Training Log Archive: Nadim

From Rte. 355, N. Frederick Ave. in Gathersburg, MD, I took the Greenway Trail up to the creek crossing prior to where the Magruder Branch Trail begins. Dave Onkst and I ran together and started at around 8:30am. The woods were nice and comfortable. I hadn't been there since January 16, 2006 and had only gone about 10.4 miles then. The distance today was measured using Dave's Garmin Wrist GPS. We ran at Dave's pace but even that was much slower than he usually runs on the paved trails around here. On the trail there were several runners, several walkers, a few mountain bikers and a group of people building a foot bridge. Some sections of this stream valley might be worth making into a somewhat narrow map.

Splits and distances:
* Rte. 355 parking to Watkins Mill Rd. parking, ??:?? 2.8 miles
* Watkins Mill parking to Brink Rd. parking, ??:?? 1.4 miles
* Brink Rd. parking to Huntmaster Rd. crossing, 54:27, 1 mile cummulative time
* Huntmaster Rd. crossing to the Seneca Creek crossing/before the beginning of the Magruder Branch Trail, 1:13:??, 1.8 miles & turnaround
* Seneca Creek Crossing to Huntmaster Rd 1:??:??, 1.8 miles
* Huntmaster Rd. to Brink Rd., 1:??:??, 1 mile
* Brink Rd. parking to Watkins Mill Rd. parking, 1:55:18 cummulative time, 1.4 miles
* Watkins Mill Rd. to Rte 355 parking parking, 2:26:20 cummulative time, 2.8 miles

From the Grosvenor-Strathmore Metro Station, down Tuckerman La. to Rockville Pike, to Beach Dr., to the Rock Creek Trail near Franklin St. then north to the Edgebrook Rd. parking lot (north of Randolph St.). Originally I had intended to start from the Medical Center Station but after work, it took longer to get ready than anticipated. I ran with a belt pouch to hold my essentials and left the rest of my clothes at work. The pouch bounced every step and always ended on my left side. Peggy and Max were waiting with my change of clothes and playing on the new playground there. We went to eat and to Home Depot to get some more plants. It got a bit late for Max again.

My legs felt rather awkward and the calf muscles felt twisted but better than they have felt the last few days. Though strong, I was tight and couldn't move with fluidity. I had intended this to be easier but got worried about Peggy and Max waiting. Half mile and mile splits: 3:41, 3:36, 3:35, 7:24, ~7:10. Though a hot day, the shady breezy woods were nice.

45 situps. With storms expected during the time I'd normally bike back, I decided to rest and sit it out. I was tempted to run once home but got started on some things that I rather continue making progress on.

I dug out a garden where a bush used to be and planted some shrubs. I was tempted not to log this but it seemed to wear me out. I had to rest before getting some lunch and I took a short nap afterward.

Provinces Park, Odenton, MD. I did a short sprint course. Despite it being in the open and waiting for my turn with Max while somewhat watching people go across fields/make errors, I made the same errors too. I followed my compass bearing out of #2 toward #3 and it seemed left a bit, going toward a trash can. I blew #4, hedging on which side to go around the fence. I wasn't able to read fast enough that going around on the right would not get me around the fences. I thought I'd jump the fence when I realized that but a look at the thorny plants made me decide to do otherwise--I went around on the left. Going to #5, I wasn't sure about the summer growth potentially blocking the short way through along some paved courts. I went around and got confused almost getting to #6 before realizing I'd passed #5. The rest were okay. I forgot to pickup streamers until the end. This was a poor showing but it loosened-up my legs which had been sore and tired from bicycling and gardening in the sun.

Provinces Park, Odenton, MD. Pickup of streamers which I'd forgotten to get earlier.

Fort Meade, MD. The first sprint warmed me up. My legs stopped aching. Starting the second, my legs felt like the first, sans the soreness. It felt like I was heavy and moving slowly. On #1, I cut through the dark green, and approached fromt the field. I entered the woods again too early and wasn't sure what the control clue was on. I got distracted by some streamers overhead a but north of the sewer before finding it. On #2, I came out of the woods a bit south of the line and had to correct at the end. On #3, there wasn't a clue description. I got on the wrong side of the uncrossable fence, then had to climb over it. I got #4 but started to go around the building on the west side before turning back. #7 was a short leg but leaving #6, I only saw one trail, not two. I realized I was making an error and cut back going around the knoll in the process. I pulled up short on #8 and was confused by the trail intersections shown on the map that I never saw. I spiked #9 and wanted to go straigtht to #10 only a tree was blocking that approach. I came off the parking lot a bit too soon for #15. I got off to the left for #13, on an unmapped ditch. On #14, I hesitated while figuring out hte mapping of green. I picked-up streamers as I went for all but the first control.

Odenton, MD. Jog back to warm down.

From Rosedale Ave.; Bethesda, MD, to C St. SW, Washington, D.C. I dropped Max off but realized that I'd left his lunch and diapers at home. I re-hitched the trailer so I wouldn't have to take it back home later, rode home, then went back to the day care before going to work. It was another nice cool morning. I took it easy most of the way and was feeling sore. There were headwinds most of the way. After crossing the over Canal Rd., I saw a guy pushing his bike up to the Capital Crescent Trail from the towpath. He caught me after about a mile and a half. I increased my speed from around 21mph to +24mph to keep in his draft as he sprinted toward Georgetown. There he slowed and I passed him again--he looked older but it was hard to tell.

From C St., SW, Washington, D.C., to Rosedale Ave. via the Rock Creek Trail, Beach Dr. and the Georgetown Branch Trail. I had some tailwinds initially and seeing the trail to be busy with more potential headwinds, I thought a change of view would be good. There was some construction going on. It was good to ride on the roads instead of the trails though riding the Rock Creek Trail to get to Beach Dr. is much bumpier than the Capital Crescent Trail.

From Rosedale Ave., to C St., SW, Washington, D.C. It was a cool morning for July that started around 58F. I had started slowly and enjoyed Max's singing till I dropped him off. After getting passed a bit before the MacArthur tunnel, I almost decided to let the guy go. Since he didn't pass too fast, I accelerated to be in his draft. He did too so we were steadily going 25-26mph down the hill and +23mph on the flats to Georgetown. He was too fast for me while carrying gear to try to pull for him. There were some winds (out of the NE) and traffic slowdowns finishing up. Though the usual tourist busses weren't around, there was a long line for Washington Monument tickets.

C • Old? 2

From C. St. SW; Washington, D.C. to Rosedale Ave.; Bethesda, MD. I felt sore a bit heading out into some strong winds. I dogged it a bit too until starting the climb and getting more wind protection. It took me a while to catch and pass an older guy who had been passing others while towing his kid up the hill. The trail was somewhat busy.

Prince William Forest, VA. Block vetting of controls. I helped identify suggested map and clue description edits. One control may have to be moved due to a new scientific study that was started right next to it. It was a relatively nice day for July 1--low humidity and a high of around 80F. It was another good day for the ticks too--I removed 4. I still have some minor back pain but it got better as the day went.

After returning home and mowing the lawn, I wacked away with a pick axe again at the root system of the bush that I had removed earlier. I got the main tap root. I started to remove grass to make a new garden but Max and Peggy returned, signaling time for Peggy to run and for me to play ball with Max.