Training Log Archive: Nadim

This was a travel day mostly. After a lunch and movie with the kids and Peggy's brother Paul, we flew home. We got stuck in Chicago for 5 hours, and ultimately arrived home at 6 AM on 12/27.

Maple Grove, MN. Christmas Day 5K. Peggy, Max, and I started the somewhat traditional holiday race together while Paul Dickison and Samantha watched from the side. Wh I Max blasted out to a quick start being pulled by the crowd which included some young kids (I almost stepped on one who sprinted out erratically from the start). There was some ice but mostly the paved trail was dry. There were some small hills. It was about 32 F with a light breeze. We had three loops to do, of roughly a mile each. I thought I'd fade after the first 600m and hit the mile in 7:32. My 2 mile split surprised me at 15:05; roughly an even split. I pushed a little more on the 3rd lap to stay ahead of others. I think I hit 22:25. No one passed me the whole run though I passed a few. I felt it in my lungs which aren't used to running like this. Max dropped out after 2 miles, probably after Peggy passed him. It was a nice way to start the day. We ate wth Peggy's family later and opened presents.

Bloomington, MN. From American Blvd. E. Down to the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge on a gravel Road to a bend along the Minnesota River, and back. It was snowing lightly. It had been raining and it was too warm to stick. I had my rain gear on and felt tired. It was a little muddy but the ground was frozen underneath enough so that it wasn't bad. It was nice running.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. It was around 39 F and there was a steady but not hard headwind. With my puffy cycling jacket on, and that acting like a sail or balloon, I felt the resistance and tired quickly. About a mile before Georgetown, I got passed by another commuter but was able to hang-on to him, in his draft.

From 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C., to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. I hit all of the traffic intersections at pretty good times and there was a tailwind most, but not all of the way.; I didn't have to stop for more than a second anywhere. The traffic was light though it took some care in the dark in the beginning intersections and roads in D.C. An article in the paper here cited a former Navy Seal who lived in the Bethesda area who had been killed in a bicycle/automobile accident. There are generally more riders that 5 years ago so some increases in deaths are to be expected, but the frequency of these stories brings it home. Max was even asking about running in the dark but I think he likes the notch of independence that allowing that would mean, more than the running which was verbalized as training for a Christmas day race. After getting though Georgetown, I caught a few cyclists who were bunched-up. One of them latched onto me and drafted along till just past Dalecarlia. I slowed some after that.

Seneca Creek State Park, MD. From Riffleford Rd., I did a loop to the southeast which took me on both sides of the Seneca Ridge Trail. I would have liked to have joined the scouting party that went to Prince William Forest today but I figured I'd make better use of the day doing this. It also allowed me time to do some Christmas shopping. I'd been on the Seneca Ridge Trail and knew some of this area to be greener than what I'd mapped on the north side of Riffleford Rd. After getting off trail, I thought it was an appropriate amount of green--not too much to make it totally unpleasant but enough to make the simple contours of the area a little more challenging. I did also find some quite open terrain too. There were relatively few point features. The flat areas along the namesake creek were generally quite runnable and had various features. There weren't a lot of good places to cross the main creek which has a good flow ensuring a drenching over the knees in most places, or more.