Training Log Archive: Nadim

Event: O Marathon II - Fair Hill NRMA, MD
 

From Northfield Rd. to Custer Rd. to Wilson Blvd. to Glenbrook Rd. to Bradley Blvd. to Kennedy Dr. to Dorset Ave. to the Capital Crescent Trail to the Little Falls Trail at Hillandale Rd. through Norwood Recreational Area, to Wisconsin Ave. to Old Georgetown Rd. to the Huntington Pkwy. to Custer Rd. to Northfield Rd. I kept busy throughout the day and didn't get out running until after 11pm. At least I got something in before the expected rains tomorrow. It was a warmer night but I had on the same amount of clothes. I felt tired returning, a little sore in the quadricepts, and a bit overdressed. Returning home I got to see our own holiday lights that I'd put on the house earlier in the day with a little bit of Max's help. I still hacked-up a fit of coughs after this run.

From Northfield Rd. to Custer Rd. to Huntington Pkwy. to Old Georgetown Rd. to Maple Ridge Rd. to the Bethesda Trolley Trail. to Battery Ln./Rosedale Ave. to Kentbury Dr. to the Georgetown Branch Trail, to Elm St. to Wisconsin Ave. to Elm St. to Exeter Rd. to Park Ln. to Custer Rd. to Northfield Rd. I got out latish again. The heat had gone out in our house again so I was trying to figure out what had happened for much of the evening. With it cold inside (low 60's F), it made it easier when I got outside; (below freezing) but a breeze made it more crisp. Things were quiet just about everywhere I went. It was nice to pass our old house on Rosedale. Some of the other houses there have been rennovated; others just had their holiday lights put up. The tunnel was locked as I passed around it and I got him just before 11pm.

From Northfield Rd., Custer Rd. to Wilson Ln., to Maiden Ln. to Whittier Blvd. to Woodhaven Blvd. to Bradley Blvd. to Valley Rd. to Ridge Rd. to McKinley St. to Garfield St. to Roosevelt St. to Jefferson St. to Northfield Rd. I'm still feeling a bit of a cold/cough. After digesting a bit, I got out running at around 10:30pm. It was just under 30F and a steady breeze was blowing. I'd been thinking about doing this route again for a while and haven't done it since September. I took it easy but felt better than the day before. This route has one large hill.

From Northfield Rd., Greenwich Park, to Old Georgetown Rd. to Beech Dr. to to Singleton Dr. to Bulls Run Pkwy., to the trail along the school to Bradmore Dr. to Folkstone Rd. to Hartsdale Ave. to Heampstead Ave. to McKinley St. to Garfield St., to Roosevelt St., to the trail at Jefferson St. to Northfield Rd. I couldn't let yet another day go by without running. I've had trouble adjusting since getting back from California-lots of excuses perhaps. It was a travel day on Monday, and pretty busy at work on Tuesday and Wednesday. I picked-up a bit of a cold just before leaving California and I've been staying up too late (on west coast time) getting some things done. That and the recent cold rains sapped the little energy that I have. With Peggy on a new temporary work schedule, the evenings have involved making dinner and getting Max ready for bed. I got out to run well after midnight; further delayed by having to put the trash out. I felt better than expected at first though there was some initial discomfort from the yucca thorn that's embedded deep in my still swollen left shin. After the first mile taken easily at about 7:25, instead of feeling better, I felt worse and plodded through the rest. My left knee was giving me the usual aches and pains associated with changes to colder weather but my congested lungs weren't sucking enough in. I felt really sapped and awful by the time I dragged myself the last 2 miles home. I thought I'd be much slower than I was. After I got into bed I probably kept Peggy awake with my hacking/coughing and later had a nasty painful cramp in my right calf; the cramp was still smarting me the next day.

C • hacking cough 1

Event: QOC Great Falls MD
 

LAOC: Vasquez Rocks Variety Pack; Middle. I started out badly and didn't get much better until the course got easier. Tapio Karas again started a few minutes ahead of me but I never saw him this time. I had a hard time adjusting to the 1:10,000 scale in this very technical area. I didn't trust my first inclination at #1 and lost a few minutes there. #2 was very close to an unmapped and out-of-bounds areas which I strayed into before relocating. I got #3, #4, and #5 pretty well but had a small error at #6 and larger ones at #7 and #8. I hit #9 pretty well but being unconfident, I ran low going to #10. I could see that one from a trail but had to convince myself to check it out. With cliffs in the way, I had to do a big zig-zag to get there. I could see the set of rocks that the next control would be in from #10 but I ran up the wrong slot and lost more time. Karl Alswede just about caught me there. As I ran out, I found myself chasing Greg Walker on the Blue course to my #12. I gained on him and separated a bit more from Karl but misjudging the distance, I ran wide right to #13. By the time I came back, I was punching just in front of Karl again. I hit the next few pretty well and even got to the second to last control before Greg. However as I ran out toward the Go control, I missed the easier trail route to the right. I climbed left to avoid the pointy yuccas in a reentrant and found myself way too far left, behind Greg by about 30m or so. I never caught him. I was winded from sprinting but not very tired from the race. My errors put me far behind what other Red course runners (Ted Good and Tapio Karas were around 12 minutes ahead) did though I wasn't last. I still enjoyed the challenge here and can at least take back some of the sting of my first try at navigating this area in 2001 when I was essentially still a novice. It's been a nice vacation too but it's just about over.

LAOC: Vasquez Rocks Variety Pack; I warmed-up from the parking area to the start, and also did some back and forth jogging too.