Training Log Archive: Nadim

Great Falls Park, MD. From Falls Rd. I set out on several loops to put out controls and water for the QOC event that's being held on 11/6. Due ot conservation issues or being ornery, the park had so many restrictions and finally just reset the courses, such that the courses were short and compact. I kept feeling like I was leaving out some controls. Indeed, I did forget to take along 2 controls but brought the flags and hung them. I had to go back out on a water drop loop to put the electronic controls in place with the flags. These kinds of mistakes are becoming more common with me and I think they are the result of not using my eye glasses when reading--some numbers like 6 and 8 are hard to distinguish for me, even when printed at a larger font size. Many of these navigation legs were short but as the park directed the event participants, I approached just about each leg going straight. These weren't necessarily the competition legs but what I needed to do to get the controls and water out. I was hitting nearly everything pretty well but going slowly walking a lot, that should be expected. I really couldn't run that much carrying 20 controls and flags starting out. I found some new features and problem areas, and made note of them for map updates. I set out 4 water stops, 2 with 5 gallons and 2 with 3 gallons. One of the ones with 5 gallons was over a kilometer away in a straight line and I took trails around most of the way. The cumulative effect of that was rough on my back. With Samantha's birthday party later in the day, even just standing and watching was a little painful. However, my reward for the day was time in the park during a great time of year. I took these photos:

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. It was in the upper 50s F but there was a slight headwind. It hardly registered on the trees. Carrying my courier bag today didn't help either; it was strapped too loosely so it hung off to the side catching more wind like a parachute. I did get passed near the water treatment plant and hung with a guy till near the trestle bridge. However, I was pushing too much to do that and backed-off. He very slowly got out of sight.

From 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C., to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. I carried some extra weigh in my backpack with work clothes from 2 days and my jacket. I rode quickly for a while and moved through Georgetown okay. I got passed by 2 riders on the CCT and held onto them for a short while. After that I resumed a comfortable pace. I was enjoying the newly paved Glenbrook Rd. I thought that overall I was riding more quickly than I did.

From the Grosvenor-Strathmore Metro Station to Tuckerman Ln., to Rockville Pike to Beach Dr. to the Rock Creek Trail, to the Kensington Pkwy. to Connecticut Ave. to the Georgetown Branch Trail to Woodmont Ave. to the Bethesda Metro Station at Edgmoor Ln. I started right at 7pm and it was 57 F. My legs felt like I'd run on Sunday but the longer that I ran, the more fluid I got. I was 7:50 at the first mile. At times I had to focus on moving my legs, especially at small rises. However, as I climbed-up the Kensington Pkwy., I felt solid like there wasn't much change in effort, and I wasn't really getting very tired doing it. On the grade going up the Georgetown Branch Trail, I cruised along feeling stronger as I went. Coming out of the dark into street lights, I even picked-up the pace the last quarter mile in Bethesda. It was good to get a street run in since I'd done so little of it in October--after all, one has to begin thinking of the Turkey Chase and the Stumble.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station. It was around 51 F.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. I was rushing to get home for the kids that I knew would be stopping by the house for Halloween. I left the station at 6 minutes to 6 and already there were lots of them crossing roads with their parents and in small groups. It wasn't even dark yet. I had to slow down a few times when they were crossing in front of me. Later after getting ready and turning-on the lights that weren't on a timer, the kids started pouring in. It was hard to estimate but there were well over 50. Most commented on the house which was decorated to be Hell. I was dressed in my work clothes but put on a vest, some make-up and horns to complete the scene. Max and Samantha went separate ways; Max with some neighborhood girls, and Samantha with Peggy house-to-house and to a party.

Event: QOC Hemlock Overlook
 

QOC: Hemlock Overlook Regional Park, VA. Sleeping before this race, I was really achy. The tendon across my heel in my right foot was throbbing sometimes and my legs were sore. The night-O had taken it out of me but I did get a pretty good sleep. For a long time, my pattern had been to do well for the first 5-6 controls and then to make an error. Lately I've been messing up the first one or 2 and recovering much of the rest of the race.

I just didn't plan well going to #1. I missed the nice ridge/saddle run that I've done getting to this area in previous races. I went straight and plunged too low. I missed, came up the hill through the green, hit a (intermittent) trail that I had trouble finding on the map, then calmed down and went to the control.

I spiked #2 going just a tad left of straight to get through the mountain laurel.

For #3, I again missed the left route using the road. Instead, I angled along the hillside until the first reentrant, dropped across the bigger reentrant and hit the trails. Leaving the trail just before the road bend, I follow a ditch to a small clearing and then the reentrant system with the control. I was just a bit to the left and started to follow it down. I wasn't thinking how far I'd gone as I passed it in a side reentrant. Stopping, I calmed down, relocated and found it.

For #4, I got on the ride--that's gotten much harder to follow with downed trees so I ran along side of it a lot. Leaving at a bend, I was rather hesitant dropping along the side of the ridge to the rootstock and control.

For #5, in retrospect I should have gone straight. The formlines made me think the hills were bigger. I ran heading down to avoid the ups and downs. I felt senile forgetting which reentrants I'd crossed and soon found myself on the flats below the control. I took a while to validate that, and more to determine if I'd passed the control or needed to angle away as I climbed up. I hit a rootstock on the edge of the steep part and correctly knew I was still not far enough.

I went straight for #6 and spiked it. Someone else was converging on it from my right. I saw it from a ways off.

For #7, I thought to play it safe taking the longer way around on the trail to avoid climb. I left the trail in about the right place but pulled-up one reentrant early. I recognized my location at a reentrant junction and ran right to it afterward, damage already done.

For #8, I set out straight. At the big reentrant with a stream, I crossed somewhat straight over, then angled to my right to follow a side reentrant. Eventually, I saw Anne & Kim Jepsen on the other side of the reentrant, and I passed them. I kept straightish, reading my way across another smaller reentrant, and using the ditches to cross the last big reentrant. I ran right up to the tree and only then spotted the control behind it.

For #9, I paused to catch my breath and then ran. I was slow at first, then ran more confidently. After crossing the reentrant and walking up, I corrected my bearing by going around the left side of the deadfall. From there I ran along the edge of the mountain laurel until I could see the reentrant and the control.

I ran straight as I could toward #10, which meant bearing left a bit to get through the mountain laurel. After crossing the trail, I saw the reentrants ahead. Picking out he gullied one, I cut right and counted till I could find the right spur. I hesitated but kept going slower until I saw the control.

For #11, I dog-legged up the hill again and crossed the trail. I paused before dropping down the hill, then realized I needed to cut more to the right where the control became visible.


For #12, I ran along the hillside until I intersected the trail, I took a bearing from there, just before the trail crossed the stream. I realized I was too low so I angled up more. After a few ditches I saw the control up even higher.

For #13, I was not patient. I ran straight instead of going around the reentrant after the trail. I crossed it and ran the hillside until I got around the spur, then changed direction to hit the control well.

For #14, I went straight and corrected along the way off of reentrants. I was clear where I was until the last 125m. I got a little high being distracted by root stocks that turned out to be near the trail. I passed the control and looped around. Don Davis was hunting too and I was glad to seem him in the forest again after his accident. Don came from the other direction and got there before I did.

For #15, I ran straight but hesitated. I feared missing and dropping too low, but I was on target.

For #16, I dropped to the trail. At one point on the trail, I ran off of it by mistake, and came back. Leaves were covering it. I saw Peggy on the trail too and figured she was going where I was. She left the trail earlier than I planned. Leaving from the bend south of the control, I got there ahead of her.

For #17, I went straight and walked the hills a lot. I got to focusing on the hillside with the spur and ran to a control on the spur in the white woods, east of the control. I went on, dropping until I knew I was too low. I read the map and corrected to the left.

For #18, I dog legged back and saw the Jepsens going toward one of the controls I'd just left. I was thinking about using the trail but realized that it would be okay to cut across saving distance if not climb. I read things pretty well and spiked the control. Others were in the area but they didn't give it away for me.

For #19, I ran straight and eventually crossed the reentrant just before the big trail. I was pretty tired so when I started climbing, I had to pace my walk. I used a boulder/cliff to attack from.

For #20, I ran to the right a bit and used trails a little bit too, to get to the buildings. This was less messy but probably not the most efficient.

Overall, I felt okay about this run. I got a good physical workout and didn't make huge errors. I didn't use my head enough so that part was disappointing. Better routes could have saved a few. Maybe I can balance it all

Blue - Splits