Training Log Archive: Nadim

Pentagon City, Arlington, VA. Warm-up on Army-Navy Dr. for the Arlington Police/Fire/Sheriff 9-11 Memorial 5K. The temperatures started getting much better not long before the race but I guess they were still in the low 80s F with a slight breeze. Jon Torrance had organized a QOC team for the main event. Tom Nolan rounded out our small group as many other intersted QOC runners had already made other plans. This race was in remberance and for a good cause; previous runnings of the same race had benefitted families directly affected by the 9/11 attacks but funds from the event today were to benefit the families of veterans who were in the recent wars. As many can, I recalled the happenings on 9/11/2001. There was a muddled panic in my office as people scrambled to leave. I remember climbing out to a terrace and seeing the smoke from the crash at the Pentagon. The race course took us near but not on the same side where the plane struck.

This day also happened to be my 34th anniversary of starting running. On 9/5/1975, I ran my first official running practice (and logged it) while joining the Cross Country team as a freshman in high school. Prior to this I had run a few races for school fitness tests but I consider September 5th when I marked myself a runner.

Pentagon City, Arlington, VA. Arlington Police/Fire/Sheriff 9-11 Memorial 5K. This was my first road race in a long while where I felt like I was racing. As is often the case the last several years my preparation wasn't really there but I was pleased with what I was able to accomplish. Before the race, factoring in lack of recent running, a slowish 10 mile run on Wednesday, and eating too much being at a pool w/Max and visiting my parents earlier in the day, that I'd be doing well to keep the pace under 7:00 minute/mile. According to my GPS and Tom Nolan's tracking in GMaps, the race was a little long. My official 5K time was 19:56. That's closer to a 6:01/mile pace. My official time is still the slowest actual 5K race that I've ever done. I was faster in a much hillier one in Bethesda a few years ago (today's course was almost completely flat). I guess I was most happy about today since I haven't run this pace since prior to knee surgery last year.

I missed seeing the actual mile markers. I guess I was focusing on the road and weaving through the many runners too much. My mile splits according to my GPS track match-up with where Tom Nolan said he saw them: 5:50, 11:19 (5:29), 18:04 (6:45). I didn't think I had accelerated in the second mile though I was passing a lot of people then. If any of them could be said to be uphill, the second one climbed the most. I did notice slowing a lot during the early part of the 3rd mile and people started passing me back then. My GPS let me know how far I had to go to the finish so toward the end I pushed more and made-up a few places. The 40-49 year age group was won by another 47 year old (my age) in 16:59. Overall, I was 73rd out of 2,285 finishers and 17th out of 288 in my division. Tom Nolan was 147th place, 6th of 110 in his division in 21:35. Jon Torrance did the best. He was 10th overall and 3rd of 416 in his division at 17:22! It's interesting that my VDOT predicts a 5:27 mile pace from this effort since I had a 5:29 split. I guess I need to work on the pacing if I'm going to road race more.

From Northfield Rd. to Maple Ave. with Max via the Georgetown Branch Trail, then after dropping him and his trailer off, to the Bethesda Metro Station via the Air Rights Building tunnel. It was yet another nice cool morning.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. Since Peggy had told me that she was going to pickup Max and the trailer, I only needed to ride home. After about a third of the way there, with no pre-planning on the timing and me randomly taking an alternate route, our paths intersected at Exeter La. Peggy and I were surprised and Max seemed very happy at this ocurrance. We rode together slowly home. Peggy wasn't used to towing the trailer and Max's weight. I was tempted to run later but I thought that some rest would be better with a harder run planned for Saturday.

From Northfield Rd. to Maple Ave. with Max via the Georgetown Branch Trail, then after dropping him and his trailer off, to the Bethesda Metro Station via the Air Rights Building tunnel. It was once again cooler than normal outside. I was tempted to ride all the way into work but felt that less would be better than more for today. I weighed-in the lowest that I have all year.

From the Bethesda Metro Station, to Maple Ave. to pickup Max's trailer, then to Northfield Rd. via the Air Rights Building tunnel. Before coming home this evening I acted on Jon Torrance's suggestion for a QOC team doing some road races this Fall. I registered for a 9/11 Memorial 5K that will pass along beside the Pentagon. It'll be on Saturday evening. I don't expect to be up to a race pace but it'll be some good training.

From 14th & Independence Ave. to 17th St., along the Reflecting Pool to the Lincoln Memorial, to Ohio Dr. to the Rock Creek Trail, to the C&O Canal Towpath, to the Capital Crescent Trail, to the Little Falls Trail, to Masachusetts Ave., to the Capital Crescent Trail, to Bethesda Ave. to Woodmont Ave. to Edgemoore Ln. With the lack of running that I've done over the summer, this was probably farther than I should have gone however missing the last two days and the upcoming Fall season spurred me on. I last ran this route April 30, 2009 to get ready for the Billygoat. Like before, I ran with a few essentials on a belt pack and I didn't feel very strong going into this. My only advantage was being lighter by 10lbs but I haven't finished adapting to that yet. Starting off, I reached the Lincoln Memorial at under a 7:30/mile pace. Temperatures were probably around 80F. I was slower getting through Georgetown. Passing a foursome of 3 guys and a lady leading them got me going quicker again. I had a sciatica-like feeling on the run until I passed Fletchers Boathouse. I didn't bother trying to hold pace much but was a little surprised to be running as slow as 8:00/mile pace. Available measured splits: 7:52 (1.02 mile), 4:01 (half mile), 3:57, 3:53, 3:54, 4:01, 3:57, 3:58. Some of these were the same to the second while others were up to 10 seconds slower than in April.

From Northfield Rd. to Maple Ave. with Max via the Georgetown Branch Trail, then after dropping him and his trailer off, to the Bethesda Metro Station via the Air Rights Building tunnel. It was rather cool out. I rode in my work clothes again.

From the Bethesda Metro Station, to Maple Ave. to pickup Max's trailer, then to Northfield Rd. via the Air Rights Building tunnel. I had been working late so it was nearly dark by the time I was home. I didn't have time to do a planned run.

From Northfield Rd. to Maple Ave. with Max via the Georgetown Branch Trail, then after dropping him and his trailer off, to the Bethesda Metro Station via the Air Rights Building tunnel. It was nice and cool this morning. I rode in my work clothes and carried back my laptop.

From the Bethesda Metro Station, to Maple Ave. to pickup Max's trailer, then to Northfield Rd. via the Air Rights Building tunnel. Peggy and I had been off to a quarry outlet to pick some stone for our home remodeling. Afterward, she had dropped me off at the metro station and then went on to pickup Max. However, by the time I got the day care to tow the trailer back, Max wanted to ride with me. There was a good bit of traffic along the way and Max was disappointed that Peggy beat us home in the car.

From Northfield Rd. to Bethesda Ave and back. I was busy for most of the day with some office work, then cleaning our deck--it's now been a year since we've moved into our house and it has been great. It just requires some TLC every now and then that's hard to do in the O-seasons. Peggy, Max and I rode together. Max rode somewhat tandem with me on his trail-a-bike and Peggy experimented with hitching the trailer. Having the trailer allowed us to bring our dinner back home and watch America's Funniest Videos (Max's favorite show that's not a cartoon). Max made my work easier than I wanted it at times. I wanted to let Peggy catch-up sometimes and Max propelled himself and me forward.

From Northfield Rd. to Old Georgetown Rd. via Greenwich Park, west to the Bethesda Trolley Trail, to Rockville Pike, to Woodmont Ave. to Rugby Ave. to Delray Ave. to Old Georgetown Rd. to Battery La. to Maple Ridge Rd. to Park Ln. to Custer Rd. to Northfield Rd. This was basically an ice-cream run. I ran an easy loop that came back via a convenience store. There I picked-up ice cream for the evening and some cereal for breakfast. I didn't think I was running very fast but perhaps the cooler air moved me along. Running back to the house about 3/4 mile with the goodies was a little awkward but not too bad.