Training Log Archive: Nadim

Paint Branch Park, Prince Georges County, MD. Since many were gone and a local group wanted cooperation with orienteers, we hiked a short way into this park in Beltsville so that we'd be better able to spot invasive species. We pulled-up Wavy Basket Grass which kind of looks like bamboo leaves and crawls on the ground in strings like crabgrass. The organizer, a biologists says it won't come back after being pulled up because the forest canopy is thicker now. We're supposed tell them or other park officials if we spot it elsewhere. I have doubts about the effectiveness of the effort. Though they are not against using herbicides in some monoform patches, it hardly seems possible to remove it permanantly. However, the group doing this does claim success.

As for my knee, some days are worse than others. My knee had me limping much more this day than the last several. I'm not sure why and wonder if it can be related to air pressue changes. This day was an unusually mild and had low humidity for August in the DC area.

From Rosedale Ave., Maryland Ave. to Jones Bridge Rd. to Rockville Pike, to Cedar La. to the Elmhirst Trail, to Beach Dr. & the Rock Creek Trail, to the Georgetown Branch Trail, to Kentbury La. to Lynnbrook La. to Maple Ave. to Maryland Ave. to Rosedale Ave. After work, I towed Max to a playground in Rock Creek Park. He likes the one with a motorcycle on a spring. He found a friend and played a bunch before we rode back. It was quite a nice evening with some nice breezes.

From Rosedale Ave. riding around Bethesda. I went on a cookie ride after putting Max to bed. It was dark but so nice outside that I'd not realized that I forgot my wallet until I got to the store. I came all the way home and back again. One thing I'm looking forward to when we get into our new house is having a convenient place to park my bicycle. It makes trips like these so much easier when your bike is accessible.

From Rosedale Ave., to BCCHS, to the Georgetown Branch Trail, to Jones Mill Rd. to Beach Dr. to Cedar La., to Rockville Pike via the Elmhirst Trail, to Jones Bridge Rd. to Maryland Ave., to Rosedale Ave. Since Peggy and Max weren't home yet, I anticipated them being at the local high school track. The track is on the way, those days when I walk and stroller Max, to his day care. Max had voiced his idea that he wanted to run around it. This was probably because he'd seen or I'd pointed out others running around it. I intended to meet them there but got there minutes after they had already left.

I decided to make the most of it by extending the ride a bit. I ran into Rich Feliciano and his two sons. Rich was headed to the bike store on Connecticutt Ave. to pick out an new bicycle. His sons were in a double baby jogger and seemed happy enough to wait very patiently and quietly while Rich and I caught up a bit. Rich lamented similar issues to what Peggy and I had encountered in needing more space and not finding enough time to train. Rich also noted that he'd just turned 40 and told me of a knee issue which may require some surgical fixing too. For their house solution, they are meeting with an architect to see what can be done.

The ride was nice. At one point, I caught and passed a tandem on the trail but they took off later once we hit the road. I was feeling good doing about 20mph going down a hill when I started feeling like I was going to pull a muscle in my left thigh. I guess this is from not having moved my leg very fast for a while. I backed off the pace and eventually the feeling went away. The ride was on one of those nice warm summer evenings, after the heat had abated, while there was plenty of sunshine left and it reminded me of previous pleasant runs. My weight is still bouncy; up one pound from yesterday but down a lot from the weekend where swelling from trying to mow too early could have been more of a factor.

Event: 2008 Laramie Daze & US Champs
 

Lake Fairfax Park, VA. I played in the Water Mine Pool with Max. Splashing around was nice in the hot weather. Besides floating around the Lazy River on a raft with Max, I went in an out of the water on slides with him. Sometimes I ran in the water, walked on my hands or stood in the current. The weightlessness was a good way to get some motion/exercise back into my legs without much stress. I visited my parents afterward.

My left knee flopped a few more times today than the last two but overall felt better. There's still some swelling and discomfort in the mornings. this was the first day that I felt good enough to really use my left leg to climb up stairs. Going down is still awkward and is avoided since I can't bend my left leg smoothly when lowering my right leg.

C • sorry to hear about your su... 2

In the evening, after packing a box for our move later this month, Peggy, Max and I went downtown for a bite to eat and a stroll. We went from Rosedale Ave. to Kentbury La. to the Georgetown Branch Trail, through the tunnel to Woodmont Ave. & Bethesda Ave. We returned the same way. I was feeling a bit more confident about the strength in my knee. I towed Max in the trailer but kept a very easy cadence, often using my granny chain ring where there were hills. It was harder going out. I felt like I was using my right leg a lot more. Coming back was different and though I still favored it, I didn't have to push hard with my right leg.

C • Favoring a leg 2