Training Log Archive: Nadim

The pain whenever I moved was worse this day. It was rather difficult to get up and walking was only done very slowly. I've not been eating so much but constipation from the pain killers bumped my weight up unexpectedly. It's hard to believe in retrospect that I was able to get in Peggy's car the day before, but I guess that was the pain killers. I did it again this day to see my mom and to stop at a place to try to get the bike rack off of Peggy's car--it's rusted into place in the hitch.

On pain killers, I didn't feel so bad Thursday night and most of Friday. It did feel more difficult than leaving surgery 3 years back. I remember some of that night, but not much--slept mostly on my sides. Peggy said I was out of it. On Thursday, I managed to get in Peggy's car so we could go pickup Samantha and Max from their respective camps. All the small bumps in the road hurt.

I had a second back surgery this day. It was said to go smoothly. It was to be the mirror image of the procedure I had 3 year back on my right side between L4 and L5. The piece of broken cartilage that had been causing pressure on my nerves and radiculopathy in my left leg, was said to be large. The surgeon used the previous incision and reached over from the right side to get at it. He said that over the coming days I'd be hurting, especially sitting in a car as is planned. The walking however is supposed to be good physical therapy.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. I had visions of trying to do a run after work but for the 3rd day in a row, I worked late. At least I got in some kind of workout. I know it might be the last in a while.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. I felt like I was starting out more slowly than the day before. I was steadily passing people and as I got toward the bottom of the main hill before Fletcher's Boathouse, I closed in on another guy. He noticed me behind him when he looked back to pass someone else, then picked up the pace. I stayed with him for a while but he surged more. I kept a steady pace up and closed the gap by the time we were at Georgetown. We split as he went along the water at M St., and I stayed on Water Street. That got me ahead of him. There were some headwinds along the water on Ohio Dr. I hadn't realized that I was going as fast as I'd been--at the Lincoln Memorial I was just under 30 minutes. I saw the other guy I'd ridden with again while waiting to cross Main Ave. at 15th St. As the light changed, I pulled ahead going up the hill. This ride added miles surpassing my total for all of 2017. That's good since I've got virtually no chance of surpassing the total miles that I'd run in 2017.

From 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. Like the previous day, there had been an afternoon thunderstorm that had mostly dried-up. Clouds kept it cooler and there was a slight headwind getting to Old Georgetown Rd. My legs were feeling sore from the morning ride, plus the last couple of days. I got out of Georgetown in just under 14 minutes, faster than the previous day. I saw a few other riders but the trail was not getting a lot of use. A second storm front had been heading in but it never rained.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. I was thankful that getting out a little bit earlier, the air felt a little cooler than the previous day. I was carrying by laptop case as well as my usual backpack. I moved well passing 2 at intersections who later passed me back after River Rd. When a 3rd went past me half way across the flats to Georgetown, I stuck with him. I nearly lost him in the detour for the construction project but was just about right on him again as we split at the end of Georgetown. I kept an easier pace after that. There were no winds.

From 13th & C St. SW, Washington, D.C. to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. It had rained in the late afternoon and had dried-up mostly before I got going. I found some headwinds going north but mostly it wasn't bad. The air was cooler too. A mile out of Georgetown, it started raining, and kept up until I had gotten to River Rd. I kept thinking it would stop since I could see it being sunny across the river; several cyclists were stopping under trees or in the MacArthur Blvd. tunnel. I kept going and it felt pretty good. One guy who I see riding all winter in his maroon shorts passed me and I didn't push it much.

From Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD, to the Tidal Basin at Main Ave. SW, Washington, D.C. I got out just a little earlier that Peggy and Samantha who were driving downtown for the Summer Short Series (SSS) event which Gary Smith and Karla Hulett put on, on The Mall in Washington, D.C. The gathering place for this event was just along my regular bicycle commuting route to work. I rode without a backpack. There was a slight headwind but mainly it was already hot and sticky. There were lots of runners on the trail and fewer cyclists than I normally see commuting. I wasn't that energetic, and took it easier finishing-up. I had just pulled into the parking lot when I could see Peggy and Samantha pulling in right behind me. They had made a stop for drinks.

QOC Summer Short Series in Washington, DC. Gary Smith and Karla Hulett set a nice course starting/finishing from the from the Tidal Basin on Maine Ave., on an expanded map. There were multiple layers involved and some areas under construction that weren't always up to date, making it hard in the first part. Fortunately for me, this was in the area where I walk around at lunch time on work days! It helped me save distance, which was important given troubles I've been having. I was rather surprised that I did the whole thing; I figured I'd bail-out at some point. I was able to jog through a lot, often keeping up with others in the first, more technical part that I was familiar with. I made errors going up or down when I didn't need to, like others. The map scale was 1:6,250, and at that scale, the stairs were hard to see. Controls in the field were marked with small construction flags or chalk when on pavement or a wall. I knew I was in the correct location a few times but was unable to find the chalk markers--in one case, air condition moisture accumulation washed out the chalk markings. Peggy had started after I had but early on, I needed a toilet; I stopped at a Starbucks (off-the-clock) and then went on so I saw her and Tom Nolan a lot. As we got to the more open areas on the course runners had the advantage. I wasn't running so well so I fell behind. I almost caught the group near the WWII Memorial, despite stopping for water at a fountain. After the Einstein Memorial, I caught up to Peggy and we ran together for a while. Peggy was getting tired from the heat so we started walking together for the rest of the course. The 9.1K, 26 control course was a bit on the long side for us, on this sunny, warm, and humid day. I still had fun and look forward to next year.

Later on, Peggy, Samantha, and I ate in Pentagon City. After that we took Samantha off to her first 5-day overnight camp.