Training Log Archive: Nadim

From the Rockville Sports Complex near Rock Creek Park in MD., I crossed north of Southlawn Dr. and started with the hillsides of the landfill. I'd covered part of this area last weekend but having lost the GPS tracks it was worth doing it again. With features on paper this time, I was much better able to keep track of my position and record the area. I found it interesting with a sort of stair step to it and a mix of runnable and less runnable mature and immature trees. There were several clearings that were mostly horizontal on the stair steps best of all, there were some seemingly erratic boulders hidden about. Looking across the grassy top of the landfill, there was more interesting contour but with the methane extraction pipes running all over the place, we'll not be able to use any of that for decades. I also covered some of what I expect will be very enjoyable fast open woods on a large rounded hill that's somewhat south of the dam. Our Summer Short Series training ventures into these area should be helpful with at least 3 distinct terrain areas--the two already mentioned and the boulder strewn stream valleys below them. I did feel some soreness walking around on uphill parts but the more I was out, the better I felt. I tried a few steps running here and there too. These didn't hurt.

45 situps. After trying to run on Thusday night, my calf and achilles were sore much of Friday.

I was glad to return to spring in Bethesda, MD this evening. Despite cloudy skies, the weather was much warmer than it was in Kansas City, MO. I'd been eagar to try running after basically a week off. I started off in the dark in light rain and headed up the gradual hill on Northfield Rd. to Greenwich Park. Hills had aggrivated my injury a week ago. I took it easy and felt like things were going okay. However I was happy to get to Georgetown Rd. where it was flatter. I moved steadily and felt okay. I figured I'd be able to do a planned 2 mile easy run. With a very slight uphill grade approaching Cedar Ln. I felt it was time to shorten the run. I turned down Sonoma Rd. and on the down hill felt like I should be able to run better. However that wasn't the case. I needed to slow before the second block and then decided to make it as short as possible by heading back on Grant St. I toughed it out for a minute but finally decided to just walk home a little bit before reaching Greentree Rd. This little outing made my injury surprisingly more sore. It also felt more localized in a diagonal from the lower calf and into the achilles tendon. My memory is that the injury was higher before. It looks like this will take a while to heal and that I'll have to rely on bicycling for exercise for a while.

45 situps in my hotel in Overland Park, KS. I was more tempted to run this day and had actually brought clothes to try it after work. However, a work social dinner got planned and I used the remaining time afterward for some needed shopping afterward. I also noted some unexpected uncomfortableness in my injured calf--may that was weather related.

45 situps. I worked late and was tired. I ate and watched the new Alice in Wonderland mover. With worsening weather and not a very good place to run near my hotel in Overland Park, I wasn't very motivated to test out and see how much I'd healed.

45 situps. After working most of the day, then traveling to Kansas City, I didn't have much time to do much else.

Event: QOC: Little Bennett Day
 

Rock Creek Park, Rockville, MD. Starting from the Rockville Sportsplex, I did some field checking north of Southlawn Rd. Things were going pretty well. I found a mix of difficulty level features; a lot of it was rock. I traced several rides and clearings and took 40 waypoints. Unfortunately, something happened later and my GPS tracings were lost. At least I have my notes and they waypoints still. It was fun to get out again. I'd had few opportunities to field check new terrain this winter. My calf is getting stronger but its still better to go easy on it for now.

QOC: Little Bennett Regional Park, MD. I had intended to just try walking a course and figured that I'd take whatever kids wanted to go with me. The girls within Max's playgroup all went off together since the boys didn't want to go at all. I waited them out kicking a ball in a field for a while and eventually got my Max and Max Lennon to go with me to walk a Brown course. I didn't want to risk a change of mind so I rushed us off to a start with one compass and one and a half-maps. I hadn't realized that the Brown course was going to be 4.3K; they usually are around 3.5K for QOC. Max Lennon didn't have gaitors and neither did my Max. It took us 14 minutes with some stop and go, getting to the first control. We were more efficient later but before going, I hadn't thought we'd be out for as long as we were. I carried my son on my shoulders on the climb portion of the first leg--fortunately, my range of motion with my right foot had improved enough to do this. It's now when I try to extend a stride by toeing-off that it hurts. I gave Max Lennon my compass and map and let him take us to the controls. We checked routes on legs, went over setting bearings, and checked things off as we went. Max Lennon really understands the navigation. He just wasn't used to the planning and figuring out what is a safe or quick route. His motivation wasn't quite evident but with this being a more technical course, I think it may have held more interest for him. I felt bad about dragging both Max's out, especially when Max Lennon would silently stop and pull thorns from his unprotected ankle. My own Max got tired enough soon enough that I ended up carrying him over the thorns and hills for close to 2/3rds of the course. He had fun swinging sticks at branches that were attacking him and though he weight +40 lbs., he feels light. I couldn't tell if Max Lennon was having any fun at all due to his quiet nature but at dinner later, he seemed to genuinely say he had fun too. The attached GPS track is incomplete--some sort of data loss ocurred.

Little Bennett Regional Park. With 8 controls still out and it appearing that few would be around to help out, I went out to get 4 of them that were nearby. I ran into Dave Onkst along the way. I knew Heidi was going to ask him to get the other 4 so I worked it out with him to pickup 3 of them that were farther away. My first control was a water stop with lots of jugs and plastic cups. There weren't any bags available when I started so all I had to clean-up with was one plastic bag and another zip lock that someone left there. I restacked the smashed cups since that was the only way to stuff everything into the one bag I had. After I got 2 other controls, I ran into Greg Lennon who had been sent out after the other 4 controls (2 of which Dave Onkst had gotten). He had been dropped-off by car so he took some of my load too.