Training Log Archive: Nadim

From Colonel Zadok Magruder HS, I started heading out to field-check North Branch Park. I was running to get to an area that I'd went through before, but needed a second look, I detoured to a copse I hadn't seen before, and then realized I'd left my glasses in the car. I decided that even though it was late in the day, that I'd better get them. I ended up grabbing a spare pair or regular reading glasses instead of my o-glasses which turned out to be at home. After that I ran back to the copse where I'd left my notes. It was pretty windy out, but in the 50s F.

Field Checking in North Branch Park. It had been raining all Friday so it was damp when I started. The strong wind was quickly drying things up. Initially I went over some places that I'd covered last weekend. I had printer problems at home so I still only had my errant hand drawn notes that I was carrying with me. I knew where I'd drawn things wrong before (not knowing exactly where I'd started out from last weekend) so I took my time, erased what I had and got going again. It was easier to do, knowing what was already in the terrain.

Later I got into the succession forest blocks. These terrain blocks surrounded by grassy trails were no doubt old farm fields where the trees had partly grown back. The blocks had broad gentle slopes, and even one with a subtle saddle. They had very few features since the farmers had cleared, smoothed, and pushed the rocks to the sides along the trails. I felt like it wasn't worth spending a lot of time in them but tried to capture the feel of the vegetation. Capturing that feel was very hard. I had to make judgements about what was rough open, semi-rough-open, white or light green. Usually there was no hard line for the boundaries. Though I could move through most of it without having to do too much weaving, I still couldn't see far. The trees were small, just smaller than an apple orchard in height. There were many saplings and small clearings. The vegetation will change rapidly but the mapping will make a difference in route choices.

I finally covered the terrain blocks with older forest which were between the Inter-County Connector Hwy. (ICC), and the planned route of a paved hiking/cycling trail. This was much more interesting. There was more changing contour to it. It mostly ranged from fight to white, but most of it was a middle or light shade of green. There were some rock features and old ruins. As it was starting to get dark, I ended up at the bottom where the North Branch Creek crosses under the ICC.

From North Branch Creek, at the ICC bridge, to Colonel Zadok Magruder HS, via trails. Most of this was on a new paved trail which one day will connect with the Rock Creek Trail system south of Lake Frank. I was happy to figure out where the pavement can be expected to go. Some of the dirt trail was intermittent and most of the run was uphill into the wind. I was tired.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. It was in the low to mid 40s F. There was a headwind just about everywhere else but near the Kennedy Center. Like Monday, I just cruised trying to keep it easy.

From 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C., to the Bethesda Metro Station, then to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. I worked my way through the traffic which is probably still higher due to tourist trying to see the cherry tree blossoms. There was a pretty good tailwind or the winds were neutral until I got to MacArthur Blvd. For a while there was a headwind but that abated. In a departure from my usual route, I stopped in downtown Bethesda to pickup dinner on the way home. Carrying it back was a little slow since my backpack was already full.

From Northfield Rd. to the Bethesda Metro Station.

From the Bethesda Metro Station, Wisconsin Ave. to Battery Ln. where I paused for an appointment, then to Cedar Ln., to the Elmhirst Trail., to the Rock Creek Trail, to Kensington Pkwy. to Connecticut Ave., to the Georgetown Branch Trail, to Woodmont Ave., to the Bethesda Metro Station. It was in the upper 50s F. and a pretty nice night for running. I didn't feel that good starting out, but after pausing and getting going again I was fine. I think not being concerned about how fast I was running had much to do with that. I'm not used to this distance yet and still tired from bicycling on Monday, which I'm also not used to doing. The distance was a little bit longer than I was thinking it would be but that was okay. I was tired enough where running on flat ground didn't feel that much easier than going up a hill.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. I took it easy as a warm down from running.

Working late and evening plans spelled doom for working out today.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. This was my first ride all of the way into work this year. I think I last rode in on 12/2.2016. I was a little tired from the weekend workouts and my right hip area was a little sore. Today it was damp and the closer I got to DC, the thicker the fog was. It started out at 45 F. I kept a steady pace, not pushing. I did get passed by a woman after I hit the flats, but I passed her back without any more effort. I just upped my cadence. The Cherry Blossom Trees along West Potomac Park were blooming well, despite the recent freezing temperatures. Ohio Dr. had been shifted to one-way traffic and I was riding against it--there were few cars and all of them stayed to the right anyway.

From 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C., to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. As usual, I was very close to getting locked-in the courtyard where I lock-up. I got out into a good deal of traffic. Rush hour traffic was amplified by tourists there to see the Cherry Blossoms. I saw them at lunch time and it seemed that there was hardly any frost damage. I was rather glad that I sucked it up and rode all the way to work today. I did have to weave my way around both auto and pedestrian traffic at the Jefferson Memorial. I did pretty well getting through it. I hit more traffic along the river at the Kennedy Center where there are no cherry trees, and again in Georgetown. Crew rowers were hauling shells back onto trucks and blocking a bridge to the the waterfront. Once through Georgetown, it was a complete reversal. There were relatively few cyclists or runners. It seemed strange since there were so many riders joining the trail in the morning. I cruised alone focusing on keeping my pace manageable, and no one passed me.

Event: QOC McKeldin
 

Patapsco State Park, McKeldin Area. I warmed-up from the parking lot to the rest rooms and the start.

QOC: Patapsco State Park, McKeldin Area. I hadn't read through the notes and we were a bit late arriving. I thought about doing the Green course along with the Memory-O but Peggy convinced me otherwise (to do Brown), with the kids being with us and it being cold.

I felt pretty well starting out. Sleeping well probably helped. I spiked the first few controls. #1 was physical and I went though the forest instead of using the road. I went straight at #2 and was right on the line going over the ridge at an intersection. I came down and was still going well as I nearly caught some others. I was still chasing them on the short leg across the road. We'd done close versions of leg #4 many times. I took the trail and went a little lower than a faster guy. I seemed to hold my ground or gain on him.

For #5, I contoured around the hill and reentrant to get right to the road corner. I went in from there and recognized the green area. Going around it, I spiked the control.

For #6, I went straight. On the drive up, I could see others running here and figured that the road might be a good option. I didn't bother though it might have saved me time. I stopped one reentrant early. The leg line obscured some of a key contour and I couldn't read it until I stopped for a while. The low vegetation on the map was also not so bad as it seemed to be mapped. Finding a deer trail helped. Once over the last hill I found the control in the reentrant a little higher than I was.

For #7, I again stayed in the forest. I spied the ruin to my right, and read the control description to know the control was inside.

For #8, I went left, climbing the dirt road. It seemed that the control was placed further right and that cost me a little time.

For #9, after getting into the areas, I saw Peggy and another guy running toward me. The control wasn't visible. I ran past them and started fumbling too. My glasses fogged-up. I read the contours on the ridge above us and concluded I was in the right place without seeing it. Meanwhile, Peggy had circled back. She was closer to the ridge than and she saw it first.

For #10, I passed Peggy and ran on bearing. Though the control looked to be in the middle of a black blob with my foggy glasses, the control description said, it'd be placed on the far side. I kept right of my bearing to not get hung-up in the rocks too soon and climbed. I saw boulders I think I've been to several times before and saw it there above me.

Going to #11, I angled the hillside starting out. Getting on trails, I climbed the ridge and went down the reentrant on the other side. I found remnants of the trail but couldn't see anything from the trail intersection. Once the creek took a bend, I began to climb. I was low at the end, but could see it above, between some boulders.

I ran straight toward #12, passing Chris Gross as I climbed. I read the contours getting to the edge of the forest and kept my bearing going down. I could see Patti Mace coming across the hillside from my right. I spiked it.

For #13, I ran down to the trail along the river, then stayed mostly on trails until just past the bend south of the control. I got as far as the depression and cut back to the right. Chris Gross had been coming from above again and I didn't know he was going for the same control as our paths crossed. I was too far left, thinking that the control lined-up with the trail that I'd run up, but I had read that incorrectly. Not seeing anything where I was headed, I had been able to see Chris get to it, so I pursued.

Going to the finish, I watched Chris far ahead but kept to a similar straight route. If he hadn't been there, I probably would have taken the trail. I walked some, but managed to run and pickup speed in the fields.

QOC: Patapsco State Park, McKeldin Area. Memory-O: I started after Peggy did. Immediately, I was having difficulty adjusting to the map. I kept being naturally inclined to hold 180 degrees off, and when I turned it back, I kept losing my place. The start triangle line seemed thin to me and was obscured by other stuff being under it. I thought I had it right and put the map down, then, then I needed to read it again. I finally got going and chose to go around all the low vegetation, then come in along the vegetation boundary. I saw it from far away but lost it when I got closer.

For #2, it was an easier leg, and I was familiar with the location, from other events. #3 was straightforward too. I gained on a woman in front of me and didn't pass her until after hitting #4,and plunging into the woods near #5. I used the boulder to get to #5, but didn't go all the way to the boulder. Peggy was just leaving when I got there.

I climbed back to the road going toward #6. It was more climb than I expected, but fast once over the top. I was having trouble remembering the location. Anne Jepsen was in the area and seemed to go over the ridge than in the middle of it. Peggy came in on my right and was higher. I recalled enough to get further along the ridge and to the control.

For #7, I knew the high route would be a little longer but I thought it'd be faster than making my way down the steep hill to the trail along the river. I thought going down an open spur would be faster. As I got near the trail, I could see Peggy ahead. I passed her after leaving the trail and climbing the reentrant to the control.

For #8, I climbed the spur toward the trail and got further ahead of Peggy. She climbed up the reentrant where it was less steep but I had my doubts about my route when I looked back and couldn't see her. I climbed the correct hill on the trail most of the way and turned off just before the top to spike it.

For #9, I kept to the trail until getting to the field. From there I attacked and spiked it.

For the finish, I fumbled a bit indecisively but ultimately got to the road and in.

Brown - Splits

Memory - Splits