Training Log Archive: Nadim

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station. I felt slow and kind of on the weak side. There were some headwinds.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. I felt kind of weak again. It was pretty windy at times. My back was hurting a little.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station. It was cool and I was carrying my laptop.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. I had another physical therapy appointment today. There are different therapists and each seems to have some different routines. The guy who worked with me today tends to have harsher protocols. The first time I had him it hurt pretty good but I did seem to gain some flexibility with him afterward. Today it hurt as much but for a much longer time and over a wider area. There were a lot of 7's and 8's. Most of protocols look a lot like different ways of twisting my arm off. It made me tired so I took it easy riding home into the wind with my laptop.

Warm-up for OCIN's US Middle Championships at Carter Caves State Park, KY.

OCIN's US Middle Championships at Carter Caves State Park, KY. I suppose I ran better today. I was technically more accurate but with short legs, it was harder to make large errors. I kept a steady pace and struggled to get over the many hills. I thought about going around to #3 but apparently made the wrong choice for that leg. I suppose that's how AP shows that I had an error, when I was pretty much on the route I expected; just a little lower at first. I think I just had some hesitation on #6 and got a little high. For #8, I headed up to the trail and just before getting there I had a second thought. I started going straight at it just before reaching the trail but then I had a third thought which was to stick to my plan. My plan seems to have suboptimal. For #9, I slowed a little before going on and then found myself a little high, above the control. I got caught from behind going to #10 as I headed to what from a distance seemed like a depression to the right of the mapped one. We both went across the reentrant and climbed above the green getting to #11 but the other guy was pulling away. I still stayed within range, sometimes gaining and sometimes loosing ground. I headed out toward #14 thinking to take a road since we'd just crossed one, but then I realized it was one long cliff. I took a better line going across the parking lot toward #15 and once again was only seconds behind the other guy. He took off dropping fast toward #16; much faster than I can do right now. I partly contoured over to save climb, crossed the reentrant, and got on the trail. It was easy to follow the reentrant up from there, and the other guy was even with me as I left the trail (meaning that I'd made-up ground on his straighter route). He pulled ahead being stronger. Going to #17 was slow; the climb seemed gratuitous. I passed the boulder on the way toward #18 but seemed to have to turn left to get to the control from there. For #19, I crossed the reentrant early and used the trail a little. I contoured some and climbed some and again made up ground on the guy who'd passed me at #10. I used the building to dial-in the control. Leaving for #20, I headed for the trail but couldn't move well down the hill. I used the trail. I didn't realize that the trail went over a natural bridge but was glad for the reduced climb! I was able to run the climb to the finish but not very well. The course was pretty fun but physical and I'm a long way from being able to do one like it fast.

Middle - 8 Green M - Splits

Warmup in the campground area of Carter Caves State Park for OCIN's US Long-O Champs.

OCIN's US Long-O Champs at Carter Caves State Park, KY. I was going to drive to the finish with the kids and hand them off to Peggy but the shuttle bus driver offered to take us there instead. At the handoff I was rushing to get my things but I forgot my bib and my O-shoes and didn't reali it until 10 minutes before my start time. Oh-well!

The trail shoes I had were okay and kept me more cautious. I was slow getting through the green to #3 and a little low--I went mostly straight but the trails were probably better to use a little. I went around to the right for #4 but when coming down I dropped a little early and did a little loop before correcting. I did a similar thing for #5, getting to the edge of the map because I was too high and was above a reentrant I expected to count.

For #6 I dropped down on the trails and crossed the reentrant into the green. I hit the curved trail going up but did take it. I stayed low partly from confusion because I hit it low and thought I was high, but also because I coul see it continuing the direction I wanted. I climbed at the next reentrant and got onto the right trail. The green slowed me but most of it wasn't scratchy. I took the upper trail to the bend and jumped off before it bent back. The map showed this to be passing through fight but it wasn't that hard. I dropped down and spiked the control from there. I heard the junior who where near me at #5 come in behind me.

For #7 I dropped down on the right and got to the trail intending to take it. Once there however, I decided that the valley route was better. The running was the best of the course but I was slow and hesitated in a few places. I caught an older guy just before the climb at the end.

I went around on the roads for #8, and climed to a trail from a road bend. I went right at #9 and spiked that too. For #10 I bailed out on the steep descent and climb but in retrospect that would have been better. Instead I went around to contour and use the trail. One guy almost caught up to me there. I ran down to #11 a bit loosely with it being hard to read detail. However I spiked it using the bridge. I ran harder on the run in passing some ladies and trying not to get caught by Vido who'd been closing in on me the last few controls. Overall it was a slow day but good fitness training and practice.

Long - 8 Green M - Splits

Event: Flying Pig XIX - U.S. Individual Champs - Sprint-Middle-Long
 

OCIN: Flying Pig and US Sprint Champs at Morehead State University, KY. Warmup in the the parking lot.

(injured)
OCIN: Flying Pig and US Sprint Champs at Morehead State University, KY. I felt that I was doing pretty well through this sprint, only just slow. I missed the optimal route to #10 but didn't hesitate or lose much time. However from #11 to #12 I got around the building too quickly and lost contact with the map. I wandered sort of, trying to make things fit--I lost +2 minutes. I also missed the optimal route to #20. An older guy who'd been tailing me for about 5 controls almost caught me there when he took the right way. I got away from him again when I took the pedestrian bridge to #21 and he didn't.

Morehead, KY. Warm down run from the finish to the start area.

Sprint - 8 Green M - Splits

NIH Grounds. I jogged over to get Max after his soccer practice.

As part of physical therapy I did a series of resistance excercises. Most of them were with polymer strands attached to a wall. Two were with a pulley so that my right arm could stretch the flexibility of my left shoulder. I also got the usual electro stimulation, ultrasound, assisted stretching, and massage for the shoulder.

Spinning and watching television.

As part of physical therapy I did a series of resistance excercises. Most of them were with polymer strands attached to a wall. Two were with a pulley so that my right arm could stretch the flexibility of my left shoulder. I also got the usual electro stimulation, ultrasound, assisted stretching, and massage for the shoulder.

DVOA Foxchase. I was anticipating a better day with less snow on the ground and more open forest. Even the climb seemed like it'd be moderate. The sloshing down the trail to #1 was fine; just a little hesitation as I located the start on the map.

I'd been warned about creek crossings but paid little heed to this as I approached #2. As I bounded on a rock in the cold stream on my right foot, it was just angled enough or slippery enough that I needed more strength to stay okay. However the strength wasn't there. I lost my footing and tumbled forward into the water. The schock of going down and into the water was bad enough but I also banged both knees on submerged rocks. My back was okay at least but I had to walk it off most of the way to the control.

Going to #3 I ended up going to the top of the hill near #21. This was unplanned but probably didn't lose me much time.

Going down to #4 I stayed on the trail too long. When I left it, I saw what I thou was a boulder on the other side but it was a rootstock covered. I had to get on the trial there to relocate and when I did, I then had to cross fight green or hope to get to the control that I could see by trying to go around. I lost a lot of time due to this.

I finally hit #5 well. #6 was good but by going around I probably lost some time. I also hit

I crossed the creek near the confluence and hesitantly went forward to # 8. I stopped about 10 feet from it but didn't see it immediately. As I left it, I crossed the creek then heard someone behind me. It was Greg Balter. He passed me but I stayed at his pace until we split ways (he was on Red and I ran Green).

I ran the next several controls well, even getting across the water well. However on #16 I walked right past the control as I focused on the larger knoll past the one mapped. The rest of the course I ran or walked welll. The one good takeaway after so many issues/errors was that I still ran faster per kilometer than the day before.

Ridley State Park. War down jog from the finish to the fence near the start.

Day 2 - Green X - Splits

Event: Fox Chaser II (U.S. 2015 IS / IC / Trail O Champs)
 

DVOA Foxchase. I did okay on this day of running in the snow and greenish forest (the green wasn' so bad for me). I made a slight error going to #2 & #3 by following the wrong snow trails instead of reading my map and trusting my instincts. I also almost missed seeing #12 and got a few steps past the road/trail intersection. My route to #13 turned out not to be optimal. The rest was just slow. My back was not feeling right before going out but was okay when running.

Day 1 - Green X - Splits

From Northfield Rd. to the Bethesda Metro Station.

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

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station.

For physical therapy, more of the same regarding ultrasound, electro stimulation, and massage. They added some resistance training to extend the mobility of my left shoulder. I was told earlier that I have something commonly called frozen shoulder. It's when the capsule the bones sit in somehow gets tighter.

C • Frozen shoulder 2

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station.

I started physical therapy mostly for my left shoulder today. I got measured for differences in flexibility between left and right sides. Besides ultrasound, massage, electro stimulation, and some sometimes painful bending/pulling/tugging, I was told to do some hand cycling. I had 5 minutes going forward, then 5 going backward. I felt better afterward.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd.

Seneca Creek State Park, Lake Clopper Area, MD. From the disc golf parking area south of Great Seneca Highway, I continued working on mapping the vegetation in the disc golf area but I also got to the bottom of this ridge on all sides. It was almost clear of the snow from 2 weeks back. There were seemingly fewer disc golfers out that were out when it was much colder. I spent a good bit of time on the reentrant near Great Seneca Hwy. with the large gully and ditch system. It wasn't too technical but had some interesting things. I'll have to go back there to make sure I got things right. I did find some point features and a small cliff too. On the sides of the ridge, the forest was mostly very open. I found more rock and some springs. on the south side I found more trail segments that are mostly used to go between disc golf holes and the start areas of the next holes. I hope to get into what seems like some very open forest on neighboring ridges next time.

Event: QOC Wheaton
 

QOC: Wheaton Regional Park, MD. The big rains overnight ended before I went out to run. I'd awoken this morning with a stiff back which was also a little sore. It hadn't been that way for a while. I don't know if the rain and back issues are related; certainly I've been having enough back issues apart from the rain. I decided that even though I haven't been doing running training much, that I needed to move it up to Red. It was a lot easier to move than last week in the snow when I did a Green course. The course was very easy too, for a Red course. Many of the attacks were just off trails and one control was on a trail. It was fun enough however.

S-1 I realized after starting that I didn't have me eye glasses on. It was chaotic getting out of the house on the way to Wheaton so I didn't notice grabbing the wrong one of 2 similarly sized grey backpacks. I had to borrow an epunch and a compass from the club. I'd made the latest revisions to the map over the last 2 years so with the control being just a hop off of the railroad tracks, I used an intermittent trail that I couldn't read off of the map but knew was there to get from the open lake area to the railroad tracks, and the trail coming off of the tracks. I was glad that my back had loosened up by the time I got to the control.

1-2 - it was a dogleg coming out of #1. I stayed on the tracks mostly but veered in the field thinking to use the northern part of the track loop, Coming off the tip of the track loop, I ran up along the small ditch until I could see the control.

2-3 I ran out to the trail, and took it around to the right. Along the way, I made mental notes of where to update the map vegetation.

3-4 I went along the parking lot to get around the train station, then straight.

4-5 I cut off a little bit but mostly stuck to the trail. I'd forgotten about adding this dot knoll to the map--I couldn't read it w/o my eyeglasses and wondered if it was a rock before I'd gotten there.

5-6 I used the trails getting to and past the lake and didn't attack until the trail bend past the root stock. I was a little off on the attack and ended up at one of the cairns before correcting. I also had taken an almost 2 minute break on this leg.

6-7 I made a bad route choice on this. I knew that going through the parking lot would be fast but I didn't want to have to go down and then climb as the trail options after the parking lot did. I didn't read ahead enough to realize that I could have stayed all the way on the road and used the bridge to get back into the woods. As it was, I went around the field on the right side, used some trails and cut through elsewhere to end up at the same bridge. The attack from there was nothing as the control was easily visible.

7-8 I went back down to the trail and around to the left. I'd remapped the trail bends almost 2 years back so they matched-up easily to me. The control was visible before I left the correct trail bend. I made another mental note to add green for the deadfall around this control feature.

8-9 I went a little to the left but mostly straight. I again made another mental note to add green for the deadfall above the trail at the top of the reentrant on the leg line. I had walked up the hill until past the unmapped deadfall where the slope flattened.

9-10 I kept wanting to hold the map out of alignment with the compass on the way down the hill. I kept pulling left. Perhaps I was rushing too much for other orienteers around me. I was able to read the ditches however. I crossed above one but apparently veered left a bit after that. Keg Good was crossing from my left to my right so I knew I'd been too far left when I didn't see it near the top. I corrected about 40m. I think I had added this ditch onto the map.

10-11 I angled out of the control and found a deer trail to run on for a way. Crossing the first trail, I angled more toward the second and emerged near an intersection. I was slow trying to run so it seemed like I had to go a lot further up the trail than I would have guessed to get to the correct intersection. I doubted myself at one point but things I was seeing were matching-up on the map and I lost no time.

11-12 I doubled-back to the last 2 trail intersections then took trails back up toward the maintenance yard parking lot. I aimed sort of toward the maintenance yard parking lot. I cut off across the woods before getting to the parking lot to save distance. I didn't go further left because I hadn't wanted to dip down only to have to climb up. Going uphill is slow for me right now.

12-13 I ran to the corner of the parking lot, then down to the t-intersection and into the woods to spike it.

13-14 I ran across the woods to the trail intersection on the other side, then took trails to the ditch.

14-15 - straight up to the trail, then I attacked a little early. I came out of the green at the rootstock below it. Keg Good had just passed it and was going up to the pit by the time I figured it out. I got there just after her.

15-16 - I angled around a little bit and got close to the tracks without getting on them. Keg had been moving parallel to my right and was about lined-up w/me at the stream crossing. I was confident of my attack and remembered what the rootstock looked like when I mapped it. That rootstock was further ahead and south of where the control got placed. I was fortunate to see it and had to go north to it. I yelled-up to Keg to warn her but she told me later that she didn't understand what I was saying.

16-17 - I wasn't sure what was best. I decided to cut across the forest. It was slow at first and I got pushed north, in easy sight of the lake. After getting out of the green, I corrected and it was good running afterward. I finally got a foot wet when I slipped on the far bank when crossing the creek.

From Northfield Rd. to the Bethesda Metro Station.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd.

Spinning and watching a show.

From Northfield Rd. to the Bethesda Metro Station. There was a fair amount of traffic and the ground was wet from overnight rains.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd.

Spinning and watching a show.

Spinning and watching a show.

From Northfield Rd. to the Bethesda Metro Station.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. Over half way to work, I realized that I'd left my laptop back at home so back home I went.

From Northfield Rd. to Cordell Ave., for lunch, then back.

Event: QOC Patapsco Glen Artney
 

QOC: Glen Artney, MD. I was happy to get out into the woods. They were covered in about 5 inches of snow. I walked going up most hills but could run down them. The course set by Kim Jepsen was fun. I just made too many errors, partly from fatigue/lack of training. Thanks go to Valerie Meyer who kept an eye on Samantha while Peggy and I ran.

S-1 I had trouble getting into the map early on. Starting out with a big 6 minute error was no fun. I ran sort of straightish down to the wall bend getting to the creek then once there I got distracted by the control on the spring, across the second stream. I should have both looked at the map more, and checked the clue description.

1-2 - I ran straight until the road, then cut right and left a little, then down the reentrant to the rootstock.

2-3 - I was running straight but drifted to the right a little. I crossed the campground circle rather than using the road as intended. On the other side of the circle, I saw the spur and went right to the control.

3-4 - I went just a little to the right so as not to drop too far down. I hit the creek about where I'd planned but second guessing myself, I convinced myself that I had to go to the right more and around a bend before crossing the creek. I did this by going over some deadfall, and got up to a side stream before turning back for a loss of 2 minutes. Once on back to the creek crossing again, I went right to it.

4-5 - I climbed up the left side of the reentrant, got to the power lines and followed the trail back into the woods before crossing the power lines. At the trail bend, I cut back into the power lines, and went down the reentrant before crossing them. I angled into the woods but much of this amounted to following the right foot track to the control. I did however see it almost a minute before getting there.

5-6 I angled straight over, crossed the power lines and the road, then kept straight again to the control.

6-7 - I started straightish and thought I was reading things pretty well up to 1/3 of the way there. I thought I was to the right of the small ridge to the left of the leg line just past half way there but I became unsure. I recognized the curving stream but doubted that a little while later. I started feeling I'd followed the stream too long. Soon Jan Merka came across my path from right to left and I already had a hunch that I was too low. I cut up the hill and followed the track he was on to the control. I figure I'd lost almost 2 minutes.

7-8 - I ran down the track that I'd come up but had to cut left a the correct spot. After doing that and crossing the stream, I ran/walked up the reentrant to the top of the side stream, the cut over to the right to the top of the ridge. I read contours but also had a fair amount of foot tracks to lead me to the control.

8 - 9 - I went pretty much straight until getting to the trail. I cut right on the trail and took it to the road. Attacking from the intersection I spiked it and recognized location from contours from far off.

9 - 10 - I ran down the reentrant, crossed the larger stream at the bottom and cut right. Passing Jan Merka, I got to the control in my left. It turned out that Jan was on the Blue course.

10-11 - As I'd gotten #10, Jan and Benny (his dog) had passed me again. I passed them back and ran confidently down along the stream to the control which was hidden out of sight behind a contour.

11 -12 - I ran partway up the hill until it got steep. I could see the root stock 60m out.

12 - 13 - I contoured over left of the leg line, then aimed toward the campground road. From there I hit the trail since it pointed to the control so well.

13 - 14 - I climbed slowly and tried to stay to the right of the power lines unlike others who appeared to be heading to out-of-bounds terrain. At the road, I cut right for a little way, then cut left into the woods again where an elephant track was emerging. I went past the same fenced area that I had on the way out and then ran on a rough angle to the rootstock. An elephant trail was leading to it.

14 - 15 - Having had such a big error and having field-checked the area when hunting for #1, I ran confidently down the hill, past the spring and almost past #1 before crossing the creek. I'd seen the control from a long way out.

15 - F - I ran left a bit, made the slow walk up the steep part of the hill, and took a while to hit the trail. Not staying on it long, I cut off when I could see the contour in the field ahead. Only one other set of foot prints was anywhere close to where I cut across to the field. I ran about as well as I could albeit still slowly.

I was pretty slow across the course but did okay physically. My GPS says I climbed 330 meters, significantly more than the optimal climb set by Kim. My route was 4.91 miles or about 8K.

Green - Splits

Spinning and watching a show.

Shoveling some nice new snow; about 5 inches of it. Samantha helped a bit.

Spinning and watching a show.

Spinning and watching a show.

Spinning and watching a show.

I woke-up in the middle of the night with a really bad cramp in my right calf. It wouldn't release for a while. After it finally did, I had to limp my way to the bathroom. In the morning, it was still sore but after a while I could walk close to normal. With the weather all icy with freezing rain, the QOC meet was cancelled anyway, but as it was, I wouldn't have been able to do a course this day.