Training Log Archive: Nadim

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, then to 13th & C St. SW, Washington, DC. There was a slight headwind. Though I would have preferred a rest, it's supposed to rain the next 2 days. I kept a comfortable pace most of the way.

From 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. I expected a tailwind but it was more of a mixed bag.

Harriman State Park, NY. From Lake Welch, I jogged the streamered route along the road and then along a mostly disappeared dirt road to the start. I felt stiff and slow.

West Point: Lake Welch, Harriman State Park, NY. Considering my physical condition, I feel I did okay. My leg didn't bother me much though my weaker right leg did start to ache late in the race. Everytime I went around the green, I did well; everytime I went through it, I lost ground.

S-1 Starting out, I got around the green (right, left, and down the reentrant) and confidently to the end of the pond. It was not a difficult leg. It looked more daunting than it was.

1-2 - Like #1, I got around the green but this time left, and right through the thinnest section. I got onto a ridge, following it to the end. I saw Tom Overbaugh near there. Leaving the ridge on bearing, I could soon see the control behind some trees, next to the rock. Others who'd apparently been looking for longer, converged on me.

2-3 - I went straight to the edge of the drop and slowed to spy the correct reentrant. Going into it, I saw Peggy, and she came in just behind me.

3-4 - I went straight, seeing some rocks from over 100m away. Approching them I realized they weren't the right ones and that I was a little low. I made a minor correction into the correct set of rocks.

4-5 - My plan for this wasn't good. The road to the right looked not so fast. I never considered the paved road to the left which Stephan S. took. Tim Parsons passed me and was powering up the hill. Though we both went right past #1, we got there on different routes. Planning to use the road to the right, I was worried about drifting too far right on the sloping hill and missing it. I kept straight. It was really slow and I lost map contact. I emerged on the trail about where I wanted to. Peggy, Tom Nolan and a few others were ahead. At the intersection, they cut left which was not my plan. I decided to take their route because numbers usually indicate a good route. I passed most of them and got behind Peggy. It was hard to pass her as she fit through the mountain laurel better than I did. I got to the right and was surprised to be on the edge of the marsh. It was not bad getting through there but overall taking the left side of the marsh through the green proved to be slower than using the road and going longer. Out of the green, I felt I knew where I was but I was really a little low when approaching. I got to the end of the white woods and plunged in. I could no longer hear Tom and Peggy as I passed a mappable boulder in the green. I knew I needed to go on to steeper ground but chickened out. I dropped backward toward the boulder I passed and then further to get outside of the green. Relocating on a group of 3 boulders as Tom had, I attacked and got there. I lost 2 minutes or so.

5-6 - I climbed to get out of the green, but not far enough. I again lost contact with the map but sort of knew what I was near. Tom passed me going higher and through open forest. Ted Good came in view but he was walking. I was tired and walked too. Tom passed the control but I wasn't sure if he'd found it or not. I kept going using contours and boulders to adjust to the right and saw it.

6-7 - I was moving slowly but on a good bearing. I read a boulder about half way there and felt confident. Getting to the hillside, it looked like the mapped cliff was lower. Greg Balter came around and started looking there. I left my bearing and dropped too but as I did, I saw the control on my original bearing.

7-8 - I went straight and it was fun!

8-9 - It looked best to go through the marsh, so I did. The marsh was pretty fast but I was slow. I walked out, up the hill at the other end. Getting to the dump area/road, it was a little slow getting over deadfall. Once in the clearing, I hooked left to the tunnel but stayed on the road. From the Highlander last year I knew I could get through on the left after the tunnel without much trouble but it was mapped with slash and I was headed to a slightly different location. Leaving the road after the intersections but before the bend, I got down around some low vegetation, crossed the paved road and up to the control. I think I read it to be #47 and wondered what had gone wrong. I looked around for a while without really leaving, then looked at the control again to see it was also numbered #43 - first time I'd ever seen 2 codes on a electronic control! I lost a few seconds but it was enough time for another guy to nearly catch-up to me.

9-10 - On the paved paths, I dropped to the beach and turned left. The other guy nearly caught me.

10-F - I could have tried a little harder but didn't want to risk further injury. I dropped to the sand early on the stairs to avoid jumping and aggravating my back. I got passed at the end.

For the 2-day total, I finished about 3 minutes out of 3rd place on M55+ If I had placed it'd have been miraculous. I was just happy to finish smoothly each day. Both days were fun. There were plenty of blueberries on day 2 that were slow.

Day 2 - Lake Welch - Green Y - Splits

Event: QOC Granite
 

Event: West Point 39th National Meet
 

West Point 39th National Meet, West Point, NY. I was pretty out of shape for this so happy that I did as well as I did.

S-1 - I ran on the ridge past the knoll but must have passed to the left of the control, within 10m. I was a little distracted by other people hunting in the area--I tried to not look at them. I saw a control further out and knew it wasn't mine but went to to be sure. I wandered a while going backward, then coming forward again. I actually found a control stand with #62, my control # and not far away, further up the ridge I found the control; same #62, but with the flag and control box.

1-2 - I went fairly straight and spiked it.

2-3 - I a little high, passing someone, and spiked it.

3-4 - I dropped to the road planning to run on it but I wasn't sure if I'd angled my descent enough already. I crossed the road and then had to run along the edge of the marsh where it was green. Once it turned open, I splashed across. The other side wasn't what I expected from the map. I did climb but not as steeply as a direct route would be. I got to an overlook of the large reentrant, crossed it and at some point saw a pond too. I got confused seeing warning signs about entering military lands and thought I might have run past the control. I ran the ridge and things started making sense. Another younger runner that I'd seen earlier dropped down and I did too. It was my control but the other guy needed me to tell him where we were.

4-5 - I ran above the large cliff and passed a guy along the way.

5-6 - I was really slow on the climb. Not seeing mapped cliffs when there were many was confusing, but once on top, I zeroed in pretty well. I dropped a slight bit too much so I had to come up at the end. Others were chasing me.

6-7 - I ran straight but not straight enough. I paused on the lower dot knoll were a few people caught me including Steven Tarry and Phil Bricker. Going on, I found it soon, before the others.

7-8 - I climbed steeply at first to avoid the unmapped cliff near #7. I just read my way in using the mapped bald rock and other features, getting there ahead of others.

8-9 - I tried to go straight, but drifted to the right. Seeing Peggy and another control, I ran on and found it with a little bit of lost time, getting passed by Steven Tarry.

9-10 - I ran straight and made up some time on Steven Tarry, but I did cross the ridge with the cliff, coming at it from the other side behind Steven.

10-11 - I ran straight, then contoured a bit. This gained me ground on others and got me ahead of Steven Tarry.

11-12 - I dropped to the road and started to leave Steven behind. At the bottom after the turns, I tried to use the ride. It was a little slow and the grass looked better, so I used the grass. Steven seemed to make up a little time coming in from high.

12-13 - I found the little road to the right, but was a little confused. I also hesitated not reading the end of the shrubs as where the control would be.

13-14 - The nice straight drop let me open up and build a gap on Steven Tarry.

14-15 - Straight on the road; I just didn't have much energy.

15-F - I was just slow.

Day 1 - Lake Frederick - GreenY - Splits

Lake Needwood, Montgomery County, MD. From the parking lot nearest the dam, I did some field checking for Peggy, since she's setting courses that are to be run here in May. The woods were great! They've opened up a lot. Many rootstocks and other downed limbs have rotted away. In my notes, I eliminated a lot of old rootstocks. There was not much thick vegetation either. It helped that this time of year, after winter weather has cleared old leaves and vegetation, and before it's had a chance to grow back. I missed the map that Peggy had set out for me to direct me toward a burned area. I was later able to find it. It was satisfying when hand drawing a ditch dug around the burn, that I was able to match up with point features pretty well. I could have used more time in the park. The map needs a lot of work. One day I'll replace the contours too.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station.

From the Bethesda Metro Station, to Northfield Rd. I was working late again :(.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station.

From the Bethesda Metro Station, to Northfield Rd.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station.

From the Bethesda Metro Station, to Northfield Rd.