Training Log Archive: Nadim

From Northfield Rd. to Maple Ave. with Max in his trailer, then to C St., SW, Washington, D.C. via the Capital Crescent Trail and Ohio Dr. With an off-site conference yesterday morning, I missed my bicycle ride to work. With our builder stopping by in the evening, going out to eat, then falling asleep on the couch I missed working out completely. I wanted to run and felt okay. More discussions with another one of our builders this morning got me a bit late. I cruised steadily going 22-20mph down the grade. Early on, I had to stop for traffic more than usual. A guy behind me kept annoyingly catching up and attempting to fly through the same intersections without really looking--he didn't seem to think I had a reason to stop. The only times I pushed were to get away from him. Winds were mixed but definately slowed me down in places along the water.

From C St . SW, Washington, D.C. to Maple Ave., then to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. I had some wind resistance getting to Georgetown that kept the pace down but once through there the shelter of trees kept me moving. However, what really helped was the cooler air after some thunderstorms rolled through; they had passed an hour or two earlier so the route was mostly dry. I caught one guy halfway to Fletcher's Boathouse who happened to increase his speed just before I caught him. I dont' think he knew I was there until I passed. He tailed me until Falls Rd. One other guy I was catching on River Rd. did the same but it took me all the way to Bethesda to really catch him. I kept a good strong and steady pace going the whole uphill part of the ride. I reached Maple Ave. in 38:32; one of the fastest times this year. I stopped off at a cycling store on the way home.

From the Glenmont Metro Station, Georgia Ave. north to the Matthew Henson Trail, to the Rock Creek Trail, to Cedar Ln. to Rockville Pike, to Commerce La. to the Bethesda Metro Station. I had intended to ride my bike today but with heavy rain predicted at 100% chance, morning and evening along with winds, I thought it better to take my chances running. Like last Saturday that had a 0% chance of rain and it rained the forecasters were wrong. It didn't rain all day until it was time to start running and even then it didn't rain much. It took me until 6:30pm to get underway. Like Monday, I ran with my wallet, keys and other essentials in my hands because I forgot to bring a belt--the items were wrapped in plastic and I had to keep switching hands every couple of miles. Though the net effect was neutral, most of the run was downhill--climbs came at the end.

Leaving the station there were gentle slopes getting to a valley and the trailhead. The new Matthew Henson Trail is in a very narrow Maryland state park and like most other county parks in the area, it follows a stream valley. It was a nice enough mostly paved trail with a few small rises, tree cover along most of it, and a few nice boulders just off trail. It follows Turkey Branch which empties into Rock Creek. A portion is so narrow that it's right along a residential road. It went under Connecticut Ave. but I had to cross Viers Mill Rd. near the end. I was weak from the beginning. The humidity was at 100% but fortunately temperatures were only in the low 80s F. I ran easy to conserve strength and my right leg hurt a little for a few miles. Once in the Rock Creek valley, the rain had stopped. I also stopped at all water fountains and at a few road intersections for traffic. I wasn't looking forward to climbing out of the valley but it wasn't bad at all. Sunlight started breaking through and I could feel my sweat finally cooling me--the humidity was lifting. Changing the music in my head to I Can See for Miles by The Who (it was a concious choice to change the music but an unconcious selection--I thought it was another Who song until I got past the intro) may have gotten me going better too. A guy coming the opposite direction on Cedar Ln. turned my way on Rockville Pike and I paced behind him, gaining. He was probably headed to near where I used to live since he turned off on Rosedale Ave. This was probably the slowest 10 miles on this kind of terrain that I can remember ever doing but it was good for me mentally.

From Northfield Rd. to Maple Ave. with Max in his trailer, then to C St., SW, Washington, D.C. via the Capital Crescent Trail and Ohio Dr. I was a bit slow getting Max dropped off, then I took it easy down the grade toward D.C. I caught a guy before the flats. We exchanged some pulls into Georgetown the right way so that we were both going faster than we would have alone. In fact, we were going faster on the flats than I did on the downgrade. Getting to Ohio Dr. I got stuck behind other cyclist at the tunnels but after exiting the last one and behind another cyclist, he noticed me picking up speed behind him on the road; he then opted to do S-curves to shake me. I just let him go as he accelerated but I made up most of the distance by 15th St.

From C St . SW, Washington, D.C. to Maple Ave., then to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. I had a nice tailwind for just about the whole way back. It was fortunate. I was anticipating a struggle with the way my legs have been feeling. I worked in places but mostly held back while keeping a good pace. I also carried back both clothes from today and yesterday. I was 39:11 at Maple Ave.

Washington D.C. From 14th & Independence Ave., SW, over the 14th St. Bridge into Virginia, then on the Mt. Vernon Trail to Key Bridge, then on the C&O Canal Towpath through Georgetown to the Rock Creek Trail, then to Connecticut Ave. and the Woodley Park Metro Station.

I ran holding my wallet and ID in one hand, and my van keys in the other--I'd forgotten to bring a little belt clip for these. It was still more warm and humid than I've been used to but I took it easy, rarely pushing on these paved trails and found that I could run in it just fine. It helped that the sun was behind clouds most of the time. On the trails, I saw and passed a dog riding in a trailer behind his owner who was pulling it on bicycle--yes, the dog had his head out the window. I also saw a cool looking commuter recumbant with extra short wheels and a fairing that made the tricycle look like a sleek fancy soapbox racer. I was intending to end at Dupont Circle but felt that adding-on made sense. I passed a cagle of runners on Rock Creek Trail and improved my effort there if not my speed, while passing all but one. At the end, one of the ones I caught came sprinting past as we were at the low end of the big hill. I may have gained a little on him again but didn't have it in me to push. The bike rides seem to have taken the spring out of my legs for now. Actually, going up was not that much more effort than on the flatter parts of the run.

I cooled off and stretched a little after the run. In the metro station, my legs hurt a lot as the isometrics of walking down the escalator stairs slowly kicked-in. It got better by the bottom. It also got hotter in the station w/o air conditioning and I started sweating more waiting for a train. I made a wet spot under me just standing in the train going home.

I had a nice sleep but that meant less time in the day to get things done. A little shopping trip turned out to be a big one. I was too lazy to run in the sunny humidity and we went to see a movie. After dinner, I intended to run but again ran out of steam. My legs weren't feeling recovered.

Loch Raven Reservoir, Cockeysville, MD. Eddie Bergeron setup a Summer Short Series training event from his apartment in Cockeysville, MD. It was stylized to be similar to a recent US Team training event in CT. Starting from Eddie Bergeron's apartment I went out on a 5K course. The first two warm-up controls were in residential areas just getting to the reservoir woods. I loosely ran them to the reservoir with David Onkst and Patti Mace and my legs felt tired and stiff from recent cycling. There hadn't been many warm and humid days this summer so this average temperature day felt debilitating too. The first part of the training was to test route choices by running a loop twice and comparing splits on different routes.

Control #3: For the first try, I ran straightish after getting past some marshy areas and unfortunately missed a bit low to the left. I had anticipated hitting a trail and cutting right to the control but the trail had long ago gone to disuse. I ran past things then came back to get there just behind Dave Onkst who had started a little after me. Split 4:45. For the second try at this leg, I ran the trails the whole way, even the one that was barely trackable. Split: 5:27. Part of the difference in this is being more tired the second time but I also knew more of what to expect.

Control #4: Dave and I ran parallel routes to the next control. Both of us stopped on some early ditches and then I ran on leading into it. Split: 3:39. For the second time, I went left and I used longer way on the trail. Unfortunately near the end, I came off a bend on an unmapped trail and got into the wrong ditch/reentrant before getting back on track. Split: 6:43. I also didn't have Dave Onkst w/me pushing me some.

Control #5: I took a straight route across some big reentrants heading toward a lower trail (I figured it best to do this on the first loop since I'd be more tired on the second). I encountered unmapped green and turned the wrong way on a trail to lose additional time but I saw Peggy along the way--she had done a similar thing. I caught her again and went into the control with a little hesitation at the end because I couldn't see the streamer around a litle bend in the reentrant. Split: 12:55. On the second try of this leg, I stayed on trails almost the whole way. I had to go much further and had to climb a little higher in elevation but not in overall climb. Split: 8:45. 4:10 is a big difference considering that I was much more tired on the second go and pushed harder on the first (avg. heart rate 143bpm vs. 136bpm on the second try).

Control #6. I ran through the reentrant at first, then something started seeming off with the map. I went out to a nearby parking area and got on a trail leading to the control. Attacking from the bend, I hit some lower rocks. Peggy caught back up coming to the same area (perhaps distracted by me) and eventually she found the streamer further up. Split: 4:19. On the second try of this leg, I stayed high initiall, used the trail to get to the parking area and attacked from the same bend. This time I thought I was being careful to stay on bearing but I still came to the left of the control by a good distance. Split: 3:15.

Control #7: I caught-up to Peggy then after cresting a rise, I noted a reentrant on the other side to the left which helped me pinpoint the correct rootstock. Split: 2:00. For the second go, there wasn't much of a route choice to choose from. I stayed on a more careful bearing than the first time. I walked a bit more w/o Peggy being there too. Split: 2:11. Heart rate averages were within on beat of the same.

Control #8: I ran up to the ridge, then down the trail to where there was a mapped ride. Crossing a reentrant and coming off a saddle I hit the control well and enjoyed the view of the reservoir. Split: 5:18. On the second go, I hesitated about whether or not to skip #8. I actually headed back at first but then I decided that I'd take a low route to #9 after going to #8 and it'd be just about the same. I followed a route left of the first one. It got me on a trail earlier and kept me higher. However it was enough higher that I left the trail too early and mistook a change in elevation ahead for a spur and I ended up climbing over a hill that I didn't need to. Oddly enough, the split was exactly the same: 6:17.

Control #9: I had to take a bathroom break but then proceeded to somewhat reverse my route over some big reentrants and hills toward #4. I got very hung up in unmapped thorns on the steep climb. Once over, I glimpsed Peggy ahead briefly. I wasn't reading the map very well so I crossed the reentrant near the control and got on the trail going down it. I realized my error, and briefly noticed Peggy for a second on the other side of the reentrant again. I came across and caught her near the control. Split: 13:17. For the second go, I stayed low initially. I was going to stay level, but as I decided to drop to an unmapped trail along the reservoir, I twisted my right ankle. I shook it off after a while, then climbed slowly to a higher trail, then to another. I'd come out at the top near a bend so I had a good idea of where I was. I ran on bearing but not really being able to pickout the features. I missed at the bottom and turned left/upward in the reentrant so as not to have to climb back if I missed on the right--seeing a lot of ditches I realized I needed go back downward and eventually saw Heidi Onkst and Patti Mace doing the next exercise. Split: 10:08.

Control #10: I ran it straight as the vegetation would let me. However I didn't take clue descriptions with me and I had misread the control to be in a reentrant on the same side of the creek that I was on. Peggy caught-up, crossed and cut right after getting to the creek. I did too eventually but figured the control was more the other direction after understanding that it was on a spur. I got there just ahead of Peggy. Split: 4:45. On the second go, I kept a straighter bearing and knew what to expect. Split: 2:31.

I was tired getting to the finish and jogged the trail ahead of Peggy so that I could drink and get going again. Split: 1:45. On the second go, I was even more tired as I slogged in. Split: 1:44.

This was a good exercise though mistakes and some things in the field not matching the map made better comparisons difficult. The more simple routes were often better for me overall but not always.

Loch Raven Reservoir, Cockeysville, MD. Second loop of the route choice exercise--see descriptions above.

From Loch Raven Reservoir, Cockeysville, MD to Eddie Bergeron's apartment. I walked back with Peggy. After getting cleaned-up we all drove over to Eddie's new house and inaugurated it with nice dinner that he made. Dave Onkst blew everyone away on the Star Trek trivia game but all seemed to have a great time.

From Northfield Rd. to Maple Ave. with Max in his trailer, then to C St., SW, Washington, D.C. via the Capital Crescent Trail and Ohio Dr. It was partly wet from the rains the night before but there was a coolness to the air too. I took it easier but seemed to not fade as much. With having ridden longer now twice this week, it seemed quick getting to work.

From C St . SW, Washington, D.C. to Beach Dr., up through Rock Creek Park (including through the tunnel) and over the Maryland border to Candy Cane Park. At the park, I met Peggy and Max so that we could go out to dinner and get a present for Max's friends's birthday party--one of our frequent Friday tasks. The ride was nice. There were some headwinds gettting to the Kennedy Center but once in the Rock Creek valley I got shelter and some pull from the many cars passing by. I had to slow and wait for traffic leading up to the Connecticut Ave. intersection but otherwise I kept up a good pace elsewhere and had pretty good energy. I had to push a little on some of the rises.

From Northfield Rd. to Maple Ave. with Max in his trailer, then to C St., SW, Washington, D.C. via the Capital Crescent Trail and Ohio Dr. When I looked out the window this morning I thought I saw blue skies. Once on bike I figured August was on the way. The humidity was up. There were clouds but all was dry--until I got through the trail tunnel to the other side of Wisconsin Avenue. At first I thought somone had sprayed water on the trail. I felt a drip. When I saw that the trail was wet all the way to Max's day care, I figured a rain had come through. After dropping off Max and getting through the tunnel again all was dry again. I moved along alone trying to go smoothly but not too slow. I kept thinking someone would catch me but no one did. I was moving at 22mph down the grade, then 20mph on the flats. It started sprinkling a mile before Georgetown and got to a steady rain on Ohio Dr. Rounding the Jefferson Memorial, the sun came out but it was still raining till I got to work.

From C St . SW, Washington, D.C. over the 14th St. Bridge to the Mt. Vernon Trail, south past National Airport to 4 Mile Run, up the W&OD Trail to the Custis Trail, to George Mason Dr. to Lee Hwy. to N. Glebe Rd. over Chain Bridge to the C&O Towpath, up the loopy way to Brookmont, then to the Capital Crescent Trail via Sangmore Rd. and the Little Falls Trail, to Maple Ave. in Bethesda, MD to pickup Max's trailer, then home to Northfield Rd.

I wanted to add on after work again and thought-up most of this detour while waiting for a sandwich at lunchtime with Mark Mace. I made it out of the building just before being locked-in again and thunderstorms were threatening to the NW. By going over the 14th St. Bridge and then south, I could see the rain falling in the NW (toward home) and thought I might be avoiding it. I moved quickly in the 6 miles to Shirlington, then went faster as I caught a crowd at a traffic light and got behind two roadies on the W&OD Trail. I had to push to stay up with them as the trail very gradually climbed--the one in front of me would slow down in the narrow spots and curves, then accelerate. The accelerations were harder for me while carrying my loaded pannier. I slowed down on the Custis Trail and on the gradual climbs across N. Arlington. The way I took happened to be one of the more gradual ways to get across the small but hilly county. I had a nice roll from what's probably the top of the county down Glebe Rd. but I was a bit worried when I road into a wet zone where it had rained. I was cautious on the winding part getting down to Chain Bridge where there's a sharp turn and traffic light at the bottom. The C&O Towpath is not a good place to ride when it's wet. I could feel the tires sinking some though not much mud kicked-up. What I call the loopy way to Brookmont is a connector path from Lock 5 to a little enclave off of MacArthur Blvd. A spiral ramp goes from near Lock 5 to a bridge over the George Washington Pkwy. and then the path continues up a paved yet narrow and steep switchback--I had doubts about getting up it while carrying weight and being tired but I was happy to have enough control to do it smoothly. It started raining for me as I got to the Capital Crescent Trail. I slowed more there feeling weak, and back on my regular commute. I was also weighted down from the water in my drenched cotton t-shirt. I didn't drink enough on the ride.

From Northfield Rd. to Maple Ave. with Max in his trailer, then to C St., SW, Washington, D.C. via the Capital Crescent Trail and Ohio Dr. I left a bit late due to construction machinery showing up at home. As I was approaching Max's day care, I saw the rider I rode with yesterday morning going the other way. He was with someone else and moving swiftly again. I on the other hand took it easier when I headed to D.C. I was feeling some strain from yesterday though I did push on the flats some. There was still a steady stream of people to pass. Headwinds from the south could be felt a couple miles prior to Georgetown and all the way the rest of the ride.

From C St . SW, Washington, D.C. to the Capital Crescent Trail, to MacArthur Blvd. via the Little Falls Trail and Sangmore Rd., then to Falls Rd. to Oaklyn Dr./Bradley Blvd. to Huntington Pkwy. to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. Summer is half over and I still haven't been out on my road bike. I did the next best thing by extending my commute. I had nice tailwinds initially and was moving well flying past cars in traffic on the very gradual grade up MacArthur Blvd. However as I climbed the hill near Great Falls National Park, before Falls Rd., I had derailer problems. It's never been very good since changing out the freewheel last summer. I locked-up twice on the climb and after that I stayed mostly in my 52 tooth large chain ring up front for the smoothest riding. Though it was my rear derailer that was giving problems, I just didn't trust the shifting in the smaller 42 ring. It seemed to skip even when I wasn't shifting. The ride was fun but would have been more enjoyable without my loaded pannier. Rain threatened but didn't materialize. I came home to find the side porch and old roof over it gone. After dinner I drove over to pickup Max's trailer.

On the ride I had a period of a lot of back discomfort. It had been tight on earlier rides but with this "longer" one, it was hurting more. In the morning my left hamstring was rather tight and after reclining with my legs elevated above my head while watching The Tour, I had painful leg cramps when I brought them down. It's all part of getting in shape. My weight after riding was 171--water loss.

From Northfield Rd. to Maple Ave. with Max in his trailer, then to C St., SW, Washington, D.C. via the Capital Crescent Trail and Ohio Dr. I almost didn't ride again but the weather looked good and I started feeling better. After dropping off Max, I was getting ready when the same young guy with glasses and a backpack that I'd seen a few other times came moving by quickly. Someone else was tailing him up the gravel section of the path. Having felt rested, I thought it'd be okay to push a bit and ride with them. I got going and made up the 50m to get in the line. At the Woodmont/Bethesda Ave. intersection we all got broken up but I fell into the middle and we reformed the line. I was a bit concerned doing 28mph going down the River Rd. bridge with two police cars off to the side. After a while going +24mph, I took a turn. I had a longer pull on the flats going +22mph. We broke-up at the end of Georgetown after picking up a few more riders but only the two of us ever pulled. One guy we passed just before Georgetown was towing a small trailer doing +21mph on the flats. There were headwinds from the SE the last few miles and I was tired so I slowed down. This still was the fastest ride into work this year.

From C St . SW, Washington, D.C. to Beach Dr., to Glover Rd. (up the ridge), then across northwest D.C. on various roads to Maple Ave., then to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. Leaving work just before they would have locked me in, I got off to a smooth start. I enjoyed some fast riding with some tailwinds. To keep the fun going, I decided to go up Beach Dr. It meant more traffic intersections later but I longed for some road riding. Beach Dr. is a park road but is made to be 4 lanes of one-way traffic as it winds parallel to Rock Creek. I cruised at around 21mph going up it. I had partial benefit of sometimes tailwinds and drafting off of the car commuters. Going through the tunnel near the zoo wasn't bad--I was moving just a little slower than the rest of the traffic. I probably should have stayed on Beach Dr. longer since it's better graded but I was itching to get away from traffic as I made a snap decision to go up the ridge where the park gets wider. This was fun and gave me a welcome reminder of how much faster road riding can be.

I was leaning toward not riding to work today. The weather wasn't looking good, my legs were still feeling strained and my throat was hurting the night before--when rinsing my mouth I swooshed out a small bit of blood. Upon explaining why we weren't riding to work to Max he asked if I was being lazy. I'm not sure where that came from. Once at work, after many tries to get through on the line, I was able to get an appointment for a checkup. The throat test swab indicated that there was no strep but they gave me a lessor antibiotic to clear it up--it's been there about 10 days. It still turned out to be a busy day, with a visit from Comcast, a playdate visit to a neighbor's house, then a meeting with our general contractor for house work that will start this week. Though tempted for a short run, a late dinner and general tiredness after that made it a rest day.

In preparation for work we're having done on our house, I had to dig out and replant a lot of shrubbery. I had to move a lot of soils and I also layed a few slate slabs too. Max helped. Really.

From Bradley Blvd. I ran on the Cabin John Trail to River Rd., then turned around, went past Bradley Blvd. to Seven Locks Rd. and then returned to Bradley Blvd. I ran at around 1pm and it was warm but a breeze kept it nicer than normal for July. My legs felt awkward running. They were heavy feeling without much continuity in my stride. I felt just about every rise in my quads. I was around 10:14 (~1.23 miles) getting down to River Rd. but back at Bradley in 20:00. I was 30:26 at Seven Locks Rd. (3.64 miles), a hillier section, so overall my pace was going faster the further I went. Later in the day Max and I splashed in the Lake Fairfax water park before going to my sister's 50th birthday celebration.

From Northfield Rd. to Maple Ave. with Max in his trailer, then to C St., SW, Washington, D.C. via the Capital Crescent Trail and Ohio Dr. I felt better today, though not fully rested and we were out of breakfast foods. The humidity and temperatures were up and I rode alone but the difference was that winds were calm. I could ride a steady pace. Getting on the trail in Bethesda, I thought I saw one of the guys I had drafted off of yesterday but I went around him and didn't see him again. About a mile up ahead, I thought I saw him again but I think it was another guy in the same kind of jersey who was on the side of the trail with a cell phone to his ear perhaps waiting for the first.

From C St . SW, Washington, D.C. to Maple Ave., then to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. I was tailwinds going home but what was happening at ground level was the opposite of what the radar was showing. Instead of tailwinds blowing to the NE, I fought winds most of the way. I wasn't tempted to push by other riders much and took it smoothly. I was 40:44 at Maple Ave. which was better than I though I'd be.

From Northfield Rd. to Maple Ave. with Max in his trailer, then to C St., SW, Washington, D.C. via the Capital Crescent Trail and Ohio Dr. In the past, when I've been training a lot, I recall feeling a dull but persistent muscle pain when I slept, and having conflict dreams. Both have been back recently. My legs feel a bit of a burn like there's lactic acid after an interval workout. It made me not want to pedal very hard. I took it easy getting to Maple Ave. After dropping off Max and getting into the Air Rights Building tunnel in Bethesda, I got passed. The guy wasn't going that fast but had gotten up to speed before I had. I was going to pass him but I sat on him. After Falls Rd., he opened-up. We were going 23-26mph down the grade. Once going this fast, I didn't feel so guilty sitting on his wheel. We caught up to another guy who picked-up his pace. The guy we caught kept leading at 21-24mph across the flats into Georgetown. We split up soon afterward. Headwinds from the south and southwest slowed me after that. I thought I was going to finish much faster with all the fast drafting.

From C St . SW, Washington, D.C. to Maple Ave., then to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. It was slow going home. Cummulative effects of training have been wearing me down. The summer heat finally worked up to normal strength for this time of year and there were big winds slowing me down getting to Georgetown. Eating lunch late and leaving work early so that I could get Max to soccer practice meant less time for recovery and digesting on the ride too. Okay, okay, that's enough excuses. I was able to get up to decent speeds, even going uphill, whenever the winds weren't slowing me. I got to Maple Ave. in 41:42. I detoured with Max to soccer practice but no one was there. ?

From Northfield Rd. to Maple Ave. with Max in his trailer, then to C St., SW, Washington, D.C. via the Capital Crescent Trail and Ohio Dr. Starting out I felt tired so I just let my body ease into it. After dropping off Max, I saw the same young guy with glasses and a backpack go by. Like last time I was still getting ready but this time, I never caught up to him. I think I was keeping pace for a little while but riders far ahead start to look similar and he disappeared. He did get me moving pretty well. I picked-up one drafter as I passed everyone else and the drafter was with me until Georgetown. Once out of Georgetown, I was tired and I could feel the headwinds from the south/southwest--I took it easy the rest of the way the last 3 miles or so.

From C St . SW, Washington, D.C. to Maple Ave., then to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. It's taking me some time to warm-up. Even with a good tailwind, I was a good way down Ohio Dr. before I felt I was moving smooth with the right speed. I passed a bunch of people but rode alone. The tailwinds kept up but there were several times that I was going into it too. I was 38:11 at Maple Ave.

From Northfield Rd. to Maple Ave. with Max in his trailer, then to C St., SW, Washington, D.C. via the Capital Crescent Trail and Ohio Dr. I've had a sore throat since after the ride and working in the yard on Sunday. I may be getting sick which would explain yesterday. I started off easy with Max this morning. He was a bit cold from the cool dry air. After dropping him off and making it to about River Rd., things got easier. I had tailwinds though on Ohio Dr., the willows were only blowing a little. I felt good--able to accelerate and hold it when needed.

From C St . SW, Washington, D.C. to Maple Ave., then to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. I started out taking it slowish. Even after Georgetown, I was only doing 17mph. I started picking up the pace near Fletcher's Boathouse, then gradually increased the effort up the grade. I was 39:46 at Maple Ave. and expected to be a good bit slower. I inadvertantly knocked my computer out of position so I estimated the final time.

From Northfield Rd. to Maple Ave. with Max in his trailer, then to C St., SW, Washington, D.C. via the Capital Crescent Trail and Ohio Dr. There were several detours getting to Maple Ave. today. Part of Arlington Blvd. was closed. After dropping off Max, I had more relaxed ride though as I was passing some well spaced groups, slingshoting off one person's wheel to the next got me going. Winds were calm but it sometimes felt like there were some. I brought my heavy lock by mistake.

From 12 St & Independence Ave. SW, Washington, D.C. to Maple Ave., then to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. Leaving work late meant riding through the building again to get out. Once out, I cruised down Independence Ave. enjoying the way a bicycle can beat traffic. However, I was tired and had been unusually so all day. I settled into an easier pace. Winds were from the west but not much of a full headwind until I had the cover of trees after Georgetown. I kept passing people but mostly was trying to conserve energy by spining. I slowed before Massachusetts Ave. and took it even easier finishing up. There was aggravating traffic on Bethesda Ave. as I rode homeward with the trailer. A guy in a Suburban sized SUV saw to it to come along side me (he couldn't pass because of the guy in front of both of us) then he started nudging closer. When he got within a foot of me while driving parallel I started to bang on his door with my hand like I remember doing in college going to class on a main route into campus--only then I was doing it at +20mph.

C • "bang on his door with my hand" 6

From Northfield Rd. into Bethesda for a late lunch/snack, then to Silver Spring via the Georgetown Branch Trail, then back to Bethesda and Northfield Rd. via Portal Dr., NW Washington, D.C. and Beach Dr. Peggy, Max and I did this together. Max was connected to me on his Trail-a-Bike. This was the longest Max has ridden on his Trail-a-Bike and perhaps even in a trailer. He did well but without a nap his energy was low. We stopped multiple times for him to rest: on the trestle bridge over Rock Creek, along the road portion of the Georgetown Branch Trail, at McDonalds in Silver Spring, at Candy Cane Park in Rock Creek (for the playground), and a few other places. He didn't pedal the whole way but it was noticeable when he did.

Upper Marlboro, MD, Swanson Rd. Natural Area. I got out earlier than I had been doing for Saturdays and finished the streamering of courses for a Summer Short Series (SSS) event that will be held here eventually. The timing will depend upon a couple of things but if we're lucky it'll be early next Saturday. It could happen much later this summer too. I moved some streamers from when I was out here last time. I hadn't gotten to see that much of the park the previous time but I improved the courses in the iterim. When setting, I tried some direct routes which are more difficult. I had some success doing that but I had to validate where I ended up by checking the location by coming back again from other directions.

The woods were variable but overall they left me with a solidly favorable impression. The park is full of reentrants--classically QOC terrain but more detailed than average. There are some areas of flatter terrain to cross too. It'll be good technical training. The summertime white woods were generaly pretty good (a little better in the north than the south) but the green areas were generally good to avoid at this time of year. The fields had long grasses. They were above my knees whether or not mapped as rough open or just open. I felt tired from all the recent cycling but am looking forward to getting used to that and having the improvement in physical conditioning carry through to running and orienteering like it used to in the past.

Great Falls, MD. Dave Onkst had setup a control picking SSS event that we ran in pairs and close to each other so that we'd get the distraction effects of running an actual race. There were two parallel courses. Dave had setup the same courses at least 4 years or more back and I remembered some of it. At that time, the map had just been done and we were dissapointed with what the mappers had done. I made mistakes then and did so again this time. Some of the contours just didn't seem to work at the 1:5,000 scale we used and the vegetation was very different. I recall going right out from a control though distict green vegetation areas which were mapped white. There were some reported problems with rootstocks though these didn't bother me.

I was paired with Tom Strat. He started off down the trail immediately. I didn't move until I could find the start triangle even though I knew we'd be going in a direction that I could cut more straight than the trail. I popped out on the trail right behind Tom and then followed him into the control area and his control. I should have gone to a ruin just past it but the ruin was hardly visible. I was more accurate at #2 and saw Tom's control first without going to it. I missed a little to the left on #5 so I relocated on a trail bend. I missed to the left on #6, going down one reentrant too early and getting well past the control. After that, I moved more slowly, and accurately, and not long after that I'd gotten ahead of all the other runners. I think #16 was hung lower in the reentrant so I missed that and climbed to #18 to relocate and attack. It was fun. I sweat a lot and was tired.

Great Falls, MD. After about a 10 minute break and some water, I ran Dave Onkst's control picking Loop B. This time Tom Strat had me give him a bit of a head start. Max gave me a starter's "Go" and had thought he was going to race me. I had to explain as I left that I'd go out with him upon returning. I caught Tom on the way to my second control. I was much more accurate on this go but I was more tired too. I didn't try to run nearly as hard. I missed #4 slightly but over-runing a ditch junction--I saw a second one ahead and was focused on it but I knew enough that looked back without much time lost. I was heading right for #5 with Tom in front of me again but having missed it on Loop A (it was common to both courses), I decided to be safe--I veered off to hit a trail and attack from a bend. I saw Tom a few more times as the courses crossed and I hit the next 13 controls right on. I suppose the first loop had gotten me used to knowing what to look for. I think some difference in vegetation between the map and reality led to my error on #19 but I correctly quickly. When I finished, my watch read 19:45 but based no my first run which I ran harder, I suspected an error. Since it was my GPS watch, I was able to see that instead of taking a split at #16, I'd stopped the watch. Since my attempt to stop it as I got to the finish had actually re-started it, I was able to read off the trail track and get the actual second that I'd finished which was coincidentally a nice round 5:00 minutes later.

Though I felt I didn't go so well on this exercise, especially the first loop, looking back 4 years to 7/9/2005 when I did the same workout, my cummulative time is much better and it sounds like I ran with much more confidence.

Great Falls, MD. After running both training loops, it was time to go out with Max. Having watched the others over the last hour, he started off going down the trail running. I had to trot after him and give him credit for keeping a run up past the first trail intersection (with me directing) and to the base of a small climb. I pointed out the first two controls but he was getting into reading the map with some help. I oriented it and told him were we were, then asked him which side of the trail the next control would be on. He correctly knew it'd be off trail on our left. Having gotten there, I oriented it again, explained where we were and asked him to point to where our next control would be. He got it right and repeated his performance on all of the rest of the controls. He already knew what a trail was on a map but along the way I explained to him how a black dot represented a boulder and how the V shape represented a pit. Max had been asking to go out on a White course at the last few SSS events so this was a good mental exercise for him. He honestly felt happy about getting things right. The controls were spaced just far enough apart that he didn't get bored. He did run out of energy a bit and began pulling on my shirt from behind to keep up on my slow walk. He seemed to enjoy climbing a steep cut in the terrain for the old trolley line. I held on to him for that. It was much like rock climbing since the dirt kept sliding out from under us unless we placed our feet carefully. Peggy, Max, the Onkt's and the Mace's all enjoyed a dinner and dessert in Potomac later.

From Northfield Rd. to Maple Ave. with Max in his trailer, then to C St., SW, Washington, D.C. via the Capital Crescent Trail and Ohio Dr. I got out a little bit earlier and was tired starting out. I was seeing a few different people. I have this knee-jerk reaction when seeing other riders (or runners when I'm running) to either stay ahead of or pass them. Even with Max in the trailer and not being warmed up, I pushed a bit to get ahead of a guy who was converging with less of a hill and no trailer to pull. After dropping off Max, there was some more of the same. I pushed a little going down the grade to make sure I'd stay ahead of another person I remembered seeing before who was getting ready to get on the trail as I passed. I got some drafting as I caught and passed others. Once through Georgetown the headwinds were more evident and I took it easier.

From C St . SW, Washington, D.C. to Maple Ave., then to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. I'm definately not used to doing 5 full commute rides in a week but I'm getting closer. I just tried to keep a steady pace for most of it. I needed to get back home quick enough to meet Peggy and Max at the track meet (It turned out that I just missed them at Max's day care but I got to the meet quick enough to watch Max while Peggy ran). On the ride, I had a cross wind. It was a bit of a tailwind at the Kennedy Center but I also rode into it a little in other places. I picked-up a drafter for a while but either dropped him or he turned off before Massachusetts Ave. Once again I was able to hold 16mph for a ways--this time up to River Rd. but I rode steadier. I slowed a lot the last mile or two but was 38:54 at Maple Ave.

From Northfield Rd. to Maple Ave. with Max in his trailer, then to C St., SW, Washington, D.C. via the Capital Crescent Trail and Ohio Dr. Right from the start, I felt that was going a bit slower. I was tired. I stayed up too late the night before and ate too much of Peggy's spaghetti too yesterday. There were definite headwinds but they weren't obvious until I got downtown. I didn't try to push. I got passed by a pair just before going into Georgetown. I stayed with them for a short way. I forgot to use the newly repaved portion of the Rock Creek Trail which is now open and is between the Kennedy Center and Thompson's Boathouse. I towed a guy for a little while into the headwinds on Ohio Dr.

From C St . SW, Washington, D.C. to Maple Ave., then to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. Once again, I got off to a quick start; slowing for a bus to get through some traffic meant that I could tail it as is sped up along Ohio Dr. It felt so easy cruising 24-25mph behind it that I couldn't tell if there was a tailwind or a headwind. At lunch the flags around the Washington Monument indicated that I'd have a headwind but that wasn't the case. I continued to move well across the new trail pavement near Thompson Boathouse (there's a new bridge) and I got some breaks at the traffic intersections in Georgetown. Going steady on the flats to Fletcher's Boathouse, I felt that I was definately getting a tailwind and I pushed a little going up the hill to try to keep up my speed. I didn't drop under 16mph until after Massachusets Ave. and didn't have to try too hard. I started slowing after that and felt the wind coming more at me the rest of the way into Bethesda. I was 38:17 at Maple Ave. which surprised me again.

From Northfield Rd. to Maple Ave. with Max in his trailer, then to C St., SW, Washington, D.C. via the Capital Crescent Trail and Ohio Dr. I got a late start since our builder had stopped by unexpectedly. He was just preparing some final estimates for work to be done. With a crescent shaped route, I managed to have initial headwinds and later tailwinds. It was nice a crisp out for July. The trail was empty until I approached Fletcher's Boathouse where I was catching-up to other cycling commuters.

From C St . SW, Washington, D.C. to Maple Ave., then to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. I got off to a good start leaving from a traffic light behind a crowd and getting a mandatory draft to the Jefferson Memorial. There were headwinds after that but they weren't as bad as I had expected based no my lunchtime walk. I had to parlay with a bit of tourist auto traffic. In Georgetown, I headed out amidst several people and passed them all. One guy who had just started out from there but wasn't commuting seemed to be keeping pace but just far enough back (on purpose?) that he wasn't getting much of a draft; 10m-30m. I moved along surprisingly well but started to run out of gas just before Massachusetts Ave. The guy following passed and I though I accelerated, he was moving much faster than I had been and I couldn't keep up even in his wake. Another guy who I'd passed more recently went ahead and I lost contact with him for a while. I caught him near Falls Rd. I stayed behind him and was glad. His pace was more erratic so that I couldn't tell if I should pass or just try to hang on. I was 38:41 at Maple Ave., the fastest this year by almost 2 minutes. There was more slow traffic in on Bethesda Ave. I pushed a bit despite being pretty tired. I wanted to get under 50 minutes for the first time this year too.

There's a strange yet familar amazement at how one's performance seems to suddenly leap to being better. It seems to me that it comes from training consistency and an increased volume of training. I can tell my legs are getting thicker from the cycling though that's not always so good for running.

From Northfield Rd. to Maple Ave. with Max in his trailer, then to C St., SW, Washington, D.C. via the Capital Crescent Trail and Ohio Dr. After dropping off Max (we saw Bob Angell running along the way), a cyclist went by as I was still getting ready to go. I caught up to him as traffic slowed him at Falls Dr. We traded pulls into Georgetown though he did more work than I. We were going 23-24mph down the grade except for a few slow spots to pass or get around some work areas, and 21-23mph on the flats. We split after Georgetown. I kept a good pace the rest of the way. Winds were somewhat neutral.

From C St . SW, Washington, D.C. to Maple Ave., then to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. Starting out, I was trying to figure out how I'd ride home carrying the bag of controls that Mark Mace had collected from last weekend at Blockhouse and returned to me. I hung the plastic grocery bag somewhat precariously on my handlebars and let them swing while hoping that the bag would not rip as they are prone to do if there's a pressure point. There were headwinds and some traffic so I was content to ride slow till passing the Watergate complex. I led a group coming into Georgetown but one of the guys passed just as we were hitting the Capital Crescent Trail. He was as tall as I was and riding strong so I was glad to get behind him. He was moving on what appeared to be a Trek 520 with deflated hybrid tires, about a mile or two faster than I've been going on my own so I stayed behind him all the way to Bethesda. We weaved though the traffic and I came close to a collision when as he was weaving around one person, he thought better of it and slammed on the brakes. I was happy not to have lost him on the bridge climbs and he didn't seem to mind me drafting him at all. I only got to repay him for about half a mile before reaching Maple Ave. in 41:38. Once hitched to the trailer with the bag of controls safely stowed in it, I went on and stopped at one of the 3 bicycle stores on my route (there's a 4th if I go a couple blocks out of the way) to pick up a handle bar plug. I'd managed to lose one and my handle bar tape had begun to unravel. I also picked up some plugs that light-up for better nightime safety.

From Northfield Rd. to Maple Ave. with Max in his trailer, then to C St., SW, Washington, D.C. via the Capital Crescent Trail and Ohio Dr. It was Max's turn at his day care this week, to bring snacks and juice. It is also his water play day today. I loaded up the trailer with the snacks and drinks, Max's swimming stuff, his lunch and Max then headed up the hill. It was heavier and slowed me down but not much more than my usual pace. After dropping Max and the load off, I enjoyed a casual ride into work. I felt a bit tired from the runs the last two days and may have had some headwinds, though once riding along the Potomac River, I couldn't see any discernable blow against the willow trees.

From C St . SW, Washington, D.C. to Maple Ave., then to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. I felt tired and appeared to have at least some headwinds up until the water treatment plant. I slowed my speed by forcing a higher cadence while going up the hill. I was moving okay but got passed on the long straight stretch before Massachusetts Ave. where I often slow. Being passed got me motivated to move faster though I never regained contact. There were too many people on the trail for that and I didn't want to push too much. I was 41:10 at Maple Ave. and thought I was going to be slower.

From Northfield Rd., through Grenwhich Park to Old Georgetown Pike, to W. Cedar La. to the Elmhirst Trail, to Cedar La. to the Rock Creek Trail, to Beach Dr. to Grosvenor La. to the Bethesda Trolley Trail, to Old Georgetown Rd. and to Northfield Rd. via Grenwich Park. I had hoped for a run earlier in the day but some mini-golf and shopping took up the time. I got out after dinner and putting Max to sleep. Having had a nice and needed sleep, I had more energy and willpower to do this at 10:30pm. The night was nice, in the low 70s or upper 60s F. I still sweat and felt hot more than expected (after the run I also unexpectedly passed blood in my urine). There were more fireflies out than the last time that I ran a similar route. A gibbous moon cast a good shadow whenever I was not underneath a tree canopy or street lights. I only saw 3 people walking outside during the whole run. Splits and Pace:

Old Georgetown Rd. and Cedar La., 0.92 miles, 7:32
Cedar La. & Rockville Pike, 0.71 miles, 7:10
Cedar La. & Rock Creek Trail, 0.6 miles, 7:35
Rock Creek Trail and Beach Dr., 0.76 miles, 7:49
Rockville Pike & Grosvenor La., 0.39 miles, 7:21
Bethesda Trolley Trail & I-495, 0.92 miles, 8:05
Old Georgetown Rd. and Cedar La., 0.84 miles, 8:04
Northfield Rd. 0.92 miles, 7:28

Blockhouse Conservation Park, MD. Starting and finishing from the Pennyfield Lock access road, I set out controls and water for a holiday Summer Short Series training event. I'd mapped the park in 2006 and 2007 and was in the process of learning a lot about how to do it back then. Though I'd made updates in 2007 and 2008, There were still things I'd do differently now. Many of the dot knolls that I included were probably too small and some of the ditches were closer to reentrants.

I hadn't gotten a chance to get out to the park before the event. I had set the course the same late night that I'd gotten home from Kansas City. It was to emphasize route choice selection. I set it two days before the event despite having one extra day to prepare; this was partly so that I could get the printing done but also so that I could get the notes out with enough advance notice and get the courses to Patti and Mark Mace who couldn't make it on Saturday and were planning on coming on Sunday. Mark and Patti made things easy too by picking up controls on their run on Sunday, leaving us to just enjoy after our runs on Saturday. The problem with setting a course without going into the field, even on a map that I had made, is that one doesn't get a chance to plan for the unexpected. I couldn't find one dot knoll that I had mapped and think it was a drafting error. I'd found the two dot knolls just below where it should have been and a cup reentrant below those so I concluded that the dot knoll I was looking for wasn't really there. Since I was running out of time for the 11am start, I hung the control about where I thought it should be based on the contours and hung it high. It turned out that on this same leg, there were reports of a new trail--going the way I went, I hadn't seen it though I did note a change in the course of one trail that I'd mapped. I also found another new trail on the north end of the map. It was blazed but so new and hard to discern that some contstruction flags were being used in places to mark it. I'll have to go back and add this one. In one last place that I'd chosen for a control location, I realized an error in the vegetation mapping. A ride didn't line up correctly on both sides of a creek and was also a bit off in relation to small boulders where the control was.

It was slow putting out the controls but the day was totally unexpected for July--it was comfortably cool with low humidity. I sweat right from the beginning being loaded down with a backpack filled with two gallons of water, cups, and controls. I could jog with this where the terrain was not too rough but it was well over 2 miles up and down some steep slopes and over half the controls before I got rid of the water and could run with some speed. Blockhouse was very pleasant, partly due to my course setting using the white woods, and partly due to the nice weather. Along the way, I saw some deer, nearly stepped on a box turtle near a control, and surprised about 3 foxes scattered in different areas. I didn't see any people while I was out. About 12 participated, not including Mark and Patti. It was a great way to begin a 4th of July holiday.

Alexandria, VA. I've been a bit lazy the last few days. After catching the red eye home on Wednesday, and then setting courses on paper for training on Saturday, I was too lazy to get things going on Thursday. Having a federal holiday Friday helped rectify things. Peggy, Max and I started on the Mt. Vernon Trail at the Belle Haven Park area. We took to the Mt. Vernon trail on bicycles with Max riding his Trail-A-Bike connected to me. Our aim was to figure out how to get across the newly rennovated and greater than a mile long Wilson Bridge; a part of the Capital Beltway (I-95). The old one took years to replace and had no space for pedestrians. Heading north to the bridge, it was easy to figure out. We just kept going straight after the Mt. Vernon Trail turned off to the right. 100m up there was another turn marked by a sort of compass sign-post built into the pavement. We stopped at a couple of the pull-offs to take in the sights. While at one, we saw Jeff Stetaklu riding by. We rode on and met up with his wife and daughter (Paul had yet another knee injury). On the Maryland side, the trail does a sort of u-turn to an overlook area, then spirals back under itself to drop down to the little bay that is part of the cove for National Harbor. We went to the harbor leaving the trail going into Oxon Hill (toward Children's Farm) for later exploration. The last bit of trail was unfortunately unpaved. I guess the architects thought it might look nice to have a white trail which they made from crushed sea shells.

We locked-up and explored National Harbor for a couple of hours by letting Max play on the Awakening sculpture (moved from Hains Point) and having lunch. While rain showers moved in, we sheltered in a marketing store for the new Children's Museum that is scheduled to be built at National Harbor by 2013. There were some toys, books and a few other things for children to do. We rode back with fewer stops and a little light rain. All-in-all, it was a fun outing! I'd wanted to go over this bridge by bicycle decades ago.