Training Log Archive: Nadim

Rockville, MD. From Lorraine Dr. E, Jefferson St. to Executive Blvd. to Woodglen Dr., to the Bethesda Trolley Trail, to Old Georgetown Rd, to Greenwich Park, to Northfield Rd. After breakfast with the retired MCRRC members and some shopping, I ran home. I certainly felt the overeating of the last few days but it was very nice out. It was 63 F starting out, sunny, and I had a tailwind. Lots of people were walking together.

From Tuckerman Ln., I updated the Cabin John Regional Park map in several areas. Some changes were corrections. In other cases trail changes needed to be captured. Unfortunately, the most prevalent difference was the greening of the park. There are far more thorns and other undesirable than there used to be. I updated heading southward until it got dark, then ran north on trails most of the way back. I was feeling in the groove by the time this was done. In the dark, I managed not to trip. The terrain was still much drier than it has been--some minor streams and marshes were dry. In a field area in the dark on the way back, I did manage to find a muddy spot, and to fall as my foot slipped--landing on my hand, I hurt my right pinky finger again.

From Sheilds Dr. to the YMCA parking lot (near Beech Dr.). I jogged over to our meeting spot while Peggy, Max, and, Samantha waited in the car. For once this year, we were relatively early. I was the first to show-up.

35th Annual Bethesda Turkey Chase. The crowds seemed lighter this year. It was in the 30s F starting out with Ted Good and David Onkst. I had pre-planned to just run with David this year, as he'd done for me when I was coming back from back injury. Peggy started with Max, Samantha, Heidi Onkst, Darcy Good, and Kathleed Lennon. Don Fish and Tom Nolan also ran; Tom ran competitively and seemed to do well. Ted finished about 2 minutes ahead of David and I. We all had our now traditional breakfast at Bagel City and enjoyed finally being able to catch-up with one another--life had gotten so busy for all of us over the last year that we haven't been able to get together much.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station.

From 12th and Independence Ave., SW, Washington, D.C. I ran to Main Ave., then to the Tidal Basin to go clockwise around it. I passed the Jefferson Memorial on the water side, went through the Roosevelt Memorial, and passed the Martin Luther King Memorial too. Though about 54 F, it was very windy and much cooler than expected. My route kept me out of the worst of the wind. Whitecaps were splashing over the walls of the Tidal Basin and flags stood on end.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, then to 13th & C St. SW, Washington, DC. It was in the upper 30s F and I had a steady headwind the whole way but at Fletcher's Boathouse help came up from behind. After a spell drafting, I passed them and we split up before/in Georgetown.

From 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. I had a pretty strong tailwind most of the way home. There were a lot of other riders out. One passed me but overall I felt stronger.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd.

Event: QOC Great Falls
 

Great Falls, MD. I warmed-up along the canal, then uphill on the rocky trail to the start area for QOC's event. It was windy and much colder than expected.

QOC at Great Falls, MD - This was a pretty good run for me, even though it was in a park where I did a lot of mapping and course setting. The forest was fairly open so going straight worked best most of the time. Sam Listwak made a pretty nice course setting variation off of the 50 or so control locations that the park lets us use. During the run, I found myself clenching my right hand, and having to relax it--maybe that was unconsciously me trying to hold on to my epunch but I don't recall it happening previously.

S-1 - I ran up the trail and on the right side of the trolley loop to the main trail, and a spur coming down from the north. From there I went in.

1-2 - I went a little left of straight, and onto the spur.

2-3 - I was going to save climb by going to the right side of straight, but I hit the deadfall. I cut sharply left and uphill to get around it most efficiently.

3-4 - I ran this fairly straight but a little left of the line to contour the climb. I walked the steepest part.

4-5 - Past the boulder, I almost went to the trail intersection but stayed right of it. From there I read the reentrant and hilltop contours to find my way in.

5-6 - I went the right side of straight to save on climb and to spread it out.

6-7 - I ran straight and once across the trail, I recognized the small reentrant I was in before going across the larger one. I adjusted my attack (walking the steeper parts) and spiked it.

7-8 - I bailed to the trails on the left, and came in from the fence corner to avoid the terrain detail. I should have just gone a little to the right and up the larger broad reentrant with a trail in it. I probably lost time on my route but I did spike it.

8-9 - I ran straight and spiked it.

9-10 - I ran left of straight to the trail, then cut right at the next intersection. I attacked from the intersection after that but had already read ahead to know my exit.

10-11 - Back up to the trail on the ridge, and right at the fork. I left from a trail bend and went right past the small broken fence to spike it.

11-12 - I ran to the right to get on the big Gold Mine Loop trail. After crossing the stream on that and climbing the next hill, I left at a trail bend and ran down a nice open reentrant. I pretty much went straight across the trail but drifted left a bit, since I was not watching carefully, the detail ahead. When I got up the hillside in reentrant, I saw some boulders and then a control not far away--it was #18. I hadn't thought I was that far to the left. I adjusted and hit it perfectly, though I couldn't see the control coming from my direction until I was right on it. Overall, I probably lost some time on this leg.

12-13 - I ran straight and made minor adjustments at the boulder cluster on the side of the ridge and again after crossing the trail.

13-14 - I ran straight but had to force myself left at one point just after crossing the trail. I dropped into a reentrant after getting through the light green, then I contoured onto the ridge after passing the spur with the boulder on my left.

14-15 - I ran straight and had to walk some of the way. I adjusted a bit to the left at the end.

15-16 - Fairly straight the whole way but I got into the reentrant a little low.

16-17 - I ran straight but after crossing the reentrant, I got closer to the boulder than I had planned. It was okay since that saved me climb. I adjusted there and spiked it.

17-18 - I ran to the trail intersection and down the trail a little way. I left from the bend and went straight from there reading off stuff the whole way.

18-19 - I ran a little to the left at first to save climb. Going to the trail might have saved time and climb but this was good practice and more of what the course was supposed to be. I cut right after past the ridges. I recognized my location at the gully crossing, and again after crossing the trail. I spiked it.

19-20 - I ran straight, passing the cairn in the green, and the dot knoll on the trail. I cut down to the next trail and ran on it to the trail intersection. From there I went the right side of the reentrant edge to the cairns.

20-21 - I cut to the right a bit for faster running, and let loose. The reentrant kept me on course. Fun!

Great Falls, MD. I warmed-down on the rocky trail, from the course finish, to the event center for QOC's event. It was still windy and cold.

Advanced - Splits