Training Log Archive: Nadim

I started from Colonel Zadok Magruder HS, heading out to field-check North Branch Park. I carried a folder and my better GPS in hand.

North Branch Park, MD. When I left this morning, I had to take Samantha to a birthday party--it was at a Rock Climbing place in Laurel, MD, so not really close. I had rushed getting ready so by mistake I had grabbed used batteries for my GPS, and I'd forgotten to bring along the orienteering clothes that I had already prepared. That meant traipsing around edges of the sometimes thorny fields with no protection, and not having a great concept of where I was. My watch GPS was working so the time wasn't lost completely. Being precise with point features and some linear ones was difficult. I was trying to stick to easier things like field edges, only the edges in this area of succession forest with subtle contours, was the difference between rough open and semi-rough open. That wasn't so easy with bushy things mixed-in. I also got further down an open forested reentrant system with some ditches and rock features. I was only partly able to link-up to where I had been before, before my old GPS batteries died. Feeling ineffective and needing to run, I stopped and decided to run.

North Branch Park. It was already warm but I hadn't been feeling it too badly. I started out running over to part of the map where I had to end field checking on an earlier outing--I lost the intermittent trail briefly but picked it up by the main creek. Going north along the west side of the water, I realized that I hadn't run this part of the park in a long time. It was nice and I saw a few mappable features. Much was obscured by leaf cover. I did see some nice forest along the way and as I climbed out of the valley. I hit the fields where it was hotter again, and took what amounts to a perimeter route. There used to be a better defined trail but most of what I ran on was grass and more like a ride between semi-rough open terrain, and forest. The grass sometimes had tufts. In one place, the essence of a trail disappeared completely. I struggled to keep moving. However, I knew that running in the heat would be good and much needed acclimation for what's to come when it really hits summer. It was 87 F and humid when I finished--normal temperatures for July and August, not April.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. The wind mostly calm or much less than yesterday, and it was sunny. However, I was a little more tired. It was in the low 60s F. More riders and walkers were out, creating some slow-downs. I saw the guy on a unicycle again. It was like he'd been riding all night back and forth; he was headed toward Bethesda again which is the only direction I've seen him go, even when I'm going different directions.

From 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C., to Northfield Rd. Traffic was lighter all around. I'd passed some people in Georgetown and right afterward. One went by a mile later moving quickly. I pulled the other until after the trestle bridge and let him go. However, eventually, I caught up to him again and let him pull me the last +1 mile to River Rd. where he broke off. Winds were light but probably coming more at my back.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to Folkstone Rd., with Samantha's trail-a-bike to pick her up, then back with her. She was excited and happy to be riding though she didn't seem to help with the pedaling much.

Later we went out to Rockville, to get a birthday present for Samantha's friend,. We ate dinner, and had ice cream and missed Peggy.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. It was damp starting out and in the upper 50s F. I had a headwind right from the start. It kept up the whole way and was more or less steady. I rode alone and saw only a few other riders. However, I did see a guy riding a 3.5' unicycle going the other direction. My right calf didn't feel so good and that was a surprise. It got better after several miles warmed it up. I think it is part of my lingering back issue and right side weakness. By the time I was done I'd worked up a sweat.

From 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C., to Northfield Rd. Traffic was heavy when leaving work, but once again I was able to get through it efficiently. At least initially what was worse was the high pollen dust--pollen doesn't usually bother me much but it was heavy enough to feel like dirt dust being blown into my eyes. I very much enjoyed the tailwind after rounding the Tidal Basin. It was a little slow around the Kennedy Center but not bad in Georgetown. I just kept pacing myself and steadily passing. Only one other guy passed me and he was moving pretty fast. I passed the same guy I'd seen on a unicycle in the morning but this time he was going the same direction. He must have been doing 14 mph on an uphill grade since I didn't pass him all that quickly. He was passing others on 2 wheels. It was warm and a little humid. I rode alone.

After dinner, it was like Samantha had ready my mind. She, Max and I went to play tennis--their first time. I don't think I'd played for 2 decades.

C • Tennis 2

A little rain over the last couple of days, and a lot of working late, conspired to create a lack of motivation for working out.

Event: QOC Clopper Lake
 

West Point A-Meet at Harriman State Park, NY. I ran and sometimes walked from Lake Welch to the start on the Jackie Jones map. I was surprised to be able to see the Hudson River as I got near the end.

West Point A-Meet at Harriman State Park, NY. Racing on the Jackie Jones map, I did pretty well. I hit the crucial controls without losing much time. I guess I was moving slowly enough to be reading the map well. One error I did have was after leaving control #7. Early in that leg, I got to thinking I was running the leg to #7 again. I soon realized it, but I was shaky about knowing where I was at that point. Fortunately, my route correction allowed me to hit the reentrant before #8 very well. I stumbled a little more by taking time to get to the control--after checking the reentrant I got onto the spur and eventually found others on the far side. I left #8 a little wrong, so I got into some vegetation. Upon backing out, I ran to the big trail and ran along the bottom of the ridge before climbing. Had I been stronger, this would have been a great route for me, but I could only climb slowly. Others had faster splits going on an intermittent trail that I hadn't seen. Finishing-up, I had caught a young woman at #11. I got ahead of her and climbed the hill that was on the way. After descending I slowed, since I couldn't see the control. The young woman passed and led me around the fence. She was a few steps ahead after I punched. I gained on and passed her during the run-in on the sand. I guess I slowed again a little as she caught me. The West Point announcer made a big deal of it all, as he was doing for others, saying it was something like a photo finish. I was just happy to find out that I did pretty well on the course. I had set out the weekend to mostly have fun and I besides getting second in +M55, I accomplished that. It was all the more rewarding with the terrain being more technical than I usually get to race in--I've made so many large errors on trips up north before.

Sunday - Green Y - Splits