Training Log Archive: Nadim

With Peggy out early to help with a boy scout O-meet, I slept in as long as Max would let me. After eating we somehow decided it'd be good to go for a run; at least it was a nice comfortable morning. We went out Maryland/Pearl Ave. to the Old Georgetown Branch Trail, to Connecticutt Ave., then back to Kentbury Rd. and home via the playground. There were many people out including one inspiring old man followed by a slightly younger companion and his nurse aid. On the bluestone trail, he struggled up the slight grade pushing his walker a few inches at a time. We went over to visit family later for an Eid celebration.

45 situps.

45 situps and very little sleep.

From the Friendship Heights Metro Station, Western Ave. to Chevy Chase Circle, to Connecticutt Ave. to the Georgetown Branch Trail, to Kentbury Ave. to Rosedale Ave. & Maryland Ave. The heat broke and it pleasant out. I ran this last in August. Like then, I struggled but mostly during the early part. I loosened up and picked-up the pace going downhill. My right knee did bother me several times in the first 2 miles; this is in contrast to earlier runs when the pain passed in the first mile.

45 situps. My intentions to run (I'd brought gear to work so I could run partway home) were thwarted by being busy and working a bit late.

45 situps. Several times during the day I had the urge to run. It might have helped with the tightness and soreness in my legs.

Event: Susquehanna Stumble X
 

Susquhanna Stumble at Little Bennett Regional Park, MD. I thought I was ran and navigated well considering the little training that I've been doing however the few mistakes I made were doosies. I'd gotten out behind folks and went high to number 1. It seemed to be placed lower than it should have been. While the crowd scampered ahead toward #2 by going over a hill, I and only a few others went around. It was much better. #3 was an easy road crossing control. Perhaps it was an optical illusion but it appeared that the circle was centered on a bridge. Instead, it was a man made feature on the other side. A few leaders were hunting for it back where I'd come from. I crossed the bridge and because I had driven in to the park this way (as directed) I remembered seeing a control on the other side and so I went right to it. Ahead of Greg Balter probably for the first time this year, I tried to remain calm since it was a long race. I plotted the best route through the next window B, A, D, E, C. Greg passed me staying lower to A. I saw Eddie Bergeron a few times in the window--since he didn't look very happy, I figured he'd had trouble with #3. I held off Illiana Shandurkova until D; the top of a climb. The often high risk transition between running my own pace and the pace of the line of runners set in. I slowed a little and Illiana got ahead quickly. I think I glimpsed her going toward #9 next--she'd probably already been to C. I didn't check my map sufficiently so instead of going around the ridge to C, I went up and over toward #9, skipping a control. I saw Illiana going up the reentrant next. I thought it'd be better to use the trail so I climbed out to the right. This took much longer than expected but I guess I was just getting tired. On the trail, I approached F in the next window. I should have been going to #10 instead. I guess in the transition still, I was just brain dead or had the map folded poorly because I never saw #10 on the map. I got to F with some trouble then spiked the next two, G and H. Climbing up, I saw Illiana approaching and figured she'd done something wrong for me to be ahead again. I crossed the next couple reentrants and spiked the first control, I. Had I not skipped #10, I would have had a much easier approach both physically and technically. I had some trouble with K by being too low, then spiked J and I. I was out to the map exchange in 57:06. I forced down a whole quart of Gatorade and ate some, finishing the break at 58:36. Dan Quinn caught-up and had a much shorter break so on the climb up the hill he caught me. I didn't try to keep up and watched as he made a mistake ahead leaving the road too soon. I spiked everything in the next window, P, O, M, N. Next, I crossed the reentrant and a trail. I often have made mistakes in this area and don't know why. I ended up at the bottom of the hill in the green on the west end of the map. It took me a while to correct but not before Dan had caught-up. I got us to #23 next. Dan moved ahead toward #24 but overshot it so I got there first. He moved much further ahead climbing to the campground road. I think I glimpsed Illiana for the last time ahead of Dan. I was thirsty at this point but water hadn't been added to Q when I had gone through it. I ran the next window Q, S, R, T, U. It seemed that R was much higher than mapped. Because Dan had made an error leaving S, I caught-up by T. We kept running into each other the next few controls mostly due to his bobbles. Eventually, he pulled ahead out of sight. I ran through #18 again and drank most of my second Gatorade. I stayed low going to V--the long grasses pulled at my feet and caused me to cramp a lot. I spiked everything in the window V, Y, X, W and saw Dan once more--it seemed like I had made up some ground. Leaving W, I saw Randy going into the window on his second control. I ran along the creek a little but climbed too early, getting slowed by the vegetation. Across the creek I climbed and spiked #36 despite the contours being off a bit on the low part of the climb. I ran toward #37 passing some people on another course, and got cramps in my right hamstring. Then I got confused. I started reading the map as if I were going to #36 again. I got pulled left as a result and passed the control. Cutting right, I saw Patti Mace looking a bit tired. We both saw the control lower at about the same time. It was a good recovery. I ran on toward the Go control and saw something ahaed--it was the streamer-o course control. Just a bit beyond that, I reached the Go control and limped out toward the finish. I heard someone coming up fast and thought it might be Randy--I picked-up the pace to a run but it was someone else. I got to the finish in 5th and felt good until 15 minutes later when I learned that I mispunched twice. I was a kilometer shorter than a legal finish; given what I missed, I think it would have made a 7-8 minute difference. It was still fun, despite the 88F heat and humidity. My penance was to...

...do control pickup (Little Bennett Regional Park, MD). After a break and having some good US Champs planning coordination discussions, I drove to the south end of the park and picked-up controls. It's something that I hadn't done in a long time since it's hard on Max going without a nap (Peggy had him in NY at the Hudson Highlander). I hit things pretty well. Only two of the controls had e-punches and only one control was a water stop.

I'm still coughing-up the chlorine tasting phlem that started at the end of last week. It's still low grade stuff.