Training Log Archive: Nadim

From Northfield Rd., Greenwich Park, to Old Georgetown Rd. to Beech Dr. to Johnson Ave./Hempstead Ave. to McKinley St. to Garfield St., to Roosevelt St., to the trail at Jefferson St. to Northfield Rd.

From Northfield Rd., to Charlcotte Rd., to Huntington Pkwy., to Mooreland Ln., to Custer Rd., to Northfield Rd. I was hiking with Samantha. It was good to get some exercise since I've been taking time off for knee pain.

From Northfield Rd., through Greenwich Park to Old Georgetown Rd., to Huntington Pkwy., to Custer Rd., to York Ln., to Overhill Rd., to Lambeth Rd., to Mooland Ln., to Custer Rd., to Northfield Rd. Walking with Samantha.

I was walking with Samantha. From the intersection of Elmhirst Ln. and Elmhirst Dr., to Elmhirst Pkwy. to the Elmhirst Trail, to Cedar Ln., to Rock Creek Trail, to a place where the trail gets very close to the closed road, then back on the road and the way we'd come out.

Event: Cancelled? QOC PWF Night-O
 

Hoyles Mill Conservation Park. I started from the Hoyles Mill Trailhead parking lot on White Ground Rd. I cleared-up some things along the trail and the small power lines in the north. Later I made my way across the big slope that has the large field. Picking up more boulders in the open areas, I left the big hillside and continued working southward across flatter grounds. When I turned northward, I worked my way up the stream getting smaller things, but mostly the vegetation. Getting out of the stream valley, I turned southward again, linking-up areas that I'd mapped before. This got me onto what amounts to the main ridge on this part of the map. I was running out of time as I was heading back north to finish-up, picking up nicely scattered rock features in fairly open terrain. I left a good amount of the open forest to explore and look forward to coming back.

Though I'd gotten a bottle of water ready to take along, I'd forgotten to put it in my backpack before I'd left home and I knew I'd pay for it. It got to around 80 F today. On the way home I stopped to get a drink. As I was finishing dinner, I got nasty killer cramps in both hamstrings at the same time. After about 5 minutes of that I was fine. I also found my first tick of the season, after getting home.

From Northfield Rd., Moorland St./Grant St. to Madison St., to Garfield St., to Northfield Rd. Samantha and I walked after dinner. There was a fully moon shining through the clouds and it'd cooled off to the low 60s F.

From Northfield Rd., Jefferson St., to Lincoln St., to Garfield St., left on the trail to Heampstead Ave., to McKinley St., to Garfield St., to Roosevelt St., to Jefferson St., to Northfield Rd. I',m still resting but sushi the night before has my weight up. On this outing, Samantha and I walked.

With a rainy day and my left knee being increasingly sore, I decided some days off would be good.

Cabin John Regional Park, MD. From the Beach Volleyball parking lot, I headed west to get onto the Cabin John Trail, crossed Tuckerman Ln. to get onto the lower part of the campground loop, got on the lower trail that parallels the creek on the east side, crossed Cabin John Creek at the last trail crossing point inside the park, returned to Tuckerman Ln. on trail paralleling the west side of the creek, got back on the Cabin John Trail, then used unnamed trails to get back to the Beach Volleyball parking lot from the east. At first, I figured I was a little slow from the hills. My left knee hurt some more and I think part of my slow speed had to do with my knee. I had come here to run on softer ground. It was a nice day in the low 60s F. I didn't see a lot of people.

From Northfield Rd., Greenwich Park, to Old Georgetown Rd. to Beech Dr. to Singleton Dr. to Startmont Rd., to Friars Rd., to Fernwood Pl. to Fernwood Rd., to Bradley Blvd., to Huntington Pkwy., to Moorland Ln., to Custer Rd., to Northfield Rd. It was 63 F with a lot of light still in the sky. I started out figuring I'd finish-up a different way to get 5 miles, but with the extra light, I thought it'd be good to get to areas that I've rarely been in. I felt okay starting out, but slow on hills. After the climb on Singleton Dr., I slowed, even while going downhill. There was a long climb on Bradley Blvd., and Huntington Pkwy. for the last mile and I slowed the most on it. My left knee continues to bother me. I may need to back off the training a little to get it stronger again. It definitely slowed me.

30 sit-ups.

Event: QOC Mason Neck
 

QOC: Mason Neck State Park, VA. I ran the Blue course. I warmed-up just a tiny bit since I was feeling tired and stiff from my run and long field checking outings yesterday. The courses were a bit shorter and easier than normal today since the park authority restricted some areas that the event could pass through. Some legs could have been made harder by eliminating some closely that were spaced close together. Except for the first control, I was on target.

S-1 - I started shortly after Ken Walker but didn't know what course he was running. I ended up going to the paved trail head as he had. I was having a hard time getting into reading the map. This was partly from ducking branches and, partly getting confused by the finish leg going to control #17. Additionally, the number for #1 was printed amongst a blue marsh and green background. Partway there I read the leg such that I had to cross 2 reentrants to get to a 3rd. Really I only had to cross one. I also confused the dashed intermittent stream in reentrant before the one with the control, as a trail that I was seeing in a reentrant. I got all the way to 3rd reentrant before stopping and figuring out that I needed to make a correction. When I came back, I saw the control on the bridge and was lamenting not having read the control description. I probably lost 1:15 minutes.

1-2 - Out to the road, and around the corner. After 2 white course controls, I was starting to think this way too easy.

2-3 - I got onto the paved trail and turned left to get a closer attack point. Like is some earlier years, I drifted left and hit the little trail. I was only on it a very short way before finding the bend and seeing the control from it.

3-4 - Straight, ignoring the trail. I did drift right but with the leg being short, I was able to see the control and adjust.

4-5 - Straight.

5-6 - Straight but I paused partway there. I was thinking to aim off a bit but I didn't need to.

6-7 - I went straight, reading the reentrants as I did.

7-8 - Straight but I drifted right a little before seeing it.

8-9 - Straight again to spike it.

9-10 - Straight, reading the reentrants as I went. I got a little concerned as I closed-in. That's when I came across Max who was walking. He was really tired from his workouts the day before. I paused to let him tell me that he was just going to focus on his navigation this day. I hit it afterward.

10-11 - It took me a while to find #11. Afterward, I ran straight and used the reentrant as a handrail. I was able to see the control about 70m away.

11-12 - I angled out to the road. I read the curves and could see the reentrant coming-up. It surprised me to be able to see the control from the road.

12-13 - I stayed in the forest, but did angle left to avoid having to cross the big reentrant. I crossed the marsh at a relatively dry spot and entered the mapped holly trees I attacked at the edge of the holly trees and then upon nearing #14, I realized that I had to go on. A young guy was coming into #14 from my left and I ran right past it after he left. #13 was visible a few steps further.

13-14 - I doubled back to #14 going on bearing.

14-15 - Leaving #14, I went south, rather than straight. After crossing the reentrant, I paralleled it and read the larger contours. As the forest got thicker, I used the trail twice, leaving it when it dropped. I attacked the control from the trail bend and came in close behind the guy whom I'd seen at #14 when I was going to #13..

15-16 - After crossing the road, I cut left a little since the forest was more open there. I hit some marsh and realized it was mapped. Going further, I ran into the open area--the area mapped as open was more rough open than open. I saw #4 and actually punched it before realizing that I needed to get to #16. After a few steps away from #4 on bearing, I could seen #16.

16-17 - I went straight until I hit the trail. Taking that through the green, eventually left it to continue straight. I emerged right at the trail bend that I'd used to get to #3. Like before, I went to the next bend closer to the road before going straight again. The mapped green extended further east than mapped, so I went around it. I was looking for the general bend of the large reentrant but hit it at the trail which I should have been looking for. I knew where the trail was crossing the big reentrant, so I attacked successfully from there.

17-F - I walked up the hill a little before going on bearing. I thought I might use the trails some but ended up just going straight. The woods were pretty open. Once to the road, I didn't have a lot of energy to run hard on the run in.

It was unfortunate that I lost time on the first control but just about everything else was close enough to consider it to have been a spike. I thought I might finish in under an hour and I could have. The course measured to 7.4K and my route only 7.789K. I think the listed course climb of 115m was incorrect. My watch recorded only 35m on my route.

After the event, we had lunch with my sister.

Blue - Splits

Lake Needwood Regional Park, MD. Starting at Needwood Rd., up Upper Rock Creek Trail (a dirt trail going up towards the Agricultural History Farm Park) to Muncaster Rd. (not Muncaster Mill Rd., which I crossed), and back. I didn't feel that strong but not too bad either. I did this after dropping Max of at a gym to workout with a friend and after getting my auto emissions test. The trail doesn't climb a lot overall but it does undulate many short ups and downs over the more gradual grades. I felt most of them. Though I'd gotten more sleep, my sleep was interrupted in the middle. Though it wasn't what awoke me, my knee hurt more in bed than it did on this run (which was none). It was sunny and in the upper 40s or lower 50s F. I ran in shorts and a t-shirt. I think I only saw about 4 of 5 people over the route. 3 were runner going down when I was going up. In contrast, as I stretched after finishing, I saw a steady stream of people taking the route around the lake and enjoying the good day.

Hoyles Mill Conservation Park. I started from the Hoyles Mill Trailhead parking lot on White Ground Rd. Today was better than last time in that I was able to make better sense of the vegetation and match-up point features on the base map. Building on, and updating the vegetation mapping from my last outing, I found ways through the green areas of the north, to nicer stuff more typical of what I'd seen further south. Unfortunately somehow my GPS setup had gotten reset, perhaps due to an update. It changed track recording to Auto mode--That's much less detail than recording every second of a track. It gives results with less detail than my watch GPS shows. There were nice scattered and prominent rocky features in corridors of open forest. Where there was medium green vegetation, I found places that poked holes through it and which could be mapped as light green. I spent a little while in a big high field where it looks like natural hay grows. I got a bit of an viewpoint across the forest and to the suburbs.

Arlington, VA. Starting at Bluemont Junction Park at Wilson Blvd., north on the W&OD Trail to the Custis Trail (on the north side of I-66), to N. Glebe Rd., to Fairfax Dr., to the Bluemont Junction Trail, to George Mason Dr., to the Lubber Run Trail, to Arlington Blvd., to N. Granada St. to N., Greenbriar St., to the W&OD Trail to Bluemont Junction Park. Though today is Friday, I ran the same run that I had done on Monday. It was in the low 40s F and I felt significantly better. Fluidity improved at about 2 miles out as I started doing more downhill running than uphill running. I felt I was moving better throughout, except maybe for the last mile when I was more tired from running harder earlier. I'd had to stop at a traffic light in Ballston and apparently I hit the Start/Stop button twice when restarting it. Noticing just before I entered Lubber Run, I was able to restart it but my overall time is estimated. I was glad to find an open and clean restroom in Lubber Run too.

From the intersection of Elmhirst Ln. and Elmhirst Dr., to Elmhirst Pkwy. to the Elmhirst Trail, to Cedar Ln., to Rock Creek Trail, to the bridge over Rock Creek. that's just past the beltway (I-495) underpass, and back. It had been raining all day so it was wet and about 50 F when I started. I felt bloated and not so smooth for the first +1 mile (unsettled stomach). When doing a variation of this route my 2nd mile always seems to inexplicably be slower; there are minor hills but it still ends up further downward. I wore shorts and a sweat top but even that much started feeling warm. I took it off on the way back after the rain had started again. That seemed to energize me with my 3rd mile being faster than the second, even though it has a net climb. Still feeling a little better, I pushed more on the way back. I felt my left knee but not a lot.

Cabin John Regional Park, MD. From the Tennis Center parking lot, I took mostly the Cabin John Trail northward to the campground loop north of Tuckerman Rd.; then after the loop I returned on similar trails. Having run a similar loop 10 days back. I felt slower and heavier today. By avoiding some wet spots last time, the distance should have close to 1/10th of a mile shorter this time. However my time today was slower and my watch measured the distance to be 1/20th longer. I didn't have to work as hard on the way back. Trail conditions were nice and dry overall. I ran here to give my left knee some softer ground and it did feel better during and afterward.

From Northfield Rd., Custer Rd. to Wilson Ln. to Glenbrook Rd., to Bradley Blvd., to Kennedy Dr., to Dorset Ave., to the Little Falls Trail, to Hillandale Rd., to Bradley Blvd., to Arlington Rd., to Wilson Ln., to Custer Rd., to Northfield Rd. It was in the mid 40s F with a cool breeze. I pretty much knew starting out that I'd be slow on this run. A late dinner and apparent water retention have my weight up a little but it was also cumulative training catching up with me and and a need for more sleep and rest. My left knee was also not feeling so good. In the first mile, I pushed much too hard for the speed I was going. I put less effort into it afterward and felt better except in the last 3/4 of a mile.

30 sit-ups.

Arlington, VA. Starting at Bluemont Junction Park at Wilson Blvd., north on the W&OD Trail to the Custis Trail (on the north side of I-66), to N. Glebe Rd., to Fairfax Dr., to the Bluemont Junction Trail, to George Mason Dr., to the Lubber Run Trail, to Arlington Blvd., to N. Granada St. to N., Greenbriar St., to the W&OD Trail to Bluemont Junction Park. It appears that I last ran these trails and streets on 4/7/2006. Being in the area made it convenient this evening, and I like Arlington too. I've been coming here for a long time. It was a regular hangout for me in the 90s and 80s. I rode the W&OD trail from my parents home near Fort Hunt, to Harper's Ferry back when they were still constructing the trail in Arlington, and when it was all dirt in Fairfax County--that was about 1984. Running the the dark, most of it still made sense, though I did have to look around more carefully--some little things had changed while others were essentially the same. I was stiff starting out and generally climbing out of the Four Mile Run valley. Once to Ballston (another hangout), it was mostly downhill to the W&OD Trail, with some exceptions. I'd carried a headlamp in my hand but never used it. I thought I might need it in Lubber Run Park, but unexpectedly, there were a few lamps lighting most of the way. They helped me see the sudden short steep hills there. I felt like I was picking up the pace on the gradual railroad grade climbe of the W&OD Trail as I was finishing-up, but it looks like I was down--that was due to being cautious on the steep winding descent to the W&OD Trail in the dark.

Event: QOC Patapsco McKeldin
 

Black Hills Regional Park; Boyds, MD. Starting from the Little Seneca Boat Launch, on Clarksburg Rd., I went north across the bridge over the lake where there used to be Ten Mile Creek many years ago (there's a wide shoulder on the bridge and further north for a little while). The lake is one of the larger drinking water reservoirs in the area. I got on the extension of the Hoyles Mill Trail on the north side of the bridge, returned to Clarksburg Rd., and continued north. I took the Cool Spring Run Trail to the northernmost end of the lake and soon after I got on the Ten Mile Creek Trail. The Ten Mile Creek Trail took me all the way back to where I'd started. I had printed and taken a country trail map with me, and I read it along the way. It was mostly accurate and I was glad to have it. When I'd finished, my watch had registered 1,200 ft. of climb, but that seems to have gotten adjusted down to half of that. The trails seem mostly well graded but designed for mountain biking with many small ups and downs. For a little while in the middle of the run, the ball of my right foot was feeling like the callus on it was hurting it. My left knee ached a little toward the end.

The Ten Mile Creek Trail goes up and down fingers of the lake and it's larger reentrants. There's a mix of thick, and open forest along the trail, but the park land is mostly too narrow to be effective for orienteering usage.
From the north end of Clarksburg Rd. to the south end of it, a distance of 6.45 miles, there was only about 3 steps on pavement. That was crossing Ganley Rd. where it dead ends. I'd explored some of the west side of Black Hills Regional Park before, but that exploration was about 21 years ago. I was mountain biking with a GPS at the time, and doing it for a running guide book that I was making. There were some big fields then, but now those areas appeared to be tree covered (probably the thick forests that I saw). The route made a really fun run for me, and I had a great day to do it on--sunny and in the 50s F. There are a lot of good views to be seen with the trail often high over the water, and there being no leaves to block one from seeing far away. The ground at the shoreline tends to be steep. The water looked deep too, with a pleasant green color. The trail tends to get close to the water at the mouths of the lake fingers.
With the long shape, the lake seemed similar to some Scottish Lochs. Initially there were few people to see, but as I got closer to the southern end, more people were to be found hiking and cycling.

Doing the loop as I did it is probably not common. I guess that most probably go out and back on Ten Mile Creek Trail from where I started/ended. Where the trail emerges north of the lake bridge, the upper parts of Clarksburg Rd. incur a steadily climb, but the road also narrows there with no shoulders. People drive fast on it.

Hoyles Mill Conservation Park. After my satisfying run, I got some lunch from a general store at Boyds. It was under new management and I was suprised to see that the proprietors were southeast asian like me. I field checking started from the Hoyles Mill Trailhead parking lot on White Ground Rd. I mostly went along the Hoyles Mill Trail and along the northern forest edge of the park. I knew this area to be green, but since it's a part of the map I'd started, it needed to be done. This is also a good time of year to get out into these areas too, since it'll be harder to make sense of it later on. I did find a few interesting things, but not a lot of features. Most of what I found was manmade. That and more thorns were to be expected for former farmland. However, I did find some pleasantly open land too. There were some interesting ditches and intermittent streams, along with areas of disturbed ground and dot knolls. The vegetation seemed particularly tricky to map.

Lake Neewood, Rock Creek Regional Park, MD. From the trailhead or what's better known as the end of the of the Rock Creek Trail, I ran trails on the east side of Lake Needwood to the pipeline ride, through the tunnel under the Inter-County-Connector (ICC, Route 200), through a part of Zadok Macgruder HS, to the paved trail through North Branch Park, to Muncaster Mill Rd. at Meadowside Rd. (the entrance of Lake Frank), to Avery Rd., to Needwood Lake Dr. (entrance to the Lake Needwood area), down to the lake trail, and back to the paved trailhead for the Rock Creek Trail near the dam. I was pretty weak on this run either from breakfast, not being rested enough or just not ready to run.

I hadn't intended to go this far today either. Having slept-in I ate a small breakfast and then decided to go with Peggy when she announce a plan to run at Lake Frank. She'd mixed-up the names of the lakes as many people do, so when we went to Lake Needwood, I had it in my head to run trails around Lake Frank. Having mapped a lot here, I planned a loop to go along Lake Needwood, through North Branch Park, and along Lake Frank. That turned-out to be too far with Peggy expecting me and waiting after her shorter run. Realizing it, I improvised this shorter route. Some trails had changed a little. I was disappointed that a paved trail with a promised bridge over North Branch Rock Creek hadn't been built yet. It stopped where I'd last seen it built to, despite Google's site making it look complete.

Earlier than that, cutting through the high school, I got partway before being turned away. It was probably because I didn't have a mask. I still feel that I can't run with one and so I run at late hours or mostly in little traveled areas. I passed 50m away from some kids doing outdoor Karate in the front end of the school, but in the back, on the football field and 150m away from anywhere I was going, other people were doing something and I was turned away. I had to go through the pipeline ride that I'd been following since Lake Needwood, but the ride near the high school was thorny with only an intermittent animal trail to get through it on. After getting through that and losing a small amount of blood, I was surprised to find that they'd mowed the big field in North Branch Park. That would have been perfect to make the area useable for orienteering. It's likely to grow back to a mess again but nice to know that they do still mow it sometimes.

From Northfield Rd. to Old Georgetown Rd. via Greenwich Park, to Cheshire Dr.. to Grosvenor Rd. to the Bethesda Trolley Trail at Fleming Ave. to Old Georgetown Rd. to Northfield Rd. via Greenwich Park. Temperatures were in the upper 60s F as I ran and I had a headwind part of the time on the way out. Sleeping more and elevating my legs before sleeping is seeming to help. Of course running without sweats has been good too! I kept pace pretty good and my energy held out. There were lots of people out enjoying the weather even groups of teens playing basketball.

30 sit-ups.

Washington, D.C. From the John Ericsson Memorial Circle and Ohio Dr. in West Potomac Park, 23rd St., SW, to Lincoln Circle, across Memorial Bridge to the Mt. Vernon Trail, across Key Bridge to the edge of Georgetown, down to the C&O Canal Towpath, to 33rd St., NW, to Georgetown Waterfront Park, to the Rock Creek Trail, to John Ericsson Memorial Circle. I had nice running conditions again--68 F with a gentle breeze and what seemed to be clear night skies. I think the lack of a good night sleep made me slower today. My legs were feeling like lead the last half. There were lots of people outside. A group of cyclists were touring on the Mt. Vernon Trail and there were other runners. Near M Street, NW, people were active but the waterfront along the river was the busiest of all with many eating out and others laying the grass.

From Northfield Rd to Norfolk Ave to pick-up lunch, then back. It was about in the 60s F with headwind from the south that I felt was slowing me down.

From Northfield Rd., Greenwich Park, to Old Georgetown Rd. to Alta Vista Rd., to Linden Ave., to Pooks Hill Rd., to Rockville Pike. and the Bethesda Trolley Trail, to Maple Ridge Rd., to Old Georgetown Rd., to Huntington Pkwy., to Custer Rd., to Northfield Rd. The weather continued to be nice. It was 68 F starting out so I ran in a t-shirt and shorts again. Though my speed wasn't great, I felt like I was running better again today. There were lots of people on all sides of NIH.

30 sit-ups.

From Northfield Rd., Custer Rd. to Wilson Ln. to Glenbrook Rd., to Bradley Blvd., to Kennedy Dr., to Dorset Ave., to the Little Falls Trail, to Hillandale Rd., to Bradley Blvd., to Arlington Rd., to Old Georgetown Rd., to Huntington Pkwy., to Custer Rd., to Northfield Rd. It was in the low 60s F when I started, wearing just shorts and a long sleeve t-shirt. I felt like I was running better. There were a good many people walking around in Bethesda.

30 sit-ups.

Cabin John Regional Park, MD. From the Tennis Center parking lot, I took mostly the Cabin John Trail northward to the campground loop north of Tuckerman Rd.; then after the loop I returned on similar trails. I kept along the creek to keep the climb down--I didn't need that after running in Prince William Forest yesterday. I'd gotten started just in time. It was 50 F with the sun low on the horizon. By the time I'd gotten to the top end of the campground loop, the sun had clearly set. Using the light reflected down from partial clouds, I could see enough of the trail to keep moving well. By the time I finished at the parking lot, and in the electric lights, everything looked dark around me. This was a nice recovery run. I didn't push but it didn't hurt neither. I'd wanted to run on softer ground to keep my left knee happy.

Event: QOC PWF Pine Grove
 

QOC: Prince William Forest at Pine Grove, VA. It was a nice sunny day with generally open forest with really good visibility. Though some legs natually had similarity, Course Setter Gary Smith set a nice variation from past courses here too. I ran the Blue course for the first time since January 5th, 2020. I'd been working my way back up to Blue very slowly since injuries last spring. There had also been fewer opportunities under it being a pandemic year. Taking an easy day and resting my knee helped me keep running through the course, but I was stumbling and falling more toward the end.

S-1 - I went wide to the right and got a little too far, being on the left side of the reentrant leading down. The control was visible from far off. When glancing at it at the start, I thought the feature was going to be a dot knoll but I went right to it based on location.

1-2 - I got on trails and read ahead on the course prior to reaching the swing bridge over Quantico Creek. The rest of this leg was the exact leg from an earlier course. I reasoned it'd be best to save energy using the trails to the left, even though I suspected the trail route to be slower. I spiked the control (I'd mapped the feature, weak though it was, so I had better have!).

2-3 - My route took me through more green than I'd expected. The deadfall seemed to have expanded since I had updated it on the map a few years back. I reached the road north of the bend, went across 2 of the 3 reentrants, and descended to the control.

3-4 - I started going somewhat straight. I wove my way through the green before reaching the road, but apparently I drifted more left than I thought. Hitting the road at a bend, I thought I was at a southern bend, not the one just north of it. Seeing white forest on the other side, I'd presumed the map to be out-of-date, instead of being too far north. I hit the first creek and turned north but realized it wasn't right; I had to go to the next. The sizeable ridge in my way told me I was too far north. After crossing it, I was having trouble distinguishing the streams but I got there by continuing on.

4-5 - I went straight. The mapped green was out of date. It was light green at worst, and even mappable as white in places. I was on target, but I hesitated not being sure. The drop off to my left queued me in.

5-6 - I ran up the left side of the first reentrant, crossed over before it ended, without dropping much, climbed out a little before the reentrant ended, and crossed the road. I intended to go down to the creek from there, but it seemed I could save some distance without adding much climb by going more directly. Because I was higher than intended when made my last turn, I crossed more reentrants than expected. The old camp roads clued me in to keep going to the next reentrant. I dropped into the control from the SW at the end.

6-7 - I climbed early, walking mostly, then ran the flatter ground left of the big reentrant to the control.

7-8 - Straight the whole way. Near the end I saw someone and almost caught-up to him. He had a dog.

8-9 - I'd done this leg a few times (mostly in reverse), set it for a course I had done, and even mapped the cliffs. I went straight at it, then ran down the reentrant at the end. I gained on the guy ahead with the dog. A ranger had driven his jeep on the vehicle track and was parked to my right. Using his loudspeaker, he had told the other guy to hold his dog on the leash, and I passed him.

9-10 - I went fairly straight to the road junction, then turned up the road heading more north. Before the reentrant to the left ran out, I left the road and cut over to cross near the saddle. I ran down the reentrant on the other side, and angled a climb to the control with the reentrant. Someone from my right was converging at the end. Both of us turned out to be higher than needed and I got there first.

10-11 - I ran down the big rentrant to the trail along Quantico Creek. After the next trail intersection, I climbed past a cliff and up a reentrant to the road, hitting it at a bend that let me keep going straight. Leaving the road when it bent, I kept straight to the control. I don't remember doing a similar leg here before.

11-12 - I ran down the right side of the reentrant at first. Stepping in another hole hidden by leaves, I tumbled this time. I continued on to the road, ran it to the second intersection, and ran straight to the spur. Somewhere on the road my watch beeped to indicate saving my GPS track. It had stopped tracking back near #7 when I brushed up against a tree. I restarted it.

12-13 - I reduced climb by going a little north as I went east. Hitting the campground road intersection, I went past cabins and used the fire circle trail. Where that ended, I attacked over the ridge and hit the control well.

13-14 - I ran down the reentrant and the left side of the creek. Getting on the trail, I cut through at the bend, and attacked from the second bend. It was visible far off.

14-15 - I used the trail along the creek, cut over at the bend before the reentrant, then crossed it minimizing climb well to get to the control.

15-16 - I ran straight but signaling that I was getting tired, I fell again. This time as a stick tripped me.

16-17 - Straight, but I used the trail for a short way to get past the rocks. I was lower at the end than expected but I could see the control further up the reentrant to my right.

17-18 - I went straight initially. I tripped and fell on a stick that got stuck on top of my shoe again. I cut right to avoid the deadfall. I intended to climb through the saddle. It seemed that there was one where I crossed the trail but I knew it was not the right one--I hadn't adjusted left enough. I knew to cut left after the trail crossing, and I soon was at the control.

18-19 - I ran left of straight to use the trail, then left from a bend. I cut across the first ridge by being below the knoll. I could see the control on the next knoll/ridge after rounding that first knoll.

I ran briefly, then needed to walk the climb. I misread the the finish a bit so I headed toward the start. I corrected as I didn't see the finish and realized I was looking at the wrong parking lot. I lost a little time; maybe 10-15 seconds.

It was good to have run Blue and completed 10.3K under 2 hours. I navigated pretty well and I think I made pretty good route choices. It's fun to run in the open woods!

This is the second part of my GPS track but the same race. My track apparently got stopped around control #7 and I didn't start it again until on my way to #12.

Blue - Splits

Hoyles Mill Conservation Park, MD. From Hoyles Mill Rd., I decided not to do much running today, to help my knee from getting worse, and so that I won't have to stop running. I jogged northward half a mile on Hoyles Mill Rd. until I got to the Little Seneca Creek bridges. Staying south of the creek, I went through the greener parts of the area that I hadn't spent much time in. I found some new features, and made some corrections to older ones. I had concerns about what I'd mapped earlier not reflecting the vegetation well enough. Most of what I'd mapped was about right. Seeing it at this time of the year let me see it better than when things were starting to grow last spring. Being in the greener areas meant working my way through thorns and deadfall a lot of the time. Some areas that I'd mapped green will be changed to being light green, and a few others will be dark green or fight.

Great Falls, MD. From the Angler's Inn parking lot, I ran up the Berma Rd. to the trail on the right just before the bridge to the towpath. After the short but steep/rocky climb that I walked parts of, I headed left to the Upland Loop Trail and Overlook Trail. Staying high, I climbed again to the Trolley Loop, then back down to the Tavern. I went south to the towpath at Lock 19, then north on the towpath to Lock 20 and the Tavern. Going to and looping the entrance traffic circle I returned behind the restrooms, down to Lock 19 again, then on the towpath to the Angler's Inn parking area. As I was getting started, the sun had already gone under the ridge on the Virginia side of the Potomac River. It was in the upper 30s F with some wind. Running on the upland trails wasn't too bad with the poor lighting but if I'd have been any later it would have been. The Tavern area had been almost devoid of people and it's unusual to see it like that. Even the traffic circle had no cars. There were a few people on the towpath. The actual Angler's Inn at the start/finish was hopping and festive with lights and heating burners. My left knee was hurting a little again. I hope the softer ground was easier on it but the small bumps and dips in the trail/towpath in the dark didn't make it so. I ran more on my toes than usual.

30 sit-ups.

From Northfield Rd., Custer Rd., to Huntington Pkwy., to Old Georgetown Rd. to Beech Dr. to Singleton Dr. to Bulls Run Pkwy., to the trail along the middle school to Bradmore Dr. to Ewing Dr./Roosevelt Rd., to Grant St. to Northfield Rd. It was windy today. As I ran into it the first 2 miles, I was slower than usual. Though easier when I returned, I wasn't really faster than usual. My left knee hurt a little and I needed a bathroom near the end.

30 sit-ups.

Washington, D.C. After an evening visit, I again ran the extended version of what I've called the Memorial Tour, but I started it from Ohio Dr. From the John Ericsson Memorial circle and Ohio Dr. in West Potomac Park, and Independence Ave. I went up Independence Ave. to the Kutz Bridge, around the Tidal Basin to Ohio Dr., past the Jefferson Memorial, over 14th St. Bridge to the Mt. Vernon Trail, around Lady Bird Johnson Memorial looping under the George Washington Pkwy., to the footbridge over the Boundary Channel into Virginia, along the North Pentagon Parking lot, to the trail along S. Washington Blvd., to the Mount Vernon Trail, to Memorial Bridge, to and around the outside part of Lincoln Circle, to Daniel French Dr., SW, to Independence Ave., to Ohio Drive, NW. It was 46 F with no winds, and a nice moon. I had sweat bottoms but midway at a convenient and still open bathroom stop, I took off my sweat jacket. There were several other runners on the trails and walkways. I saw a few police but no large preparatory force. My lower back has been a little achy but didn't bother me when running.

From Northfield Rd., Moorland Ln., to McKinley St. to Old Georgetown Rd., to the Bethesda Trolley Trail, around the south side of NIH, to Jones Bridge Rd., to Maryland Ave., to Fairfield Dr., to Lynbrook Dr., to Chestnut St., to Kentbury Dr., to Chelton Rd., to East-West Hwy., to Old Georgetown Rd., to Huntington Pkwy., to Custer Rd., to Northfield Rd. I got a late start. It was in the upper 30s F. All through the run, I felt my stride was clunky; just not smooth. I didn't feel strong but it could have been worse. I thought the distance was a little farter too.

30 sit-ups.

From Northfield Rd., Greenwich Park, to Old Georgetown Rd. to Alta Vista Rd., to Linden Ave., to Pooks Hill Rd., to Rockville Pike. and the Bethesda Trolley Trail, to Maple Ridge Rd., to Old Georgetown Rd., to Huntington Pkwy., to Custer Rd., to Northfield Rd. I was tight or stiff from the orienteering race yesterday. I didn't push the pace. Sometimes I felt like I was going slower than I was. It was about 48 F with a bit of a wind.

30 sit-ups.