Training Log Archive: Nadim

From Mark Twain School and Park in Rockville, MD, initially I did some field checking of areas mapped earlier between Rte. 28 and Avery Rd. on the west side. Most of this was to investigate and make corrections to areas that were identified from the July Summer Short Series training. Instead of rushing these areas at the end of a field checking expedition to other areas, I took my time this go around and I think I fixed a lot of the problems. Afterward, I went to the area west of Avery Rd. on the east side of Rock Creek and finished off the section. There was an area of significant green surrounding a rough open field that was included. It had several features in it and I hope I got them well placed. I had hoped to get to the west side of Rock Creek, west of Aver Rd. but I'll have to do that another time. I expect it will be a quick section since it's very open however a lot of it is steep. I left it for another time.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD to Montgomery Ave. via Bethesda Ave. and the Georgetown Branch Trail, to 12th St. SW, Washington, D.C. via the Georgetown Branch Trail and the Capital Crescent Trail. After a few false starts, I had a quicker ride in this morning. I started off with Max having a quilt since he'd left his jacket at school the previous day. After initially getting going and climbing a hill for couple tenths of a mile, Max reminded me that we'd forgotten his lunch. We circled back and got it but had to leave and circle back a second time from about the same place to get his helmet. I was a little frustrated with that because I was feeling tired from the long week of riding and I often don't feel good starting out a ride; especially on a climb. Max distracts me with something different to break my routine on many mornings. Sometimes it's a toy or crankiness or getting close to the road while I'm getting the bike and trailer ready. However, he is only 3 and I need to be better at focusing on what's needed.

As I was getting ready to leave Max and his trailer at his day care school, another rider passed by on the trail who I caught pretty soon after passing through the Air Rights Building tunnel. We traded pulls for a while but he was going faster than I. On most days I could keep up drafting at 22mph on the flats but the long week and this riders tendancy to slow down a lot when passing others, then accelerate quickly took it out of me. I let him go and get 200m up on me but I caught him later as he slowed along the Georgetown waterfront. He looked older and was not commuting. He was curious about a 5K race shirt that I had on and when I I told him that I usually compete in orienteering these days, he seemed to have some knowledge of it. He told me about a 75 mile moutain bike race in West Virginia that's coming up soon in which the riders need to orienteer their way to controls that are off trail. Surprisingly, there were steady headwinds from the south east which I noticed more after we split near the Lincoln Memorial.

Barring any bike failures this afternoon, this will be the first 5-day week in as long as I can remember that I've ridden to and from work each day. It gets me closer to my weekly cycling mileage when I was in my 30's but I wasn't commuting as much then and I used to mix it up with much longer and some shorter road rides.

From 12th St . SW, Washington, D.C. to Glendale Rd., Bethesda, MD. Going home, I had cool fall-like weather with great tailwinds to start out. After Georgetown the winds were more neutral except when finishing up the ride into Bethesda, I was fighting the wind again; it's a little wierd but most likely it's partly the shape of the Crescent Trail that creates the situation. I was mostly alone though I pushed for short while as a road biker passed and I tried to hang on. I got to Max's day care in 38:39 (10.74 miles) which was much better than the last couple of days. After hitching the trailer and getting most of the way home, I realized that my rear tire had gone flat. It was like my entry earlier today in AP jinxed me. The flat ocurred at one of the street repair construction sites just past Glendale Rd. Rather than fix it there, I figured it best to just walk the last several blocks home.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD to Montgomery Ave. via Bethesda Ave. and the Georgetown Branch Trail, to 12th St. SW, Washington, D.C. via the Georgetown Branch Trail and the Capital Crescent Trail. It was about 62F this morning, warmer than yesterday and warmer than predicted. The ride was slowish and I may have been imagining some headwinds.

From 12th St . SW, Washington, D.C. to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. Though the winds were from the SE at lunchtime, by the time it was to go home, headwinds exacerbated my need to keep a slowish pace. I rode alone except for about 3/4 of a mile where I could draft before the faster rider turned off.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD to Montgomery Ave. via Bethesda Ave. and the Georgetown Branch Trail, to 12th St. SW, Washington, D.C. via the Georgetown Branch Trail and the Capital Crescent Trail. It continued to get cooler this morning (59 to 60F starting out). Though Max had a jacket I was fine without one. I clearly was feeling the effects of the bump in mileage. I kept a slowish pace until a guy passed me for the last mile going into Georgetown. Once in Georgetown, he sprinted and I trailed along until he stopped to finish his ride.

From 12th St . SW, Washington, D.C. to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. I had a nice steady ride going home. I wasn't feeling very strong but I passed a steady stream of people and no one passed me. Peggy had called me while I was riding and almost done. Though I couldn't get the phone out fast enough, I could continue to ride and call her back. Cell phone talking riders are not an unusual sight on the trail to Bethesda.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD to Montgomery Ave. via Bethesda Ave. and the Georgetown Branch Trail, to 12th St. SW, Washington, D.C. via the Georgetown Branch Trail and the Capital Crescent Trail. Max and I encountered construction traffic on the back streets around Bethesda. After dropping him off I took it easy for a long while. There was a slight headwind. I was doing around 20mph when the posse caught me. I jumped in-line and cruised to Georgetown with them before it broke-up. It was a nice cooler morning but still humid and cloudy.

Leaving at around 6:45pm from the inner courtyard of my office building on Independence Ave., Washington, D.C., I rode through the basement halls to the Indpendence Ave. Wing 1 entrance/exit, then via Independence Ave. to Montgomery Ave., Bethesda, MD. There were some headwinds so I went slowly. I caught a guy around MacArthur Blvd. who helped trade pulls to Bethesda. After hooking up Max's trailer in Bethesda, I headed to Rosedale Ave. and put some bonsai trees that my friend and old neighbor Bob Angell was holding on to for me, into the trailer. From there I went home on Northfield Rd. rather slowly so as not to tip the pots. I suppose I was distracted by the pots, the narrow streets with bumps and an oncoming car but I didn't even look at my old house... I wouldn't have guessed that to happen so soon after moving. It was dark by the time I got home.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD to Montgomery Ave. via Bethesda Ave. and the Georgetown Branch Trail, to 12th St. SW, Washington, D.C. via the Georgetown Branch Trail and the Capital Crescent Trail. I took it easier coming in this morning and wasn't tempted to push by other riders. Initially I thought there to be headwinds but between Fletcher's Boathouse and the Jefferson Memorial, there were slight to moderate tailwinds.

From 12th St . SW, Washington, D.C. to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. Winds along the water were bad enough for a lady I passed to tell me to go ahead and block the wind for her. However once I got into Georgetown there was shelter. I gradually caught a guy on the flats who was riding a mountain bike, wearing tennis shoes and old style toe clips. Instead of going around him, I lingered and he sped up. Soon he was doing 19mph on the flats and 20mph up the hill. A few others we passed were riding fast too and they fell in step behind me. At the MacArthur Blvd. tunnel, our engine decided to stop or turn off. I led for a mile at a slower pace and got some help by River Rd. The group broke up but I took another pull and was alone by Bethesda. After picking up Max's trailer, I made my way home and was surprised by a car going a somewhat parallel route through the confusing Battery Park neighborhood that ended up pretty close to my slow pace.

I had planned to run but given a sore knee today and the hot weather I thought riding would be better and would build my endurance. From Northfield Rd., I rode various roads going around Bethesda and Chevy Chase (Custer Rd., Glenbrook Rd., Bradley La., Broad Branch Rd., Nebraska Rd.) to Ridge Rd. in Rock Creek Park, down to the valley along Ross Dr., then Beach Dr. all the way to Grosvenor Rd. to Democracy Blvd. to Newbury Dr., to Kentsdale Dr. to Bradley Rd. to Huntington Pkwy. to Northfield Rd. This was the second time this year that I got out on my road bike. Like last time it was fun but this time it was hotter (90's F and humid) and more windy. I tried to stick to roads with less climb and traffic though I got slowed by several intersections along the way (not included in total time which was 1:33:10 with the traffic stops). The Rock Creek Valley was a bit more protected from the winds but I would have gotten more tailwinds than headwinds in there. I was encouraged by being able to hold a speed over 20mph on this bike on flats and slight grades without much effort. It's so different when carrying gear and commuting.