Training Log Archive: Nadim

From Laird Pl. and Connecticut Ave. to the Georgetown Branch Trail/Capital Crescent Trail, to Bradley Blvd. to Glenbrook Rd. to Cornish Rd. to Honeywell Ln., to Wilson Ln. to Hampden Ln. to Charlcotte Ln. After some Black Friday shopping, Peggy and Max dropped me off so I could run home. It was rather nice out, in the 60s F and mostly sunny. It's a lot easier to be motivated for a run on days like this. I took it easy.

C&O Canal National Park. From the Pennyfield Lock parking lot, to Pennyfield Lock, north on the canal towpath past Mile 21 and the bend in the river where there are rapids, then back. Max accompanied me on bicycle. This was the longest ride he's done with me running and he rode much more at my pace too. The towpath is very slightly uphill going north (outward) and Max started getting tired. I had to slow a few times for him to catch-up. I was looking for the next mile marker but I either missed it or it was a long way up. We took a few breaks and watched the river. We noticed a small deer somewhat trapped on an small island near the shore. The island was made by the flooded river. Earlier we'd seen a Great Blue Heron too. Coming back was easier and Max learned the value of staying on the right side of the trail.

Event: Bethesda Turkey Chase
 

Bethesda Turkey Chase: QOC members (Kenny Walker, David Onkst, Ted Good, Gary Smith, Greg Lennon, Kathleen Lennon, Jan Merka, Dasa Merka, Max, Peggy, Alex, and Nicole, Russ Damtoft) and some other friends of ours (Bob Angel) continued the recent tradition of running this race each Thanksgiving Day. It was my turn to run the 10K while Peggy watched Max. I knew not to expect much given my lack of recent training and my recent weight gains. David Onkst had been gunning for me and earned the win.

I felt heavy in my stomach at the start. I'd not gotten to the start areas soon enough to make my way all the way up to the correct area for people running my time which was fine with me. There was a record +9,000 people running either the 10K or 2 mile. I had anticipated to run between 7:00 and 7:30 minutes/mile since I hadn't been doing much recently. As the starter launched the crowd, we started moving but suddenly after a bunch had gone, they stepped-in and held us back for the second wave. I figured that David had made the first wave. Three minutes later we were finally off. It was a nice morning with a strong sun and temperatures in the low 40's F. I found myself near the front end of the second wave. Besides others, there was a young woman slightly ahead, and a man perhaps in my age group just behind wearing a Marathon in the Parks shirt. I didn't feel nearly as swift as I had 2 years back rounding the first turn. The course was adjusted a bit and we went much further down W. Cedar before turning left at the second turn. I totally missed seeing the first mile marker--even with the record crowd, the race organizers seemed to be going cheap this year in many ways including not having any time clock or even a person calling out times. From my GPS, I estimate I was 6:25 there. We'd already begun catching people from the first wave. I found myself losing some ground to the young woman and man with the Marathon in the Parks shirt. As we went uphill, my orienteering and cycling training had me catching them and passing others. I felt I'd better pace myself and tried not to push too hard for a while. Still I would from time to time as others shifted positions. I was 13:54 at the second mile or approximately 6:30 minutes since the first. I caught a guy with 5 finger toe shoes but he pulled ahead again. The two major hills of the course didn't feel too bad; I guess I paced well enough there but I did have to weave through a lot more of the first wave of runners. I was 6:44 for my 3rd mile which had one of the major hills and part of the other. At Mile 4 with most of the second major hill, I'd slowed to 7:04 but I'd kept passing people all the way. I was stil hesitant to push too hard rounding through the Bethesda downtown. I started feeling slightly lighter on the flatter ground of Old Georgetown Rd. I didn't have a strong home stretch run but I kept up the intensity; that was more than I'd planned to do. My 5th mile was 6:57. I missed the 6th mile marker so I my 1.2 mile split was 8:08.

I didn't get out-sprinted by any youngsters. I suppose it's okay for me to use that description now since I'm officially over 50. I believe I was 6th in my 50-55 age group. One of the people in the group in front of me was only about 10 seconds ahead. Additionally, I'd almost caught Ted Good (recovering from an earlier injury) who'd gone out in the first wave. It was good to get a run in before the feasting. The QOC crowd ate bagels together afterward.

From Northfield Rd., to Old Georgetown Rd. to Johnson Ave. to Heamsteadt Ave. to McKinley Ave. to Garfield St. to Roosevelt. Ave. to Jefferson St. to Northfield Rd. Getting let out of work a bit early, (a rare event) I took advantage of getting a short run in. I felt rather tired. It was like I had low blood sugar. I've been busy at work lately but also a bit lazy after getting home. The dark evenings that are colder and wet have this effect seasonally.

45 situps.

Event: DVOA Mid-Atlantic Championships
 

Governor Dick Park, PA. Warm-up around the nature center parking lot with David Onkst for most of the time. I ate too much but much of the weight gain registred from the morning when I woke up was water that was gone before I ran later.

DVOA: Mid-Atlantic Championships at Governor Dick Park, PA. I ran the Green course partly since I hadn't been training and partly since I planned to run as part of a QOC team in the relay event. I did okay overall but let myself down at the end. I started off okay. I took the easy way out by going wide to the left on trails, then past #2 to get to #1. I was a little high for #2. I hit the next couple of controls fairly well. I was looking for a deeper reentrant for #5, hit the trail, came back and punched, but thought it was the wrong code. I relocated at the depression along the trail east of #5 and came back to the same control--this lost me 3 minutes. Going to #6, I didn't trust the trails mapped in the logged area so I stayed in the white woods--they weren't so white so I was slow, losing 2 minutes to others who used the trails in the logged area. I passed a lot of people at the end going to #6, #7, and #8. I passed Peggy going to #11, and a few others including Jon Pifer going to #13. I passed Tom Strat just after #14 and hit the trail behind him. After punching, I made a wild error trying to stay ahead of him and another DVOA runner. I must have made a 180 when I got on the wrong trail and headed a long way down. Coming back, I passed the DVOA runner and Tom Strat who had gone down with me when I made my error. Tom figured out where we were first and we had to scamper up a steep green and rocky slope to the finish area--another 3:30 minutes of error. This kept me from being fastest on the course. At least I felt okay when running.

DVOA: Mid Atlantic Championship at Governor Dick Park, PA. Running the third leg for a QOC Team of Greg Lennon, Tom Strat, and myself, but starting in a mass-start for legs 1 and 3, I didn't feel so good about this run. Strating off it was rather confusing thrashing through the green with everyone else. I had a hard time telling distance on #1 and #2. The pace was quick. I was with Andres Reves initially but passed him on the way to #3. I was not far behind Jon Torrance leave #3 and finally felt like I was more in control on the ridge trail to the top. My thought had been to go down on a more direct line to #4 but no one else had done this. I continued on the trail hoping to catch-up but then I got the idea to stay on the trail and approach #4 from the east off a nearby trail bend. It was longer but as I approached a control and saw Andres, I was encouraged. When I read the code, I looked at it at least 3 times before catching my breath enough to be sure that I'd gone to #5 instead of #4. I scampered-off passing Tom Nolan and Amber headed the other direction and 30 seconds later I was at #4. Most of the rest was chasing to catch-up. I'd lost contact with the crowd so I slowed-down getting to #6. I almost caught-up to Tom Nolan on the way to #7. The way to #8 was very thorny and uphill so I didn't make-up a lot of ground. Going off toward #9, I'd headed as Amber and Tom did straight over. Being inside an almost uncrossable fence, we couldn't see a way out. Getting through thorns and cutting back, I got more stuck by fence and thorns. Amber started climbing and hadn't come back as much so Tom and I did too. She was far enough ahead not having cut back that I couldn't catch-up and pass her; I only made-up ground that I'd lost for the second time as we got to #9. This was a dissapointing race but I think we scored some points for QOC.

Green - Splits