Training Log Archive: Nadim

From the parking area to the start of the US Middle Distance Championships.

2017 Gold Rush Meet and USA SML Championships near Stanley, ID, on the Dutch Creek map; Middle Distance. I started well enough though I was exerting a good bit. That may have contributed to errors. Through #5 I was fairly clean. For #6 I popped out on the drop off to the right and found 3 small unmapped boulders in a similar configuration to the mapped ones. I lost time dropping down and going left until I found the control above. I wanted to avoid green and more climb going to #7 so I dropped and got right. I cut back left but didn't see the pond that I expected to, and I didn't have an attackpoint. I wandered a bit with others before finding it. I didn't spike #8 but was pretty close. On the way to #9 I passed an orienteering I'd seen earlier and got distracted racing him. I read a depressions as a hill so I went left of a hilll instead of reading my bearing closely. I didn't figure out I'd misread the map until after finishing but wandered close enough to see others coming out of the control, to find it. I hit #11 well but was getting tired. I went over the spur and saw the pond on the way to #10 but paused on the wrong side of a knoll near the control. I went at #12 hard. However I again misread a depression for a knoll and went along the flat until I found a knoll to attack from. That eventually got me to #8 again. From there I figured out how to get to #12. I got there just before a younger woman did. She chased me straight at first but I dropped into the greenish depression and was slower skirting the left side of it. I couldn't catch her even though I tried. The run-in was the same but it was really too steep for me to push hard really down, given my back problems.

From finish of the US Middle Distance Championships, back to the parking area with Peggy. It was nice to get to walk together and just enjoy the views with the aftermath of our competitions. Neither of us did well racing but we both enjoyed this walk.

Craters of the Moon National Monument, ID. After brief walks around some cinder cones and other vulcanism, Peggy, Max, Samantha, and I walked out to the Dew Drop and Indian Tunnel caves. This was on a paved trail across the lava fields. It was hot in the sun however once we got 20 ft. underground, it was rather cool and water was dripping. The Dew Drop lava tube cave was roomy but only a bit larger than house sized. The second, Indian Tunnel, was well over 100m long with some parts of the roof caved-in. It must have been 30ft. deep or more. It was well worth the hike! We ended up the day with riding across a flat desert (the result of past Yellowstone-like caldera--hot spots 10s of millions of years ago) seeing distant volcanos, and staying in Idaho Falls, ID.

Green Middle - Splits

2017 Gold Rush Meet and USA SML Championships near Stanley, ID, on the Stanley Trap Creek map. I jogged a streamered route to the start of the Long course. There were a lot of downed logs along the way which helped get me ready for more when actually racing. The elevation was over 6,700 ft. and it was getting a lot warmer than the chilly morning. That was making me feel sluggish.

2017 Gold Rush Meet and USA SML Championships near Stanley, ID, on the Stanley Trap Creek map-Long Course Championship. This glacial moraine area with views toward the majestic Sawtooth Mountains was challenging terrain for me. The course setters took pity on us by having big catching features on many controls, some long handrails and even by looping through the same part of the map more than once. Overall I felt that I did a pretty good job navigating and not letting the deadfall distract me too much. My main errors were from poor judgement or loss of concentration on technically easier legs like #6 and #13. Sluggish at first, I had the impression that I sped up towards the end. JP Ingebritsen and Tom Overbaugh didn't have great days like they often do, however Tapio Karras showed both his technical skill and good speed as he dusted the group of us with a 68 minute run. I got Silver in +M55 with JP getting 3rd only 3 minutes back behind me.

Stanley Trap Creek Map; to the start area, then back after the race.

Green long - Splits

Event: 2017 Gold Rush Meet and USA SML Championships
 

2017 Gold Rush Meet and USA SML Championships at the Boise State University campus. I ran a fairly clean race but I just wasn't moving fast enough. One of my worst legs was out of the start when I almost missed going to #1--it was just about in line with #2. I may have lost some seconds for hesitation getting through the tennis courts the first time and I took a slightly longer than necessary route to #14. I was slowing mentally on the last 2-3 controls which lost me more seconds. Others could say the same or worse. JP Ingebritsen, Tom Overbaugh, and Tapio all beat me within about 45 seconds.



It was a fun and straight forward race. Several joined for lunch downtown and the Hession's joined us for a stop at a science exhibition. The longish drive to Stanley came afterward--it was capped off by awesome views of the Sawtooth Mountains and dinner with friends.

Boise, ID; warmup from Boise State University campus, to E. Julia Davis Park and back, then some loops near the start of the US Orienteering Sprint Championship.

Green-Orange sprint - Splits

Boise, ID. After a morning tour of the Old State Penitentiary, a visit to a candy factory, and a few other things, Peggy, Max, Samantha, and I started in the Boise River Greenbelt from E. Julia Davis Dr. and did the Golden Apple Quest. This was a hunt of sorts with written walking directions and clues to a puzzle. Max played along while Samantha was lagging being tired or just not into walking. She wanted to go to the swimming pool, which came later. We solved the puzzle and stopped briefly at the Discover Idaho science exhibits made for kids. The downtown area seemed pretty nice overall. Much of it was newer than I'd have guessed and the people were pretty nice. I couldn't remember much of anything from my last visit +10 years ago.

Rehoboth, DE. From Seaside Outlet Dr., the Junction & Breakwater Trail to the parking area on Wolf Neck Rd., back toward Seaside Outlet Dr., then back to the parking area on Wolf Neck Rd., and back to Seaside Outlet Dr. I set out to do about 4 miles like Peggy had earlier. The turn off for the parking area was just a little over what I needed. I had a bathroom break there. It was warming-up on the way back. At the last intersection before finishing up and pushing in, I realized I no longer had my car keys. I'd left them in the restroom a couple miles back! My best option was to run back and get them so that's what I did. I did it slowly so as not to stress myself by my running too much. I sweat a lot on this.

Rehoboth, DE. From Seaside Outlet Dr., the Junction & Breakwater Trail to Hebron Rd. and back. This was a nice little run and just what I needed to make my insides feel better. This was the first time I'd run the part of the trail toward Rehoboth. It was similarly and pleasantly wooded with the trail improved by bluestone. I saw a few runners and passed one.