Training Log Archive: Nadim

Huntington State Park. Warm-up jog to the start of WCOC A-Meet, Day 2.

WCOC A-Meet at Huntington State Park. Overall, I had a better day but I still had far too much trouble with some controls. I planned to settle into the map by using a trail to get to #1. However, when I intersected it at an odd angle, I wasn't sure which way to go. I compassed my way across going roughly straight but losing track of just where I was. I came up a reentrant and upon a control that I knew wasn't mine so I passed it. A second thought made me think it was my 4th control and others who looked like they might be on the Red course were punching it. I doubled back about 100m to check and sure enough it was my 4th control. I attacked from there, missed, got too low, then went to the control. Jeff Shapiro had started close behind me and had made-up the stagger to punch right behind me. I ran off a bit quick and got to the corner of the marsh as planned. From there, things didn't make sense. I was looking for a reentrant when in fact, the control was on a long spur ridge. I went right by it on the other side and scratched my head. I'd gotten far enough past it eventually to hit a trail and some stone walls. None of what I saw made sense with other walls that I saw on the map. I was really at the edge of the in-bounds and the walls I was seeing were covered by out-of-bounds stripes on the map. I eventually doubled back to the marsh and was successful. I over shot #3 and finally started hitting controls correctly on #4 and #5. In the process, I pulled ahead of David Yee. Like some others I ran to the upper bare rock dome at #6 and lost some time. It was just enough for David to catch-up. I took trails on the right to get to #7 ahead of David, who went straight. I enjoyed the long leg for #8. With the steeper and more broadly contoured terrain, I tracked my way across pretty well. Only at the end of the leg did I flub by attacking the wrong ridge. I'd attacked from the stream bend while thinking I was attacking from the spur behind it. Going to #9, I was doing well but lost concentration and started reading the line for #12. In my tired state, I knew the marsh I was seeing was much too big for the marsh at #12 but I rounded it anyway to get to the side where the control for #12 would have been. I figured this out soon but it was sad. I ran well going to #10 but ran high when attacking. #11 was fine--I basically spiked it. I ran the trails on the right toward #12 but stayed on too long and ended-up using the main trail. I hit #13 a bit high but like #6, I learned enough to go down to the end of small ridge and find the control. I followed a reentrant down toward #14 and figured I knew my position. I figured I'd need to go a little left but a more straight attack would have gotten me to the control. I hit #15 well and was surprised to catch back-up to Jeff Shapiro. While he used trails more than I to #16, I spiked it and got ahead. I got through the fence for #17 in what probably was not the right place but there was a partial gap there. I wasn't pushing all out to finish. My right foot was hurting--more bruising or tendon troubles. I conclude from this mess that I'm not seeing the map well enough and need more practice concentrating in technical terrain--perhaps it's time for eyewear too. Having not made as big an error as the day before was encouraging but making so many errors still left me not feeling so good.

Warm-down run from Huntington State Park, CT to catch-up to Peggy and Max, and catch the bus. Running uphill with my loaded backpack, I just made it.

Red Day 2: Long - Splits

Event: WCOC / US Team A-Meet/WRE
 

WCOC at Ansonia Nature Center, CT. This was my worst day navigating in a long while. Given my history in CT, my expectations were not high to begin with. Getting to the start line just in time to get called up didn't help me get into the right frame of mind either. My problems began near the end of the first leg. My GPS track shows that I just missed the control on my left within 10-20m. I just hadn't been able to pick-up on which rocks I was seeing--the terrain is so different from what I'm used to running in with unmapped boulders over a meter tall. I didn't panic as I passed the control but I wasn't careful enough either. I thought I was returning the way I came but my GPS track shows that I headed off by about 90 degrees. Since I turned during this, I had been thinking that I was above the control on the hill but in reality, I had gotten lower. I hunted rocks for a short while and decided to head back toward the start triangle. Along the way, I camp upon some hemlocks and since I'd just crossed a stream, I incorrectly thought I was at the ones which were mapped. I went off rock hopping again and since I could see a road, I eventually found myself part-way between #2 and #3. I came straight to the control after that but it was a long climb and there were more reentrants along the way than I'd originally seen on the map as I started. I hit #2 with no problems, then misread #3--I got too low. I hit a few controls okay after that but with the rain, being out longer than others and not being in such good shape, my legs were rather slow, I made one other awful error going to #8. It started with a parallel error rounding a hill and running along a stone wall. I mistook my position to be on a different stone wall further down the leg. I climbed early and soon realized what I'd done. However, as I continued up the hill, I lost track of my position. I incorrectly located myself at a field but eventually found #9. Good, I thought. I just had a short run to #8 from there. However I ran 180 degrees off and found myself further away. There were some other small problems on other controls but perhaps a worse development from this race was pain on my right heel. I'm not sure if it's connected to the arch and achilles aches that kept me from training much of March and April or if it's bruises from the rocky terrain--my O'shoes are worn out. Since I've been having some arch pain on the same foot leading up to it, I think it's related.

Red Y Day 1: Middle - Splits

With my bike still not repaired, I figured I'd have little other chance to workout today. I worked then drove to Connecticutt. It was a longish day so after getting Max to sleep I had forgotten that I didn't do anything to exercise.

From Northfield Rd., through Grenwhich Park to Old Georgetown Pike, to W. Cedar La. to the Elmhirst Trail, to Cedar La. to the Rock Creek Trail, to Beach Dr. to Grosvenor La. to the Bethesda Trolley Trail, to Old Georgetown Rd. and to Northfield Rd. via Grenwich Park. I got in what is an increasingly rare run from home, after work. The weather was nice and I felt much better than the last few days.

45 situps. I missed an opportunity to run after work and my bicycle still needs repairs.

I had a very worn out run through Bethesda. I've been really sleepy the last few days despite getting more sleep than earlier weeks. It might be the heat or the little bit of more running that I've been doing. From Northfield Rd., I ran up Custer Rd. to Glenbrook Rd., to the Little Falls Pkwy, to the Little Falls Parkway Trail, through Norwood Park, up Wisconsin Ave. to the NIH and Bethesda Trolley Trails, to Maple Dr. to Lambeth Rd. to Moorland Rd. to Northfield Rd. I added on at the end to ensure getting 5 miles. In Norwood, in the darkest areas, I observed what appeared to be lightning bugs. None were flying--they were on the ground and probably just emerging from their larvae state. They just glowed on the ground and it reminded me of the movie Avatar.

From Northfield Rd., I ran up to Custer Rd., to Wilson La., to Exeter Rd. to Glenbrook Rd. to the Bethesda Trolley Trail, to the NIH grounds, to Maple Ridge Rd. to Old Georgetown Pike, to Huntington Pkwy., to Custer Rd. to Northfield Rd. I was very sleepy all day. Perhaps it was the combination of humid and high 80 F weather, the long day yesterday, and general lack of sleep. I finally felt good enough to go for a run at 11pm. It was around the mid 70;s F when I ran but I was still dragging; especially during the initial part of the run. Upon returning, I started work to replace worn chain rings on my commuter bike.