacked a little beyond me by our paths crossed. Istvan saw it first, but I think I got there first.

8-9 - I walked up at first and when I got to the fenced area, I ran around it on the left side. I crossed the parking lot, went past a pavilion and continued into the thickish woods. At the road crossing, I got confused--probably due to being in oxygen debt. I cut left and went through a pull-out. Sam Cohen came running through just before me but was moving too fast. I hit the next trail and couldn't tell where I was on it. Checking left initially, I turned around and went to the control. In the meantime Istvan had passed me. Perhaps I should have played it safely and come around on road and trails the whole way.

9-10 - My run-in was less than energetic.

I went with Sam Cohen and one other orienteer to check a misplaced control. It was definitely misplaced from the features around it. I found the control on an unmapped charcoal terrace that was in the green almost 100m south of the control, on an unmapped charcoal terrace. We jogged parts of the trail coming and going.

Mid-Atlantic Championships hosted by SVO. I was on a relay team with Steve Campbell, and Paul Hesson. Steve led off for us but was a good way behind at the spectator control. He improved by the time he finished. Paul had similarly made-up time on others. I was the anchor leg, chasing Peggy who was running on another QOC team.

S-1 - I ran down the trail and descended further down a long ditch that was slower than I'd hoped due to debris. I crossed the creek and started to climb. Spotting a boulder up high, I knew I'd had to cut right to the next. However Boris G. came from behind and cut that corner better. He led us into the control where someone else had been punching.

1-2 - I aimed for the trail like Boris did and headed over. I could hear someone coming from behind. It was Ted Good but I never saw him. I wasn't keeping up with Boris' pace and lost him just after crossing a reentrant. Peggy had just been passed by Boris too. We closed-in on Tori Campbell with the control being further ahead than I thought.

2-3 - I passed Peggy and was trying to close-in on Tori. I wasn't doing a good job of it until we reached the road. I didn't take enough time to pinpoint where I'd hit it. Cutting left, I presumed we were further left than we really were. Tori cut in before me and I cut some distance on her by cutting in later. Since we were further from the control than we thought we were, Tori and I had difficulty matching-up the many rocks. Seeing a distinctive cliff, I had a hard time believing the control was that much further away. I eventually went over there with Tori and Peggy ahead. Ted Good had passed us too without our seeing him since he left the road much later.

3-4 - I bashed through the forest to the road, hitting it at a trail intersection. I'm pretty sure Peggy was behind me at that point. The forest wasn't as green as anticipated. On the road, I closed-in on Tori. but went to a trail intersection which was further than needed.

4-5 - I had expected to go to #6 next so when I left for #5, I was a little confused for a few seconds. Torri was ahead but kept ahead by cutting closer to the bathroom. She about got away from me as I slowed to read more carefully. However, I was still catching Dave Pruden. He took trails to the control, but I used the forest. As I approached, still behind Dave, Tori had come-in and was going out.

5-6 - I didn't have a good plan but not executing it was about as bad. I chased Dave Pruden until he to a tack to the right. Tori slowed when leaving the trail so I was soon able pass her. I got to a control on a charcoal terrace but attacked poorly from there. I went way paste the control into some open forest. I relocated quickly from some stony ground and had to run uphill to punch. Tori, Dave, and Peggy had unbeknownst to me, passed me.

6 - F - I ran through the ball fields to the backstop and then on trails and roads.

QOC had enough winners on other courses to win the newly refurbished Broken Compass Award again.

Green - Splits

From Northfield Rd., to Huntington Pkwy., to Old Georgetown Rd. to Beech Ave. to Johnson Ave,. to Heampstead Ave. to McKinley St. to Garfield St., to Roosevelt St., to the trail at Jefferson St. to Northfield Rd. At first, I felt okay on this run but very quickly, my quads were worn out. I dragged myself through to the finish. At least it was a nice day. I would have liked to have done a trail run but with Samantha on a short play date, a block party and our second birthday party coming up for the weekend, there wasn't much time.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station. It was 42 F and sunny. I would have liked to commute all the way to work but I stayed-up late and have too much going on.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd.

From 14th & Independence Ave., SW, Washington, D.C. Independence Ave. to the Reflecting Pool, 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. It had been a long time since I'd done this variation (August 2014) and mostly that's been because I'd been injured or not strong enough. I started out better than expected with a 7:52 first mile. I didn't feel like I slowed after that, but I did. It was very comfortable out, being sunny and in the low 70s and upper 60s F, but it was getting dark as I went along. I had to keep focusing on the ground getting up Glover Archbold Park. There were a good number of other runners and as it was really getting hard to see, some deer came out. Once back on the pavement on Wisconsin Ave, I moved faster again. I had been wanting to do some longer runs. This was fun and hit the spot. I have been having some aches and pains in my lower back lately, which I hope have more to do with the weather so I'll proceed cautiously. Though I had some cramps in my right calf near the end the dirt trail felt good and my legs felt sturdy--nice even, not having to strain like I've been pushing when bicycle commuting.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. With it being 44 F starting out, I work extra clothing--removable sleeves, a vest, and full gloves. I got a slow start due to all of Glenwood Rd. being torn-up for repaving. After Bradley Blvd. where the traffic light changed a little before I got there, I started closing-in on a unassuming rider ahead. I didn't catch him until on the Capital Crescent Trail (CCT). I thought I'd pass but decided it better to sit on him. I noticed and confirmed he was on an electric bicycle. As the trail straightened out, he picked-up speed. I had to work to keep in his draft, as we changed speeds getting around other riders and runners. He would slow down a lot more than I normally would for this, then accelerate quickly. Once we got to the flats, it was a lot harder to do this. I was past the Lincoln Memorial in under 30 minutes like last week when I rode fast drafting on other riders. The winds were calm but I felt worn out finishing up. I also ran into some traffic near the end.

From 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C., to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. There was a bit of wind and traffic getting to Georgetown. Some faster riders moved-up not far out on the CCT. Earlier in the summer, I would have had to let them go but I worked and tried to keep up. I did a spell pulling too, after a lead rider broke off, but a mile later the rider behind me took me up to River Rd., where I lost him on the bridge climb. It was bumpy again on Glenwood Rd., so I rode on the sidewalk.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd.

Patuxent River Park, MD. I checked more control locations for the QOC event that's coming up in 2 weeks, which I'm course setting for. The sites were all fine and the runnability was better than anticipated in places. I was a bit tired and I didn't hit the control locations completely well. Sometimes I'd tie a streamer only to adjust it after leaving because I recognized something else. Most of these were small adjustments. In one place, I thought the contours could have been a little better though generally I've been happy with the way they are mapped. I did a lot of checking from second attack features. There should be some interesting choices for the runners.