Training Log Archive: Nadim

Event: QOC Wheaton
 

QOC: Wheaton Regional Park, MD. I ran the Green course. I had been volunteering with beginner instruction from 10:40 until about 1pm so I felt I didn't have time to do a longer course. Besides that, I was tired from my little run the day before, and I was planning to do control pickup. I'm pretty familiar with the park and the map since I did the last major map update. I knew it needed more updating but hadn't had the time to focus on it with other mapping projects taking that available time.

I hit #1 just fine, having been to this totem pole many times. While doing beginner instruction I had pointed out that the paved trails at the start triangle had changed.

Going to #2, I knew there'd be new construction that had been hand drawn with markers, onto the maps. I got to it and saw a sign that led me to believe I needed to go to the left. I got trapped by a construction fence and had to back out. As I got onto the right trail, I could see Peggy (also doing the Green course) doubling back up the trail I was going down. I hit the control just fine.

For #3, I ran down along the permanent fence and this time I should have known there was a fence, since the hand drawn bit showed not to go that way. I ended up climbing the fence, which was not a simple thing. It slowed me down. I got down to the dam spillway and up to the trail tracks to back-door the control. John Baker was leaving the area as I attacked off of the train tracks and I wondered where Peggy was.

For #4, I reversed my route, got onto the dam and angled off of that to the trail leading toward the Nature Center. The control was visible a long way off--more of a yellow skill level, than #3 was.

For #5, I ran straight up the spur. I paused a little early, expecting to see it sooner.

For #6, I ran NE to the dirt road neat the building, then I got on the paved road. I came in to #6 off the bridge over the creek. Peggy was approaching from the trail and jokingly asked me what I was doing there reading the map better than she had. I got there a few seconds before she did.

For #7, I ran back down to the trail and ran it all the way to the ditch NE of the control. The map version which Mihai Sirbu had used, was an older one which didn't show green which I'd added a while back.

For #8, I walked and ran up the hill, noting some more green which I'd put on the map earlier. I was pretty slow but knew where I was just about the whole way. I was feeling the run yesterday on the climb. I came in from the pits.

For #9, I got on the small trails and didn't think it worth going to the larger road tracks. I climbed a spur after crossing the creek and turned left on the road track. Cutting right, left, and right on trails got me to the control. A guy in a green shirt (Adams?), was punching ahead of me.

For #10, Adam was reading the map still before I left. I thought to risk crossing the light green forest south of the little fenced area to get a shorter distance. Adam was running faster than I but easily passed me going around on the trails that I 'd come to #9 on. Adam led the way up toward the maintenance yard. I made more mental notes about adding green slash to that hill, for the deadfall. I walked up a lot of the hill, then just north of the maintenance yard fence. I went straight in after crossing the road. Adam had gotten there a little faster. and had just finished planning a route as I got there.

For #11, I angled back to the parking lot and got on the muddy road track. Adam and another younger guy who'd caught me from behind, were ahead. Adam went straight in, while the other guy led a little to the left. I came in behind the other guy and we both lost a little more ground to Adam.

For #12, I chased after the 2 guys ahead. Adam got to the trail first. The other guy stopped there, seemingly unsure of where he'd hit the trail. I'd ended-up at this same spot in several races which leads me to believe there's a bit of a corridor through the green there. I got across the road near the soccer shelter and then saw Adam pause and veer left--I guessed then that he was on a different course. I ran to cross the ditch and on the paved trail, than followed that and the stream to the control. It was hung a little high away from the stream, more on the ditch than the ditch/stream junction.

I angled up over the hill toward #13. I had given thought to contouring around along the stream but the climb wasn't much. I even ended up climbing more steeply than was optimal. I came down to the lake and into the open ground. Guessing that the control would be on the left side of the stream, I came in along the paved trail, and that was a good choice. Anne Jepsen was leaving the control as I was coming in.

I ran straight up the reentrant chasing Anne toward #14. I caught her at the top of the hill and paused when I came to a fallen tree. I decided to go left around it while Anne went right. I think left was the best. I could seen the control before even crossing the paved trail.

I wondered about going to the train tracks but just decided to use the paved trail. I passed someone and ran between the house and train tunnel. I ran around the fence and in. It seemed efficient. I wasn't moving that quickly.

It was fun to run the park on this nice sunny day. The course felt a bit too easy. Mihai had tried to avoid using root stocks since they are out of date (many from the original mapping that Ted Good had done). One day I'll work on cleaning more of that up.

QOC: Wheaton Regional Park, MD. I picked-up the farthest away controls on the old campground hill. Along the way I made map updates. I found some new rootstocks, fixed some boulder mapping, fixed a reentrant, and even found a cairn that I'd never seen before. I hauled a gallon of water back with trash and was moving pretty slowly.

Green - Splits

From Cedar Ln., the Rock Creek Trail to Ken-Gar Park, to Plyers Mill Rd., to Connecticut Ave. to Howard Ave./Kensington Pkwy., to the Rock Creek Trail, to Cedar Ln. It was in the upper 50s F. starting out. I stated off about 30-40 seconds after a younger guy ran past. The other guy looked fit enough but I couldn't tell how fast he was running. I felt pretty good and as I gradually caught-up, I could see that the other guy had been sweating. When I moved past him, I could tell he was working hard. I hit 8:06 that first mile and our paths diverged as I crossed Beach Dr. I started to feel the second mile. It was hillier and so it was natural to slow a bit. It seemed to take a while. I really started feeling it going up the hill after skirting Ken-Gar Park. There was a very small bit of slushy ice there as I ran up the hill next to the train tracks. After that, I struggled along feeling like I was crawling my way back. I could feel the pavement shocking my quads a lot. My calves got tight but I didn't cramp. It was good to do this route again. I was remembering it to be only 5 miles.

I was feeling some minor back pain on my lower right side; it was probably due to shoveling the snow earlier in the week.

We got about 3-4 inches of wet and icy snow. Samantha helped clear the car and shovel some of it off the sidewalk. I cleared most of the driveway. I was shoveling fast but probably shouldn't have.