Training Log Archive: TomN

QOC Manassas, Red course. After tornado warnings last night and drizzle this morning, it turned out to be a very nice day. I ran a pretty good race, and although the navigation is not too hard in this park I've managed to mess it up before. Not this time. Mostly right on, but I lost a few minutes looking for #7 and #10 just off where they actually were. Lots of running, but it was hard to go fast with lots of water under foot, lots of downfall, vegetation thick in places.

Red - Splits

Short and easy. Yesterday's effort knocked me out (literally -- I slept for an hour afterwards) and tomorrow there's orienteering, assuming tonight's expected rain doesn't wash it out.

Today's workout was 15 min R + 3 min E, 10 min R + 2 min E, 5 min R. I figure R is around 7:30 and E is 9:20. I did the intervals on the stretch of the Rock Creek trail between Knowles and Cedar Lane. There are a couple small hills near the Knowles end, but otherwise nearly flat.

From the GPS trace, I calculate paces 7:28, 7:34, and 7:32 for the 3 intervals. I'm not counting where I had to make a turnaround at the end of the 3rd interval to avoid running out of room.

Trail run on Northwest Branch trail. I parked at the Wheaton Dog Park, picked up the NW Branch trail at the Kemp Mill trailhead, and went down to the Northwood trail junction and back. Back inside the park, I took a different way back to the parking lot, mainly because there are crews out working on the section of the trail along Glenallan Ave., but it's a pretty steep climb.

It was only about another half mile from where I turned around to Colesville Road, and then I could have gone back up the other side on the Rachel Carson trail. Next time.

6 x (400 R + 400 jog). Times were 98, 98, 96, 97, 96, 95.

In between the 4th and 5th interval I stopped to say hi to Jim Hage, who had just shown up at the track. He's a local legend, 6 years younger than me but always a much better runner. He remembered me, we had run together in the 80s with a mutual friend. At a race last year I went up to the podium to claim my award for 1st 60-69 and the guy seemed confused, shuffled papers, said, "You're not Jim Hage!" I said no, I'm not. "Well, where's Jim Hage?" (Answer: he didn't run, or I wouldn't have been there.)

C • Funny story! 1

Quantico Classic, Day 2 Long Green. Much better performance today. Lost a little time here and there, but reasonable route choices and solid contact with the map. Second today in M60, but my 2-day combined is just dismal.

Day 2 - Long - Green - Splits