Training Log Archive: Nadim

QOC: Ran-It-Granite Long-O in McKeldin State Park near the old Nike Missle Site off Hernwood Rd. I was to volunteer helping with the meet later so I had an early, 9:00am start time--first on Red. I enjoyed the initial downhill start though the course made everyone pay for it getting to the finish from the other end of the map. For the initial going I was fairly accurate but feeling like my legs were dragging. On the low route going toward #10 I took a Gu only 30 minutes into the race. After that, I did feel a little better but never was fast. As our routes merged on a trail for a short way while I was going to #13, Vadim, on the way to #2 was easily running much faster. My accuracy remained good until after #13. I didn't see many other people through the run. It might have helped or hurt as I went into the technical section at the end. I knew I'd need to be careful and attacked #14 by going out of the way a little to come off a clearing. I just had trouble reading the map in the area. I saw the top contours but not the lower one that the control was on where the slope changed. I hunted around to the left and not reading the map I eventually got to #15 since it was the only thing I could see. Finishing #14 and getting to the next two were easy though I had a little hesitation on #16. I got to #17 just a bit high. Going over near the top to #18 I again couldn't read the detail on map in the area. I hunted many deep depressions not seeing the one with the control further down the hill and again abandoned reading the map which would have shown me it was near the trail. I did better on #19, by recognizing the longer depressions and navigating up higher after checking only one wrong depression. I lost over 4 minutes the last part of the course but the other competitors were just doing better today. I had the 5th fastest time on the course and dropped to second on M45+ for the two-day event. It was still fun and I did well overall for having little in the way of placing expecatations. I look forward to more races and losing my recent weight gains. Maybe my metabolism has slowed again.

Red X Day 2 - Splits

From the field in Bon Secourse Spiritual Center to the start of the QOC Ran-It-Granite meet.

QOC: Ran-It-Granite on the Driver Road map which covered part of the Bon Secours Spiritual Center and McKeldin State Park, MD. I hadn't really formed any expectations for the day other than to try to have a good run. I knew we were running a middle distance course but hadn't read the notes, known the distance or the climb. I got to the park with about 45 minutes to get ready including getting Max into the day care. I started well, pacing myself a bit after the sprints yesterday. Physically I was feeling rested and better than the day before. I found a bit more green on the course than I would have guessed from the map but overall I ran where I intended to. I probably missed a better route choice going to #5 and lost around 30-40 seconds on #10. I certainly felt the climb and walked up several hill; #9 and #11 come to mind. In the poor shape that I'm in, I didn't expect to come away leading the M45+ age group so that was nice.

At the QOC Rani-it-Granite races I had run my first race kind of late compared to most. I hadn't talked with anyone about joining a relay team so I got Max and myself some food. I would have joined a team up to the point of getting food but afterward, I was just as happy to stay out of it. I figured the rest would do me good in a number of ways. My knee has been having some warning aches and with a long race tommorow, resting was the wiser decision. I briefly had the opportunity to join up with some very fast team mates.

Instead of racing, I donned my camera gear and walk/jogged from place to place taking videos and pictures. I've done a lot of photography in the past and miss doing this a lot. Other QOC people graciously watched Max for me as Peggy was still working as a volunteer. I felt rusty with my cameras, trusting more in the camera than in my technical skills used to enable me to, but those skill started coming back too. At most meets when Peggy and I are taking turns watching Max, there's no time to do this and doing nature photography away from these events has taken a back seat to other priorities.

Red X Day 1 - Splits

Event: Ran-it Granite
 

Cabin John Regional Park. Max and I had tried to use the playground area but the rains the previous night made things wet. He had slipped walking on some plastic steps and bopped his nose so we decided to go for a hike instead. We ended up on the sometimes slippery trails going clockwise completely around the kid's railroad track. As we were walking we stopped to watch some maintenance going on. A dead tree was being cut down by some workers and we eventually got to see it fall. The initially cuts had be be proceeded by some dangerous follow-up cuts. When the follow-up cuts failed it was still leanding over at a 75 degree angle and resting on other trees. A pulley system and a truck pulling on it eventually was enough to finish the felling.

McKeldin State Park, MD. Having not done much all week, I wasn't feeling ready to do an orienteering sprint race. When Peggy returned from her lunch after vetting activities, she took over watching Max and I went back and forth near the parking area for the starts.

QOC: Ran-it-Granite at McKeldin State Park. Starting on Sprint 1, I did okay. I had started about a minute after Glen Tryson and chased him for much of the course. My biggest gain on him seemed to be on #5 which we both attacked low but I was higher. Toward the end after passing Glen, I was pushed to pass one of the younger women. Someone, male or female was making a run at me after the Go control so I reluctantly sprinted hard to stay ahead. It was a fun run but the big hills and my weight took it out of me.

QOC Ran-it-Granite at McKeldin State Park, MD. For a while after the first race I wasn't feeling much like running hard again. I was feeling better just before starting again but I decided not to push it too hard on this go. The navigation on this course was a bit too easy too. It with just a few exceptions it was in narrow valleys or right on trails. I did manage to lose time getting to the Go control by being a bit wide to the right.

McKeldin State Park, MD. I had intended to go out and follow some of the model event course with Max while taking pictures of racers. It was getting late in the day so most people had been finished with their courses already. Max, who hadn't had a nap or a proper lunch, kept wanting to go downhill and didn't have the patience to follow the map. He had it in his head that if he just went the direction he wanted, he'd find a control (how nice would that be?). It worked part of the time. He also complained about the waiting when I took, videos of racers. I do have to give him credit however for wanting to get out on the course and that's why I kept my promise and had brought him along. We eventually got down to the river area. Had I purchased the camera lens I'd been thinking about, I might have had a wide enough view to properly capture the great views. Racing by the areas in the past, I hadn't been able to take them in before. Max also chose to go out to a point which I don't remember seeing with some waterfalls and a great pool where the river bends. On the way back up, Max's energy was running out and he got cranky.

Sprint 1 - Splits

Sprint 2 - Splits

After the training at Rosaryville State Park, I was a bit tired but to other things kept me from doing any training. I got very busy at work (with some late nights) and it was too rainy/cold to ride in. After the training at Rosaryville, I also had felt some pain in my left knee reminicent of the pains preceding my meniscus tear last year. I figured the rest wouldn't hurt too bad though my weight spiked.