Training Log Archive: Nadim

After getting a reluctant and hungry Max moving, we had a family ride. I towed Samantha as usual but she did pedal hard every now and then. My bicycle was mostly tuned-up after I'd installed a new rear wheel and replaced the tire. I'd made a few other adjustments too. Everyone but me was hungry. We went from Northfield Rd., to Woodmont Ave., with a stop for dinner at the corner of Woodmont and Elm St.. Afterward, to the Capital Crescent Trail (CCT), to the Little Falls Trail at Massachusetts Ave., to the CCT at Dalecarlia, with a stop on the way for time along the creek, then back up the CCT to River Rd. We stopped for ice cream there, then continued through Kenwood to Bradley Blvd., to Glenwood Rd., to Wilson Rd., to Custer Rd., and to Northfield Rd. It was after sunset (past 9pm) when we arrived home and Max was happy about the replacement light I attached to his bike.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. I woke up late again. My alarm didn't go off for some reason. I had more cookies last night so I was okay on skipping breakfast. My neighbor had left a little bit before me--he was just leaving after I returned from dropping off the kids at camp. It took me a few minutes to change my shoes, oil my chain, and get on my bicycle. It was a good thing that I bought new shoes last weekend. The cleats on mine must have broke on my ride home yesterday. I was still able to use the shoes and did because I was in a hurry. I caught my neighbor in the MacArthur Blvd. tunnel amidst a lot of other riders. I was flying past all of them on the top of the trail On the flats, one of the guys I'd just passed me so I drafted off of him until Georgetown. I took over again until we split just after the Kennedy Center. There was a pretty good tailwind but my time riding today wasn't as fast as expected--perhaps I calculated wrong.

From 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C., to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. Cruising back with it slightly cooler. I pulled for some other guys; one coming out of Georgetown that I lost going up the bridge at Dalecarlia, and another whom I lost or turned off before crossing River Rd. As I was finishing the last mile, an older guy whom I'd passed at the Bradley Blvd. traffic light caught-up and told me that there was something funny going on with my wheel. I had all but broken a spoke and the wheel was rubbing the brakes. I just thought I was getting tired. When I attempted to fix it at home, even though I'd loosened the opposite spokes, the first spoke I tightened pulled right through the rim, ruining it. That was the best wheel I'd ever had, a Mavic. It was bladed so strong and light and aerodynamic too. I must have ridden 12-15K miles on it and I can barely remember truing it just once before.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. The power went out in the night so I overslept a little. I didn't feel very strong riding. Besides waiting to pass others, I rode alone. There were some headwinds getting to Georgetown, but afterward, the west wind was more in my favor.

C • power 1

From 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C., to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. I started out in a downpour as the tail end of a line of thunderstorms was still running full force. There was little lightening and for some odd reason, the traffic was light leaving the office. I had to gear down to get through the headwind getting to Georgetown. The rain was coming head-on and was a comfortable temperature but it stung at times. My wheel was cutting through the often deep puddles. I couldn't see through them but am familiar enough with the route that I wasn't worried. I did roll over a few manholes. I was under the freeway in Georgetown and emerging on the other side, the rain had just about stopped. I saw a lot of other cyclists whom probably had waited out the rain. I took it easy and was tired.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. I was a little later since today was the first day for the kids at their first summer camp. It was a pleasant low humidity morning and the winds felt calm. I caught-up to one guy and drafted for a mile or so before passing and finishing on my own. I felt stronger. I had cookies and milk late last night so my weight was up. My sister and my lack of will power foiled my weight loss once again but it is good recovery food.

From 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C., to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. There was a good headwind getting to Georgetown, and traffic there, but after that it wasn't too difficult. I did get passed by a few riders today but I caught back up w/2 and ended up passing one of them for good. It was in the 80s F but with not a lot of humidity.

Blockhouse Conservation Park. I went out to pickup controls and the water jug that I had setup out earlier. Immediately, it was getting difficult to see the map in the forest. I did most of the course in a sort of massive memory-O. I also didn't have my eye glasses. It wasn't too bad since I had passed the same direction for most controls on Sunday. I even hit most controls more directly. Eventually, I needed to use the headlamp. I had an underpowered one that we'd gotten for Samantha to use on our last camping trip. I was especially happy about finding the 2 controls that Greg Lennon had unsuccessfully tried to find after the training on Saturday. I found them in the dark because I knew how I'd set them. One of the 2 wasn't accurately placed because of the vegetation and me being rushed toward the end of my setup loop. The other was on a very steep and partly green hillside that didn't induce a lot of will power for people to keep looking. When I ran this night, it was in the 70s and nice out. I saw glimpses of the Strawberry Moon through the trees and better views, past strawberry time, when driving home. I hadn't done a night-o training run in a long time and it was fun.

Father's Day was my excuse. I just had little time given going to visit my dad and sister's gravesites with my mother and other sister. I did get some needed shopping done to replace my cycling shoes--I like my Speedplay pedals but it was too hard finding shoes for them that I could commute w/too so I am going back to SPDs. In the afternoon, I saw Finding Dory with my family including my sister, and friends Bob and Ben. we had dinner together too.