Training Log Archive: Nadim

From Northfield Rd. Custer Rd. and Glenbrook Rd. to Falls Rd., to the Capital Crescent Trail, and then back. I towed Max on his trail-a-bike to the pool. It was a busy day and we rushed out to the pool before it closed, under rain threatening skies. Max was more eager to move fast than I but as usual, his efforts were erratic. That made it hard for me to find the right gear.

Splashing around with Max in the Bethesda Pool. I sometimes swam with Max on my back. On one of these I submerged deeper in shallow water and skinned 3 knuckles pretty good.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to Arlington Ave. with Max on his trail-a-bike, then to 12th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. Besides Max's backpack and my pannier, I had to carry an extra bag on my shoulder for Max's slumber party day. It was awkward but I managed to get there slowly. After that, I moved at an average pace not feeling particularly strong in the warmer weather. There were only a few small pockets of cooler air. At MacArthur Blvd., I got passed by two guys who were drafting off of each other. SUUUCK went my wheel. They were really going much faster than I could help with and they didn't seem to mind. We were doing around 26mph down the slope and 22-24mph on the flats until Georgetown. they blocked a lot of wind. Trees sheilded us, so when I was alone after Water St., with a slight SW headwind on more open ground, I was only doing 20-21mph but with a lot more effort.

From 12th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. to Arlington Rd. to pickup Max and his trail-a-bike, then to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. I had tailwinds most of the way to Bethesda but I was riding alone and it was hotter than it had been. Despite doing about 17mph up the grade, I still got passed by two guys going a lot faster. I had gotten to the usual spot where I lockup Max's trail-a-bike in 39:01. Going home was slower because I once again had to carry an oversized bag on my shoulder along with Max's backpack. The bag kept getting in the way of my legs as I tried to pedal and the awkward positioning started making my back sore.

Afterward, Max and I went out the the Agricultural History Farm Park to see Peggy race XC. I ran some in a tag game with Max and to get to the finish line while snapping pictures of Peggy and others. Despite making efforts to stretch today and feeling better, the running was straining my left calf/achilles.

45 situps. It was a fairly busy day.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to Arlington Ave. with Max on his trail-a-bike, then to 12th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. Still with the option to ride the bus, Max was still a bit nervous about riding to school on his trail-a-bike but we checked it and went ahead. Today he was reciting a mantra which I can't quite remember but was something along the lines of I'm not going to wreck. After dropping him off, I again enjoyed cool air and sunshine though it was warmer than yesterday. I tried to keep speeds down but sometimes rode too fast. I rode alone the whole way but there were no headwinds or tailwinds on Ohio Dr. either. If not for car traffic, I would have been faster than yesterday instead of 3 seconds slower.

From 12th St & Independence Ave., SW, Washington, D.C. to to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. I left work late so I first had to ride through the courtyard and basement of the building to get to 12th & Independence Ave., SW. I went down Independence until I got to 17th St., then because of the traffic, I rode along The Reflecting Pool slaloming tourists to the Lincoln Memorial. It was warm but a fairly pleasant ride. I kept spinning and kept good strength most of the way. I got passed by two faster riders just before River Rd. I stopped at Arlington Ave. to not only pickup Max's trail-a-bike, but Max too. He, Peggy and I participated in a cookout picnic of sorts. It was good to get something to drink there since I had left my water bottle in the office.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to Arlington Ave. with Max on his trail-a-bike, then to 12th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. I gave Max the option of taking the bus or riding with me. He chose to ride and this surprised me. We checked the bicycle connection together and I asked him several times if he was sure he wanted to do this. He said it was okay as long as it was okay with me. That's a lot of trust. A doctor and nurse at the hospital last week had told him unprompted that he'd need to get back on the bicycle soon so I guess he took it to heart. We rode slowly and he was singing to himself in a carefree manner much of the way; having fun. I was nervous when we got to the place were the bikes came apart last week but we passed it and enjoyed the cool dry air and bright sunshine. Max's scabs are already coming off and he looks much better. After dropping him off, I moved comfortably. I caught a group of riders at the water treatment plant who caught me again at Fletcher's Boathouse, I enjoyed the draft for a while, then got passed by two commuters screaming along. I jumped behind them going well into Georgetown, then slowed with some SW headwinds, taking them at a more sane pace.

From 12th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. to Arlington Rd. to pickup Max's trail-a-bike, then to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. I kept a mostly comfortable pace and had mixed to no winds. There were a lot of people on the trails and most were cycling.

With it being warmer, I didn't feel like riding inside.

Event: QOC Jug Bay
 

Jug Bay, MD. Warm-up for the QOC Beer Chase. It was overcast and humid but not hot.

C • darn - I missed it again! 3

QOC: The (Beer) Chase. The race was fun and I thought Ted Good's course was good for the terrain. If this race had been 3 days earlier, I probably wouldn't have run it. I hadn't run or worked out much for about a week--not as long a gap as David Onkst has had. This race is a bit of a tradition for me now. I was feeling less tightness in my calf so I went ahead. I made some mistakes but none terribly serious. I went out with the faster runners and quicker drinkers, then found myself alone. The leaders, most with international team experience were pulling far ahead and I had a pretty good lead on a few others until I started making bigger errors. Dave Hauver almost knocked me out of 6th place when he almost caught me on the third loop. Either he's getting faster or I'm getting slower--okay, I know I'm getting slower but maybe not that much. I was fortunate to have had more leg speed toward the end especially since Dave was drinking faster. After the race, my left calf was sore again. See the Split List for individual leg comments.

Jug Bay, MD. I took Max and Mason out for a paddle. Nicole Lennon and Alexis Merka were in another canoe and we stayed together. Greg Lennon paddled a kayak with us part of the time.

Loops 1, 2, & 3 - Splits