Training Log Archive: Nadim

I ran the Seneca Greenway Trail between Rte. 355, and Huntsman Rd. It was 43 F starting out with rain on the way. I ran in tights, a long sleeve t-shirt, and light gloves and that was perfect. Before going, I felt pretty tired from lack of sleep and being daunted by the distance (not a distance I've done lately). However, I really wanted to get one decent run in for this week that I've been off of work. I started feeling okay but was wondering if I should just turn around at the first road crossing, only 2.7 miles up. The greenway was just lovely today and that helped me continue the process of pulling myself up by my britches--I was motivated to push through and calmed by the scenery. On my run along Difficult Run last Tuesday, I had to sort of calm myself down 2 minutes into the run and stop myself from wondering how long I could keep up the pace and distance. I've been in the position of this infirm confidence before. There are physical aspects (what's making me slow lately) but I know that a large component of this fear is mental. To enjoy these kind of runs I just have to keep making them a priority and do them more often. I have to do them and not let work get in the way--that's my wisdom re-learned from being off work for a week. I'll probably have to re-learn it again.

My speed starting out was about 8:36/mile. It's slow and feeling like I was, I figured it'd get slower. I did slow but only when the trail got hillier. I surprised myself hitting the same 8:36 pace several times along the way. The trail conditions were just about optimal. There was not much mud to worry about like the Fairfax Cross County Trail had on Tuesday. This stretch of the Seneca Greenway Trail stayed on the hillsides most of the way--the houses bordering it were much further away from the creek. With the forest so open, I kept getting great views of Seneca Creek below and the land above. I'll have to checkout some of the wider parts (North Germantown Special Park) for mapping some day. When I got on the ridge past the first road crossing, I took a detour that I'd been meaning to checkout that rounds the spur--it was hillier than just crossing the ridge alone on the main trail. It also had less secure footing. On the wide flood plain before Brink Rd., the views were grand. I could see off far enough away that it looked like the Earth's horizon. There wasn't much mud and the tall grasses had been flattened. I saw only about 3 people and 3 dogs during the whole run (except for road crossing). I surprised a King Fisher and some kind of nuthatch. It was lot's of nice solace.

I timed things well. I had a few sprinkles along the way but the first significant rain came 5 minutes after finishing. Later I saw The Hobbitt (an Un-expected Journey); good being dehydrated for an almost 3 hour movie. I generally like Ang Lee movies (Peggy pointed out on 1/12 that I was confusing Directors--Ang Lee directed The Life of Pi which I loved and Peter Jackson directed The Hobbitt.) and loved the book reading it for the first time in 8th grade. It seemed like they tried too hard to embelish parts of the movie with humor that didn't work very well. They seemed to deviate from the book too. I think they just picked the wrong script but I am not panning it altogether. Dinner with Peggy and Max at a popular pizza place we hadn't been to yet, came later--a great day altogether that will give me something to shoot for in the busy work days ahead.