Training Log Archive: Nadim

Event: QOC Mason Neck
 

Mason Neck State Park, VA. Warm-up in the field before QOC's event.

QOC: Mason Neck State Park, VA. I decided to go out on the Green course so that I didn't over-extend myself. It was encouraging that I could do some running in the woods without my calf flaring-up yesterday. I recall that I had similar experiences 2 years ago.

S-1 Today I had troubles. At the start, I did a 180.

1-2 I ran a bad bearing leaving #1 and hit a road to the east that I hadn't planned on. It did however allow me a decent attack point. I ran about 20m past the 2nd control but somehow knew and turned back to see it behind some trees.

2-3 I had a rough plan on reading the vegetation to turn into #3 but again, when leaving #2, I was further to the left. I corrected at about the right time but did some more zig-zagging to get to the control. It was rather surprising that I got to it in as little time as I had considering the way I tried.

3-4 I went straight but pulled-up one vague flat reentrant before the correct one. I realized this and again was able to correct very well, all considered.

4-5 I planned to follow the marsh to the control but when I got a little higher, I suspected that I'd passed it. I turned back, then turned back again, going past where I'd been. The control was much further up the marsh than expected.

5-6 - When leaving #5, I angled over to the spur but thought I was angling more to the west to do this--that'd support the control being further up the reentrant than expected. I ran along the left side of the vague ridge. At some points I thought I was too high, and at others I thought I was too low. When I hadn't seen the marsh on the direct route, I felt I was to the left too much. At the road, to make sure I didn't miss the reentrant, I aimed-off to the left. This probably brought me further to the left than I should have. I was able to cut right when I saw the reentrant and kept going till I found the control. I think the control might have been too far up the reentrant because it extends beyond the contour.

6-7 I went straight along the reentrant to the control. Like many legs today, it seemed a long way to the control.

7-8 - I ran straight at it but it seemed like I was passing more reentrants than are on the map. Still, I spiked it running on the hillside.

8-9 - I again went straight, using the contours to figure my position. Going over other the 2nd to last reentrant, I felt I had drifted to the right too much so I made a correction to the left. Going over the last reentrant I saw Frantisek and other people hunting. I did too going right (to the west) initially. It seemed like I was getting to where the reentrant ended so I turned around going east. When I got to a bend, I turned around again, now relocated, and ran to the control just past where I'd thought the reentrant ended.

9-10 - I ran straight, going through the green. It wasn't bad. I drifted left a little coming to the trail near the bridge (I couldn't locate the bridge on the map because I'd left my glasses in the car), but I recognized the marsh and trail bend. Mark Mace was on the other side of the road at a stand still (I later learned that due to the pollen in his eyes, he was having a lot of trouble with #10 and other controls) however we both plunged in and went almost straight to the control.

10-11 I decided not to use the road. Mark seemed headed there. I was going to angle over to the trail along the reentrant but I kept drifting left and seeing the road. Even after crossing the reentrant and not seeing the trail at all, I saw the road to my left again. Finally I cut over more and got on the trail. At an intersection with a white control, I felt good enough to cut across remaining trails and use the tip of the first reentrant to attack to the control in the second.

11-F - I angled left to reduce the climb and get around the out of bounds house. After that I used the road. The heat and distance were wearing on me so I just plodded in.

The good thing about today was being able to relocate well. I'm not sure why I kept drifting left. Maybe it was my injury, the vegetation, or not using my eyeglasses. Still it was a fun day. I generally like running this flat stuff and thought Gary set a pretty nice course.

Green - Splits

While others were vetting, I was adding control locations and adjusting some of them by moving streamers. It was a good outing. Initially, I had trouble getting across the first couple of hills. This changed for reasons I don't quite understand. It seems to be more than just warming-up. I was able to run when earlier I was having to limp just walking. I think the softer ground and warmer weather contributed to the good fortune.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to C St. SW, Washington, D.C. It was 50 F starting out, and sunny. I probably had a slight tailwind from the west. I was moving along pretty well, passing a lot of people. The last 2 miles into Georgetown were detoured onto the C&O Canal Towpath. I presume that this was to allow for maintenance work on the CCT. I had to dodge the mud puddles and stones on the towpath. My right calf is hurting a lot more. The run yesterday damaged something some more. I had just enough range of motion to ride if I didn't stand on the pedals. I can actually ride easier than I can walk.

From C St. SW, Washington, D.C. to Bethesda, MD, to Northfield Rd. It was nice to leave work close to on-time once again. I felt like I was straining up through Georgetown but I wasn't going all that fast. I was carrying a little bit of extra stuff and there were some slight headwinds but traffic was fairly low. I was detoured onto the C&O Towpath again and had to make a U-turn to get up there from Water St. Once onto the CCT, I got caught fairly quickly at Fletcher's Boathouse. This worked out well because I then got a draft all the way up to the Little Falls Trail where the guy pulling me peeled-off. I moved slower afterward but got home just in-time to see Peggy before she left.

From Northfield Rd. to Elm St. in downtown Bethesda, MD. I went to meet Max, his friend Joey and Joey's father to watch the Amazing Spiderman. I carried some overnight stuff for Max.

From Elm St. in downtown Bethesda, MD, to Northfield Rd. After the movie and a quick dinner, I rode home in the dark. I'm definitely moving with a lot more ease on bicycle than I can walk.

Washington, D.C. From 12th & Independence Ave., SW, down The Mall along Independence Ave. and the Reflecting Pool to the Lincoln Memorial, to Ohio Dr. to the Rock Creek Trail, to Calvert St., to the Woodley Park/Zoo Metro Station. It turned out to be a lovely sunny day and in the 70s F when I ran. I felt good for a while cruising the first mile at close to 7:30 pace. My right quadriceps didn't much. However, shortly after passing the Lincoln Memorial, my right calf started to bother me. I had to stop and stretch on Ohio Dr. for a while. When I got going again, I had to keep the pace down and not extend my stride much to avoid sharp pain. I puttered along for a while and my left leg, overcompensating was getting more tired. After getting past the Watergate and under the bridges, my calf loosened a little by my pace remained about the same. Past P Street, there was sand on the trail. At first it wasn't much. It came from the heavy rains yesterday and flooding of Rock Creek. Further ahead as the trail got lower relative to the creek, there was a lot of sand and I couldn't tell where the trail really was sometimes. There were lots of runners out--the most I'd seen in a long while or maybe ever, with several groups. I had told myself that with my calf hurting I would stop early and walk up the hill at the end but by the time I got there, it felt almost no more difficult than running on the flatter ground, so I finished-up normally. I stretched afterward and after the metro ride homeward, the calf felt pretty sore just walking.

From the Friendship Heights Metro Station at the DC/MD border (Western Ave. & Wisconsin Ave.), Friendship Rd. to Willard Ave. to the Little Falls Trail, to River Rd. to the Capital Crescent Trail, to Bethesda Ave. to Woodmont Ave. to Old Georgetown Rd., to Edgemoor Ln. It'd been raining nearly all day but I managed to sneak-in a run in-between the rains. My right quadriceps had been dully aching at times during the day, especially when walking. This seemed odd because it hadn't hurt the same way right before the weekend. Worse than that however, my right calf was sore and slowed me down. This doesn't look good for running the Billygoat in a couple of weeks.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro station. I was surprised that my weight was still high but suspect that most of it is water weight.

From the Bethesda Metro station to Northfield Rd. There was light rain. I slowed-down for turns. My right leg is achy and feels a little out of synch.