Training Log Archive: Nadim

Event: QOC Prince William Forest
 

Prince William Forest. From Pine Grove, I went out to pickup 6 controls. It was raining steadily. I wore a rain jacket with a hood that kept the rain off my glasses, but with it getting cool and in the 50s F, the glasses fogged. I navigated pretty well to the advanced controls, doing one leg (1-2 on the Brown Course) which I hadn't earlier when setting the course.

Prince William Forest. From Parking Area D, I put out more fluids. I had gone out to this point enough that it was basically memory-O. There was a sort of corridor, perhaps from an old for the part through what had been mapped green.

QOC: Prince William National Forest. I mostly walked the White course (that I'd set), with Samantha. This course was mostly on classic features used in previous PWF courses. Samantha was partly into doing this, and partly not. She kept asking about whether we were done. I let her lead most of the time, including when she made a mistake. She hung-on until the end.

I picked-up 6 advanced controls, and 3 easy ones. I had forgotten to take along bag for the controls. It had been raining and the temperatures had dropped all day. I wore a rain jacket and stuffed controls in my pockets. This pickup of controls gave me a chance to checkout some course legs.

Prince William Forest Park, VA - Course setting some Green, Red, and Blue controls. I carried water, cups and a trash bag to the first one. Coming back I passed through some nice woods.

Prince William Forest Park, VA - Course setting for a single Red control. On the return, I took field notes of a bunch of unmapped rock features. Unfortunately, the notes appear to have gotten lost. A guy at the parking lot, was "skinning" logs for laying them along the trail. He said that removing the bark makes them last longer since bugs don't get in and have a protected area so easily.

Prince William Forest Park, VA - Course setting some Blue controls. I was really forgetful this day--not good for course setting. I left the car and came back a few times because I'd forgotten stuff. First, it was a control that I dropped when it snagged on some thorns. Next, I forgot to bring cups and a trash bag for the water stop. I did find a nice unmapped and wide corridor through what was mapped as slow running. There was probably some sort of road or power line there once.

Prince William Forest Park, VA - Course setting for Blue, Red and Green controls. I was partway out on a loop when I realized that I had again forgotten to bring cups and a trash bag for a water stop.

Prince William Forest Park, VA - Course setting. I carried water first, and made various field notes for map changes. I found a wide unmapped ride from the pond to near the ranger's house. There was more deadfall I added later. When setting an Orange control that I hadn't been to previously (a last minute change due to park concerns), I realized that there was some sort of drafting error--the map showed a pit near a stream and a marsh but there was no pit.

Prince William Forest Park, VA - Course setting near Pine Grove. With my light failing, I got to an area with control density and made a lot of needed progress. This went fairly smoothly. I left one of the water controls for later.

Prince William Forest Park, VA - Course setting near Pine Grove. I got out all but 3 controls and really found the last one--a technical controls, by walking in to it, in the dark. I had to rush back home after this for my birthday celebration (this wasn't my real birthdate). My sister and mother pulled-in just as I got there.

From Northfield Rd. to the Bethesda Metro Station.

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.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Battery Ln., then to Northfield Rd.

From Northfield Rd. to the Bethesda Metro Station.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, then to 13th & C St. SW, Washington, DC. There were headwinds, and I wasn't feeling used to riding.

From 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD.

Event: QOC Occoquan - Cancelled
 

On the way back home from Massanutten Resort we drove along Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park. There was hardly any color (it has been the worst year for autumn tree color in many years). After that we stopped at Green Truck Farm, off I-66 (an area where I used to pass thru when doing some semi-serious cycling decades back). There was a corn maze there and we all did it more or less together. There was no map, but there were a few quiz questions to guide us. A correct answer would get us to another question post for a while. We only found 3. Near the end we separated as I went off looking in parts of the maze that I hadn't gotten to earlier. I had a sense of where I was since this was on a hillside and I could see landmarks much of the way. After some apple cannon firing, we picked some pumpkins from the vine.

From Rte. 29, I ran the Rachel Carlson Trail to the Nature Center in Wheaton Regional Park, then back along the Northwest Branch Trail. It was a lot of up and down starting out. There were a lot of dog walkers on the trails. I stopped in the Nature Center and headed back, getting across Kemp Mill Rd., before realizing that I'd left my car keys in the Nature Center. I returned and headed back quickly since I knew I was running out of time. Along Glenallen Dr. I caught my toe on the remnant of a metal sign post that had been sticking up about an inch from the ground, and had been twisted off (probably by a car). I banged my knee pretty good from that. I got up quickly and embarrassed. I figured the cars on the road had seen me and would have been running over soon if I hadn't bounced up. The post had been hidden by fallen leaves and was rusted so it blended in. On the Northwest Branch Trail heading back, I picked-up the pace running harder all the way in. It felt good the get this run in, not only since I like the trail, but since I hadn't worked out much all week.

Later Peggy, Max, Samantha and I drove to Massanutten Resort near Massanutten, VA. This was to celebrate Samantha's birthday. We all had fun at the waterpark for at least a while. I even took a risk trying the body surf thing where water shoots up from below while I was on a sort of boogie board. One is supposed to follow the guard's instructions the whole time for this. They get you to do tricks until you fall off the board and get washed up. I was successful at pushing out the board in front of me, doing a spin and catching the board before failing at the next trick. We couldn't get Samantha to get on one of the middle or larger water slides. Her anxiety kicked-up and she backed down a few times.

From Northfield Rd. to the Bethesda Metro Station.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd.

From Northfield Rd. to the Bethesda Metro Station.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Battery Ln., then to Bethesda Ave., and then to Northfield Rd. After an appointment, I had to pickup Samantha's birthday present.

From Northfield Rd., Greenwich Park, to Old Georgetown Rd. to Beech Dr. to Bradbury Rd. to Roosevelt Ave. to Jefferson St., to Northfield Rd. I felt good running and it was pleasant outside. I noticed the construction at the hospital had closed off a road, and was starting to take shape. I slowed on hills but moved well elsewhere.

From Northfield Rd. to the Bethesda Metro Station.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd.

From Northfield Rd. to the Bethesda Metro Station.

From the Bethesda Metro Station, Edgemoor Ln. to Glenbrook Rd., to Falls Rd., to the Little Falls Trail, into Norwood Park, to Wisconsin Ave., to the Bethesda Metro Station via Woodmont Ave. I felt okay during this run and it was nice to get out.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd.

Event: QOC Patuxent
 

QOC: Patuxent River Park - I'd gotten to the park early to help with Beginner Instruction--there were few who needed it. After Peggy and Max arrived, I got ready. I almost started but had to go back to the car for my compass. Peggy got started as I was doing that. When I got to the first control, I could see her leaving and heading into the marsh. I thought she'd run through it, but she was crossing to an intermittent trail on the other side. Neither way occurred to be to be that fast. I u-turned and went back up the trails for about 1km. I cut across right where I needed to and felt I was pretty quick to the first control (despite an unexpected fallen tree in the reentrant I was climbing when attacking the control. As I was 20 seconds or less from leaving #1, I saw Peggy coming into it.

I moved through the butterfly loop of the Blue course, spiking everything and moving fast. I started getting a little tired going to #5 but I was still moving well. When a few hundred meters from the control, and running along a stream I passed some intermediate orienteers. I got distracted by them as I blew by confidently. Up ahead I thought I was crossing a ditch but it really was the stream I needed to cut right at. I ran on not seeing things I expected to. Finally when I saw a house ahead I realized what I had done. I made a U-turn. Being off course, I felt it was a good time to take a needed nature break. I got going quickly and was just getting back on track when I realized my hand felt funny. I had left my epunch on the ground at the nature break. I tried to go back along my steps but 4-500m of that turned-up nothing. Kind of pissed at myself, I headed in and didn't finish the course.

From Northfield Rd. to the Bethesda Metro Station.

From Northfield Rd. to the Bethesda Metro Station.

Cabin John Regional Park. From Tuckerman Rd., I used Michael Dickey's GPS track of extensive new trails to add it to the map. Michael is the course setter for an upcoming event here. I had to make sure the point features and intersections were shown correctly. Many of the older trails in the area have become less prominent, or were not there any more. The vegetation changed in many places too. I updated point features and vegetation but mainly just around the trails. I went out in shorts because it was forecast to get hotter later. It got very muggy so I was glad about my clothes choice for that, but when I did go off trail, there were plenty of thorns to be found. Some parts of the park have gotten less greener but even with summer growth skewing it, I think the park is greener overall. While walking back in failing light, I ordered and brought home dinner afterward--part of a fund raiser for Max's school.

Event: SVO Susquehanna Stumble XIX
 

SVO: Susquehanna Stumble at Fair Hill, starting at the parking area off Appleton Rd. I was mostly over the relatively minor aches and pains from the Hudson Highlander but not having done any running all week, some doubts lingered. I still had some back pain and also wasn't watching what I ate quite so good the last 3 days. I didn't approach this with much commitment, figuring I'd end up being tired and would just train through it. Once I got going, I felt pretty well. There was light rain and it was around 70 F.

S-1 - I ran close to Michael Dickey, Victor Lin, and Vido Alexsiev on the road route to #1. I figured it would be fairly fast but that it'd also save energy for later. Vido and Michael got ahead a little near the control which was on a dead easy lone tree near the road. I was a little surprised to see people who'd gone straighter through the forest, get there before us. I wasn't reading the trails there that well, but I did try to read ahead on the course while running the road. I could see that the windows were few and small.

1-2 - I didn't understand why people were heading off to the right through the field for #2. Victor Lin and I took the road to the left bridge over the un-crossable creek, and then the trail. Tom Nolan had started to catch-up from behind. We all left the trail at a bend to spike the control.

2-3 - As we were leaving #2 and climbing a trail, I could see Vido coming up the hill from the other direction below--our way to #2 was probably faster. We got to the field and split a little. Michael went up left and toward the green line of trees, with Victor contouring further left. I got somewhat behind Michael and Tom was on my right. Michael, Victor and I got on the intermittent trail that was nicer than running through the clumpy longish and wet grass. Tom pulled in behind us. I followed Michael around the scattered trees, the up along the green line of trees that the control was in, but he pulled ahead. I didn't see where people were going through. I left my control description holder in the car since when I'd registered, they didn't have them out yet--I didn't think they were going to use them, like in the Highlander last week. I therefore didn't know that the control on a trail instead of a field edge on the other side. I started to plunge across where the trees seemed to break and it was looking like just tall grass. No one had gone through there and when I tried, I had to back out. 20m up I saw others popping through, some who'd passed this opening when they came across the scattered trees.

3-4 - I drank and the angled across the field thinking to stay in it. Michael D. was going that way. However I did get on the trail when I could see well enough that it went nearly all the way to the control. Victor missed the next turn and I yelled to him without him seeming to hear me.

4 to Window 1 (36-37-35-33) - My ability to read the map was diminishing rapidly with fogging glasses. I could not see that trails went the whole way to the window, so I went out into the field. Others were going on the trail. As I climbed into the field, I pulled 2 other younger less experienced navigators with me. Looking at the window ahead, for a little while, I was thinking the control coming out of the window was #6. At a line of green, I attempted to go through and got hung-up in 4-5ft tall thorns and hitchickers. I got through, losing time in the process. The other 2 guys climbed higher and got through a little faster than me. When I emerged, my left leg was covered in very scratchy hitchickers. My pants were tight to my legs and I didn't want them scratching me the rest of the race, so I pulled and scratched the worst of them off. I finally got to dual a trailhead at a field corner.

I went down the sketchy left fork headed toward #36. The trail was barely there but I reasoned that the map was rather old, and that it could have gotten overgrown. As it ran out, I cut right a bit and got on the actual trail. The one I'd been on had been unmapped, which really was the right thing to do. I think Michael Stasiowski or Mike Berry or both were nearby. I hit the control with no further issues.

36-37 - I ran the trail.

37-38 - My instinct was to go down the trail a little, then cut right but it looked like I could get through and I thought I'd be more accurate going straight. It was thorny going down. The 2 guys who ran the last field with me were behind me commenting on the scratchy course--they had no gaiters and one or both may not have had pants. I grabbed a thorny vine on my way day and started bleeding--I thought that might make my map hard to read. Once across the stream, I did hit the control on the rootstock well.

35-33 - I contoured to the trail, but I wasn't able to read the map well. I passed the control seeing others headed to #9, then I went back and hit it pretty well.

33-9 - I went straight and hit it well.

9-10 - I gained on a line of people going up the trail and into the field. Ted was ahead of several (Vido? Victor? and more). People started pulling right while Ted went straight on the left side of the trees. He later showed that something had rubbed the ink off a trailhead others were going to. I got on the trail and gained slowly. Victor's attack was a little left while others went more direct to the control. I got in just a little behind them.

10 - Window 2 (46, 47, 49, 48). My ability to see was really getting worse. I could barely see the creek crossing on the map. Ted led Vido, Victor, Tom Overbaugh and me toward it. Once across, I followed Tom and Michael Dickey on a direct climb up the grassy field spur. Confidence was high when we plunged into the wood SW of #46. I cut left on the trail but could not read it on the map. I felt I should drop, and even saw Vido, Tom and others dropping back in a change of direction. I had enough doubt that I ran to the next reentrant, in case the control was there and I hadn't seen them punch it. Then I came back like they had.

46-47 - I stupidly ran up the hill across the creek and slowed enough to see that the control was low

47-49 - I ran straight but paused once.

49-48 - I popped-up and over with 2 guys behind me or nearby whom I'd started the first window with. At the control, one was convinced that this should be #47, not #48. He probably had miss-oriented his map. His partner did the explaining.

48-15 - I had fallen behind the pack on the last window and not feeling so good about that, and my foggy glasses. I completely read the leg ahead wrong. I thought the control was on the left side of the creek so I ran there and climbed to a trail. Stopping, with a lot of green along the trail ahead, I realized my error, and backtracked partway to cross the creek again. Once across, I could see that Tom Nolan was close behind, and I got to the control with no further problem.

15-16 - I got to the ridge and ran the nice white woods with Tom close behind. At the top, I came down, wanting to take a trail across the creek, but on the SE side of the bulging green forest that's west of #16. It was foolish to try given my difficulty reading. I got to a point on one trail where I can now at my desk, see a red X--probably indicating that the trail ended and no longer exists. Going back looked like a long way. I did backtrack a little to where what looked like an animal track. That ran out at the creek so to get out, I crawled at least 10m under the green thorns. I emerged on the west side of the green bulge that I had wanted to avoid. I ran around that and got onto the road for a short while. I could see others (Tom? and the other 2 guys from the first 2 windows?) punching.

16-17 - I ran to the aid station to eat and drink. The weather had cleared a bit--breezy and warm still, but not as humid and not raining. I figured Tom was going to take off as I got there but then I realized he had run the Short Stumble. With drink/eat/rest, I looked forward to a better second loop. I often have a better second half than my competitors. I ran the road and started walking past half-way up the hill. I wanted to use the longer road route for faster/less effort running to get to #17. It also offered a pretty good attack. Besides, the single trees that were mapped, appeared to me to be light green along the straighter route. I left the road near a lone tree (with a control on it?) and went due north. Fortunately, there was a gap, south of where the #17 is printed. I almost passed it but once through I saw the control ahead.

17-Window 3 (67, 75, 76, 74) - I headed for the intermittent trails and followed them successfully to just south of #67. A bit of trampled grass led me across the small field on the spur, to where I was able to get through the green and into the forest. I could see control #67 once past the green. As I neared and punched it, I could see both Ted Good and Dave Pruden coming in from further away on my right. They had trouble getting through the green and had to go a far way around.

67-75 - I ran straight. Dave Pruden was close behind but Ted was a little further back.

75-76 - I popped over the hill and had a pretty good bearing. I couldn't see it from above so I went on a little more to the spur. I knew this was past the control but had enough doubt with not being able to see the map well, and with not having seen it where I thought it should be before the spur. From the spur, I could look back and so I ran to it from there. Dave Pruden had gone out of his way coming behind me, but did gain ground on the leg.

76-74 - I contoured out and got to the trail. It looked intermittent on my map but from creasing the map, some of the ink had worn off. I passed the reentrant and got asked about control #51 by two girls who were lost. Not having control descriptions except on my folded map, I scanned the printed control numbers in the window and concluded incorrectly that I didn't have it on my map. This didn't slow me a lot (I heard from Ted that he stopped to straighten them out--#51 was 750m ahead and away). I pulled off the trail early so as not to miss it--that did slow me enough that Dave was on my tail when I punched.

74-22 - Dave jumped out ahead of me on the forest trail, but I passed him back in the field. Once ahead, I slowed enough there to eat some endurance beans--something I'd tried in the previous Billygoat and Hudson Highlander. I can't say that they are super effective but eating jelly beans tasted good and is a nice change from Gu. However I did have trouble getting them out of the bag and eating them on the run. I took the trail through the woods instead of climbing and running the next grassy field. I had had enough green so I left the trail just before the green ahead and went around it on the right side. I found an unmapped wall and ran along that to the reentrant but didn't I see the control. I had seen Vido running below me but I figured he was leaving the control. I wondered further and hit the grassy clearing mapped as a trail, then went back without finding it again. I was too high and I think, without being 100% sure, that when I finally found it, the control was placed too low from what was shown on the map.

22-23 - I left #22 on bearing, almost contouring, until I hit a trail. It looked nasty ahead so I reversed direction using the trail to almost head back. Using trails, I got into the field that #23 is in, at the earliest opportunity. Instead of going all the way up the big knoll, I angled up on the east side and headed to the saddle. I was moving slowly and could see Dave Pruden about a minute ahead. The control wasn't too hard but he did lead me right to it.

23-24 - I enjoyed running down the grassy hill for a change. On guy ahead was going straight but Dave went for the trail on the north side of #24 to avoid climbing the ridge. I moved well, closing in on him. I did pause above what was mapped as a dot knoll with a trunk, and then went on. Dave was just ahead by the time I got there.

24-25 - Dave had dropped low and that made sense. I could see a straight trail and a fence, but on the run it was hard to be sure which I was on. The trail zig-zagged through the tall grasses around it but was good running the whole way. When we got across the side stream, I caught and passed Dave, right where we left the trail. It wasn't hard and I spiked it.

25-26 - I just didn't want to blow it, like I'd done at #22. I ran straight to the trail. I did have trouble seeing it with the side trails, the leg line covering some stuff, and my glasses, but I did read the contours. I dropped to the boulders that were hidden by the control circle, and I ran over one of them while checking the others. In a few more steps, I saw it thankfully.

26-27 - I ran straight at first but did climb across the reentrant to the trail. I read along trying to be careful not to miss I paused at one point since I was seeing a trail going down a spur, but on the trail I was on, I'd dropped before then. Getting to the intersection and seeing the field, I ran up and straight to the control.

27-28 - Taking the high route on trails to the left seemed silly so I ran down to the bridge area that I'd been to on the way to #2. I cut the corner and got on trails. Fortunately, my glasses were clearing with the weather that hadn't rained in a while. Like others, I was confused by the line of green where there should have been a copse. Vido was on the other side of the unmapped line of green and running to the right. I almost cut through, but decided going to the left, to the end of the green was safer. I did find the control there. Nearby behind Vido were Michael Dickey and Victor Lin.

28-29 - Having seen 3 familiar faces that I'd lost earlier lifted my spirits a bit. Cutting through the forest on the right, to the road seemed like it might take time and might have extra climb. I opted like Michael Dickey did to go left for the intermittent trail in the grasses to the left. Vido and Victor had gone to the right. I walked the climb, trailing Michael but once the slope got less steep, I started running. Michael had told me earlier that he'd ridden 45 miles the day before and had been feeling that today. To my plodding on, he said that I was going to make him run too; but he didn't seem to respond. I very gradually made my way to the intermittent trail, but not until half-way through the leg. The hill wasn't so steep so I pushed on moving well past the intersection and to the control on the thicket.

29-F - I ran the road. I think I saw Tom Overbaugh finishing ahead. On the road, I thought I heard footsteps closing in on me. I figured it was Michael since he's been running stronger than I have all last year. I pushed the last 100m and after finishing, I didn't see anyone finishing close behind.

With the last 2 legs, and probably most of the last loop in which I caught up to others, I felt I'd salvaged the run. However, I didn't feel good about my navigation for the 4rd race in a row--I lost too much time. The navigation wasn't hard today and I missed on about 1/4 of the controls. My GPS says I climbed 610m when 430m was optimal. Today, the problems experienced had a lot to do with my foggy and wet glasses but the excitement of a mass start was distracting for me too. I wasn't fast, but it was good to know that my endurance was holding up. To fix these problems, I probably need to:
1. Get some higher diopter eyeglasses (I've been using +1 for a few years).
2. Do some speed work.
3. Work on being calm and planning out my routes better.
4. Lose weight.
5. Sleep more.

StumbleLong - Splits

From Northfield Rd. to the Bethesda Metro Station. I ended up not coming back by bicycle since Samantha had afterschool activities that involved driving. I intended to run back to the station after getting home but rested for a while and got distracted.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, then to 13th & C St. SW, Washington, DC. I felt tired/weak starting out, but the further I went, that tended to be less of a factor. It had been about 51 F when starting. I passed a few people and some started drafting off of me. After passing Fletcher's Boathouse, I got some help. At Georgetown, we broke-up and I moved ahead. The winds were calm. My strength was ebbing and I finished-out smoothly.

From 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. It was a little slow starting out. At first, that was due to traffic, and next it was headwinds on Ohio Dr. After Georgetown, I rode steadily and eventually caught the guy who'd lead for me earlier in the morning. He was talking to someone else about USB ports and other computer things, on his phone via a microphone. As I passed, he tucked in behind me. After reaching the Washington Palisades where I was slowing, he took over and led me all the way to Bradley Blvd. We split from there.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station. I was less sore than the day before, but still feeling it.

From the Bethesda Metro Station, to Northfield Rd.

I went from Nortfield Rd., to Wisconsin Ave. and back with Max, in the dark, so that we could get him some new shoes. His old ones were splitting and he didn't think it was worth mentioning earlier.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station. I was a bit sore but not so much. It was 47 F this morning.

From the Bethesda Metro Station, to Northfield Rd. I came up the metro stairs fairly well considering the run yesterday. I had my jacket on, on the ride but it was open. Overall my legs are sore and tired, and my back hurts a little too.

Event: Hudson Highlander 2017
 

HVO: Hudson Highlander at Harriman State Park, Lake Welch.

S-1 - Just over a 1/4 mile out, as we were going up a hill on the paved trail, I turned to JJ Cote and noted that the positions those around us were in at the moment, were pretty much the same as the AP list of attendees, sorted by AP ranking points. That would indicate overall running speed since that's all we were doing at that point. I looked ahead on the course and followed others to the control. Overall, I felt like I was settling into a pace that I could manage. Sleeping better helped a lot. However, I also was feeling like I wasn't reading the map that well.

1-2 - The 3 junior women who were just ahead of me in AP ranking points were leading the way. Once we left the road, Evalin B. took us up the hill. I started to depart and go more straight, as Evelyn was moving to the right, but her way avoided the green better and we moved okay. I was really losing track of where we were. A bee or wasp stung my back and I felt that the rest of the run. A few times I thought I knew and wanted to bear left but thought it better to stay with the crowd. I wasn't completely sure when we crossed the trail, and still was rather uncertain as Evalin got us there perfectly. I didn't see Joe Brautigam on this leg, but Evalin's log said she was seeing him.

2-3 - I was chasing the young women, trying to keep up. Actually going downhill was easier for me but I was reading the leg well at this speed. I was uncertain about the rock at the end.

3-4 - Initially, I was following along okay, but once again, I lost it, not seeing the contour on the map that well running at this speed. Even with glasses on and sitting, I need a magnifier to read it well. Greg Balter was with us on this leg, having caught-up from behind.

4-5 - I felt much more comfortable reading along this leg, but I still wasn't getting it entirely. By this point, I was seeing Joe B. Joe went left and I followed behind him as it was more direct. Most of the women went right up the trail near the end. Kseniya P. was nearby too.

5-6 - Everyone but Evalin seemed to head for the trail. I think I started falling behind on the climb. I'd climbed this hill in just about the same area in May for the West Point event.

6-7 - I started losing sight of people but got onto the trail and gained on them. Meanwhile Evalin B. gained on me. I let her pass before the road. When asked about why he was still nearby, Joe mentioned that he'd trained 30 hours over the last week and was just running his pace. On the road, I caught up to the women and passed them. The fence before the beach didn't show-up well (is it too thin) so I foolishly ran toward it. The women followed the trail and got ahead as I backtracked. I was happy to be on a 10 min/k pace and with the first loop done so quickly.

7-8 - I forced myself to drink more than I needed, and to eat. When I took off, the junior women were already out but I caught them in the parking lot. I stayed with them on the road but ran just ahead before pulling off into the woods. They looked at me like I'd made a mistake and kept going. I was uncertain about it, but they also jumped in about a minute or less later. I kept more left than the women and didn't see them for a while. We converged as we got to the edge of the drop off. Feeling close, I started to go to the next reentrant but they plunged down. I followed but as the terrain flattened, they paused and started splitting. That was enough for me to think my initial decision was right. I went back up 2-3 contours, and did a loop in which I came up empty handed. I saw Jeff Saeger going down where I'd gone before with the junior women so I repeated. I went a little left and paused still well above the control--I had it in my head that the control was closer to the top, and wasn't reading the contours that well. The circle, stony ground and cliffs were hiding one. Fortunately, I could see it watching Jeff head in the right direction. I probably lost 5 minutes.

8-9 - I caught-up to Jeff and then was on his left. I somehow stayed too close to the marsh for too long. I cut over to the right and saw Jeff again. David Oxentierna was nearby too.

9-10 - We ran up the stony ground as best as we could and it wasn't hard for me to read for a change. I stayed with Jeff as he went on the left side of the knoll. David took a more direct route on the other side of the knoll. Jeff paused just before a wall of green. This time I recognized it for the green at the saddle and headed to the little white gap. I paused to be sure of my bearing but David O. came in from the right ahead of me and Jeff. Bernie came in close behind us. I think that somewhere around here, a button got pushed on my GPS (by vegetation I brushed up against) and I didn't realize it until about 15 minutes later.

10-11 - The trail run was nice. David led Jeff and then I. I passed Jeff as he paused after the bridge, and then, when he cut left, I decided it'd be okay. My inclination was to go higher to hit the intermittent trail that as cutting across instead. As I cut left, David looked back and did too. Jeff led us to the intermittent trail but it ran out in the green. Eventually across the main trail and on the flat marsh, I moved ahead a little. I could see shirts in the forest up ahead and then the spur. One of the shirts turned out to be one of the junior woman whom I ran w/earlier. I didn't realize the control was a reentrant feature but from the spur, I was fortunately close enough. It was disturbing that I wasn't reading the features off of the map that well.

11-12 - Jeff and then David led us on the hillside above the marsh toward #12. From the trail crossing, Jeff got ahead and got us to the small marsh. Jeff slowed a little. The mapping of the green was making sense to me so I moved ahead; I was a little worried about using vegetation on an old map and wondered if Joe had updated it here. I was a little high when I could see more junior women going up. It seemed that they'd missed high and were making up for it.

12-13 - I enjoyed the big open terrain that except for trails or roads, was largely missing earlier. I felt I could run in it. I started catching up to Anna Breton. As we approached the green and climb ahead, she cut left more to avoid it. I cut left a little, to find an opening but plunged in before she did. It was slow going at times but not long before I plunged through. Jeff had gone in earlier on my right and someone was behind me for a change. On the downhill, I hit the trail where it was not well defined, so I stopped. Seeing Jeff and others come in from the right made it clearer to me so I marched on. It was well defined the rest of the way to the rock wall and trail bend, where I stopped again to get a good and careful bearing. The others just went on past me and we all followed the wall remnants to the control.

13-14 - Jeff went right and I think Anna went directly at first. At the wall at the bottom of the valley, she cut right too, to where the wall was easier to cross. Once angled up the hill, we roughly followed the edge of the clearing to the wall. The wall symbol on the map looks thin to me.

14-15 - Leaving #14, Jeff went right immediately and I chased. I think Anna went more left at first and got hung up in unmapped green. As we were heading through the tunnel, Alex Jospe was on her trail run going the other direction. I recognized the ride we descended as being the first leg of Max's Yellow course from the West Point meet last spring.

15-16-17 - At the map exchange, I drank, then drank a whole quart of Gatorade that I'd left waiting. I ate another piece of banana, and other stuff, while replacing a Gu I had used earlier. Jeremy came through as Jeff and I were getting ready and Jeremy got out first. Soon after it seemed that Jeff wasn't ready so I got started so I think he did start close behind but moved more slowly over the paved trail up the hill. Jeremy could be seen close ahead but he was definitely pulling ahead. I kept a comfortable pace. Once through the tunnel and on a streamered route, I heard Jeff yelling--it seemed he'd missed the streamer so I yelled back and didn't see him again until the end. I was surprised that the route was similar to loop 2, but also happy about that--that loop wasn't so hilly. As the trail went downward for a long way, the distance was catching-up with me. In hours and minutes, I started cramping in my left leg right about the duration of my longest training run in the last few weeks. I stopped a few times and expected to see Jeff. I was worried because my left leg is the stronger of the two, since my back operation. I walked and worked it out to get to control 16. Along the way, I'd seen Sharon Crawford, heading to #12. A while after #16, I stepped aside for a nature break. I started to go down to the power lines at the unmarked intersection but came back. I was enjoying the trail a lot and my cramping subsided enough as I kept a steady pace. The trail was all over before it seemed long.

17-18 - I ate and drank about as much as I could. It wasn't much since I'd stuffed myself at the end of loop 2. The pause was just long enough to cool me off and return to feeling cramps in my legs. I walked a lot going to #18 on a fairly straight route. I was glad to spike it but going this slowly, I should have. JJ Cote was closing in and I was a little surprised to see him instead of Jeff, Bernie, or David Ox.

18-19 - I went straight to the trail bend and in, spiking this nice short leg. Somehow I managed to stay ahead of JJ but he was closer. Along the way, I was seeing runners coming the other direction, finishing their Camp Hogencamp loop.

19-20 - I hurried down the hill, going straight. I hit the valley in view of the curving un-crossable cliff and then saw the control up the steep reentrant. I had to be careful not to trigger leg cramps.

20-21 - I went up the reentrant and around the spur. JJ climbed more directly and got onto the ridge before me. I caught up walking and started jogging. That got me past him again. I was at the control before expecting it, but I was glad it was as easy as it was.

21-22 - I took off a little to the right of straight to come in above the stony ground on the steeper hillside. I hit the big reentrant past the control but wasn't entirely sure of it. Seeing JJ pop out from the left to my right clued me in as did his hint of asking me if I'd gotten it--thanks! I could see it from there.

22-23 - JJ disappeared as I paused to plan a route. The trail was obvious so I took it, but I hesitated stopping too early. I continued to past the bend, and in to spike it, only I was rather slow about it. I did glimpse JJ going up to my right as I came in.

23-24 - I climbed in a general direction and got to the many cliffed large reentrant. I played being a human pachinko ball, making my way down but I did it efficiently, and got to the valley just where I'd wanted to be. This was confirmed by a sort of spur of a large cliff, right of the leg line, and to the left of where I was. I attacked off of that to the line of cliffs on the other valley wall and kept my bearing to the control. I was happy to have spiked it.

24-25 - As I was just getting going, JJ was coming back, having overshot the control. I took that to be good fortune for me. I hit the trail for a while, and didn't like the green look of the forest crossing a reentrant along the lake shore. I climbed more and went around while seeing JJ go more directly. He got to the first dam ahead of me, but not very far ahead. After the second dam, he went left when I went right. I went to the wrong and lower rock initially but I corrected as JJ was leaving the right one.

25-26 - I caught up to JJ on the dam. Michael Woods (QOC--his fist HH) was headed out from the aid station--I was a little surprised since he's younger/faster but this is new terrain for him. I thought he might run with others but he hadn't so much. I punched, then I drank and ate a little more at the aid station. Word of Jeff and Bernie being not so far back was mentioned. JJ and I talked about being past the mental barriers with a long shot homeward.

26-27 - I left the aid station before JJ, but I could hear that he wasn't far behind as I headed straight up. I had seen another runner go this way when I was pulling into #17 and just didn't see a much better option. In retrospect, and with knowledge of the blueberries that I eventually went through, I would have considered going all the way up to Lake Askoti, up the trail, and across what's mapped as open flat forest. As it was, I got to the power lines and thought about using the trail to the road. That didn't seem good considering the climb at the end. I was cramping again as soon as I'd left #26. This time it was both legs. It hurt and kept me walking funny if I could move at all. Some pausing helped keep it in check--the cramps seemed like nothing after the cramp-like spasms I'd endured for hours in bed when my back was going out a couple of years back. After the power lines in the deep +1m blueberry and rock, I fell over a few times. It was really slow with cramping complicating it. The route navigation however, wasn't hard. I intended to follow the edge of the rough open areas where it looked like there was no low vegetation. Once I got there, I did find myself still in blueberries, but it wasn't as bad. I walked most of the way in, except at the top. JJ later told me that he'd gone more to the left to avoid the rough terrain, and that he saw me at the top. I missed seeing him so I wasn't sure if he was ahead or not but I believed he was still behind.

27-28-29-F - I stayed on the ridge. Initially the depth of the blueberries was as bad as on the climb, but going slightly downhill I could run some of it. There were also some narrow animal tracks or old trails to link together. Soon there were alleys through the low vegetation and finally open as I headed straight and downward in earnest (speaking of which, where was Ernst?). I kept a steady pace avoiding doing any lurching that would cause cramps. I hit the trail as it was headed downhill. I was surprised to see that last 2 controls were the same as those from the second loop, but it did make it easy! After getting #27 in much the same way as I'd done earlier, my leg cramps returned. Getting up the hill to #28 was like a scene out of Monty Python--a silly walk. Leaving #28, I came out a little to the left like Anna Breton had done earlier. I got hung up stepping through a fallen tree, and losing most of a minute trying to do that without cramping. Finally on the road, I finished happily. Like everyone else, I was surprised about the finish control but everyone was helping each finisher to find it on the hill.

Overall, I didn't feel very good about my navigation. My deteriorating eyes might be to blame for that. I do have to take away being happy about getting through it, working past the cramps and keeping my head most of the way. The course and scenery was fun and fine, if just greener than I recall from previous HHs. It's always nice running with others and staying in the group. I moved between groups a lot. It seemed like it'd have been more fun to stay with a group but I was trying to improve my overall performance from 2 years ago.

C • Fence 2

Highlander - Splits