Training Log Archive: Nadim

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to Madison St. on my road bicycle with Max on his bicycle, then back to Northfield Rd. towing Max's bicycle, then to the Bethesda Metro Station.

Washington, D.C.; From 12th & Independence Ave., SW, up Independence Ave., and along The Mall to the Capitol Reflecting Pool, then across the Capitol Building grounds, to Maryland Ave.to Stanton Park, to C Street NE, to 7th Street NE. I ran with my backpack and felt okay. At the Reflecting Pool, my path merged just behind that of a small running group. I was dropping off the pace going up Capitol Hill but otherwise running pretty well with the weight.

Washington, D.C.; From 7th St. SE, to C St., NE, to Stanton Park, to Maryland Ave., NE, Constitution Ave., across the Capital Building grounds, to The National Mall, to 15th St., NW, to The Ellipse, across the White House and Executive Building grounds to 17th St, NW, to the Farragut North Metro Station at K St., NW. At least something in the Federal government was running this night of fiscal crisis. I did a sort of major power tour starting out by passing the Supreme Court, then the Capitol Building and then the White House all in a half hour. It was dark but the lights were on or about normal at the Capitol Building--one can never tell what's going on inside there just by looking from the outside. The Executive Building next to the White House however did have many lights on. I ran with a backpack and wasn't feeling as strong as I had on my earlier run. My quads were tired.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. in the dark.

From Northfield Rd. to Old Georgetown Rd. to W. Cedar Rd. to the Elmhirst Trail, to the Rock Creek Trail, to the Susanna La., to the Georgetown Branch Trail, to Bethesda Ave., to Exeter Ln., to Battery Ln., to Park Ln., to Custer Rd. to Northfield Rd.

It was an interesting day, starting with watching Max's soccer game but with lots of MCRRC friends who came to enjoy watching the game too--many of then had had their own kids who used to play soccer too. We ate bagels and cream cheese with a nice open sky above us.



Next, Peggy and I rushed off to Virginia for what one might think to be a more somber event. We gathered to remember competitor and friend Tim Good. Tim died a week earlier knowing that he didn't have long. At the remembrance, Tim's sister Keg led off and nailed the first leg of a wonderful often humored relay. She conveyed Tim's good clean fun-loving spirit, telling us of his quirks and exploits young and old in ways that we couldn't help but miss him. Ted followed reliving more down to recreating Tim's glasses with orange streamers tied to them, while he was not orienteering. The strength of the Good family really shined through. The Onkst's and others followed. Assisted by a priest, we navigated a path in the direction of comfort--as Tim apparently wanted us to. Just like Tim would often wrangle us into conversations at O-meets until everyone else was gone, the orienteers honoring the tradition, stayed late enjoying each stories of Tim and enjoying the company more than the event. We just about closed down the room before going home to pickup Max.







Later on I had some errands to do in Virginia so back over the river I went. My reward was bringing home my sister's fish. It is odd how it seems to like company.

With all of the socializing, I I was running behind schedule again and didn't think I'd get to run. It was already time for seeing a movie with Peggy and Max. They we already there so I skipped it. I took advantage of the time to run. Those longer runs are always therapeutic. Doing it in the dark often adds to it and this time it sure did. The cool air and generally downhill outward part got me moving well. I continued work on my stride and continued to improve on the strength to do it right. I extended my planned route twice and ran with good strength most of the way.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to Madison St. on my road bicycle with Max on his bicycle, then back to Northfield Rd. towing Max's bicycle, then to the Bethesda Metro Station.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. I met Peggy and Max for dinner then after getting back to Bethesda, I rode home. Once again, I'd planned to run but it didn't work out, before or after dinner.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to Madison St. on my road bicycle with Max on his bicycle, then back to Northfield Rd. towing Max's bicycle, then to the Bethesda Metro Station. I had to circle back to the house more than once to pickup things forgotten like Max's backpack, and my running gear.

From 14th & Independence Ave., SW, Washington, D.C. Independence Ave. to the Reflecting Pool, to the Lincoln Memorial, to the Rock Creek Trail, along the Georgetown Waterfront to the Capital Crescent Trail (CCT), to the Glover Archbold Trail, up to the Tenleytown Metro Station via Van Ness St. and Wisconsin Ave., then to the Friendship Heights Metro Station at the DC/MD border (Western Ave. & Wisconsin Ave.). The weather has been perfect for running this week and today I finally ran. I moved well the first 3 miles which were paved and flat. Earlier in the morning, and the day before, I was just feeling weak, like I was still tired from riding bicycle on Monday. Like last winter when I ran this, as soon as I headed uphill, I slowed considerable and felt weaker. Also like the run last winter, I felt stronger before reaching the top. I had a bathroom break at Tenleytown, then finished up.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to Madison St. on my road bicycle with Max on his bicycle, then back to Northfield Rd. towing Max's bicycle, then to the Bethesda Metro Station.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. in the dark. I stopped to pickup dinner and rode in the dark. I fell asleep after eating and didn't go for a planned run.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to Madison St. on my road bicycle with Max on his bicycle, then back to Northfield Rd. towing Max's bicycle, then to the Bethesda Metro Station.

From The Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. I was surprised at how dark it was for this time of year but Fall is here after all. I got busy on a project in the evening and then too tired to go for a short planned run.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to Madison St. on my old commuting bicycle with Max on his bicycle, then back to Northfield Rd., then to 12th and C St. SW, Washington, D.C. The time is estimated. i need a new cyclocomputer battery. It was in the 50's F--not bad but cooler than I'm used to. I wore removable sleeves and that kept me comfortable. There was probably a tailwind from the N or NE but I couldn't feel it much.

From C Street, SW, to 12th Street, to Jefferson St., to the Capitol Reflecting Pool, to Maryland Ave, to 7th Street NE. It was a nice time of day to be riding.

From 7th St. NE, Washington, D.C. Constitution Ave to Lincoln Circle, to Georgetown on the Rock Creek to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. I was expecting to ride home via the Metropolitan Trail but it was too late for going up an unfamiliar trail in the dark that's known to have some robberies. I was ready for a long ride and didn't want to go to the metro station. It had been a long time since I rode back at night without a headlamp. I did at least have a flashing taillight. Getting to Georgetown was easy and I saw one other rider there going my way. On the CCT, I had to slow down and speed up again wherever it got really dark with tree cover. I managed not to roll off the trail once :). Nearer to Bethesda there were 2 other riders with blinding headlamps that were headed to Washington. I had been carrying a heavier than usual pack.

Event: Hudson Highlander XVII
 

Event: QOC Lake Accotink
 

Lake Accotink, VA. Needing to be close to home I forwent the always fun Hudson Highlander. However, I was hardly in shape for it. I probably would have struggled a lot with the distance though the nice weather here and there would have helped. At Accotink, I ran from under the railroad underpass up to some trails past the marina area. This area had been mapped but is rarely used for courses; probably because it is small, isolated, and the woods aren't that open. However, there are a lot of little reentrants and a lot of trails that look like they could be fun. I found a parking lot that I didn't know existed and a bathroom that I was looking for.

QOC Lake Accotink, VA. I felt fairly well after warming up and getting a better night of sleep. I was a little shaky early but I settled down. This park has a lot of trails and the woods aren't that nice so I was predisposed to taking trail routes. This paid off most of the time and it seemed like Victor Lin's fun course, like Peggy's last week, favored trail routes. This was a good thing because I forgot to wear my glasses. I ran Red since Blue wasn't offered. There were a few times when I guessed at the best route and in retrospect I was glad I went the ways I did. My legs weren't so slow and stiff like they felt yesterday running with a pack. Initially, the callus on my foot was hurting, even though I cut out some of it the night before. The longer I went, the better I felt. I pushed the run-in since someone from behind was trying to catch me. It reminded me of the times Tim Good and I used to try to get the fastest split on the run-in. Tim was on my mind. He and I had a lot of close races at Accotink and elsewhere as I was getting more into orienteering. We'd constantly distract and mess each other up when we bumped into each other in the woods, as we were inclined to race each other more than watch our navigation. Those were good, seemingly simpler days.

0-1 Since the cut through for the trail bend was cluttered, I decided to go into the woods earlier than planned, from the bend. I somewhat contoured around and was a little lower than expected at the end.

1-2 I went left of straight to use the trail but got a little confused. I crossed the trail, think the control was higher. I saw the railroad ahead and came back down. This cost me maybe 20 seconds. I spike the control later after crossing the paved trail on the dirt trail.

2-3 I used trails to the left and attacked from the mail trail after cresting the bend. I was surprised it came up so soon.

3-4 Running the main trail, I went basically to attack from the trail north of the control (I cut the corner a little). I almost got past the control by misreading and staying on the trail too long thinking the control was farther up.

4-5 The control was in one of the more detailed parts of the map and I realized that I had not worn my glasses at this point. After following the reentrant out of #4 and crossing the stream, I was a little low initially but I figured it out.

5-6 I went down to the main trail, then attacked from other trails to the east of the control. I could remember the look of the double ditches so I was smooth getting there.

6-7 I used trails mostly and spike the control. The feature didn't quite look like what I thought it would and the control was low. It was odd needing to stand on the branch that it was tied to reach it but fun none the less.

7-8 I ran down the left side of the stream initially, then got into the high hitch-hikey wet grasses. I was glad that at least some others had traipsed through that before me. It seemed to make it easier. I climbed up later to run the curving hillside and work my way to the control.

8-9 I initially planned to go the trail west of the control but I angled out more northward. I decided to take the main trail and used the easy running to read ahead on the next few controls. It seemed like it was taking a long time to get to the koldasak and I suddenly realized that #9 was not the control furthest west. I knew where I was so I headed due south to get to #9. I had to scramble up the steep rocky and sometimes slippery slope. I dislodged a rock and didn't worry about it but later well after the rock stopped I could hear someone coming up behind me--perhaps this was Rick Feliciano who later told me that I passed him near #8 without realizing it.

9-10 I went south through the field and thought better of hugging the fence on the intermittent trail. Instead, I took the trail just north of the fence until it bent, then across to the next. Rather than cross the reentrant at the end, I followed the trail around to save energy and have a lower risk route.

10-11 There was almost a trail leaving #10 and going down to the main trail. I saw the small knoll, then went in after passing it.

11-12 I got back to the main trail, then onto the next one that went south. I cut left quickly, then ran across the woods when it curved away from the SE direction that I needed to go. I did choose to be safe and use the trail intersection, and even the next trail going further south before I attacked at a not so well defined attack point. I had realized that I was farther from the reentrant than I expected, and had to go in more to see the reentrant. I spiked the control but probably could have had a straighter route.

12-13 I ran straightish and didn't use trails much. I did follow along the stream a short way and decided to cross just before seeing the trail going north. That ensured me that I was in the right place and I was.

13-14 I didn't bother trying to read the many trails that carefully. It would be slow with or w/o my glasses. I ran in the general direction and knew I'd bounce off the railroad to the west if I got off too much. This worked and I got there just after two others did.

14-15 I didn't put a lot of thought to this. I ran trails toward #8 and got on the main trail. A more southern route might have been better but looked complicated and with more climb than needed. Before I got on the main trail, I did have to cross some unpleasant low vegetation that was higher than I though--up above my waist. It seems no one else thought this would be a good route to #15. I hit the control a little high after leaving the main trail and there were a couple of others leaving it as I came in.

15-16 I ran up to the main trail, then basically crossed it to trails taking me near #6. I cut south at an intersection and left that trail at a bend. I crosses a small reentrant and went up a spur to the next trail and a control that wasn't mine. A quick check and I could see that I just needed to go through the dense vegetation to find the control in the reentrant.

16-17 I ran loosely to the SE and recognized the trail paralleling the railroad. I hugged the railroad on this trail until over a hill, then spiked the control from above.

17-18 I thought it odd that the course direction would go almost 180 backwards but it made sense after doing this leg. I followed the railroad on the trail I'd just come out on; going straighter across the big reentrant would have been unnecessary climb and I'd have less of an idea of where I was. I followed the hillside around and pause a bit. I think there was an extra trail here but I'm not sure... Reading the map, I realized the pit was above a trail so I climbed a bit more to find it.

18-19 I hesitated a lot on the direction. Again, I couldn't see the detail well without my glasses and the map was harder to read where it was green. I went north before going east to get around the marshy reentrant and fence. This got me to the main trail quickly enough where upon I could move well. I kept looking for a good place to attack from that wasn't too green so I got a little past the control. I should have read the control description along the main trail because I wasn't sure if it'd be on top or at the base of what looked like more of a reentrant than a ditch on the map.

19-20 I ran to the right and crossed the main trail rather than run it to the intersection. This was going well until I ran smack into a thick vine that hit me at the neck. I came to a dead stop but luckily wasn't dead. I ducked through the fence around the paved trail, then up to the dirt trails. Finally I dropped into the control.

20-21 I went down the trail moving well but I heard someone coming up behind me quickly. It might have been someone that I passed along the way down. I picked-up the pace and before I got to the main trail, I saw Valerie coming the other direction. My momentum carried me close to her but I had been aware and didn't think I'd crash into her. I ran the run in well, trying to keep balance.

Red - Splits

Washington, D.C.; From C Street NE, & 7th Street NE..to Stanton Park, to the Union Station Metro. I felt tired and my foot callus hurt.

From the Silver Spring Metro Station, to 2nd Ave. to Grace Church Rd., and following the Georgetown Branch Trail over the road portion, (Talbot Ave. Pennsylvania Ave., Kansas Ave. and Stewart Ave.) to the unpaved portion, to Woodmont Ave. in Bethesda, to the Bethesda Metro Station. On the way to his run, while changing trains at Fort Totten, I was socially sneak attacked from behind on both sides. Patti and Mark Mace tapped my shoulders as I was reading and waiting on the train platform. It is always nice to bump into or be bumped by friends in strange places. They were headed downtown to a festival on H Street. I started my run making sure not to push hard because of starting out tired and carrying more than usual in a backpack. I kept a fairly steady pace and had tailwinds from the approaching rain.

From The Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. I was tired but it felt good to cool off on bicycle.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to Madison St. on my road bicycle with Max on his bicycle, then back to Northfield Rd. towing Max's bicycle, then to the Bethesda Metro Station.

Washington, D.C.; From 12th & Independence Ave., SW, up Independence Ave., and along The Mall to the Capitol Reflecting Pool, then across the Capitol Building grounds, to Maryland Ave.to Stanton Park, to C Street NE, to 7th Street NE. It was a bit more humid today but still fairly pleasant. I ran with a backpack again. The setting sun was casting good light on the Capitol building and off of the Reflecting Pool there. Let's hope it was a good omen for next week.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to Madison St. on my road bicycle with Max on his bicycle, then back to Northfield Rd. towing Max's bicycle, then to the Bethesda Metro Station.

From 12th & Independence Ave., SW, Washington, D.C. Down The Mall to the Reflecting Pool, to the Lincoln Memorial, to the Rock Creek Trail, through the tunnel near the zoo, to Tilden St., to Connecticutt Ave. to the Van Ness/UDC Metro Station. A big event was setup with a lot of tents on The Mall. I didn't feel all that well starting out but got better before slowing it way down after a few miles. I was just weak enough that the uneven places in the trail in the dark made worry about stumbling. It was in the low 70s F. I weighed-out at 177.

From The Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. I was full after eating burritos with Peggy and Max.

From The Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. I was full after eating burritos with Peggy and Max.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to Madison St. on my road bicycle with Max on his bicycle, then back to Northfield Rd. towing Max's bicycle, then to the Bethesda Metro Station. It was 52 F. Max wore shorts and wouldn't admit to being cold.

Washington, D.C.; From 12th & Independence Ave., SW, up Independence Ave., and along The Mall to the Capitol Reflecting Pool, then across the Capitol Building grounds, to Maryland Ave.to Stanton Park, to C Street NE, to 7th Street NE. It was an excellent night for a run with mostly calm winds,+ 60 F dry air. I ran with my rogain backpack and it was very comfortable. Tourists were takinkg pictures off of the water. It is funny seeing how open to pedestrian trFfic is around the Capitol Building when so many other places of lessor stature are walled or fenced off. Maybe this reflects a government of the people though that assertion seems challengeable these days. I can't remember the last time that I ran up Capital Hill--perhaps in the last decade.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to Madison St. on my road bicycle with Max on his bicycle, then back to Northfield Rd. towing Max's bicycle, then to the Bethesda Metro Station. It was cooler with the threat of rain for later.

Washington, D.C.; From the Eastern Market Metro Station, 7th St. SE, to C St., NE, to Stanton Park, to Maryland Ave., NE, Constitution Ave., across the Capital Building grounds, to The National Mall, across The Mall to the Rock Creek Trail, to P St., NW., to 20th St., NW., to the Dupont Circle Metro Station at Q St., NW. At about 70 F, the weather was perfect for a comfortable run. There were lots of other runners out. More than one group were running up The Mall opposite the direction I was running. Running along the (Lincoln) Reflecting Pool (I also had run past the much smaller Capital Reflecting Pool), I saw 3 guys running close to my pace or faster on the other side. I guess I picked it up so that by the time I was at the Lincoln Memorial end, I was just ahead of them. The cooler air and lighter weight make a pretty big difference. My quads were a little sore from orienteering yesterday.

From The Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. It was dark and I was tired. I took it easy. I was too lazy to go run afterward.

Lake Needwood, MD. Warm-up getting between the parking lot, bathrooms, and the start.

QOC: Lake Needwood, MD. I ran steady with only within-the-circle bobbles. I just wasn't in very good shape. Still, I was happy that I ran as well as I had. Not making errors helps as did my familiarity with the park; I had mapped it. Had I known Ted Good's time was only 15 seconds ahead of my time, I would have pushed the run-in harder.

On the course, I ran up the parking lot toward #1 and almost ran into a car that was backing out while I was reading the map. At #1, I rounded the fallen tree on the south side, instead of running right up to it from the trail so there's a couple of seconds missed. The first part of the course was so simple, it was more like running cross country. The local high schools and MCRRC run cross country races here.

I punched at #5 but paused a while thinking something was wrong when the code didn't match-up. I was thinking that I was at #4.

I hit #6 and #7 pretty well, using the trail bend to the south to attack north from to #6. I went low to #8 and walked up the hill at the end--glad to see that someone had used the little cliff that I'd mapped.

I stayed high leaving #8 but thought about going low. I had to correct a little at the end on #9.

I probably lost the most time on leg #10 by dropping low. I figured the running would be better--it wasn't, and the callus on my right foot hurt running sidehill most of the race so far. The leg was too short to go low, and I walked up the reentrant at the end.

I ran trails efficiently to #11 and #12 though I paused for #12 expecting it to be much lower and not seeing it for a while. I dropped low again for #13, coming in off the spillway field. I misread the control feature for #14, pausing at the rocks and trail instead of looking just beyond at the spur. There was basically no water there, a consequence of a lot of people, little water, and starting late. I literally got a couple of drops before leaving.

My run to #15 was my next worse bobble. Once over the dam, I descended a little, zigged across the reentrant, then dropped all the way down instead of contouring over. I was just thinking it was farther ahead and I ran about 10m past what would have been the right place to climb again. Heidi Onkst was going to the same reentrant control on the steep hillside from above and that looked much more precarious.

I ran and walked right to #16 by keeping an eye for the hilltop to my left. I stayed high for a while going to #17 but I didn't want to attempt crossing the high grass on the landfill hillside. I passed the fenced area just to the south, then walked up the road. Going to #18, I was surprised at how difficult it was to see the intermittent trail--an old road bed. I think the dryness obscured it. I ran to the cairn at the bend, then to the next cairn just NW of the control to spike #18.

I was not very fast descending when leaving #18. I angled my way down. Going straight down might have been faster but my angled path did put me right at the rocks that let me cross Rock Creek staying dry. I didn't have a lot of energy but wasn't feeling too bad. Control #19 was super easy. I did have energy to run faster on the run-in as I had in Scotland over the summer but I didn't, consciously not wanting to risk injury like at Greenbelt earlier.

It was fun to run and enjoy.

Blue - Splits

Lake Needwood, MD. I helped Peggy setup QOC's season opener by putting out water for 3 water stops. I did most of this by riding out and back 2 loops on my mountain bike.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to Madison St. on my old commuting bicycle with Max on his bicycle, then back to Northfield Rd., then to C St. SW, Washington, D.C. It was damp out from the much needed rain last night but also cooler. I had finally fixed the slow leak on my road bike so I used that. Heading to D.C., I had a tailwind and moved well. There were lots of cyclist and runners out. It'd been a long while since cycling all the way into work so I didn't push it. There were some sprinkles of rain the last few miles.

From C St. SW, Washington, D.C. to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. There were good hearty headwinds getting to Georgetown but I rode into them pretty well. On the CCT it was better. A guy did pass me but I caught up when he slowed to peel-off onto the C&O towpath. Winds swirled going up the hill. I slowed and got caught but I pulled for over another mile till he passed. I let him go but he never got far ahead. In Bethesda, I went through the downtown on my old commute route from when I lived on Rosedale Ave. passing the old house, I cheked the progress of old plants I'd planted. I had dinner with old friends Bob and Ben who'd just moved back and into their completely rebuilt passive and active super energy efficient modular house. One could not tell that it was built from 5 connected modules, and it was really roomy and nice! We would have liked to do something similar but the lot we were on was not shaped right for it.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to Madison St. on my old commuting bicycle with Max on his bicycle, then back to Northfield Rd. towing Max's bicycle, then to the Bethesda Metro Station. The humidity continues though it was not hot in the morning.

From The Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. it was dark and I was tired. I took it easy. I was too lazy to go run afterward.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to Madison St. on my old commuting bicycle with Max on his bicycle, then back to Northfield Rd. towing Max's bicycle, then to the Bethesda Metro Station. Missing breakfast at home then eating a larger than normal one at work, and having moderate but Chinese food dinner at home stacked on the weight in a day.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. I had missed Max's soccer practice but had time to meet them for dinner. Since I had ridden in the morning, I rode home while they drove. I started slowly. At Wilson Rd., I surprisingly heard Max's voice behind me as Peggy drove up in her car. With a step ahead of them and suburban intersections that I rode through, I picked-up the pace and got home ahead of them. I hadn't been home in the evenings much lately so I struggled with Max trying to get him to read before letting him sleep.

From Northfield Rd., Greenwich Park, to Old Georgetown Rd. to Beech Dr. to to Singleton Dr. to Bulls Run Pkwy., to the trail along the school to Bradmore Dr. to Folkstone Rd. to Hartsdale Ave. to Heampstead Ave. to McKinley St. to Garfield St., to Roosevelt St., to the trail at Jefferson St. to Northfield Rd. It was in the low 80s but 70% humidity. I felt okay the first uphill mile or 2. After that I slowed a lot on the uphills.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to Madison St. with Max on his bicycle, then back to Northfield Rd. towing Max's bicycle, then to the Bethesda Metro Station. I used my old commuting bicycle again since I hadn't fixed the flat on my nicer road bike.

From The Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. it was dark and I was tired. I took it easy. I was too lazy to go run afterward.

From Northfield Rd., Aberdeen Pl., to Aberdeen Rd. to Wilson Ln., to Honeywell Ln., to Cornish Ln., to Glenbrook Rd., to Elm St., to Exeter Rd., to Battery Ln., to Park Ln., to Custer Rd., to Northfield Rd. I was out pretty late. It was humid and still somewhat warm. I started slowly but picked up the pace doing 7:15 on the last mile. I worked on my running form and am getting strong enough again to do it sometimes.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to Madison St. with Max on his bicycle, then back to Northfield Rd. towing Max's bicycle, then to the Bethesda Metro Station. I used my old commuting bicycle since I hadn't fixed the flat on my nicer road bike. Max was riding faster than usual and was handling his bicycle better.

From The Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd.

Washington, D.C.; From 7th St. NE, Constitution Ave., across the Capital Building grounds, to The National Mall, across the The Mall to the Rock Creek Trail, to P St., NW., to 20th St., NW., to the Dupont Circle Metro Station at Q St., NW. It was warm, still at about 86 F. My legs were a bit dead during the run though I actually felt better than I had earlier in the day. It was interesting to me passing places that I don't get around to very much, since my family had lived in the vicinity when I was very young. I recalled playing in a fountain that doesn't exist anymore. The distance was a little longer than I had thought it'd be.

From the Bethesda Metro Station, to Northfield Rd., via Old Georgetown Rd. It was cooling off a little bit.

In Greenbelt Park, MD. From the Sweetgum Parking Lot, the Perimeter Trail. Appointments brought me to the county. When living nearby, a regular Saturday run was doing the Perimeter Trail in Greenbelt Park. Like other trails I've been running this week, the conditions were very dry. It also appeared that many wooded areas were looking very runnable. The big deadfall was still there but other parts seemed to have cleared up. The temperature was about 78-79 F with low humidity. I felt pretty good initially, like on Wednesday. I have measured this trail with a wheel before; I went by that measure rather than what my GPS was showing. Some new mile markers support this.

I was busy all day and up until very late. I didn't have time to do a planned run. Though I'd brought stuff to work to run, I had forgotten to bring running socks anyway.

From Northfield Rd., to Arlington Rd., with Max riding his bicycle, then to the Bethesda Metro Station. I would have liked to ride all the way into work but I haven't fixed the slow leak in my rear tire yet. Max is getting more competent on his bike.

From Arlington Rd. to Northfield Rd. I had anticipated having a flat tire since I knew that I had a slow leak. I walked my bicycle over to Max's and then rode it home while holding/towing mine. I usually would have towed Max's bicycle and rode my own. Even though he'd only recently gotten this taller bicycle, it was way small for me. My knees were going above my belly button. It was a struggle to go uphill. I was also carrying 2 backpacks (from earlier running and planning to run) while dressed in a work shirt, pants, and a tie. Though it was dark I drew stares from others who were out and felt the need to explain. My neighbor got a kick out of it.

I got home late and gave into eating dinner so I ended up not running.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to Madison St. with Max on his bicycle, then back to Northfield Rd. towing Max's bicycle. It was a cool morning. I would have liked to have ridden into D.C. to go to work but it won't work with my schedule today, and I hadn't fixed the slow leak that I'd discovered on Friday.

From Rte. 29, the Northwest Branch Trail northward to a log crossing, then the Rachael Carlson Trail back to Rte. 29. I just had a little while after a doctor appointment so I put in a couple of miles. The trail was bone dry; mostly good for running except on part where there was scattered gravel on side hilll slopes. I felt pretty good; better than the day before. Though the temperature was 82 F, the humidity was low. The slower speed reflects the rocky and hillier parts of the trails. I met Peggy and Max for dinner in Bethesda afterward since Max had soccer practice.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to Madison St. with Max on his bicycle, then back to Northfield Rd. towing Max's bicycle. I knew that this would be a pretty busy day so I set out to at least get some time exercising.

Ellanor C Lawrence Park, Fairfax, VA. Starting from the Walney Visitor Center parking lot, I headed north but took the first opportunity to cut left and head south. I wandered down to the pond area at Walney Rd., then across the road. Eventually I got onto the Big Rock Run Trail and took it up to just short of Singlefellow Rd. (road construction blocked the way). It had been a long time since I'd gotten on either the east or west side of the park. Ellanor C Lawrence Park has short-course possibilities for orienteering but much of it is thickish. It being cut in half by Walney Rd. reduces the possibilities even more. The Big Rocky Run Trail was nice. I had remembered it being nice while also not remembering much detail from the last time I ran it years ago. I basically reversed the route going back but I did use some other trails on the west side of Walney Rd. My right foot callus was painful and today, the bottom of the ball of my right foot hurt (from the pool play yesterday).

Running here today was my stress relief. After getting Max to school, I had to stop by my doctors office without an appointment to get some paperwork done, then get a blood test. I had to get my driver's license renewed in Montgomery County, MD--that took 4.5 hours! It was probably longer than most because I needed an eye test. After that I had an appointment in Fairfax, VA that I was late to. Basically I hit 3 of the 4 major counties surrounding Washington, D.C. in a single day. It was being in Fairfax, that gave me the notion to run at Ellanor C Lawrence Park. After the run, I visited family.

With it being Labor Day, I suggested to Max that he and I go to the pool. We took along his friend Miles. After they had fun diving for a while, I let them chase me all over the place. I could keep away from them but had to work at it. Sometimes I would dive under them to give them a chance. They would hang on when they caught me, upon which I would tow them around until I could shake, twist, and flip them off without using my hands. It was a good workout as I did a lot of running through the water. My feet took a beating. I ripped skin off the ball of my right foot and got a hot spot on the ball of my left foot. Just a minute before it was time to get out, Max got a bloody nose; he's prone to them and I don't think he got bumped. It was a nice cool way to spend the hot afternoon and we cooled off with lunch in Bethesda later.

Lake Needwood, MD. Peggy had indicated that there were some trail changes on the Lake Needwood map so I went out to run them, capturing a GPS track to use to make updates to the map. It was hot when I got there and already becoming dark under the forest canopy. The areas that needed to be covered were not under the more dense trees so I was able to move along okay as the sun was going down. I did take it somewhat easy in places where it was steep or where I wanted to get a better look around. Though I carried a map, I never opened it.

From Northfield Rd., Greenwich Park, to Old Georgetown Rd. to Beech Dr. N. Bethesda Middle School to Bradmore Dr. to McKinley St. to Garfield St., to Roosevelt St., to the trail at Jefferson St. to Northfield Rd. After eating a larger than planned sushi dinner w/Max, and watching a movie with him, I needed to digest. I thus got out running quite late and was tired. It was humid and warm. A breeze kept it from being stifling. As luck would have it, rain started sprinkling during the last mile.