Training Log Archive: Nadim

Event: QOC Patuxent
 

Patuxent River Park, MD. I had very little warm-up time since the start window was about to close and I'd gotten to the meet site late planning to pickup controls after the event.

QOC: Patuxent River Park, MD. This is a fun place to orienteer and it was a really nice comfortable day. Temperatures were at about 70F. It was sunny and not humid. I took off fairly quickly for this score-o, not properly assessing the point values, and not knowing what the penalty was for coming in late. I hadn't been in an orienteering race for a long time so I was a little rusty with some things. I felt that my accuracy was fairly good given the 1:15,000 scale used, and that I ran okay. Right off, I went all the way across the big field in a little over 4 minutes and bobbled the 5 point control tucked into the green gully--I'd expected it to be on the field edge. I got the next one just fine, then hit one #11, that a lot of people had trouble with--I never found it though Ted said he did. Jody had also indicated finding something mis-matching the bag set by Dave Linthicum, and the epunch box set by Mike Leiderer--he put them together but I'm not sure where. What would have been at most a 4 minute leg turned into 10 minutes with no control score. I got distracted enough by this that I completely missed going for the easy #10 and #13 nearby. Later, I cleared all but 3 of the controls on the southern half of the map, bobbling only 2. In the case of the first, I'd hit the correct reentrant but couldn't see the bag--that one, #38, seemed faded. I missed on #33 because the control circle completely obscured a gully. I was counting them, pulled-up early at the hidden gully, then went back for a loop before going on. I headed north across the road to #15 and then got as far as #32 before turning back. I should have skipped #50 but wanted to do it anyway, knowing that it'd put me over time. I hit it somewhat hesitantly, and pulling up short first. There seemed to be more stream junctions than mapped and the scale again made it difficult. I ran harder for the last few and did well considering that my back was hurting; it had hurt early on, with some jarring in the field but got better in the middle of the course. It hurt the whole northern part of my route and got worse running harder. The pain seemed to come back in the northern part when I had to do a lot of ducking to get under branches, and when running across a march with some not completely flattened grass. The pain is on my right side at the hip. Still, it was good to be back in a race. I was +5 minutes over time and got a 30 point penalty. I really missed going for a lot of easy controls that would have upped my point total. My route is as follows: 9, 22, 11 (never found it), 34, 38, 33, 31, 37, 35, 28, 29, 15, 36, 32, 50, 30, 18.

QOC: Patuxent River Park, MD. I drove out to pickup controls from the northern and central areas. I could have had a higher score-o point total had I just stayed closer and picked-up a few of the easy ones here. I was hurting pretty much after racing and at the start of this. The running upright and slowly helped loosen me some. I did have to take some Motrin in the evening. I couldn't even sneeze after this since the constriction would trigger pain stopping it.

Event: HVO/WCOC A-event "Love The Lakes"
 

From Northfield Rd. to Madison St., with Max on his bicycle, then back towing Max's bicycle, then to 13th and C St. SW, Washington, D.C. I felt tired in my quads despite having a tailwind. It was about 50 F and nice to have an end to the rainy weather.

From 13th and C St. SW, Washington, D.C., to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. The wind had dialed back by the time I headed home so the headwind wasn't that bad; I did carry my laptop, thus making a heavy backpack. I passed David Onkst about a mile out of Georgetown. He was headed back toward Rockville. I didn't slow since the sun was going down. It was pretty outside.

From Northfield Rd. to Madison St., with Max on his bicycle, then back towing Max's bicycle, then to 13th and C St. SW, Washington, D.C. When I checked before going out, the temperature this morning was 37 F; it probably was a couple of degrees warmer than that as I started. I'd dressed well with a vest full gloves, and tights. There were some headwinds and I felt tired from the running yesterday, as I rode into it. The morning warmed-up nicely.

From 13th and C St. SW, Washington, D.C., to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. I was rushed getting home for our dinner plans. Having not ridden much, I felt tired during this ride. It was about 57F when I got home.

Event: QOC Meadowood-CANCELLED
 

Fountainhead Regional Park, VA. I did a loop of more checking of control sites and other related course setting things.

Fountainhead Regional Park, VA. I did another loop of more checking of control sites and other related course setting things.

From Northfield Rd., to Del Ray Ave. and back. On the way out, I towed Max's bicycle, and he rode it from his friend's house back.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to 13th and C St. SW, Washington, D.C. With my back not hurting as much the last 2 days, the rain stopped and it not being so busy, I finally did a commute all the way to work--the last was back in August. There was fog with 100m visibility after getting closer to the river after the sewage treatment plant. The temperatures were in the 50s F and the winds were calm.

From 13th and C St. SW, Washington, D.C., to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. There was some initial traffic that I got stuck behind in D.C. but I got through Georgetown pretty well for a Friday. There had been a slight tailwind which was much appreciated. I moved well, about +18mph on the Capital Crescent Trail but got passed almost mile out. The rider who passed was big and pretty strong. His legs were thick down to the ankles and I got the feeling that he had been riding out there all summer every day. He accelerated to 21mph, then up to 23mph on the flats just past Fletcher's Boathouse. We went through other cyclists pretty well and got into a tight spot once. He slowed to a pace just slower than I would have been doing on a decent day in July when I'd been riding more, then cut off at River Rd. I would have been pretty quick getting home, perhaps unde 40 minutes but later, I came across David Onkst and I rode most of the last mile at his long run pace. Dave and I caught-up on things.

Thurmont, MD. Lawyer's Farm. Greg Lennon suggested that our families go and checkout the corn maze and other attractions. It was fun. I hadn't run one since being in St. Louis for an A-meet a few years back. Max went with Max Lennon, Samantha went with Nicole Lennon, Greg, Peggy and I ran alone. I was dressed in jeans but had on some old trail shoes. I carried my big digital camera to get some pictures along the way but there wasn't a lot of opportunity for that as I concentrated. I made few mistakes but was going a fairly easy pace. I lost some time having to leave the maze to find a bathroom, stopping time, then coming back. The temperatures were just about at 60 F. I'd not been feeling so good the last several days and also didn't have much time but I felt better afterward.

After the maze, and a stop for smaller kids in a barn with playground stuff and hay bales, a few of us took some shots with the pumpkin cannons. I eventually hit the tall transformer-like target I was aiming for on my 4th shot. Other shots were curving about too much.

Event: NAOC2014 (North American Champs/Ottawa O-Fest)
 

From Northfield Rd. to Madison Rd. with Max, then back, towing his bicycle.

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., to the Woodley Park/Zoo Metro Station. It was nice out but there was some light rain toward the end. I went out kind of fast. I'd caught a guy waiting at a traffic light. He took off faster but I later passed him. Then another guy passed me. I was kind of winded by the time for the big climb at the end.

From Northfield Rd. to Madison Rd. with Max, then back, towing his bicycle. Afterward, I rode to the Bethesda Metro Station.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. I worked late and rode in the dark going home. I felt a little stronger today even before getting to ride with a tailwind. I only had small leg band reflector lights because the lockers still haven't been re-installed and I would have to undo or connect everything when locking-up in the open.

Fountainhead Regional Park, VA. I did more checking of control sites and other related course setting things.

From Northfield Rd., to Custer Rd., to Huntington Pkwy., to Old Georgetown Rd., to Beech Ave./Burley Dr., Johnson Ave. to Heampstead Ave., to Bradley Park. It was about 63 F with a cool breeze--definitely fall weather. I felt a little sore in my quads and was tired from not getting a very good sleep.

Event: 2014 US Nationals
 

Northwest Branch Trail - From the Adelphi Manor Cricket Field to the stream crossing north of Piney Branch Rd., and back. I worked in Beltsville today so I took advantage of it and stopped off for a run on the way home. I hadn't been running on this part of the Northwest Branch Trail system since 2009. It's shame since I used to do so many runs here when I trained with the Prince Georges Running Club. I didn't have a lot of time. I pushed the pace a bit too. I used to run rather quickly through this area back in the early 2000's--usually a 6:20 mile pace while going a further distance. I count doing 7:25 pace today a victory but mostly because I don't train enough. I didn't have time to go all the way to the end of the paved trail but would have liked to have done that and more.

From Northfield Rd. to Madison Rd. with Max, then back, towing his bicycle. Afterward, I rode to the Bethesda Metro Station. It was a much cooler morning. I was tempted to ride all the way to work but the schedule wouldn't allow for that.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. I had my backpack full of clothes from yesterday and a laptop. The laptop and case is a new lighter one but the case didn't sit well on my back over my backpack like the other one did. It might get better with some adjustment but I don't plan to bring this home much.

Washington, D.C. From 14th & 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., to the Woodley Park/Zoo Metro Station. It was again rather pleasant out and in the low 70s F.

As I ran down along the south side of the Reflecting Pool, I saw the same field stripped of grass that was striped with dark patches of dirt that I had the previous week. I'd wondered about the stripes then and figured they were just from a landscaper wanting to appear to be doing a good job laying out topsoil that would be spread over the bare ground to improve the soil. In fact, I read an article in the Washington Post about just this kind of soil work going on as I came to work on Monday, earlier this week. That work is going to stop people from crossing a portion of the Mall nearer to where I work for 18 months. However I was surprised to read this morning, again in The Washington Post, about what the soil work going on near the Reflecting Pool--the lines of darker dirt--really is. The lines were a gigantic face portrait! Once at the Lincoln Memorial, I saw the 3 Presidential helicopters flying--they didn't head straight to the White House as they usually do when I see them. The did a slow circle over the Reflecting Pool area and were probably looking at the same portrait. I wonder whom it is?

On the last 2 miles of this run, I was catching up to a stretched-out group of runners and eventually I passed them. The one in front started pacing behind me and this helped me to keep up my pace rather than slow down as much as I probably would have. I held the other runner off kind of running my pace until hitting the climb up to Woodley Park.