Training Log Archive: Nadim

Derry, NH. After flying up with Peggy, Max, Dave Onkst and Ted Good, we didn't know what to do with our time. Peggy suggested seeing the Robert Frost Farm since it was not far from Manchester where we flew in. While she toured the farm house, I hiked a little path. Using a brochure given to use by the ranger, Ted and I separately walked and read about numbered features that were described by excerpts of Robert Frost's poems and other comentary. I walked very slowly while reading about the natural surroundings. Max was going to come with me but when I tried to explain to him about staying away from poison ivy that the ranger warned us about, Max got scared. Peggy said he was very patient and happy to tour with her in the farm house.

North Salem, NH. After the Frost Farm, we still had some time to explore. I used my car GPS and learned that America's Stonehenge was very nearby. I had heard of it before and was curious enough to check it out, while dragging everyone else with me. We only had a half hour to rush the hike or risk getting locked into the parking lot according to the teen who sold us our tickets. Max enthusiastically charged up and down the trails. At one point he started climbing a structure and we had to stop him. There were multiple pointer stones placed in an elongated oval shape on a forested hillside and in the middle were several stone structures including small chambers. From a central platform, one could see most of the pointer stones as the various astronomical alignments passed through the center. Some of the structures didn't look so old and were perhaps altered in the 1950's when the place was popularized. The pamphlet we got indicated that the construction was 4,000 years old--the oldest know in N. America. Dave Onkst, a Ph.D. candidate historian, doubted that very much. It was still fun for me to see it. Some of it reminded me of structures Peggy and I saw on our honeymoon in Ireland. At the end of the hike we passed some Alpacas in a pen.

Washington, D.C. From 12th & Independence Ave. SW, down The Mall past the Reflecting Pool to the Lincoln Memorial, Ohio Dr. to the Rock Creek Trail, to 24th St. NW, up to the Woodley Park-Zoo Metro Station. After 3 days of rains and busy work kept me spinning, a 4th day of working late and rains almost got me to skip the run again but the rains stopped as I was ready to leave work (because I have to carry a wallet and other things, then ride the trains the rest of the way home, I don't want to run in the rain). I dressed quick got going. It was humid out. I noticed more ducks on the puddles in the grasses than in the normal waters. Approaching Georgetown near the Kennedy Center while crossing under the T. Roosevelt Bridge, I could notice an air barrier. The temperature was cooler on the other side and the Potomac River had fog added to cover the flotsam. It was obscuring some of the view of Georgetown. Perhaps because I was passing other runners very quickly, I had the odd sensation that I was running fast without a lot of effort while at the same time being aware that I might not be going so fast. I did however, start to slow the last 1.5 miles. I was much stronger than before when climbing the steep hill at the end.

Once on the metro train after the run, stood and again was self concious about sweating. It was then that I also learned that my legs were still tired from the earlier longer runs--various muscles that I hadn't noticed no the run, then felt sore. At Bethesda, I charged up the escalator pretty good.

Another planned run was foiled by working late, some errands, tiredness and the rain storms. I just spinned late in the evening while watching a movie again.

With more rainy weather and working late, I did some spinning again. I felt stronger.

I just did some easy spinning while watching a movie.

Event: QOC: Lake Accotink, VA
 

From the Lake Frank parking lot off Avery Rd., I went over the dam and down to the paved Rock Creek Trail. Crossing the rain swollen stream to the west side on the bridge, I went south under Rte. 28 to Rockville Civic Center Park where I climbed up to the Woodland Trail. I stayed high on the north end of the park until the last bridge over the main stream, then reversed back down to Rock Creek using trails on the south side of the stream. I eventually crossed over Rock Creek on Baltimore Rd. and headed back up to Lake Frank on trails. Passing the lake, I stayed on the east side of North Branch until Muncaster Mill. I continued northward slightly on trails but soon got on the paved trail parallel to Muncaster Mill Rd. I ran the road shoulder on Avery Rd. to the Lake Needwood Park entrance. Once in the park, I got on trails and since I had my GPS watch on and plan to field check the area later, I tried to use trails which I hadn't been on before as I headed counter-clockwise around the lake. This had me going over several good hills late into the run. As I was headed back and about to cross Southlawn Ln., I found a small path going up parallel to it. The trail went to the back yard of a house but branched before ending, leaving what looks to be another decent trail to explore later. I descended back down to the paved Rock Creek Trail, and crossed Southlawn Ln. before climbing back up to the parking at Avery Rd. I did a bit extra in the parking lot until my watch registered 12.0 miles on the nose. Though probably the slowest 12 miles I remember running, this was a pretty good run for me; the longest this year. The trails were a bit muddy in places. It slowed me some. The hills certainly did and over 10 miles were were on dirt. The rain stopped while I was going. My goal had been to just keep moving at a decent pace for 90 to 120 minutes and having done that I'm fairly pleased. I had to work through more than one kind of discomfort along the way and felt at times like the way some people drive an old car. At least with being a biological system, there's always the hope of getting stronger again.