Training Log Archive: Nadim

Hoyles Mill Conservation Park, MD. From Hoyles Mill Rd., I decided not to do much running today, to help my knee from getting worse, and so that I won't have to stop running. I jogged northward half a mile on Hoyles Mill Rd. until I got to the Little Seneca Creek bridges. Staying south of the creek, I went through the greener parts of the area that I hadn't spent much time in. I found some new features, and made some corrections to older ones. I had concerns about what I'd mapped earlier not reflecting the vegetation well enough. Most of what I'd mapped was about right. Seeing it at this time of the year let me see it better than when things were starting to grow last spring. Being in the greener areas meant working my way through thorns and deadfall a lot of the time. Some areas that I'd mapped green will be changed to being light green, and a few others will be dark green or fight.

Great Falls, MD. From the Angler's Inn parking lot, I ran up the Berma Rd. to the trail on the right just before the bridge to the towpath. After the short but steep/rocky climb that I walked parts of, I headed left to the Upland Loop Trail and Overlook Trail. Staying high, I climbed again to the Trolley Loop, then back down to the Tavern. I went south to the towpath at Lock 19, then north on the towpath to Lock 20 and the Tavern. Going to and looping the entrance traffic circle I returned behind the restrooms, down to Lock 19 again, then on the towpath to the Angler's Inn parking area. As I was getting started, the sun had already gone under the ridge on the Virginia side of the Potomac River. It was in the upper 30s F with some wind. Running on the upland trails wasn't too bad with the poor lighting but if I'd have been any later it would have been. The Tavern area had been almost devoid of people and it's unusual to see it like that. Even the traffic circle had no cars. There were a few people on the towpath. The actual Angler's Inn at the start/finish was hopping and festive with lights and heating burners. My left knee was hurting a little again. I hope the softer ground was easier on it but the small bumps and dips in the trail/towpath in the dark didn't make it so. I ran more on my toes than usual.

30 sit-ups.

From Northfield Rd., Custer Rd., to Huntington Pkwy., to Old Georgetown Rd. to Beech Dr. to Singleton Dr. to Bulls Run Pkwy., to the trail along the middle school to Bradmore Dr. to Ewing Dr./Roosevelt Rd., to Grant St. to Northfield Rd. It was windy today. As I ran into it the first 2 miles, I was slower than usual. Though easier when I returned, I wasn't really faster than usual. My left knee hurt a little and I needed a bathroom near the end.

30 sit-ups.

Washington, D.C. After an evening visit, I again ran the extended version of what I've called the Memorial Tour, but I started it from Ohio Dr. From the John Ericsson Memorial circle and Ohio Dr. in West Potomac Park, and Independence Ave. I went up Independence Ave. to the Kutz Bridge, around the Tidal Basin to Ohio Dr., past the Jefferson Memorial, over 14th St. Bridge to the Mt. Vernon Trail, around Lady Bird Johnson Memorial looping under the George Washington Pkwy., to the footbridge over the Boundary Channel into Virginia, along the North Pentagon Parking lot, to the trail along S. Washington Blvd., to the Mount Vernon Trail, to Memorial Bridge, to and around the outside part of Lincoln Circle, to Daniel French Dr., SW, to Independence Ave., to Ohio Drive, NW. It was 46 F with no winds, and a nice moon. I had sweat bottoms but midway at a convenient and still open bathroom stop, I took off my sweat jacket. There were several other runners on the trails and walkways. I saw a few police but no large preparatory force. My lower back has been a little achy but didn't bother me when running.

From Northfield Rd., Moorland Ln., to McKinley St. to Old Georgetown Rd., to the Bethesda Trolley Trail, around the south side of NIH, to Jones Bridge Rd., to Maryland Ave., to Fairfield Dr., to Lynbrook Dr., to Chestnut St., to Kentbury Dr., to Chelton Rd., to East-West Hwy., to Old Georgetown Rd., to Huntington Pkwy., to Custer Rd., to Northfield Rd. I got a late start. It was in the upper 30s F. All through the run, I felt my stride was clunky; just not smooth. I didn't feel strong but it could have been worse. I thought the distance was a little farter too.

30 sit-ups.

From Northfield Rd., Greenwich Park, to Old Georgetown Rd. to Alta Vista Rd., to Linden Ave., to Pooks Hill Rd., to Rockville Pike. and the Bethesda Trolley Trail, to Maple Ridge Rd., to Old Georgetown Rd., to Huntington Pkwy., to Custer Rd., to Northfield Rd. I was tight or stiff from the orienteering race yesterday. I didn't push the pace. Sometimes I felt like I was going slower than I was. It was about 48 F with a bit of a wind.

30 sit-ups.

Event: QOC Seneca Creek
 

QOC: Seneca Creek State Park, MD. We started from the Bluejay Pavilion today. It was in the mid-40s F and raining. There was a surprising amount of snow around the parking lot but none in the woods that mattered for me. The trouble I had was with foggy eyeglasses and I think that was the main cause of a mispunch. Many controls were set close together. 'd just read the feature incorrectly on the one I'd missed, and there happened to be a control where I'd memorized the control to be.

S-1 - The forest near the parking lot seemed to have gotten greener so I ran around it to the right, rather than try to go straight. I spiked it.

1-2 - I was glad to see that the power lines had been mowed. There were some nasty looking thorny vine stalks where I ran across, just below the power lines. It was greener getting into the forest, but not hard. Next were what looked like unmapped long depressions filled with rainwater. I ran around them, saw the biggest rootstock and found the control there.

2-3 - I went between the power lines and was glad to see that a path of sorts got through the green. Staying low in the forest, I ran around deadfall and adjusted bearing after the creek bend to hit the control. I struggled to read the map in the circle but the control was pretty visible.

3-4 - I started climbing steeper than straight to get around the green. It seemed that I had to adjust a bit more to the left to get to the visible control

4-5 - I ran and walked up the hill to the reentrant and the road intersection.

5-6 - I took the road over the dam, left it from the curve, and crossed the reentrant to the visible rootstock.

6-7 - I ran up to the trail, but rather than go over the hill and through the forest, I used the dam spillway and trail along the lake. I'd misread the leg, and went almost directly to control 8 (I had let myself get distracted with a new rootstock near 8, but I should have known it was too far off to the right). I didn't realize I'd missed #7 yet. Next I ran directly to #7. Michael Stasiowski was just coming to it as I'd punched, and yelled out that I'd taken #7 and #8 in the wrong order. I probably lost 3-4 minutes.

7-8 - I ran back to #8 and punched. It helped that I'd been there already.

8-9 - I reversed most of the route I'd taken to #8 from #6 earlier, past the lake and dam spillway. However once overt the road, I was more to the right. I did use the trail for a short while but departed it when I thought I'd gotten high enough. A rootstock close to the trail ahead was distracting me. I couldn't see the one lower where I thought it'd be. Somewhere along that point, I saw Michael Stasiowski coming in from my left. He'd been on the trail longer. He got there first.

9-10 - I took off, as much as I could waddle up the hill, and crested it first. I hesitated, not seeing the control ahead. I read the map and realized more about where it should be. By that time, Michael had gotten ahead and again reached the control before me.

10-11 - I discounted the left route across the bridge over Seneca Hwy. due to the extra climb--I feel slow on climbs. In retrospect, that might have been a better route. Going down through Long Draught Branch and under Great Seneca Hwy. I lead Michael for a while. I thought he'd pass me on the climb on the trail, but he didn't. I kept going and only cut across the last tip of the disc golf course. As I was doing this, I saw Michael ahead and higher to my left. I got back on the trail but cut down quickly to the creek. I hit it at the crossing point for the Seneca Greenway Trail, and Michael was just ahead there. I passed on the other side, already having decided to stay low along the creek. I was surprised to find the trails. It wasn't there when I'd mapped the area. I used the trails to get to the big reentrant leading SW to the power lines. I climbed there with Michael behind me nearby. I walked up to the power line ride at the spur and reentered the woods at the trail head there. Going on bearing, I spiked the control. Michael was nearby just behind me.

11-12 - Though I suspected Michael was running Blue, I still felt the pressure to keep ahead of him. I left #11 quickly but still having a good idea tto double-back the way I'd come, and into the power line clearing. I think MIchael's Blue course finally took him elsewhere, after 5 controls together. I had run well using a different trail to get into the powerline ride. In the ride I was running fast and my glasses were still foggy. I read the control to be in the reentrant so when I saw a control there from the edge of the field, I didn't think anything would be wrong going to it. Other people were nearby and I didn't look back to see if Michael was still on my route so I moved-on without checking the code. I'd been checking most if not all of the codes earlier. Checking would have kept me from mispunching and the control I should have gone to was so nearby, that there would have been virtually no time difference.

12-13 - I stayed low, crossed the creek a few times, and to to the parking lot near Riffleford Rd. I used the trail along the main creek, and left it from a bend. I struggled to cross the smaller side stream because the far bank was steep and muddy. I saw the control on the spur, a family, and others closing in on it.

13-14 - I went mostly straight, and again saw many people coming and going from the spur with the cliff.

14-15 - I thought to go left and use the bridge, but once low, the creek looked not to bad to cross. I got to the observation tower and ran around the right side of the marsh. The trail had been improved with a new boardwalk. I should have stayed along the fence where there is a ride of sorts, but I used the trail until getting past the crescent formline. I did hug the fence approaching the control and attacked/saw it from the small ridge.

15-16 - I struggled with the mud but slowly got under the bridge and into the ditch on the other side.

16-17 - I went straight, staying on the right side of the fallen trees. The light green expanded slightly but was fine going through, especially as I walked uphill. The finish was placed in the wrong spot from how the map was printed but that didn't seem to matter.

I enjoyed going out this day. I wasn't cold when running, and each time I crossed a creek or splashed through icy water, my feet warmed-up again. I wasn't fast running but felt I did okay physically (5.36 miles, 230m climb). The mispunch was disappointing, and again a combination of my glasses fogging in the cold rain, and controls being close together.

Red - Splits