Training Log Archive: Nadim

Cunningham State Park, MD. From the Manor Area parking lot, I hiked up to the start of QOC's Platformpalooza 2017 event. Jon Torrance had put together a base map and added some features to it. The start was near the top of Bob's Hill.

QOC: Platformpalooza at Cunningham State Park, MD. I made sure I'd get my training in today, running Blue. The hills were steep but in between thge nice parts there were also areas of deadfall and stony ground to make me work. I blew #1 pretty badly. On #1, I had gotten too low. Since I'd crossed some earlier unmapped but distinct ditches, when I hit one that turned out to be just south of #1, I turned back, thinking I was at a different one that was leading toward #15. I'll chalk this up to getting used to the map. The deadfall up high contributed to me not focusing well enough.

After that I hit other controls pretty well. One of the hardest was #13. I came through the green on an old roadbed for that but the roadbed got slow with deadfall. When I emerged through the green, I was too low and hunting with Charles Carrick. I climbed and found it first. I went straight for most of the controls and didn't lose as much time as AP shows for me. I was just slow climbing. There were some course corrections along the way. The few items Jon was able to add to the map like Lidar based vegetation mapping, some of the rock, and some rootstocks helped me correct when I needed it. This was pretty fun on a pretty warm day. I could see QOC having an A-meet here, but think the courses would have to be set to be shorter or with less climb, or both. When I finished I thought I had climbed 701m, but I'd forgotten that I had reset the settings on my watch, and it was displaying feet climbed, not meters. My GPS track was also set to Smart Recording and the track displays a lot of turns that I hadn't done. I was moving in straight lines most of the time, except when crossing the deeper reentrants.

I picked-up controls for the QOC Platformpalooza at Cunningham State Park, MD. Thankfully, there were only 4 controls. Two of the ones higher up were water controls which was good since I hadn't had much at the bottom after finishing my course. I drank a lot of it before dumping the rest, and it probably kept me from cramping.

Blue - Splits

Seneca Creek State Park, MD. From Riffleford Rd., I ran on part of the Greenway Trail for a short while, until going off trail to get across a stream and onto the unnamed trails that go past the marsh with the observation tower. I got under the Great Seneca Hwy to rejoin the Greenway Trail for just a short way, before going on a temporary road--more of a boardwalk built to get construction equipment through the Long Draught Branch stream valley. I was checking out the construction since I'm to set out controls in the area this coming Friday. I was pleased to find out that there were fewer fences than there had been previously--the courses are going to be less affected than I thought they might. I had mapped the construction earlier and the maps are printed, but this time I took a GPS track to accurately fix the map once the boards are removed.

From Colonel Zadok Magruder HS, I started heading out to field-check North Branch Park. I was going to run further but I came across a ditch that I wasn't remembering. I stopped to take a GPS track, but as I followed it, I realized it was the one I'd taken a track of previously.

North Branch Rock Creek Park, MD. I continued field checking along an old roadbed, and a reentrant system. I got good value out of the time I was there but since I haven't been able to figure out how to get my watch to display the actual time while I'm taking a track, I stayed out a little longer than expected and delayed Peggy's birthday dinner.

When I finished field-checking for the day in North Branch Rock Creek Park, I ran back to Colonel Zadok Magruder HS. I stopped along the way to take a picture of the large field.

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 Jefferson St., to Northfield Rd. I felt better than I did the last time running this. It was good to end work close to on-time, and to be able to get in a short run before dinner.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. I had gotten a late start after taking Samantha to an unplanned orthodontist visit--she'd broken or dislodged a wire and it had been poking her.

For the ride, I was still tired and trying to pace. I felt like I had a slight headwind getting to Georgetown, so I was surprised that my time as as fast as it was. I did pickup one drafter on my way down. I towed him most of the way to Georgetown, but he led the last 3/4 of a mile before stopping. There were some favorable winds getting the rest of the way.

From 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C., to Northfield Rd. I was careful to spin going home. My legs are still shot and sore to the touch in some places. When standing and bending knees, I feel a shot of pain. It's all muscle fatigue but I think it's getting better. Starting out, I moved quickly. I got to and through Georgetown with few delays. I passed a bunch of people on the Capital Crescent Trail (CCT) but the trail was not over crowded. There could have been a slight tailwind in places. One guy passed me on the long climb and I didn't even try to keep up. It turned out that a second guy caught me without passing somewhere near Falls Rd.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station.

From the Bethesda Metro Station, to Battery Ln. via Wisconsin Ave. After a stop for an appointment, I ran further on Wisconsin Ave. to the Bethesda Trolley Trail, to Maple Ridge Rd., to Glenbrook Rd., to Edgemoor Ln., to the Bethesda Metro Station. My legs were shot from (over) training this week. I felt it most in my quads starting out, and when going downhill. It got a little better and I actually went further than I thought I would.

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

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station. It was nice and warm.

Washington, D.C. From 12th & Independence Ave., SW, down Independence Ave., to 17th St., along the Reflecting Pool to the Lincoln Memorial circle, to Ohio Dr. to the Rock Creek Trail, to P St., NW., to 20th St., NW., to the Dupont Circle Metro Station at Q St., NW. I worked late and got running as it was starting to get dark. The +80 F temperature was motivating me. I knew I was tired from running on Sunday and riding on Tuesday. However, I didn't expect to be feeling it only 150 m after starting out. I originally was going to go to Woodley Park, but hurting well before then and figuring that I wasn't getting much more out of the run, I peeled-off to the Dupont Circle metro station instead.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd., in the dark. I was pretty tired walking up the escalator to my bicycle. Once I got started I felt better and lighter, riding without a backpack.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. I started out taking it easy and there was some traffic. I got on the CCT just behind a guy and I passed him and another before River Rd. They passed me back at the reservoir. Once past Fletcher Boathouse, I passed them both and towed them into Georgetown. There were headwinds the whole way but they weren't bad. It was 52 F starting out.

From 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C., to Northfield Rd. I had some good headwinds and there was a lot of traffic--cycling, pedestrians and car. I moved okay, even going up the hill. One guy cruised past me and eventually I picked-up a guy in my draft who stuck w/me until River Rd. It was nice and warm and sunny.