Training Log Archive: Nadim

Event: QOC PWF
 

Prince William Forest, VA. Starting from Telegraph Rd., I jogged across the woods up to the field, then past the ball fields and camper clean-out station, past the Visitor Center, over to a trail, and down to the start of QOC's meet. On the trail, I jogged with Don Ames. Don working a bit harder than I, tripped on a tree root and took a spill.

QOC: Prince William Forest, VA. I ran the Blue course. Feeling less physically capable after not doing much training the last 10 days, I knew I'd have to pace myself. I think I did that okay. My GPS track shows that I ran 9.45 miles with 429m of climb. The leaves were mostly still on the trees. That and the 1:15,000 scale made the navigation a little more difficult for some controls like legs 2, 3, and 6. I was doing okay for most of the way to number 6 before making a significant error. I had been warned that the area wasn't easy to match-up with the map. The control was in the right place but obscured by thicker vegetation around it. The courses had been set on paper with no streamers in the woods when volunteers went out to hang them. I came in above the control from the west and turned away just short of it. I had started doubting my navigation so I went to the next reentrant, did a circuit and came back. There were a lot of trail or road running legs, like 1, 9, 10, 14, 15, and 16. I just wasn't that strong today so I didn't get a lot of benefit over competitors on them as I often do. I bobbled #13, running under the control before turning back. I think the feature was mapped too low. I had come from above and was looking down but it must have been just above me. It was fun being in the woods on this nice, mostly sunny upper 50's F day.

C • #6 2

Prince William Forest, VA. I parked off of the loop road at the start of the one-way road. The woods were a little thick in places.

Prince William Forest, VA. I parked off of the loop road at the Mary Byrd Trail crossing. When I started this loop, two women had popped out of the forest looking at a map. They were trying to find the Visitor Center which was about 3 miles away. I offered them a ride but because they'd have to wait for me to pickup controls, they got a ride with a dog walker. I almost got off track going to the second control. My third control on this loop was #6 from the Blue course. I confirmed that it was hung correctly. The ditch shown on the map was barely a mappable depth and there was some deadfall over it. My legs were getting crampy while doing control pickup.

Blue - Splits

Algonkian Regional Park, VA. I didn't have a lot of time and it was getting dark during the run. I started at the trailhead for the White Trail, went along the river somewhat, then returned through the woods using the Green Trail. It was nice to be running again after a partly lazy, partly busy 10 days. The leaf color, the shores of the Potomac, and the woods in general were very nice. I couldn't remember how one trail connected-up so I did get on one trail that started heading back north when I wanted to go south. I cut across the woods a short way to get back onto a trail that would take me the right direction. There were various stations setup about 100m apart in the woods on this trail which were to create a haunted woods scare event. I later found what appeared to be boy scouts setting up various parts. There were fake grave markers, a wooden coffin painted black, some strange giant wooden nursery blocks (because childhood can be scary) and various ghosts. It looked like it'd be fun.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to the Bethesda Metro Station.

From Bethesda Metro Station, to Northfield Rd. in the dark.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to the Bethesda Metro Station.

From Bethesda Metro Station, to Northfield Rd. in the dark.

45 situps. It's been hard adjusting to find the time to train with several changes and situations. Getting back to work is the biggest as I've been working late doing some fiscal year start-up activities as well as trying to catch-up after being out. I missed not going to the US Champs but I got some family time in with Max all weekend. Even the cooler weather has made me make some adjustments.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to the Bethesda Metro Station. I intended to ride with Max to his school but realized that I'd not picked-up his bicycle since last Friday.

From Bethesda Metro Station, to Arlington Rd., to pickup Max's bicycle, then towing Max's bicycle to Northfield Rd. in the dark. It was cool out and I was glad that I had my jacket.