Training Log Archive: Nadim

Rock Creek Regional Park, Lake Needwood area. I started out setting the bulk of the advanced controls. After the good night sleep that I had, I felt ready to go. I started with a backpack full of 18 controls and flags and was able to run with it. Things went much more quickly than the day before. Part of it was the route being cooler, less steep, and less green. The controls were closer together too. It started getting hot after the first loop and more when I made 2 more trips to haul water.

I saw a bunch of wildlife; everything from masses of ants flying away to find a new home, a Great Blue heron fishing below the dam, to antlered deer that huffed at me. There were a few snakes too--a rarity most anywhere. I saw one small one scurry away near some rocks. The other, or part of it, I saw on the first trip hauling water. It was really just the end tail of an inch thick black snake. Something eating the rest of it had just killed it. On my second trip hauling the water, the tail was gone; my guess is that a raptor got it and accidentally had dropped the tail out of a tree. Yesterday I only saw deer and frogs but one of the deer was dead with masses of maggots writhing across what was its face. Nature got me--ouch; a bumper crop of acorns were dropping everywhere and making the steeper slopes slippery.

Rock Creek Regional Park, Lake Needwood area. After lunch I went out on my mountain bike to set mostly Orange controls. This worked out well. I'd been seeing a few cyclists in the park earlier. It's not a park with a lot of trails for MTB but I wonder if it's going to change. In a few places with high grass, it was more pleasant to be on bike than it would have been on foot--riding I cracked right through some of the sticks that might have tripped me. Just after setting the last control I felt a few sprinkles. It didn't rain until I had gotten in the van and was headed home.

From Northfield Rd., to Arlington Rd. with Max, then back. I rode on my mountain bike.

Rock Creek Regional Park, MD. I set out some controls for the QOC meet here on Sunday. There were 2 water controls and though I won't be making any more updates, I took some notes for a few things. The woods were rather nice where it was mapped white. It was satisfying to finally hang some controls after doing a lot of preparations. It got a little warm past the morning hours.

From Northfield Rd. to Arlington Rd., to pickup Max's bike, then to his friends's house to pickup Max. From there, we rode to Ayrlawn Park where Max had karate practice. I towed his bike back Northfield Rd., holding on to it as I rode my own.

From Northfield Rd., Greenwich Park, to Old Georgetown Rd. to Beech Dr. N. Bethesda Middle School to Bradmore Dr. to McKinley St. to Garfield St., to Roosevelt St., to the trail at Jefferson St. to Northfield Rd. Seemed like I had to work more than normal but that's probably because of lack of sleep.

From Northfield Rd. to Elm St. and back. I had the munchies so I went to Giant to get a few things. I had checked the radar before leaving and it looked clear. I worked a while before going and got there dry but as I came outsitde of the store I found rain. It's still fun to ride at night. My headlamp didn't have any batter power so I've got to start charging it again.

From Northfield Rd. to Arlington Rd. with Max, then to the Bethesda Metro Station.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd.

Lake Needwood, MD. Yesterday, Max had enjoyed making a fishing rod out of sticks and things he'd found with Max Lennon. He was very disappointed that we didn't let him take his rod home. To console, I'd told Max about a fishing rod that my dad had bought me and that had until earlier this summer been with my dad. Today he begged me to go fishing with it so I could hardly refuse. We used an old lure that I was pretty sure wouldn't catch anything but Max had some fun learning to cast and the action of reeling it in, kept him busy. We were on the water an hour and a half and it was very nice out (75 F) with just the right amount of sun. Peggy met us afterward and we then ate lunch before she brought Max home.

C • Pro fishman! 3

Rock Creek Park, Lake Needwood area, MD. I wanted to get to a few spots that I hadn't been able to get to earlier to make map updates (more derecho damage) and verify control sites. It's always better to go back after an initial drafting to compare the end result with reality. I modified some earlier mapping, then caputured the areas I hadn't gotten to. I did more running than I often do when field checking; in between areas that I was updating. It was a lovely day to be out.

From Avery Rd. west of the Lake Frank area of Rock Creek Park, MD, to the Lake Shore Trail, in the Lake Frank just past Muncaster Mill Rd. to the school, then along Muncater Mill Rd. to Avery Rd., to Needwood Lake Dr. trails to Lake Needwood, then to the parking lot nearest to the dam. After field checking, I still had a little time to get a run in. I hadn't run on west side of Lake Frank in a long while. With some deadfall blocking a trail I got a bit off track and had to do some terrain running to return. Some of the intermittant trails have changed. I ran with my field notes in hand but wasn't really running on any of the the areas that I had maps for.