Training Log Archive: Nadim

I rode inside partly to make sure my plan to increase running miles is gradual. I watched a movie.

Event: QOC: Greenbelt
 

QOC Greenbelt Park: It seemed like a long time since I last had an orienteering race and I enjoyed the break. I picked up a few pounds over the holidays putting me at a rather normal weight for this time of year but it was still much less than levels I was at in much of 2008.

I was probably the last to start and started the first few controls feeling a need to pace myself. The distance of this race should be a good start to building a better base for later season races. I've been in Greenbelt Park so many times that I feel I shouldn't make any errors but I did anyway. The course set by the QOC Juniors was pretty fun and a bit different. I stuck to trails when possible but in some cases like going to #7 and #19 a straighter route would have been better. I reasoned both that when feeling in a not-so-good shape it's best to run smooth on easier terrain going around and to not risk getting my feet wet on a cold day (both control legs that I erred on crossed Still Creek). I made errors on #7, #9, and going to #22. The vegetation has changed a bit here and there. The contours on this map could use some updating too. The newly added blue root stocks didn't register in my head until looking at the map after the event. More comments in the Split List.

It's time to retire this pair of O' shoes. The balls of my feet were hurting at times though it was probably partly due to the more frozen ground.

Warm-up for the QOC meet in Greenbelt Park. Most of this was a run to the Holly Knoll bathrooms since the facility in the Sweetgum parking area was closed.

Blue - Splits

I did some spinning while watching television. I didn't feel very strong.

45 situps. I stayed up too late playing with Max's Legos. Max wanted a tractor trailer truck and I accomodated his request. I never had legos when growing up so it was kind of fun to use it as a new art form...

I was spinning pretty well while watching television.

From the Friendship Heights Metro Station, Western Ave. to Friendship Blvd. to Willard Ave. to N. Park Ave., through Somerset Park, to Warwick Pl. to Dorset Ave. to the Little Falls Trail, to Hillandale Rd. through the Bethesda Pool parking lot, to the Capital Crescent Trail to Bethesda Ave. to Woodmont Ave. to the Bethesda Metro Station. This was a slowish generally uphill run after work in the dark. I wasn't feeling used to running at night or running much at all. It took a long time to start feeling warm. It was supposed to be right around freezing but winds were reported to be 15mph. Though I was often sheltered, I was generally running into it.

I was going to run around The Mall at work but thought better of it. It was partly because I was feeling cold in my office and I knew it was coldish outside. I'd also walked around at lunch and saw lots of tourists moving around between the trucks doing clean-up of the Inaugural celebrations. I've seen the aftermath of many, many celebrations such as the big Forth of July's, the Million Man March, Pro Choice and Right-for-Life rallies (but not the farmer tractor protest). This one had the most impact on The Mall. I saw grass in all the usual places last week but mostly it was gone, not just flattened but with bare dirt visible over vast stretches. It was hard packed and flattened too so if you rolled a ball, it would go a long way. It was all the more remarkable since it was not muddy, the ground was a bit frozen and there was no summer heat to kill things. The dirt was visible as far as I could see from the Washington Monument to the Capital building. Some participants that I overheard talked about it being so packed with people that if you sneezed and moved your arms it would send waves through the crowd. They said there was a lot of pushing but that people didn't seem to mind.

Lake Bernard Frank, MD. I continued field checking areas north of the lake and on the east side of North Branch Creek. I checked my drafting of some areas that I covered last Saturday and got to some new terrain too. I found more scattered clearings and more white woods than I expected. There were a few old barbed wire fences too. The light snow from the day before hadn't melted at all. I haven't been able to find my Goretex hiking shoes and I should have worn thicker socks with my trail shoes. My toes got cold enough to lose feeling and I didn't know they were a little wet where the snow melted on top of my shoes. As the day ended I got back across the creek on some frozen water and a snowy tree trunk. Earlier in the day I'd pulled a muscle or something on the left side of my back. Lying down and napping for a while helped that enough for me to feel good enough to go after the seeing the Inaugural Invocation on television.