Training Log Archive: Nadim

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station. I wasn't feeling so well in my gut.

From the Bethesda Metro Station, to Northfield Rd. I was once again carrying my laptop under my backpack. I ended up eating with friends at work instead of running like I'd planned. My stomach still wasn't feeling right.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station.

From the Bethesda Metro Station, to Northfield Rd. I felt like I was moving well, but I'd messed-up my watch timing starting out somehow.

I decided it best to take a rest day. My right knee was hurting both Sunday and Monday. It felt pretty good all day but I was sitting at a desk most of the day.

Peggy and I signed-up for the Jr. Training Weekend in PWF. We also signed-up for an adventure run/rogain in the Catoctin area near Thurmont, MD. It's the The Crooked Compass Adventure Trek and is being held on April 6th.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station. The winds had been blowing all night and since I rode with Samantha. I had a great tailwind and felt like I was going much faster than my time shows. There were some normal traffic stops and slowdowns.

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 but a little further out than usual, went through the Roosevelt Memorial, and passed the Martin Luther King Memorial on Independence Ave., too. The wind was still really strong. Making my way up wind on Main Ave. and the south side of the Tidal Basin was work. The Tidal Basin was as choppy as I've seen it. Whitecap waves of brown water up to +2 ft.(?) were splashing over the rim and pouring across the sidewalk. When I got to the bridge that joins the basin to the Potomac River, I could see bigger brown waves. There was some shelter in the trees around the Roosevelt Memorial and I stopped in the bathroom at the second one since the first one was closed. As I got to the Kutz Bridge on Independence Ave., the water was completely and very oddly different--flat and calm until a little less than half-way out. I could still see the choppy water at the far end where the wind was pushing the water. My right knee was hurting a little bit during this run (continuing from yesterday and no doubt related to the higher mileage I got in last week) and it felt best on the brief grassy spot leading up to 15th St. SW. After 14th St., it was flat with the wind at my back so I made-up time.

From the Bethesda Metro Station, to Northfield Rd. The winds continued and this time I had headwinds most of the way. I suppose that carrying my backpack and laptop didn't help either.

Greenbelt Park, MD. From the loop road at the entrance to the Sweet Gum parking area, Peggy and I did the Perimeter Trail loop going clockwise. The trail was sloppy wet in many places from the rains and meling snow. I ran at Peggy's pace. At times it felt slow but other times like on some climbs, it felt okay. We passed a group of what looked like boys Cross Country runners. Much of the run was memory lane for us--it's the park where Peggy and I met on a run, and we used to train with the Prince Georges Running Club (PGRC). We saw one the PGRC members, one who comes to orienteering events, hiking. It was in the mid to upper 50s F--a pretty nice day. I sweat a fair amount despite running in shorts.

From Northfield Rd., Custer Rd. to Wilson Ln. to Glenbrook Rd., to Battery Ln. to Park Ln. to Lambeth Rd., to Moorland Ln. to Charlcote Rd., to Northfield Rd. To get Samantha used to bicycling again, I went out with her on a short ride. Just before we started, a cold front hit. Winds had kicked-up. The first winds were the strong. By the time we got going, at least between the houses, we got some shelter. Samantha climbed the hills fine but was worried about going downhill. Rather than great drama's ensuing, there were only small ones. It was starting to get dark so turned on the lights that I'd equipped her bicycle with. She did pretty good, only needing help to get going again when we were on a sidewalk along Wilson Ln.

MCRRC: Winter Trails., at Great Falls Park, MD. From the Angler's Inn parking lot the group set out for it's last run of the season. Most of the group will run the Seneca Greenway Trail Marathon or 50K. I'm not quite up to that distance yet. but I do feel that I've been improving somewhat. The routes MCRRC sets up are marked with streamers and they hand out maps via email or paper. The streamers have been known to get pulled down by people before the club's run has commenced. The run today was to be a taper and was scheduled for only 10 miles. We were supposed to do an odd figure-eight with an out and back extension along the river. It looked like it'd be short to me. We started up the Berma Rd., and the Valley Trail which parallels Falls Rd. At the top we were supposed to go right and left to do a portion of the Gold Mine Loop. I was in sight of the leaders as they turned left. The group I was with followed. I figured it didn't matter since we'd be short anyway. We ended up doing a loop through a reentrant a couple reentrants over from the Valley Trail. It brought us rather close to the Angler's Inn again. As the leader's figured this out, they were seen ahead coming back up and we all turned up the Angler's Inn Spur Trail, which parallels the Valley Trail, but is on the ridge. I got them onto the Gold Mine Loop, and they managed to get to the Overlook Trail okay. I was slow on the climbs but passing people and catching-up to the leaders on the downhills. The leaders turned left on a dead-end spur that overlooked Great Falls. This time of year, the views from there are very good, even though one sees the falls through the trees. I paused but went on the designated route. I found other MCRRC people doubling back--these were people who hadn't done the extra loop that I'd done with the leaders--it turned out that part of the Overlook Trail had been closed-off. From there, I made my way past other MCRRC people to the Tavern area. There was construction and the towpath near the observation deck was closed off. I crossed north of the deck on a temporary bridge but didn't see a trailhead for the River Trail, until I'd run a long way up the towpath. I didn't see an obvious turnaround point ahead that would fit the 10 mile run but eventually turned around where I saw a creek merging on the other side of the canal. I took the River Trail back to the construction area. The River Trail and especially the part getting up to the construction area, was often muddy. Finishing-up, I climbed up to the Trolley Loop and got on the Gold Mine Trail. I was seeing club members running in all directions so they all seemed to be trying to get their 10 miles in. I did walk up the steepest parts of some hills and added on myself after getting to the top of the Valley Trail again, by doing a very short stretch on the Berma Rd., and towpath that took me to the start of the Billygoat B section Trail head. I kept moving okay through this run but the hills did take it out of me. I chatted with folks afterward, got some food, and needed a nap once I got home. Even in bed, I was chilled and hungry at home for over an hour. It was fun to get this run in and to have the group to help motivate these fun weekend runs in general. Peggy missed this one since she had to do vetting for the Jr. Nationals.

This run, with the earlier orienteering, gives me 33 miles for the week!. It also puts me at 132 miles exclusively running miles for the year. That's 2 more miles of exclusively running, than I did in all of 2018.

From Northfield Rd., to Georgetown Pike via Greenwich Park, to Beech Ave., to Anniston Rd., to Ewing Dr., through North Bethesda Middle School to Bradmoor Dr., to Folkstone Rd., to Hartsdale Ave., to Heampstead Ave., to McKinley St., to Garfield St., to Roosevelt St., to Jefferson St., to Northfield Rd. I was feeling a bit lethargic but I had the time and was motivated for an easy run. I expected to do a longer run the next day, so I planned to take it easy, and did. The run helped me digest and I felt much better later on.

Washington, D.C. From 12th and Independence Ave., SW, on the Mall side, I crossed the mall and ran along Madison Dr., NW to cross 15th St., rounded the Washington Monument, past the WW II Memorial, into Constitution Gardens, to the Lincoln Memorial and partway around the circle, to 23rd. St., SW. to the Rock Creek Trail along the Potomac River, along Ohio Dr. past the Jefferson Memorial to Main Ave., SW, to 12th St., SW, to Independence Ave., SW. This is the same route that I ran on Tuesday. It was about 48 F when I started but the sun made it feel much warmer. I ran in shorts and my sweat top. I did set out a bit faster to try to match my pace earlier in the week. I was surprised to find that I was faster. However, the first mile did seem to wind me. I set into a steadier pace afterward. I also worked on doing more steps per minute.

Max cleaned-up the bulk of the driveway and sidewalk of the snow and slush but I cleared the van and from the driveway into where it'd been plowed. Being wet, it was heavy for snow. I tried not to twist or lift too much. At one point I heard a little crack from my back and took it even easier. Of course 2-3 minutes after I'd finished, while the street was quiet, a snow plow came through and pushed some back. It did feel good to get out since I'd been working inside all day.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station. It was cool this morning with a little bit of traffic at the end.

Washington, D.C. From 12th and Independence Ave., SW, on the Mall side, I crossed the mall and ran along Madison Dr., NW to cross 15th St., rounded the Washington Monument, past the WW II Memorial, into Constitution Gardens, to the Lincoln Memorial and partway around the circle, to 23rd. St., SW. to the Rock Creek Trail along the Potomac River, along Ohio Dr. past the Jefferson Memorial to Main Ave., SW, to 12th St., SW, to Independence Ave., SW. It was pretty nice out after work, though still cool. I thought about taking the day off, but with snow coming in this night, I figured it best to run. At the 14th St. crossing, I caught up with a woman who was also waiting for the light to change. She took off quickly and I felt okay at first going at about the same pace. She probably pulled me along to run faster the first mile, though it was also a net downhill mile too. We split at 17th St. and I ran more slowly. There were more cyclists out than runners, and not so many tourists. I cruised along the river and when it came time to climb to the finish, I didn't feel it like I had been in January. The training has been helping, however this is the second day I passed blood after running--not automatically something to worry about per my doctor.

From the Bethesda Metro Station, to Northfield Rd. I was a bit tired from the run. I was carrying my laptop too so I took it easy.

Glen Echo, MD. From the Lock 7 parking lot, to the C&O Canal Towpath, then south to the pumping station below Lock 5, then back. I ran this route one month ago today, when there was a bit of slushy stuff on the towpath. Today it was pretty dry, despite the rains last night. There was a bit of wind; mostly behind me on the way out, so opposite on the return. Going out was slightly downhill too. My legs felt a little tired from the last 2 days, but not too much. After the first and second mile came in under 9 minutes, I did work to keep my pace up. However I was tiring. I wore my new Nike Zoom Structures again. I'd adjusted the laces since the last run on them. They felt okay however the ball of my right forefoot was feeling it by the end--that's probably just lack of training and my weight.

Event: QOC Wheaton
 

QOC: Wheaton Regional Park, MD. I didn't have a lot of time to run my course today since I needed to get back and get Max to his team's basketball game. After several back and forth's between the car, the registration areas (where one can't wear spikes inside), and the start, I finally got going. I'd kept forgetting things like my map case, registering my epunch and putting on my epunch.

Chris Gross' course was a bit different from approaches that many had taken when setting here. He told me just after finishing that made several long legs to emphasize route choice. It was nice.

S-1 - I moved okay going generally downhill toward the lake. Someone ahead had paused at some green woods. I cut right for a little bit longer way through, at a gap. I rounded the lake on the SE side, glad that much of the mud way still frozen. After the lake, I took a fork to the right to climb, rather than the longer downhill along Brookside Gardens. I left the trail at a big bend and kept fairly straight. Crossing 2 trails and the creek, I found myself right on target when I passed a cairn on my right, and attacked from it.

1-2 - I went straight, and used a ditch to my right, after crossing the creek, to spike it. I hesitated since I didn't see it on the approach. It was behind a tree.

2-3 - There was some deadfall and low vegetation early. It got me off line, so when I saw set of gullies ahead, they were the ones east of the one with the control. I corrected without getting to the wrong set of gullies so I didn't lose much time.

3-4 - I climbed higher to the right to get around deadfall. After crossing the creek I did get onto the trail and climbed; coming down from it at a bend to spike the control. I was happy that it was visible pretty far away and I got there ahead of someone coming from the east.

4-5 - I walked much of the way up the hill. weaving straightish through the deadfall. I had to correct a bit toward the end.

5-6 - Going straight over the bit of hill, I found the reentrant and stayed in it. Had I read the map better, I would have ran around the deadfall that was in the reentrant. I was concerned that I might miss the control if I left it but the map showed the deadfall stopping above the control and almost at the trail.

6-7 - I took the trail to a bend and crossed on what used to be a trail, near the mapped earth wall. I didn't see the earth wall so prominently as I remembered it but I was on the old path. After getting to the road, I climbed over the ridge and could see the control ahead.

7-8 - Initially, I thought I'd go left around the maintenance area. Along the way I saw the trail route to the right. Further along, I decided to cut distance by running on the NE side of the maintenance area. After getting through to trails and at a T-intersection east of the control I cut in. This was not the place to do it. I should have turned left and right, and then attacked. I don't remember crossing the smaller trail and I'm surprised I didn't make a bigger error. I kept to a bearing and even adjusted to the right a bit to hit the control okay. I must have lost some time.

8-9 - I ran angling toward the a trail intersection, but I hit the long NE/SW trail further north than I thought I would. At the paved trail, I cut right and then left the paved trail at a bend. I guess I did that a bit too soon. I corrected by seeing the parking lot on the other side of the green woods, and aiming toward it.

9-10 - I figured it'd be faster to stick to the open areas south of the ball fields. This worked pretty well, saving me some climb. There was a bit of unexpected green after the ball fields, but I hit the control okay.

10-11 - I took the paved trail until west of the soccer field house, then cut across to the field house. After rounding it and the dog park I entered the woods. To get around green, I went a bit north. Reaching just above the big reentrant, I couldn't see a rootstock or a control--the control was actually on a dot knoll that I'd mapped a while back as a dot knoll. I cut right up the reentrant, getting to almost the boulder groups, then ran back to the control. I lost 90 seconds.

11-12 - I aimed straight but actually went a little to the right. I hit the control well.

12-13 - Straight, but I hesitated short of the control.

13-14 - I had trouble keeping focused on the correct leg line since there were many crisscrossing. I should have ran right back to the trail, but went down the reentrant before cutting backward to it. Once on the trail, I moved well despite the mud. I came along the lake and past the stream east of the control, before climbing the spur. I saw Ted running, probably toward #11. After that I spiked it.

14-15 - This was one of the few green legs on the course. However it wasn't bad. I got to the train tracks and attacked, seeing it soon afterward.

15-16 - I started straight, and may have crossed a trail, unseen. Getting to the train tracks, I took the one on the left. In the open, I climb the ridge, and had to go further left to get around green forest and across the tracks again. Finishing, I ran up the hill and spiked the control, using the paved trails to point the way.

16-F - Straightish, using the paved trails to get across the rocky ditch.

After finishing I rushed to get my shoes changed, and download. I had just enough time to pickup Max and get him to his game 5 minutes before it started. He did well, scoring 6 points, and blocking several opposing team shots.

Red - Splits

Candy Cane Village in Rock Creek, Park, MD. The MCRRC Winter Trails group met at this park instead of at Muddy Branch, since it seemed the Muddy Branch Trail was going to be closed--we got word just before starting our run in Rock Creek, that the Muddy Branch Trail was now open. It was around 36 F when we started and we'd just gotten some nice vests, no doubt paid for by our program fee, to commemorate the efforts people made in the training program.

Peggy and I happened to be on the end of the waiting crowd that was in the direction we needed to go in. I nestled in behind a lead pack of about 5 runners. It was 1K before we hit the DC/MD border where the pavement ended. I didn't want them to pull me too fast so remained alone, just behind the main group. They started to pull away slightly when later I found I'd caught back up with them. As we set into the first climb on the Valley Trail, I fell back. The climb was made bigger by a turn off onto the Pine Bluff trail, that closely parallels 16th St. for a while. Once back to the Valley Trail, I moved okay. I did try to stop at the restroom prior to Military Rd., but found it was closed. On a switchback just before getting to Military Rd., I found a smaller but fast running group coming the other direction. Since time was running long, for what I'm physically ready for, I decided to cut up the dirt trail along Military Rd. It gets steep in one section so I walked it for probably the first time ever. Moving again, I descended almost to the bike trail at Oregon Ave., but there I could pickup the Western Ridge Trail. I had to stop again, for a nature break but this time it was just in the forest. Getting going again, I moved better. At a big bend in the trail I could look backward and I was surprised to seen Peggy. I decided to wait and run with her, which is what I did. We stayed together for about 3/4 mile and then I pulled ahead going up a hill after Wise Rd. I moved better than earlier and the hills didn't wear me down too much. Nearing the DC/MD border, I crossed the running group I'd seen earlier that was running about the same loop in the opposite direction. On the 1K back to Candy Cane Village, I felt slow but not excessively tired. The good thing about this run, besides it being a nice area that I hadn't run in a while, is that my left knee didn't ache.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station.

From the Bethesda Metro Station, to Northfield Rd.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station.

From the Bethesda Metro Station, to Northfield Rd.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station.

From the Bethesda Metro Station, to Northfield Rd.

Rainy weather and busy work kept me from running or riding.

From Rte. 29, Peggy and I started together and ran up and down the Northwest Branch Trail. We'd been here last Thanksgiving and I'd run a loop with Ted Good and David Onkst using the Rachel Carson Trail to go upstream and the Northwest Branch Trail to return. It was around freezing when Peggy and I started. We separated going up the biggest hill right at the start. As bad as I'd been feeling the last few days, I was surprised that I was running as close as to within a half a minute per mile on the trail. Most of it was flat for a trail run but it was rocky and sometimes muddy. Maybe the lighter Ice Bugs with spikes that I was running in that made a difference, or just sleeping more. After passing the trail to Lamberton Dr., I went almost to the bridge but turned around at the large overhanging cliff before it. Peggy and I only had an hour to run and be back to take Max to his basketball game. The cliff was the best landmark before the bridge. I'd actually started to slow after +2 miles so going much further wouldn't have made much sense either. After turning back, I took a new and paralleling side trail. I'm guessing it was designed to get cyclists and bikers away from the creek shore and the part I was on was more used along a stretch that's usually wet along the creek. The side trail went up and down, even for small stretches--it's the kind of stuff that's fun on a mountain bike but when your energy running is low, it saps more out of you. The trails merged as the park got narrower along another set of cliffs. I eventually caught and passed others including Peggy. It was nice to get out and run, see Max play basketball, and then to have some lunch.

Peggy had signed us both up to get some analysis and coaching. This was discounted by our MCRRCP membership, and actually required for the product we got. It was okay. They brought 4 of us into an area and videoed us separately on a treadmill. I was the last to go and they thought my form was pretty good. They did notice that I lower my head. To be sure it wasn't just because I was watching the treadmill, they had me run outside in the cold in a parking garage. Four trainer/coaches talked w/me separately. One suggested leaning forward more, at my ankle to get more out of the energy I put in, and to keep from having neck issues later. Another suggested I was pronating--I'd always considered my form to be neutral and had worked on that when I was young. I guess things change. This was kind of fun and very nice of Peggy to get us into it.

From W. Cedar Ave., the Rock Creek Trail north to the Ken-Gar parking area, then back. I bought and wore some new Nike Pegasus Structure shoes today and used them for this run. It was 33 F out with a bit of a breeze. I felt clunky and not strong at all. I thought I might be going faster on the way back, but I didn't.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station. Still not feeling so well.

From the Bethesda Metro Station, to Northfield Rd.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station. My gut didn't feel good and I'm a bit surprised by the sudden but modest jump in weight.

From the Bethesda Metro Station, to Northfield Rd.

I got busy today and didn't run during the day at work, when it was nice out. Later it rained.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station. I ran into some car traffic.

Washington, D.C. From 12th and Independence Ave., SW, to Maryland Ave., SW, to D. St, SW, to Virginia Ave., SW, to 4th St., SW, to C. St SW., to 3rd. St., SW., to Garfield Circle, to Pennsylvania Ave., NW, to Constitution Ave., NW, to 14th St., NW, to The Mall just before Jefferson Dr., SW., to the 12th St., SW. I didn't get time to run during lunchtime but it was still 70 F when I did get out--I wore shorts and a long sleeve t-shirt again! I could see a bunch of traffic and didn't want to cross the streets taking me to the Tidal Basin. Instead, I kind of wandered and traced a similar run that I'd done last year. I kept seeing police and wondered if it were a motorcade coming soon. They were on streets all over. I passed my dad's old office, where he had worked his career. Eventually I ended up near the Capital Building, where not only were there police, but military folks talking about a lot Secret Service people. I realize a little before then that all the fuss was for the State of the Union speech in which virtually all of the top US Government officials were to attend. I'm sure some of the guards were wondering about me at times. Perhaps some of them saw me carrying an ID and not much else. As I left the Reflecting Pool area (the one by the Capital Building), one guard had to let me out a gate. I finished up the run nicely on Constitution. There and earlier on the run, I kept having to stop for traffic lights. However, this wasn't bad. The waiting and resting let me run harder between stops. I just never knew when the next stop would be. There were lots of other runners out this night and many people walking too.

From the Bethesda Metro Station, to Northfield Rd. I wore my running jacket and carried the rest. There were a few traffic stops.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station. It was cold and sunny with the promise of becoming a warm day. However the roads were wet from the salts and condensing air. There was also some melting ice. I rode over a small bit of it.

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. After being freezing this morning, it was just under 60 F when I started! I ran in shorts and a long t-shirt. Odd it was to be wearing so little and seeing most of the Tidal Basin still covered in weak ice. I felt good initially and thought the first mile might have been short--I couldn't recall where it was supposed to be. It turns out that it was pretty close to accurate. I slowed afterward--I've been in a pattern of that and it's a symptom of over-training. I'm not doing a lot of training historically speaking, but my running in 2019 so far, was 63.6% of all of the running I did in 2018, and we've only gone through 9.6% of the days--better than a 6-fold increase.

From the Bethesda Metro Station, to Northfield Rd. I thought I was going slower than this. It was getting dark and I was thinking I might run into a pothole on Edgemoor Rd., where oncoming car headlights were blinding me (I did have my own lighting with my Lumos helmet (a present from Peggy), and a rear light but those are just to be seen.

From Clopper Rd., the Seneca Greenway Trail to the Seneca Park parking lot. and back. The MCRRC Winter Trails group had a run scheduled across this portion of the Greenway Trail and more yesterday, but since our family went to the QOC Bumble Peggy's idea was to run this section today. She'd never been on the stretch from Clopper Lake Park to the Frederick Pike. I've been on it several times and had done some mapping on a part of it a year ago. The forest was uninviting for off-trail orienteering but the Seneca Greenway Trail is fairly nice for running on. It was in mid to upper 20s F when we started. With the running group having been on it the day before, the snow was well packed with only a few rocky spots. I wore my Ice Bugs with spikes and that was good. The snow probably helped by filling in the low spots of the frozen mud. It wasn't until the first and last 150m that the trail was basically dirt with no snow. Going out was slightly more uphill. I felt slow most of the way and on just about all hills, but I ran back more quickly than I'd gone out. On the way back, I could see Peggy pretty soon after getting past Frederick Pike, but I still didn't catch her until well past the I-270 underpass. We picked-up Max from a sleepover after the run and later had breakfast at Panera Bread in Bethesda, where a different MCRRC group was also eating breakfast and socializing. Though I felt slow, I didn't feel any pain in my left knee.

Event: QOC Hemlock Overlook
 

Hemlock Overlook Regional Park, VA. This was my warm-up jog from the registration area, to the mass start. Peggy, Max, and I were fortunate that others had been late getting to the park and that the mass start had been delayed.

QOC: Bumble at Hemlock Overlook Regional Park, VA. We were given a minute to review the map prior to the start of the Bumble. I was mixing up the instructions so I planned only 2 windows out of 3 required for racing in the Green course category.

I got going pretty well at the mass start and punched #1 not far behind the leaders but ahead of the bigger crowd. With snow covering stuff on the trail, I slowed watching Ted Good lead others into the F-J window. Rick Oliver was there too. It seemed like everyone passed the first control--I peeled off across a small stream early to get G (just missed getting there first), and saw some people coming back to it. After a few, Ted was coming back too but he'd already gotten to F first. I went to F slightly behind Rick, but I'd contoured over saving more climb. I'd planned my route to go down along the river, and did so, but I was feeling disoriented. I paused to get a grip on the map. Still, at one river bend, I started looking for the control, with another 350m to go. I'd realized it pretty quickly and got to H. I saw Tom Wells when leaving H. and also Ted Good again as he was heading toward it. I hit I and J pretty well but did some walking up the steep slope and read ahead. Addie Nolan came in right behind me to I. I went straight to J and she'd gone a bit higher, but almost got there ahead of me. I was feeling a little more competent with my navigation at this point, but not a whole lot.

Since I realized by this point that I needed 3 windows, I ran south toward the U-Y controls. Along the way the hillside was a bit vague and I wasn't confident of how far I'd run. Just about no one else was visible. When I crossed a trail heading from J toward U, I realized I was further south than I thought I was. I climbed after a stream crossing but still wasn't sure which reentrants I was seeing to my left. Fortunately, my instinct was good. I felt good when I crossed one reentrant and found a ditch soon after, which led up to U. Some others were nearby. It made sense to me to take a slight extra distance to hit V and W next. After W, I went into the green and away from others and paused. When I was ready, I made my way to the trail and right to X. Vido and his daughter Diana were catching up to me from behind at X. X was a good attack point for getting to Y and I hit it with no problem.

I led the way out of Y by contouring over above the river, and then going up the reentrant to the trail. On the trail, I moved okay for the shape I'm in. I slowed on climbs and when trying to figure out where on the trail I was, so Vido and then Diana passed me. They cut in soon after and I realized then that they were going for control U. I went on up the trail heading to O and hitting it well despite not having a solid attack point. I went straight toward N next. As I got to a big reentrant, I saw Michael Dickey coming down the side reentrant on the other side that I was looking for. I made my way down the big reentrant and at the bottom was a big drop. I figured I could hold the branch of a fallen tree to keep it from being a fall, but when my feet started slipping, the branch broke. I ended up okay at the bottom. I climbed along the side reentrant, eventually crossing it up higher where it bent, and spiked the control. I ran straight at M after that and hit it okay, despite being cautiously slow on the descent. Going up the stream valley I passed Dasa as she was running the other way--it seemed she was doubting her route choice when she said we're always passing each other going the opposite direction. After a few reentrants, I cut uphill on the western bank and went directly to K. A train of people coming from L arrived right before me. Had I noticed that #27 was where it was, I would have take L first too. Going straight at L, I saw Tom Nolan heading the other way and I ended up a bit to the left. Tom seemed to be going to K, where I'd come from. I realized I was too far north as I was approaching the large building, so I cut south and backward a little, reaching over the deadfall to punch L.

For finishing-up I ran on a general bearing aiming for the trail I'd come down after #1. It seemed I was drifting to the left and I wasn't matching things up as well as I'd have liked. Crossing the first trail that I'd almost not noticed on the map, I got to the trail I was looking for. A few others were doing the same, including Tom Nolan. I didn't catch Tom before leaving the trail at a bend. Tom went a straighter way toward the control. I could see the 2 reentrants ahead converging, and the deadfall in the way, so I sprinted to the left around it, getting to #27 just before Tom. I went a bit left leaving #27 to get around some initial deadfall but wove my way straight toward the finish. I'm too heavy and still adapting to more running so I had to walk a few times. I was hoping Tom wouldn't catch me and he didn't have much room to get around me. Fortunately I stayed ahead.

I finished 2nd on the Green course, just ahead of Tom, but way back from Rick Oliver. Rick has been moving faster than me for a while but he was 9 minutes ahead today. He'd taken a different combination of windows, that might have even made a longer route for him. Peggy ran with Max. They won the overall race since it was setup that the first male or female to cross the finish on any course (handicapped by # of windows) was to be the winner. Max found that Peggy is pretty fast. He had trouble keeping up, though to his credit, he was slipping around in the snow with running-like shoes that he wears to school (without spikes).

The Bumble - Splits

From Northfield Rd., Custer Rd. to Park Ln. to Exeter Rd. to Edgemoor Ln., to Hampden Ln. to Moorland Ln. to Wilson Ln. to Hampden Ln., to Charlcote Rd., to Northfield Rd. I felt like I was running slower that I did. My left knee didn't bother me but I could still feel something hurting leftover from my long run. There was new snow on the ground, but the streets were mostly cold, hard, and clear.