Training Log Archive: Nadim

From Northfield Rd. to Bethesda Metro Station. There were some headwinds.

Washington, D.C. From 12th & Independence Ave., SW, down The Mall along Independence Ave. and the Reflecting Pool to the Lincoln Memorial, to Ohio Dr. to the Rock Creek Trail, to Calvert St., past the Woodley Park/Zoo Metro Station. to Connecticut Ave., to the Cleveland Park Metro Station. It got warm and humid--probably in the low 80s F. That wore me down, especially on the climbs. It did feel good to do a longer run than I have been doing.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. I got home just in-time to miss a thunderstorm.

From Northfield Rd. to Bethesda Metro Station.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. on my mountain bike. It was cool and I had on my jacket.

Event: QOC Lake Needwood
 

40th Annual West Point National Meet: Green Y: I'd reached the start line about 30 seconds before I'd gotten called-up to start. My glasses were a little foggy.

S-1 - I made a mess of this leg by leaving the road on a bad bearing, just walking. The terrain was steep. I suppose I was drawn left by others ahead of me. I thought I was leaving the road at a higher location. Once I'd gotten around a spur and could see a second reentrant with boulders all around me, I realized I had to go back.

1-2 - I'm so weak climbing these days that I opted to go around the top of the hill. I also thought this would give me a better attackpoint, off of a distinct reentrant. All of that worked and I spiked it.

2-3 - I had a general plan to stay high and attack from high. Fog on my eyeglasses was a factor so I read the map by looking over them. I'd picked out the marsh and some curving contours to get to--I did that successfully. They way was slow. At the curving contours, I cut left to avoid thicker vegetation. Looking at Spike's GPS track animation on AP, going straight on the shorter way through the green was better. Hitting the big cliffs, I paused to read and attack carefully. I dropped down and ran across the hillside, seeing the control from far off :)

3-4 - I contoured around while others were going straight. I made-up ground on them and may have passed some.

4-5 - I ran a straight bearing and hit it well. I read some of the detail along the way, but in retrospect, this was executed in a risky way.

5-6 - I ran straight, and again not reading enough detail along the way. This time I paused, feeling that I was well short of the control. I saw a bit of a stream and mistook it for the one past the control. I figured I could be sure by checking on top of a cliff to my left, and then resuming if wrong. That sort of worked, but I made a bigger search loop with a little more doubt creeping-in. I covered more ground before going back and proceeding. It did turn out to be one cliff line below where I thought it'd be but if I'd just gong on, I'd have saved a lot of time.

6-7 - I went at this fairly straight. I clicked off the larger features and opted to climb over the ridge continuing straight, rather than go around and through the green where there was a ridge gap. I passed close to #11 and turned to get close enough to read it. Continuing on to the road, I ran up it a little, cut in at an estimated place between bends, and spiked the control.

7-8 - I suppose I'd gotten over confident in my ability to follow a bearing. I felt the the blueberries and other vegetation pulling me this way and that and I wasn't careful enough about reading things along the way. I'd gotten far enough left to see a reentrant and knoll, but these werern't the features I was looking for. I went further left to be in the right place but it was the wrong place. Finally hitting the ridge top and a reentrant, I didn't see a control and someone else told me to watch out for un-flagged concertina wire. I cut left a bit, saw the road, and turned back. I realized I wasn't at the hilltop where I was before and saw other orienteers like Phil Bricker heading that way. Phil led me in.

8-9 - I was not happy about missing at #8, but happier about going downhill. I ran fast and straight using cliffs to keep me true. At the road, I paused. I knew going straight all the way wasn't going to be fast--after all, I'd just come from there on the 6-7 leg. I wisely decided to take the road and probably should have decided that earlier. I went around the hill at the bottom. Following the marshes in the flatter valley seemed best. As the vegetation closed in, I thought it better to climb the ridge middway--it was smaller there and more open than the valley had become. Examining other GPS animations, this cost me some time. I kept moving and went wide around the last marsh before crossing the deepening valley to the ridge and cliff-line with the control. The control was visible long off.

9-10 - I kept getting pulled right to get through the vegetation, and I knew it. I forced myself out of the shallow reentrant to make a straighter line. the hill ended quickly and it was slow and rocky descending to the next valley. I kept on a line but found myself heading between two ridges. The one on the right looked like the feature on the map from where I was so I went to it--that was an error. I should have known since I'd been pulled right earlier. I corrected fairly quickly but I was moving slower at this point.

10-11 - I went a bit left through a shallow reentrant to the marshy area below #11. I cut right through the marsh, and this felt fast. Since I'd been near #11 earlier, I was confident about getting there. I saw Carl Alswede come in from my right, moving along the same way and I got there a little ahead of him.

11-12 - I wanted to get to the road. I thought angling a little would be faster than staying on top. However as I picked my way through the rocks and vegetation, I could see Carl pulling ahead. I abandoned going lower and chased. I caught Carl at about the road, then pulled ahead on the descent. I wasn't reading well with foggy glasses and bouncing about quickly on the road. I got to the bridge and caught someone else. Once across, I cut left a little way up the hill, where an elephant track was forming at the end of the green. I reached a building but found no control. Once again, the printing the control # on the map was covering up a needed detail. After a pause, I went on higher. Carl had come up from my left at his point. I got to the control before he did, but not before the other guy I'd passed earlier--that person took the road nearly the whole way.

12-13 - I gave it a descent push on the run-in. I feel too out of shape and freshly recovered from my last injury to sprint really hard.

Overall, I enjoyed the run this day--the mistakes were costly, but I got some more confidence running in the technical terrain and going the distance.

Long - GreenY - Splits

Event: 40th Annual West Point National Meet
 

40th Annual West Point National Meet: Middle Course: I started out fine. The first few legs were so short, it was hard to miss. I started out fine on the longer 5th leg. After initially dropping, I contoured across, getting into the green a bit, then dropping a little and climbing back up to the long cliff. Once just above and past the long cliff, I was nearly on top of the control. I looked at the map and in a brief instance, I lost focus. The control circle was broken a lot due to the surrounding rock and I just didn't see it any more. I figured I'd made a mistake coming up there so I proceeded to the next control that I could see--#6. I hit most of the rest perfectly. I'd gotten to the roads on the back side of the commissary and through a small gap between vegetation. I made a micro error on the control before the Go control--in the rough open I expected to be able to see the control so I shifted right a little where a small reentrant seemed partially obscured by tall grass. I saw Ken Walker Sr., and then I went straight to the control. I rushed to the finish and did okay at that--I was happy that I could run semi-quickly without hurting my calf. I'd realized that I'd mispunched somewhere either before or just after finishing. Often that doesn't happen until I download. I was also happy that I'd navigated fairly well. It was just the slight loss of concentration that did me in.

40th Annual West Point National Meet: Sprint - It was nice to see the West Point campus. I didn't perform so well on this sprint. I paused a the start for a long time, not being able to find the start triangle. Having the river on the map would have helped with that. In the initial few controls, I didn't make errors. I ran low toward #2 but realized immediately that the control was going to be above me. At #4, I turned right behind the small building at the bottom of the stairs, but didn't see it. It was narrow so I backed-up up, scratched my head and went around the other side to find it. I started to follow Mitch Collinsworth across toward #5 but saw him turn back. As Mitch went up the stairs, I thought about going low to the right--I couldn't see a way through without going way past the control--I climbed the stairs too but later found out that there was a way to go more directly on the lower route. The #2 or #5 partly obscured the break in the wall. I caught up to Mitch again on the way to #6. At #7 I worried about crossing the garden but it wasn't mapped out of bounds. For #8, the tunnel seemed like it should have been mapped a little differently--it slowed me a few seconds. I went on the outside to #11 to simplify. I debated going clockwise and counter-clockwise to #13 but chose clockwise. The contsruction was unexpected but I adjusted quickly. However, once to the parking lot, I was a bit confused. I crossed it almost to #14, then had to come back to the stairs to get lower. I messed up good on #14 by passing right by it as I was reading ahead on the map. I was have the straight distance to #15 before I turned around. Mitch punched before I did. I took off going high to #15, and expected the control to be under the canopy--this was one of the few controls that I hadn't read the clue sheet on, and I didn't do that because of the mix-up at #14. Once at the canopy, I kept running straight as others were standing and wondering. Someone passed me before I could get around the wall and down to the underpass. On #19, I went left to the stairs rather than around the wall on the right. It wasn't as good a run for me as the morning run had been. Peggy ran well beating a lot of people including myself and I think that made her happy.

Middle - GreenY - Splits

Sprint - Green - Splits

From Northfield Rd. to Norfolk Ave. I went into town for lunch. There were headwinds from approaching rain. I didn't seem to each much yesterday so I'm amiss as to the jump in weight.

From Norfolk Ave. to Northfield Rd. The wind was swirling but most of it was a tailwind. I got home just as the first rain drops were falling.

From Northfield Rd. to Bethesda Metro Station. Slow on the mountain bike.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. I went back on a slightly different route along the backside of Bethesda Elementary School. It seemed less hilly even though there's a potential for more traffic. My left knee has been causing discomfort at times when I walk, and am on stairs.

From Northfield Rd. to Bethesda Metro Station. I had taken my road bicycle in for maintenance so I rode my mountain bike. There was a little bit of traffic.

Washington, D.C. From 12th & Independence Ave., SW, down Independence Ave., to 17th St., along the Reflecting Pool to the Lincoln Memorial circle, to Ohio Dr. 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 an even better day for running today than it was yesterday. The sky was lightly overcast with little wind, and in the low 70s F. I felt better running today than I had on recent runs. At one point, past the Lincoln Memorial, I was starting to feel my right calf. I slowed a little and ran a little more stiff-footed on my right foot; not bending at the ankle so much.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. I was on my mountain bike again but also was carrying dinner in one hand.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. to 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. The air was nice and comfortable; probably in the upper 50s F. I wore a t-shirt and shorts. The wind was calm. I rode a steady pace. Two guys passed me separately after River Rd., and I caught back up with one, drafting him until about the Trestle Bridge. He slowed as the trail got flatter. I eventually dropped him. Another guy was drafting me distantly. There was various trail and road construction work going on along the river after the Watergate complex. I felt pretty good riding.

From 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. It was about as nice a day as it gets. I started out feeling sore from the morning ride but I had a little tailwind most of the way home. I got passed on the flats by 2 guys riding together. Later an electric mountain bike passed me on the climb, and after that, another cyclist. Just about everyone seemed to be outside either riding, running, or walking. Of course there was some driving traffic too. Overall though, the trails didn't seem overly crowded. I could pass without too much trouble.

From Northfield Rd. to Bethesda Metro Station. I had intended to cycle all of the way to work today, but clouds were threatening rain. It's going to be a good day for weather after all. Walking fast down the metro stairs, I could feel some more warning pain in my right calf.

From the Bethesda Metro Station, Woodmont Ave. to Wisconsin Ave. to Norwood Ave. and Norwood Park, to Arlington Rd., to Kenwood Forest Ln. to Bradley Blvd., Fairfax Rd., to Clarendon Rd., to Hampden Ln. to Denton Rd., to Edgemoor Ln. to the Bethesda Metro Station. After climbing the metro station stairs, I got off to a quick start. However, I felt winded right from the beginning. I took about a mile to get over that. Even afterward, I felt weak running. It was in the upper 70s F. I had intended to ride all the way into work and back, rather than run. I felt my right calf a little bit, but it held up okay.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. Like the last time I ran and rode home, I was a little tired from the running. I also ran into some traffic.

Blockhouse Conservation Park, MD. From River Rd. Peggy and I got out early. It was a comfortable 55 F when we started, or close to that. I ran Peggy's pace and that was good because I was concerned about feeling hurt in my calves yesterday. We headed toward Swain's lock, where I could use an toilet. We found a new bridge over Muddy Branch creek, and we found and explored on the way back, what seemed to be a new trail. The new trail disappeared after only a short way. Our run to this point was basically out and back, but Peggy had planned to do more. I decided to hold off since I could feel some pain in my right calf was we climbed back to the parking lot. Reading in the parking lot as I waited for Peggy, I learned how Civil War soldiers had stolen livestock and horses from people across the county, and how up to that time Thanksgiving hadn't been celebrated. The tradition seemed to come south with the northerners as various fall feasts were recorded.

Event: QOC Manassas
 

QOC: Stuart's Hill, Manassas, VA. Since I felt ready to start running again, I thought I'd go for the Blue course today. I hadn't run Blue in a while. I set out to run calmly and finish. Gavin designed the courses and for the park, I thought they were pretty good. Several of the first legs were a bit too easy for advanced courses but he got us taking some different attacks and many points we'd been to before.

S-1 - This was a straight forward leg. I just used the edges of the fields and tried to use visually open ground.

1-2 - This was mostly a long trail run. I attacked from the trail bend and ran around the bit of green that was hiding the control from being seen head on.

2-3 - Up the trail and in from the bend. I went over the hill and was looking for more of a reentrant.

3-4 - Just straight around the right side of the pond.

4-5 - I was getting tired and not moving so fast. I thought that going SE and around to the right in the fields might lose me time, so I cut in early, across the lighter parts of the deadfall. Seeing myself parallel the field, I knew I'd made a mistake. I eventually got to the ridge and took it to the control. I probably lost a minute.

5-6 - Straight at it, using the road to my right to keep me straight.

6-7 - I kept a fairly straight route, not crossing the ridge until after crossing the first field. I went pretty close to the start, and after crossing the creek I followed the ridge.

7-8 - I used the road and attacked off the reentrant. I've gone straight here plenty of times before but the deadfall needs to be updated better for the map to tell if it'd save time or not.

8-9 - Straight - I'm moving slowly so walking through the trees was a good option for me. I used the ditches at the end.

9-10 - I followed the edge of the green to work my way to the control. I found the semi-open ground to be slippery from the tussocks of grass or mud under them. I was closing in on Dan Quinn on this.

10-11 - Straight, but with an attempt to aim off a bit. I did see Dan Quinn as he was exiting but he seemed to be leaving in the wrong direction.

11-12 - I went straight, and used the reentrant to guide me in. I hesitated short of it and Diana Aleksiev paused to my left too. I found it further down the stream Diana had been standing on.

12-13 - I ran right by #15, but mainly was trying to stay above the worst of the deadfall below to my right. I passed the house and went straight from there, ignoring trails. As I was approaching, I saw Peggy almost into the fields.

13-14 - Right back past the house and into the woods from a field corner, following the cairns.

14-15 - I started straight but zig-zagged through the deadfall. It was good getting a look at the control earlier as that helped me zero-in.

15 - 16 - I ran aiming for the field but seeing Diana and Vido Aleksiev, I may have gotten distracted. I cut to the right too much w/o correcting. I eventually reached the marshy semi-open terrain before hitting the field. The map seems to have changed on the other side of the field. I was worried but came in from the trail and spiked this last part. Overall, I probably lost a minute.

16 - 17 - Straight, going cautiously on a good bearing.

17 - 18 - As I was leaving, Peggy came in from behind me. I was indecisive on my route at that point and not seeing her since #13, I thought she was ahead still. The distraction and need to beat my wife led to me rushing out of there toward a trail. I somehow thought I would hit the trails to the left, but I hit the one on the right. As I ran ahead of Peggy, things weren't matching-up. I ran slower than I would have. After passing some bridges I stopped hearing Peggy behind me and knew what I'd done at the same time. I cut back and into the woods along the creek. I could see Peggy ahead, with no way for me to catch her before #18.

18-19 - With Peggy ahead, I ran straight and harder. I passed her a little bit before the White control on the trail. The control location on this wasn't really valid--there are no distinct trees any more. I plunged into trees from the field edge and seeing the reentrant I cut rigth, finding it quickly.

19-20 - I dropped down to the creek and ran along it. I thought I was seeing the spur on the south (right) side of the creek, so I came up to the left from there. I found a reentrant, but not the control. I ran to the next one down and found it. It could be that I was reading the contours incorrectly here. The bend of the creek forms a contour looking like a spur.

20-21 - Going straight, I passed the lake on the left side, crossed the stream, and followed it up to the next dam.

21-22 - I started to back out and go across below the dam but the vegetation looked too bad. Reversing again and passing #21 again, I went up the right side of the stream. From there I was wandering a bit. The map had changed too much to be very useful. If the map showed the houses on the east side of the road, it would have helped. I eventually found a bigger block of green forest and the boulders, not the dot knoll shown on the map.

22-23 - I ran up around the marshy pond, then across the field. I didn't try to make a correction on my bearing for being north of the leg line, but I did drift left, where others were. Along the way, my recently injured right calf started to make itself known. I slowed a little. Once in the trees, I was surprised to see the pond/lake so close. I saw a control so I went to check it. Finding it to be a different one than what I was searching for, I went north and found the control. I passed Don Fish and his son's dog along the way. I probably lost 45 seconds.

23-F - Coming out of #23, I thought about going on the right (west) side. It seemed longer. It was a bit green getting to the left (east) side and I cut out early rather than risk going down where the woods were better, on the hope of finding a better way out. Once in the field, I was worried about my right calf. When the hillside was sloping to the right, i didn't feel pain. However, I kept my pace steady rather than push it in.

Blue - Splits

I went back and forth from Northfield Rd. to Bethesda Metro Station. I got distracted by some more trash that I needed to put out before it was collected. Initially, I'd left my key in the door and when I first got to the station, I realized it and rode back. There was a little bit of a headwind going to the station and the temperatures were in the 50s. I was dressed for work and by the time I got done riding, I was hot enough to get a sweaty back.

Washington, D.C. From 12th & Independence Ave., SW, down Independence Ave., to 17th St., along the Reflecting Pool to the Lincoln Memorial circle, to Ohio Dr. to the Rock Creek Trail, to P St., NW., to 20th St., NW., to the Dupont Circle Metro Station at Q St., NW. I last ran this in December. It was near 80 F and I was about a minute slower today. There were lots of tourists out (especially at the Lincoln Memorial) and I had a few stops for traffic. During the run I just tried to make regular progress and I didn't want to push it for fear of breaking something else. I'll need to do a lot more running to be ready for the Billygoat, and I'm going to try to do it. My right calf felt okay during this run. My left calf started tightening up a little just before finishing. I stretched afterward and cooled off. A tailwind had kept me from feeling the breeze earlier.

C • running 1

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. I was a little tired from running. It was till warm. I had a tailwind and was riding in my running shorts but there was traffic.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. to 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. It was in the mid 50s F with some headwinds. After getting to the trestle bridge, I got more sheltered from the wind and I even drafted a bus on Ohio Dr. through most of West Potomac Park. I had done some stretching this morning and could feel tighter and more uncomfortable in my right calf. I'd stayed-up late finishing the posting of pictures taken from last weekend.

From 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. I left work late so initially there was less traffic. I got past a large group of tourists on bicycle after rounding the Jefferson Memorial. I was ahead of average time getting through Georgetown. Most of that was with a nice tailwind and it lasted most of the way afterward until reaching Dalecarlia. There, the curving of the Capital Crescent Trail took me into the wind until Falls Rd. My pace slowed to below normal but I finished feeling relatively strongly.

From Northfield Rd. to Bethesda Metro Station. There was a bit of a tailwind and only a little traffic. I aim to run today. We took Peggy out to dinner for her birthday yesterday, and it also rained in the morning.

From the Bethesda Metro Station, Woodmont Ave. to Wisconsin Ave. to Norwood Ave. and Norwood Park, to Arlington Rd., to Kenwood Forest Ln. to Bradley Blvd., Fairfax Rd., to Clarendon Rd., to Hampden Ln. to Denton Rd., to Edgemoor Ln. to the Bethesda Metro Station. This is my first run in 6 weeks in which I didn't feel any calf pain when trying to run. Yay! I guess I'm not inured any more. My right leg did still feel weaker and my right quadriceps felt a little sore from the orienteering over the weekend. I'll try to stay cautious with the road running. It was a really nice and sunny 70 F day with a breeze--great for running. That motivated me to add on rather than come back on the Capital Crescent Trail. I had some start and stops getting through downtown Bethesda pedestrian and auto traffic, and my extension, though hillier, avoided that mess.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. I was a little tired from running and there were some headwinds, but the air was warm.

Quantico Marine Base, VA. For my warm-up, I walked to the start and was there in plenty of time. However just before they called me up, I realized that I'd left my compass back at the car--it had felt strange when I left and thought I was ready. I walked back and forth, and got a later start.

QOC Junior Nationals--Green Long Course, Quantico Marine Base, VA, on the Beaver Dam map. Generally I don't think of a 7.7K course as a long course. I usually run Red and Blue courses for local events. Being injured has affected that a lot more lately and I hardly did any running since March began. I was concerned about my endurance with 2 races yesterday and it being humid. Unlike yesterday, it did not feel as hot.

I got a good start on #1. I'm not sure if the route was efficient but I did it smoothly, running most of the way. For #2, I figured it best to go left around the green. I crossed Beaver Dam Creek only getting wet up to my knees at the most. Once across I was in the open ground. I looked at the contours, corrected my bearing, and spiked #2. I got there just before or after Kean Williams. Kean came into and left #2 a little awkwardly, so I got ahead pretty well. For #3, I kept a fairly straight route but a little to the right to save climb. This kept me right of the road area. I counted reentrants and actually paused before #3, even though I could see it--it seemed I might have been off to the right but I wasn't. For #4, I ran straight, and through the green near the stream. There was the makings of an animal trail but not a clear one. Emerging from the green, I ran the left side of the stream until it got too green again. I crossed the creek twice and attacked, spiking it. A Junior had come in just ahead of me, from my right. I kept moving well toward #5. Hitting the fencing, I crossed where it was easy and dropped into the reentrant to get to the control.

Leaving #5, I stayed high for a short while before dropping the flat area by the creek. I got on the trail until the rocky spur. There I crossed the creek on rocks and got through the green pretty easily--I hadn't really seen that there was a bridge just ahead. After climbing, I ran south of the trail that was parallel to me, and I crossed it when it bended. I saw Ken Walker Sr. make a change of direction there. At the end, I was hesitant, and I was not reading the contours well--I took up for down, but seeing a control point/man-made object to my left, I trusted my bearing and spiked it shortly after. A woman Junior was catching-up to me from behind, I crossed her path leaving #6. I ran well to #7 but hesitated on the way down the spur. It was just a little further than I'd thought. I figured the woman I'd seen at #6 would catch me, but she hadn't--perhaps she was running Red?

Going to #8 I took the trail but I was having trouble reconciling the map to my compass. I slowed and eventually left trails going up the spur south of #8. I'm not sure what happened along the way. From my GPS track, I'd gotten distracted by a control to my left, and ran out of my way to it. Realizing it was wrong, and seen the trail nearby, I corrected a bearing and spiked it from there; it almost seemed like I was going back where I'd come from, but this time I hit the control. Going to #9, I crossed the creek at the boulder but I was having a hard time focusing my eyes and wasn't sure if I was seeing a boulder on the map. It worked out okay and I didn't lose any time. I was still worried about people catching me as I ran off to #10. I held a pretty good bearing in this flat area. I was a little hesitant after the marshy area. I was running too fast toward #11. I was off to the right but fortunately realized it, and corrected at the end.

I did get caught running toward #12. It was the woman I'd seen at #6. I was thinking I was close to finishing as we left #12 and headed to the field. Soon I realized it was just the spectator control. The woman left the spectator control going to my left. I started to do that too, but decided staying in the field was better. I got on a trail taking me to the road, and I turned left on it. This was perhaps unnecessary. I just felt like I'd get closer for an attack and the streams were standing out as a good way to attack. I ran/walked up the spur to the control Leaving #14 I drifted to the right. I figured it was okay since I planned to follow the stream in--this may have cost me a little time since I hit the creek at a S bend and crossed it 3 times. I followed the hillside into the control. Leaving #15, I went right a bit since it was clearer. With mapped green ahead, I went left to get around it. I guess I got pushed too far right while still climbing. I crossed the road seeing a ride and used it to get to the field. I saw the Go control ahead and started running to it, forgetting about #16 at the field edged. I got 1/4 of the way there before realizing the error. I corrected going to the left (SW) and got #16. I saved a bit of strength getting to #17, and kept increasing intensity until finishing. It was another pretty good run for me but Andras Resvez got me by 3 seconds this day. He's running so much faster than me these days so I suppose it's an accomplishment for me to be that close. I thought Kim Jepsen would catch me this day too but Kim had troubles. Stephan Slutsky was true to form and finished 11 minutes ahead. I was 8th on the course. It was encouraging. Hopefully I'll be able to continue running training again and thus be able to improve my speed.

Day 2 - Long - Green - Splits

Event: QOC Junior Nationals
 

QOC Junior Nationals--Green Course, Quantico Marine Base, VA, on the Beaver Dam map. I was fairly uncertain about how my running would go this weekend. My right calf is not fully healed. It felt okay Thursday but I could still feel some issues on Friday when leaving work.

I was a bit excited at the start, and also feeling heavy. On the way to #1, I went for using the road instead of going straight at the control. It got me running and got me into reading the map. I was pretty good knowing where I was when crossing the creek near the spur. I have confidence in being able to follow a bearing through QOC's terrain and did so to a marsh. I followed that to the first control.

The 2nd control required just being just a little careful to get on the right side of a ridge. The 3rd control was a short straight shot over a ridge. I took the 4th going straight too; I didn't see the stream confluence but could tell it was below the first stream I crossed. For the 5th control, I sought to save climb by crossing the ridge early and going up the next reentrant. By this point, my glasses were fogged-up pretty well. I resorted to reading the map by looking over them (the glasses are cut with no glass on the top half).

Leg 5-6 was the longest on the Green Middle Course. I wasn't feeling fast to gain advantage by going around to the right. I probably also didn't fully explore that option before starting. Instead, I sought to go as straight as I could while still getting further north of the green vegetation. I executed this well, finishing with a run down the spur, but I hear the route on the ride further north was best.

I think I started catching-up with Dennis Dougherty on the way to #8, but first I passed Florence Tan. I was a little less direct on this leg. I cut right after the stream crossing, and came up the spur to the control. Florence went a straighter route and probably got there not long after me.

I lost site of Dennis Dougherty as I went left to get around the green vegetation. Going left put me on the wrong side of a ridge, so cut back when I saw a gap. I was unsure if I'd gone far enough, but when I didn't see #9, I cut left until I did.

Going to #10, I zig-zagged around vegetation, but was fairly solid getting there. Leaving #10, I made a 90 degree error. I knew there should be a change in direction but since I lined my compass up on the leg line from 9-10 instead of the meridians, I lost time--I realized it in 15-20 seconds, and then corrected. Dennis was ahead of me as we closed in on #11. For #12, I passed Dennis and went to the right to save climb and use the creek. After passing a spur, and adjusting direction again, I picked my way to the other side of the stream and was hesitant until I hit the control. Dennis was close behind. We left #12 differently; I backtracked. Dennis went high initially and got to the road ahead of me. We both cut in on ride. I passed him in the woods and used the edge of the field to know where I was and punch.

Finishing-up I ran right around some green, but when it went too far, I cut through it. I used the hillside to pick my entrance to the field. I had at first thought the control was in the forest but re-reading the map corrected that notion. I kept ahead of Dennis for the run-in but was feeling the heat and not pushing all the way. I was fairly clean on this run, and just lost time when leaving #10. I got 2nd in my age group, and 4th on the course.

QOC Junior Nationals--3rd Leg of Relay, Quantico Marine Base, VA, on the Beaver Dam map. I hadn't really planned much for this weekend. Peggy had taken the role to setup QOC teams. At first the numbers were going to be uneven so she asked me to be on Boris and Allison's team--they were both unsure if they'd be running since Boris is injured and child care for Inarra can be difficult. Boris led and came back fairly near the leaders--he was not running all out. Allison seemed to do well. She said she'd gotten passed and didn't pass others but in a forked relay it's hard to tell.

I went out running okay. The run in the morning was past me and I'd eaten 90 minutes earlier. Riley Culberg, former QOC member, passed me on the way to my #1, though he was going to a different control. I moved okay but not so fast through the next several controls. I had only one hesitation when I was on a saddle and could not see the next control which was in a depression. The woods to this point were mostly more open than the run in the morning. As it got greener in the controls prior to the spectator control, I got caught and passed by another person or 2 though I may have passed others. I decided to contour around leaving the spectator control. It was a little greener gong that way than expected, getting to the creek. I crossed the stream where a nice ditch was emptying into it, but in retrospect this ditch is not the one that I saw which had been mapped. I was more to the right. I climbed up to a change in steepness, before a small field, and bounced off that to get to the next control. A junior from BAOC was nearby. We were close to each other for the next few controls at least one of which was forked. I was sure he'd sprint past me on the run in so when I was going for #9 and he asked me, I didn't tell him which control code I was going for. He got to #9 just ahead of me, but I got ahead of him later as was leaving #9. Heading to our last control in the forest, I was doing well but decided to go around some green vegetation, on the right side. If mapped right, I should have ended up at the base of the hill with the control. There was more green there than mapped so I climbed most of the wrong hill before correcting. I chased the Junior from BAOC into the field and watched him pull away on the home stretch. I also got passed by 2 other Juniors on the run-in. It was a nice run for me except for the bobble at the end. I held up physically and that was the best part. My team with Boris and Allison finished 3rd in the 3 point category. Max's team came in well behind us.

Day 1 - Middle - Green - Splits

From Northfield Rd. to Bethesda Metro Station. There were headwinds and some traffic. It was around 50 F but it felt cooler.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. I was carrying home dinner. My right calf feels better. It's not hurting going down stairs like it had been. I will continue to rest it prior to the weekend.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. It was about 50 F when starting out. It turned out that I had a slight tailwind. It wasn't evident until I'd gotten to Ohio Dr. The Cherry Blossoms are fading now and there were fewer tourists. However, there were a good number of cyclists that I passed while on the way. I kept the pace steady and tried to keep spinning well.

From 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. There were some headwinds. I didn't feel nearly as strong as I had the last time I rode in.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station. I encountered traffic en-route. It was about 60 F. I'd been tempted to cycle all the way to work with the warm weather predicted. I was short on time and as I rode to just Bethesda feeling sore, it was probably best as it turned out to be. My legs and right calf feel better walking around, and when on stairs. I'll try not to push it.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. I felt like I was going faster.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station. There are forecasts for storm rain this afternoon. I rode anyway since I need to stretch out. I grabbed a rain jacket even though it was warm enough not to need one. I felt weaker and still a bit worn out from Sunday. There was a bit of traffic. Since I didn't feel any pain in my right calf just hanging around the house on Sunday, I wondered if my calf was miraculously better--like the motion of the long hike on Sunday fixed it--after going down the Bethesda metro stairs at a good pace, but still one step at a time, walking in Metro Center proved otherwise. I still feel hurt there, to the point of it not being worth trying to run (my GPS tracking of this ride got messed up at a traffic stop).

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. My legs continue to feel rather sore after sitting and when standing up. After they stretch out they feel better. I still can feel a bit of pain on the top of my left foot, when going downstairs. It was nice seeing people for a little bit this evening as Peggy hosted a packet stuffing/map sealing party at our house--Max, Samantha and I went out.

Rootstock Racing's Crooked Compass Adventure Trek, in Cunningham Falls St. Park, MD. Peggy had identified this mini-rogaine for us to do back in January or February, when I was making gains and improving my running. I've been hurt for more than a month (March 3rd or 4th depending on how it's counted), so it was really questionable that I go out at all. I'd been more comfortable going out in the soft forest, than running on either dirt trails or pavement, and with an 8 hour event over a mountain that I knew to be steep, I figured we'd be walking a lot anyway. In fact, I didn't even walk as the start got underway. Teams (Peggy and I were in the Coed category), were allowed to send one only person to do the Prologue loop. Since I would have just slowed us down, Peggy did that alone in 19:08 (1.153 miles) and I subtracted that time from our total (7:30:06, 16.574 miles) to get my own. To see my GPS track one will have to follow Peggy's since I'd woken up sleepy and forgot to grab my watch like I usually do after getting dressed. I was not happy about that and had to put it out of my mind as we were getting ready to start.

The format was much like the Stumble races that SVO started, only one had to get to a required control before getting another map with optional controls. Each group of optional controls became like the Stumble format's windows. This was an Adventure Race, not standard OUSA orienteering. Between some occasional verbal and non-verbal cursing, Peggy, I, and others used to OUSA orienteering mused that the Adventure was discovering many obstacles not on the map and other disconnects. I figured that most of the controls were marked on the map according to coordinates, rather than in relation to the features that were shown or not shown.

As Peggy returned from the Prologue, we both walked out with other teams walking behind us. Two of those teams had some excited happy dogs running back and forth. Experience over the last month of being injured proved it to be better for me to walk a while before trying to do any running.
Once leaving a paved road, I intended to follow a bearing to the first mandatory control but I needed to go a little left to get around deadfall. Once we hit a hillside the detail we could see was a little hard to match-up with the general contours the map showed. Peggy tried to navigate with the contours on the map and that led us much higher than we needed to be for where the control was set. We were also getting used to having to adjust for magnetic declination on this leg. With our first control past us we got our map with optional controls. It was 1:7,500 scale, instead of the slightly improved standard USGS 1:24,000 quadrangle based map that we started on. With the adjustment in scale it was another rough adaptation. I was still uncertain how long this event would be. 2 controls on this map were high and 2 were low, so we opted to skip the 2 high ones. I'm sure we could have gotten them but if other maps had controls this far apart, I figured we'd be in jeopardy of not completing enough controls later on. The first low control we went for wasn't that hard but again, even at 1:7,500, the contours didn't make it clear where it'd be. The clue (Peggy read it, not me) was the most help--an eroded knoll. I'd never seen one like it. It was like a small dirt replica of Sugarloaf Mountain in Brazil, and around 80 ft tall. We walked through messy vegetation the long way around to avoid dropping and scrambling up from the low point where there was a marsh. The next control was not good for our navigation either. The terrain had interesting contours but with continued vegetation issues. We saw Phil Bricker on the leg, going higher. I kept thinking we'd see 2 streams but when we hit a field with a road and houses just beyond, Peggy figured we'd gone too far. We rose up the road to where the hillside got steeper and started climbing it at an angle on a ride, since the map showed the circle centered above where the hill starts getting steeper. Looking back down, I saw it hanging really high on no feature. We took the road to the next control, climbing the mountain gently and much more happily after that. We took some pictures with a DVOA runner who was going solo and spiked the second required control.

We figured the next set of controls was more achievable. The one that was away from the rest was fairly straight up a reentrant that made the climbing easier so we did that. When we got to the cluster of controls around Cat Rock (there were several rocky ridge clusters there), we were fortunate to have others nearby, including Joe Brautigam's team. We got these controls efficiently, but some were in some gnarly boulders. With the bad maps, and without others there it'd have much harder to find some controls--Joe got lead away while trying to read it properly as an OUSA orienteer would. I started relying on bearings and clue descriptions much more. We enjoyed getting to the next required control which was mostly an easy trail run. By this point, I tried doing some jogging and Peggy seemed pleased about that.

With a new set of controls and another new map we were set. Going downhill in relatively open terrain was great. We moved well. I even passed some people running down the slope to an old dam near the road. I splashed through the water rather than cross on a log. We hit a control on a boulder next to a stream below an functioning dam for the big lake well. Peggy led us to the left and up a road. I think I'd have gone right and up a different road, but Peggy's way looked okay too. From what was printed, it seemed like we'd be able to cross the dam on a road. When we got to the dam, we saw a ranger walking by, and then a fence at the spillway. We could see the fence and a wall going a long way below the dam. It looked like we'd have to swim to go left of the fence (it turned out that Sandy Fillebrown, Barb Bryant, and even the DVOA guy we'd taken a picture with earlier crossed on the left side by easily splashing through. What Peggy and I did instead, was to go all the way around the lake clockwise. Another group came behind us and did it too. It turned out not to be that hard. After climbing high enough we could jog the road and there was another road on the other side of the lake that took us right to the next control. We lost some time (15 minutes) but not a whole lot considering the length of the race.

A few people including Joe Barrett and Joe Brautigam's team could be seen leaving as we had a brief break and got an a new map. We went through the Houck area near Cunningham Falls. The controls were all streamers instead of flags. We had no problem with them. Peggy, I, and others in QOC had checked out this area years ago for possible mapping. I still like the idea of doing that, though the club decided against it at the time--maybe I'll do it myself one day.

After leaving the next mandatory control, we had a long climb. We did most of it up a trail. Michael Dickey and most others we'd seen had used the trail less. Again, we may have lost a little time due to that but we also saved having to pick our way through the mountain laurel that was at the higher elevations. We departed the trail a little past the bend and hit a stream right where control Z was shown to be placed on the map at a change in steepness. The clue was at the end of a rocky ridge. We went past the stream to the foot of that rocky ridge and still didn't see it. A minute later, I saw it hanging high--about 70 ft up, on top of the ridge. Getting there was easier on the SE side, since that was less rocky. We'd thought about doing this set of controls counter-clockwise, but because of the rocks,we decided to go to Y next. That turned out to be slow--deadfall, rock an rhododendron. We debated the way a bit but we hit the trail at a bend about where I had hoped to. Leaving Y, I got a Facetime call from our daughter Samantha who was home alone. Strange days these are to be in a race on a rough mountain while doing video calls. Samantha gets anxiety when alone and my sister hadn't showed-up there yet. Peggy led us on as I talked to her and tried to reach my sister. We hit what we thought was Bob's hill and turned SW toward control W--the hill was the long extension of the ridge we were on earlier at Z. The ridge was rocky and unpleasantly thick. We were tired and Peggy again was putting faith in the map, feeling we should turn around. We did that eventually, even after I'd gone ahead to see if i could find it. getting near a trail, we knew we'd gone too far the wrong way. We headed back up the unpleasant Bob's Hill ridge. Ken Walker Sr. passed us walking along the bottom of the ridge in the better, but still deadfall ridden forest. He was actually going for a different control but led us to W. Peggy was still upset about the ridge so rather than go for U directly, we went round about leaving Bob's hill on the wrong side and crossing it where it was easier. Both of our feet were weak and aching at this point. I'd picked up a new ailment on my left foot--it felt like a stress fracture along the top of my foot to my big toe. We hit U easily and saw Ken Walker Sr. coming back from it just before we'd gotten there. Getting the next 2 controls involved a lot of thick forest and even some rock scrambling. We hit them well. Others coming the opposite direction were having a lot of trouble since they confused one ridge for another. The map just didn't show 2 there. Peggy found the last one before we'd gotten to the end of a ridge that looked like it might be the "overlook" in the control description.

From that last control, we practically ran the whole way down the mountain to the finish. We passed some groups while getting passed by others who were younger. We took the Blue trail when the trail forked and got ahead of one of the groups that'd passed us. It was nice to have finished the race, without my calf holding me up too much. We enjoyed pizza and drinks, and chatting with friends who were still there. Some QOC friends like Dasa Merkova and Alexis (all women team) placed and got awards.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station. I recall there being a bit of a headwind.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. This was surprising, after walking up the metro stairs was achy to my right calf--I did that more slowly since I'd gotten behind some people that I couldn't pass, and that made me less tired. It's probably within 8-10 seconds of the fastest that I'd ever ridden back home and I did get stopped at one traffic light. There was only a slight breeze coming from behind me.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station. It was probably around 33 F when I rode in. I did some more extensive stretching last night. Walking about today, my right achilles feels a bit weak and sore.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station. It was probably around 34 F when I rode in and there were headwinds/traffic.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. I had been tempted to ride in to work and back home this day. It was not only cooler than expected but it was raining lightly as I rode back from the station. I was feeling glad that made the right choice.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station. It was probably around 33 F when I rode in. My calf felt okay while riding, but walking down the escalators at the metro stations, I had to be cautious. It was feeling strained again, after my scouting run on Sunday.

From the Bethesda Metro Station, to Northfield Rd. My right calf was showing strain from running in PWF yesterday.