Training Log Archive: Nadim

Event: UNO Boulder Dash
 

From Northfield Rd., Jefferson St. to Madison St., to Grant St., to Southwick St., to Old Georgetown Rd., to W. Cedar Ave., to the Elmhirst Pkwy., to the playground near the Cedar Ave., and Beach Dr. intersection, then Beach Dr. to Connecticut Ave., to Parson Rd., to Spring Valley Rd., to Jones Bridge Rd., to the Bethesda Trolley Trail on the NIH grounds, to Maple Ridge Rd., to Park Ln., to Custer Rd., to Northfield Rd. Samantha wanted to go for a ride so we did; me towing her. She pedaled but it wasn't very noticeable for most of the time. We enjoyed the nice sunny weather. We had made a stop at the playground In Rock Creek Park before getting going again. I stayed on Beach Dr. rather than use the trail since it had rained recently but as we rode, I did see the new pavement on the trail which both took the bumps out of it and also raised it to be above most of the mud. I would have gone further but we were running out of time. We had to get back for Max's soccer game, and my mom's birthday celebration.

I worked hard and long today, like all week. By the time I got home with dinner, it was time for family movie night and rest. At least this time I hadn't dragged my backpack along under the illusion or hope that I might run after work again.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. I felt okay starting off. As I hit the CCT, I was right behind another rider who was about my speed. I stayed behind him through to the sewage treatment plant, then I returned the pull all the way into Georgetown. I kept up the cadence and effort. I realized it'd be about the fastest that I've ridden into work this year, so I continued the effort. The conditions were pretty good with no wind and a temperature of about 56 F starting out. There was some fog.

From 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C., to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. I had avoided it all year (partly by not bicycling to work as many days) but I finally let myself get locked-into the courtyard. I just had too much happening at work and needed to get it out before leaving. I rode pretty well but got slowed coming through Georgetown. As I passed Fletcher's Boathouse, another guy whom I've ridden behind earlier this year passed me quickly. A second guy passed soon after. He didn't look very fast and was possibly older than I, but I kept up pace behind him. It turned out that half a mile later he pulled-off. I got slower in the last few miles. I was a little tired from the ride in the morning. It was dusk when I got home and Max, who had been leading a group of neighborhood kids on a ride, had just finished at the same time.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. in the dark. I had planned on running after work but work didn't end soon enough.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. It was 45 F just before I started. I felt like I was going to be cold so I wore removable arm sleeves. After a quarter mile I was feeling pretty good. I didn't feel particularly strong. I slowed on the few climbs that there were. However, I did keep passing people all the way into Georgetown. One guy I'd passed started drafting off of me while hanging back a ways. I was sweaty as usual by the time I got to work.

From 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C., to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station. It was around 51 F. I had thought about riding into work but it seemed cold--I guess it was just the darkness. I also can use more running training. My right heel to arch area hurts while walking. While this has been the case after doing runs or orienteering since July, it has usually gone away a couple of hours later. This was hurting since racing on Saturday. It can be quite sharp sometimes.

From the Woodley Park Metro Station in Washington, D.C., to the National Zoo via Connecticut Ave., down the Olmstead Way to the Rock Creek Trail, to the Melvin Hazen Trail, to Connecticut Ave., to the Van Ness UDC Metro Station. I felt like I was moving okay on this hilly run. The initial climb felt better than I had been feeling on the run when I did a lot recent cycling. I guess the rest helped. As I got to the Rock Creek Trail, another runner converged on my path and showed me how slow I was going by moving past pretty easily. I didn't feel too bad. I continued to run okay even going up the long climb on the Melvin Hazen Trail. I ran all of it but parts that were too rooted while being steep. The climb continued on Connecticut Ave., until a block before the end of the run and I worked-up a pretty good sweat on this cool evening. As I finished, a guy was blowing bubbles at people entering and going into the metro station while a musician played for money.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. I had cooled-off and some of my sweaty t-shirt had begun to dry already, by the time I rode home.

Warm-up for the O-In the Pines EMPO meet. I jogged from the parking lot to the start. Peggy had walked Max to his start earlier.

EMPO: O-In The Pines, on the new Pineridge map, near Greenbush, NY.

I started calmly, hesitating for a second while passing the first intersection. I was getting into reading the map. It was a pleasant start but didn't take much navigation. I went in from just past a trail bend and could have gone further. I just didn't want to risk missing the control.

I had been gaining ground on another runner who was ahead of me when leaving #1. I passed him just as he paused before entering the woods. I thought there'd be more of a reentrant going into the stream valley than there was. I had to keep forcing myself to run since I didn't see the control until the very end. This was another rather easy control. It setup the big contrast on the next leg.

I left #2 a bit in a hurry so that the guy behind me didn't pass me. I ran up the stream until it gave out, then went straight. I knew that I wanted to get to the trails on the right eventually. I should have forced myself to suck it up early because I could have run on the trails fast and for a longer time. As it was, I had drifted right or maybe aimed-off. I crossed a ridge where I should have turned left. Eventually I hit a marsh and went to a boulder with a control at the edge of it. I realized where this was but it still took me some time once I got to the correct ridge. When I didn't find it immediately on the ridge, I wondered how I'd relocate but other runners came by and I looked in the right direction to minimize the error.

For #4, I started cautiously going straight. Eventually I used an intermittent trail that took me just to the right of the control. I cut off that at an intermittent trail intersection which was a bit short of the control.

For #5, I went straight again but less cautiously. I started to loose count of the ridges that I'd crossed. However, as I dropped down to go around a boulder, it turned-out to be mine!

For #6, I went straight getting into the correct rocky reentrant. It seemed a long way to the control so I had to force myself to keep moving.

For #7, I should have looked more for the trail options. As it was, I went straight. I successfully read my way across all of the trail intersections and hit the reentrant before the control just where I'd wanted. After crossing the stream, I adjusted a bit to the right of where the control was but I still feel that I'd spiked the control. 2 other people were in the area and one had just punched before me. The route choice made such a difference that despite spiking the control, AttackPoint calculated 47 seconds of error.

For #8, I wizened-up ant took trails on the left side. This was quick. I saw Linda Cohen, Mr. Porter, and a few others leaving the control as I left the trail to attack.

When going to #9, I reversed my path leaving #8 and cut left at the 3 way trail intersection. I had a hard time reading the intermittent knoll that was to be along the trail. I cut it a bit early so as to not miss the control.

For #10, I thought about using the trail but it seemed too slow to have to climb up. I just ran straight.

For #11, I ran around the green to the left. Another couple of runners were converging.

For #12, I watched the other runners at #11 leave, then decided to take the road. I worried about things being out of bounds but they weren't marked on the map as such. I was going to minimize being close to the house but trying to cut in before the pond didn't look to be passable. I backed out and went past the house as another runner was doing the same.

The other runner at #12 was a cadet and was still just ahead of me. As we ran down the hill toward #13 on the ride, he pulled away but in doing so he passed the control. As he cut left it save me from having to do the same.

For #14, I ran around the green a bit on the right side.

For #15, I got to the road, getting there just behind the cadet who took a straighter but slower route.

For the road crossing to #16, I reasoned that I was warmed-up and reading the map fairly well. I jogged slowly across the road, knowing that the time would be subtracted. I didn't see any need to pause as that might just stiffen me up. I reminded the cadet to punch both controls

For #17, I was ahead of the cadet and closing in on a young woman. I passed her on the climb on roads. It was hard for me to read the trails but I recognized the boulders near the end, the saw the control too. It was lower than I had thought it be because I hadn't read the trails going as high as they did.

For #18, I contoured across, staying mostly below and on the edge of the rocky ground. I got on the trail at the end, crossing the strange u-shaped bend.

I was a bit overcautious leaving #19. I wanted to make sure not to have to pass and climb back to the control as much as I'd wanted to make sure I had the correct bearing. I realized part way down that the control was on the trail at the bottom of the reentrant.

For the finish, I had trouble reading the detail, I started off correctly but backed out to go around to the left. It didn't seem like I'd lost much time but I guess that was time trying to read the map.

I enjoyed the course and was happy about having few errors. As I saw other times come in I realized that I needed to focus more on the routes on this course.

Sunday - Long Green - Splits