Training Log Archive: Nadim

I set out half of the White and Yellow controls plus a few others for the Ultralong Championship. I got help from Don Davis who did the other half. I was walking better but still had to be careful. I went out without spikes which was more comfortable for my feet but more slippery on slopes covered with leaves.

Event: QOC Long Day's Night
 

Fountainhead Regional Park, VA. My back problems abated enough today to let me get into the woods and do more course setup for the Ultralong Championship on Sunday. I had a lot of help from David Onkst and Tom Nolan. Both placed controls that were farther away and when steep hills were involved. They did some streamering of a few out-of-bounds areas too--that's time consuming. I placed the model controls and a few others. It was in the mid 30's for most of the day. When the sun was out and we were moving, I felt fine but my feet started getting cold, especially my right foot parts of which are numb from the back issues. The pain from my back almost went away for a long part of the day. As it got colder, various parts would throb and the pain would jump around all on my right side from my hip to my ankle to my butt, and sometimes my hamstring. My ankle felt especially weak and prone to turning. It also felt imbalanced so that when I walked it seemed natural to twist. It is fun seeing the course get setup.

I was in a lot of pain today. I guess I really do have sciatica. Whenever I walked or just stood, shooting pain would run up and down my right leg. It was worse than when starting out yesterday and the pain only let up a little bit. Often it had me wincing when I had to stand or walk. The focus of the pain jumped around too. It was most often in my ankle/calf but when at the QOC map sealing party, the pull in my hamstring was being emphasized. I guess the pain goes to whatever nerve is being pinched and the injuries seem to emphasize it more. I think the hamstring injury was actually partly induced by the pain which is often like cramp that won't go away. My ankle/calf was partly numb or tingly. It's a good thing that I have help to get the remaining controls out for the weekend.

Fountainhead Regional Park, VA. I'm falling apart one body part at a time. It was painful just lying in bed last night. Despite it being very late when I went to be, shooting pain in my right leg was making it hard to get sleep. The sprain in my right leg is perhaps more like a calf tear, being high. That somehow tied together with my ongoing back problems on my right side. Standing was difficult due to strong pain shooting between my hip, and calf/ankle. I went out anyway since I had to set controls. Fortunately, David Onkst had volunteered to help. Together we got out 21 mostly far away controls. As I got moving, it became easier to walk. However, I generally had to stay on slopes where it was higher on the right side. I went out of my way to do that at times. When it was unavoidable, I walked duck style on my right leg to keep from rolling my ankle again. I still stumbled on things under the leaves occasionally and that hurt. I should have taped before going out. After stumbling one too many times, and favoring my hurt right leg, I jerked too hard and pulled something in my right hamstring. That kept hurting throughout the day. The pain was manageable most of the time and sometimes hurts worse at home--it was worth doing to get ahead of my control deployment schedule.

At least the forest was nice and it was sunny. The temperature seemed to get close to 70 F but it may have been cooler. The leaves were mostly gone but there were enough on the trees to make it more difficult to see far, like one can in April. Dave and I bumped into Keg Good who was getting familiar with her block vetting loop. After the nearly all day together, I dropped Dave off at Gallows Rd. so that he could run into DC and then run home - a +20 mile run in the dark on what to him is an unfamiliar paved trail.

C • Bodily disintegration 3

Fountainhead Regional Park, VA. All together, I hauled another 8 gallons but for a shorter distance than on Saturday, over fewer hills, and in 2 trips. My ankle was hurting a good bit. My back and hip were rather painful afterward too. I couldn't stand for long without it hurting.

DVOA Mid-Atlantic Championship at Brandywine: I tried to warm-up a little and loosen my back. It worked moderately.

DVOA Mid-Atlantic Championship at Brandywine: I was kind of hesitant initially. I had trouble getting used to the map and scale was bothering me in particular. I moved slowly getting my back warmed-up too. I hit the initial controls okay but required some correction later. I started getting back on track again and moving ahead in the middle. After #9, I took the lower route and went right past #51. I noted that it was not the control number for control 13 on the Green course; it was one off of #52. After hitting the next few well, I attacked #13 from the lower trail. I ended up seeing #51 again by mistake but it was on the way. I did however miss #13 when attacking from control #51. I soon realized what I did and found the control quickly after that. The rest were okay but I was just slow getting up the hill.

DVOA Mid-Atlantic Championship at Brandywine: I anchored a team composed of Tom Wells, David Onkst, and myself. I wasn't that keen on going out orienteering again after my first run. I was a bit cold but more importantly, I had twisted my ankle during the previous race. When I got started, I was in second place. I was a bit too excited and took bad routes to #2, even missing initially. I fell twisting my angle on the way to #3 and tweaked it a few more times during the race. Coupled with my back, this wasn't good. I did the rest of the course okay but wasn't very efficient. Our team finished 3rd, though 2 faster teams got DQ'd.

Green - Splits