Training Log Archive: Nadim

Event: Billygoat Run
 

WCOC: Billygoat in Huntington State Park, CT. It was an odd day for me. Over the last 2 weeks I'd been feeling like I've been making progress in getting into better shape. I needed it today and the race had provided motivation. I was concerned about this being in CT since I never seem to do well in CT. I think I have better insight into the reason for that. The terrain is certainly more technical than anything we have to train in in QOCland. But more than the abundance of unmapped rock, vegetation just thick enough to not let one go straight much, and a compounding effect from a bad history of running here, I think the maps in CT are just printed differently. Sure other people can read them but my eyes are worse now. I also did hear some others say they have similar troubles when reading the CT maps. I just have a hard time picking up CT map details, especially while on the run in green areas. What I observe in hind sight is that the CT maps have very small symbol printing sizes. Even the contours which I rely on much more than other features, are super thin when compared to other maps. The color may be light too. They fade from sight for me, even in good light when sitting still. I think the boulders, pits, cliffs and trails are all smaller than they are on other maps too. Are they IOF or USOF standard?

The rain stopped before the race started today but it was still a bit dark and foggy at times in the woods. Temperatures were in the 60s F. At the start, I located the start on the map quickly and seeing that it was a trail run to #1, on the side of the crowd that I was standing near, I took off, with David Onkst running parallel. We read ahead and I picked out #31 as a possible skip. I felt fine and like I was running smooth until we got off trail. Then I felt that I was straining more than others around me and my pace was faster than I could comfortably run for even a regular course right now. By the 4th leg, I was content to back off and catch my breath. I soon stepped in pace with Ernst Linder. David Onkst was there too. I couldn't read as fast as Ernst but had concerns as we rounded to the left going to #6. We soon missed and had trouble relocating. Once we got that control I was better reading the way to #7 and #8. However, I didn't trust my inclination to cut left as we approached #8. The 3 of us hit the trail past the control and had to attack off of it. A big crowd caught-up with us by then. I guess there were about 15 people being pulled along by JJ Cote and Peter Gagarin. I got out of #8 well but was lacking confidence to come around the right side of the hill at #9. After that, there was no gettting away from the crowd as we shifted positions a lot. JJ led mostly. Somewhere along the way Dave mentioned skipping #35 as a possibility.

Finally as we hit a longer leg to #18, and some tough climbs, the crowd thinned. We got to the aid station and the butterfly loop with about 7-8 people. Ksenia P. started pulling ahead of JJ as we headed downhill. When we turned back to finish the first loop, I had open ground to run on and followed the easy ridge back up to the aid station. I was surprised to be dropping people on this since they seemed so strong earlier--perhaps, and wisely so, they didn't think it safe to follow me. I got out of the aid station quickly but didn't have such a good read on the leg to #24. I was off to the left and unfortunately pulled Ernst along with me to the wrong hill. A couple of minutes later he got us to the right hill. I spent a while catching-up and slowly passing a line of people again. Running with David Onkst again, he told me that some of the F21+ women nearby were verbally planning to drop him. Going downhill. I opened-up my stride and was soon up with with them and a bunch of other people again. I had trouble reading the green legs #28, #29, #30, and #31. None of the group decided to skip #31 so I didn't either. I was surprised to see Greg Balter as we were going to #32--I later found that he had been injured recently in a bike wreck.

On the trail, I decided I'd skip #33 since the attack to #34 was straightforward and it let me stay on the trail a long way. I got there ahead of Ernst and Tim Parsons whom had been in the groups of people that I'd been shifting positions with. I felt strong enough and knew I only had to hit #35 to have a good chance of staying in front to the finish. Racing others once again turned out not to be the thing to do to place high but going after the control ahead of the others was the right thing to try to do, rather than hold back and follow. At least that way my result would be more relying upon my own merits; small as they may be in this terrain and on this map. Going to #35, I knew enough to aim off and use the wall but I didn't aim off enough--I also drifted left following a marsh. When I hit the wall, I was too low and I followed it well past the control. I missed seeing the bends in the wall as I got across it, and I ended up in the green. Ernst had turned back by then. When I stopped, Tim was still there but he told me he thought we'd passed it. I was confused seeing a wall intersection since I knew the control to be just beyond an intersection at the same angles. I didn't really notice the second intersection that I was really at and just couldn't understand how I'd gotten that far past the first intersection. I suppose I was too tired to think correctly and to recognize the green fight (I'd reasoned that the map could have been out of date since the green was deadfall that might not have been that old. I lumbered back, partly through the green fight. When I got to the control, I saw David Onkst again and the two women who had wanted to drop Dave/me earlier. I confirmed a question Dave had about which control I skipped, then took off wanting to stay ahead of the two women. Fortunately, I was able to get to the trail fast and move. The true speed was slow but it was successful staying ahead on the run-in--a minor positive for the race for me. AP shows that I lost just under 5 minutes at #35 which really seems much more than I would have guessed (perhaps it's thrown off by others skipping #34 or #35). JJ and Ernst finished about 2 minutes and 8 places ahead.

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Billygoat - Splits

Rockville, MD. From the soccer fields, I looped Julius ES 4 times while Max had soccer practice. I ran mostly on wet grass.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to Arlington Ave. with Max on his trail-a-bike, then to the Bethesda Metro Station. The roads were damp and there is a threat of more rain later. I locked Max's trail-a-bike at the station in the usual place but in the process I found that they had changed the bicycle rack. The new ones seem less in the way of foot traffic but there seems to be fewer of them and the racks themselves are just bolted to the concrete such that it looks likea anyone with a wrench could disconnect them. Its a good thing that I have a locker there for my bike.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Arlington Rd. To pickup max's trail-a-bike, then to Northfield Rd.

45 situps. With Max having evening activities, the schedule didn't work to bicycle or run.

From Northfield Rd. to the Bethesda Metro Station. My legs are back to being tired again.

From the Van Ness/UDC Metro Station in Washington, D.C. down Connecticutt Ave. to the Melvin-Hazen Trail, to the Rock Creek Trail to Broad Branch Rd., trails on the west side of the valley to Military Rd., then up the Valley Trail, the foot bridge over the creek to Beach Dr., to the Pinehurst Trail, Western Ave., NW, to Cummings Ln. to Turner Ln. to Brookville Rd. to Taylor St. to Connecticut Ave. to Thornapple St., to Leeland St. to 46th St. to the Capital Crescent Trail, to Woodmont Ave. to North Ln. and to the Bethesda Metro Station in Maryland. I was extra slow starting out since I was still feeling tired. There were once again a lot of trail runners going south as I headed north up to Military Rd. Some were moving fast. Using the Valley Trail and the Pinehurst Trail, my route was flatter than the one I did last week, and I stayed on dirt trails longer. I felt stronger as I was finishing up (still not so fast) and had just had some slight discomfort in my left knee as I couldn't get it to pop before the run. My legs had been tight and tired so after the run they felt even more so.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd., then back to the metro station, and back to Northfield Rd. After the run it was cooling off and I was getting a bit cold since I was sweaty. After getting home, I realized I didn't have my keys. I'd used them to retrieve my bicycle from my locker at the metro station and I noticed that the zipper to my waist pouch was open. Fearing that I dropped them, I rode back looking down the whole way to see if they fell out. I was relieved when I approached my locker back at the station to see them still in the lock. Gravity pulls the door of my locker closed and as I was getting my helmet and gloves on and getting my bike ready, I forgot to lock-up. I was lucky that no one disreputable saw my keys and took them. Some homeless people have been finding their way into nearby lockers and have been using them to store stuff. I was still a little cold on my second ride home but the longer and casual ride did seem to help loosen me up.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to Arlington Ave. with Max on his trail-a-bike, then to 12th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. It was another nice morning; 54F with slight winds from the north. That meant a tailwind for most of the way. I also was aided by the draft fom passing a bunch of other cyclist throughout the trail. My legs felt better than yesterday but I was getting tired toward the end.

From 12th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. to Arlington Rd. to pickup Max's trail-a-bike, then to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. I had a slight headwind and it was 75F. My legs were sore quickly after the ride this morning and I thought I'd feel it going home. It was easier than expected and I focused on spinning.

From Northfield Rd. to the Bethesda Metro Station. My legs were rather tired today. I though it best not to ride all the way to work. There was a bit of traffic along the way to the station.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. My legs are still fairly tired.