Training Log Archive: Nadim

Summer Short Series: Squirrel Kill at Arundel High School, Gambrill, MD. This was my first practice exercise on continuity. Ted had setup several controls in very close proximity. The idea was to practice moving into and out of a control at the correct angles without stopping or swerving to the right bearing.

Before this, we did a different exercise (3 times) in which we were to turn over a map, quickly find the start, and move to the first control. I misunderstood this the first time, somehow getting confused and thinking I was running to the start triangle from #1? I did much better each time.

Summer Short Series: Squirrel Kill at Arundel High School, Gambrill, MD. This was my second practice exercise on continuity. Ted had setup several controls in very close proximity. The idea was to practice moving into and out of a control at the correct angles without stopping or swerving to the right bearing. Two other runners were starting at the same time on a different course, that used the same controls.

Summer Short Series: Squirrel Kill at Arundel High School, Gambrill, MD. This was my third practice exercise on continuity. Ted had setup several controls in very close proximity. The idea was to practice moving into and out of a control at the correct angles without stopping or swerving to the right bearing. The first 2 runs got me familiar with the controls. On this run, my run to #1 was long enough that I'd memorized the next 2. I was therefore able to move in and out very quickly.

Summer Short Series: Squirrel Kill at Arundel High School, Gambrill, MD. This was a mass start memory score-o. We needed to go to a control or several controls that we'd memorized from reading the map, but leaving the map at the start. On each control, was basically a single character symbol--some examples were: @, #, !, *, &, ?, etc... When we returned, on a separate piece of paper, we were to write down the symbol next to the control number. We could go out and return as much as we wanted as long as we stayed within the time limit (35 minutes). I set out memorizing a route and the clue descriptions of the control. I repeated the clues to myself as I ran and when I read the symbol I'd start repeating the symbol instead of the control description. For instance I'd memorize: root stock, root stock, depression, trail bend, and when I got to the first control, I'd change my mantra in my head to @, root stock, depression, trail bend. At the next it'd become @, *, depression, trail bend. In all, I went on 4 loops doing this. It might have been more efficient to do more controls and fewer loops, but I was concerned about forgetting how to navigate to a control or the symbol. Ted had what amounted to decoy controls out too, though really they were controls meant for a later sprint. I navigated pretty well to the controls. On the first, I had detoured to return a tennis ball to some players who'd warned me about it falling close to me. One time I got on the wrong trail before correcting. Another time, I chose an off trail route but made the mistake of thinking I had to cross a double reentrant, rather than stay on a bearing I'd memorized. I thought I was doing okay on this training exercise. I decided not to go out with about 4 minutes left, but at that point I hadn't realized I'd missed going to an easy and nearby control next to a ball field. Joe Barrett got all of the controls. I missed 5 or 6. After the event, Max, who went to almost all the controls, was able to tell me the symbol of each control he visited (about 20 altogether) just from looking at the map. Max had come back a few minutes after the end of the score-o so he didn't get a full score.

Summer Short Series: Squirrel Kill at Arundel High School, Gambrill, MD. In this sprint exercise, we were to focus on leg memory, while doing a regular course. One was to memorize a leg and try not to look at the map again until nearing the control. I would look just before I got there to know which direction to leave the control from, and to memorize the next leg. I thought I was doing okay on this. For at least 2 legs I went off trail in the forest rather than go around on trails. There were 3 legs in which I needed to look at the map along the way. Often this was due to stopping too soon or a feature being small. One leg that got a lot of people required remembering that a fence blocked access to a control, and needed to be gone around. On this run, I slowed down the last third of the way.

Summer Short Series: Squirrel Kill on the Cancun map (an industrial park south of Baltimore Washington International airport). It was apparently named Cancun since there was a restaurant with the same name nearby. This was supposed to be a standard urban sprint in which we put together the other lessons emphasized in earlier training. It was to be our last bit of training to get ready for the US Nationals.

I started badly, perhaps still messed-up from the first start exercise. When I flipped the map over, I saw the start triangle and control #1. I'd also seen others go out before me in 2 directions. I wasn't sure if there was route choice involved or we'd gotten different courses. The map itself had only one N/S line on it. I got about 50m away, then thinking I needed to run to the start triangle, I turned around. Ted stopped me before I made a bigger error and everyone had a laugh as he explained the N/S line printing and that we all were on the same course. I got moving eventually but had lost time. For the rest of the course, I don't think I lost much more. I took the high route through the dark green to #2. That got me to the control just as far ahead of Mark who'd gone the long way around. I once found myself on the wrong side of a hedge but was able to cut through quickly enough. I missed a leg going on a small trail to get across a strip of trees, and around a pond. No one except Boris caught me from behind. I wasn't moving that fast at the end.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station. I felt better, having been rested. However walking around, my left big toe and tendons leading from it is still (since Day 4 at the Scottish 6 Days) often painful when walking. I don't feel that as much on bicycle or running--my running shoes have enough cushion to mitigate it, and bicycling stresses it less.

From 12th and Independence Ave., 15th St. SW, then to Ohio Dr., and the 14th Street Bridge. Using the Mt. Vernon Trail, I got to Key Bridge. Next I took the towpath to the Rock Creek Trail, to the Lincoln Memorial and along the Reflecting Pool. From 17th St., I finished up Independence Ave., to 12th St. SW. It was 69 F when I started and the rains had basically stopped. I felt okay starting out and paced myself. It felt too late in the evening to do the run I did in July that was similar but took me onto Roosevelt Island. I slowed a little but felt competent with my pace and strength. I really wasn't moving that fast and when another runner passed me by so fast that at first I mistook him for a cyclist, that kind of burst my bubble. I wasn't sure which direction to go after the towpath but deciding to go back to my office meant that I was assured to get a bathroom stop. One more runner went past me pretty well; he was carrying a backpack, but I picked up my pace from there and he only moved ahead slowly. Leaving the Lincoln Memorial, a runner was ahead of me and I found myself focusing on him and gaining. I passed him then kept up the effort. It felt like I had some strength in my gait like in years past, though again I wasn't really moving that fast. Finishing-up I passed a younger woman who was running parallel across the street from me. I thought I was kicking it in a bit, but was only managing to pull ahead of her slowly. All in all, this was a good run for me and I hope for many more. It's part of the reward of running through the heat of the summer to feel good when it's cooler.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. After running I'd changed my shirt back at my office and then stood waiting for a train, and stood on the train since I was sweaty. That was 2 hours of standing since starting my run. My knees were aching and stiff. It took a while to loosen up.

I must admit to laziness this day. Maybe it'll help my knee and toe.

Flying back from KS and having dinner once I returned home didn't leave much time for running.

Overland Park, KS. I'd worked a little late, and then went out to get a haircut. By the time I was ready to run, it was nearing sunset. I hurriedly drove around trying to remember were some trails I'd run previously were, and then I happened to find one from the Congregation Beth Torah parking lot that I hadn't run before. Once again it was hot and humid so I didn't push too hard. I tried to follow the sometimes disjointed trail and a small stream. The trail ended so rather than turn around, I improvised a loop, not being sure whether or not I'd connect properly. The sun had probably set while I was running and that was a cause for brief concern. However it all worked out okay. After finishing I walked around trying to dry off in a nice but warm breeze. I found some take home Chinese food and relaxed the rest of the evening.

Kansas City, KS. Johnson Community College. After work, I was able to meet Mike and Mary for some orienteering training--3rd day of it in a row! Mary gave me a 1:5,000 sprint map of a course they'd used previously. This community college is rather big. Mary told me they have 20,000 students! I'd actually been to this community college previously on 11/20/2008 for night-o, and a vetting of Mary's course for the Kansas State Champs weekend. The course we ran this day was different. I didn't recognize much of it at first. There were even new buildings added since the printing of the map we used. In fact, there was still construction going on in places where we ran.

The course was fun. We'd parked cars and started near the middle of a 3.4K course. I started out to do the far ends of it in large fields but as I got to the first control area, I realized I had left my eyeglasses. I ended up using a cheap pair that's not for athletic use and as I sweat (it was in the 90s F), they sometimes would slide down my nose. As I looped back from the fields (adding on distance to the 3.4K of the printed course), I started to tire. I happened to hit new unmapped fence obstructions too, where there was construction going on so I did some stopping and sometimes walking to figure out how to get around. I was mostly accurate but sometimes I'd miss something. The worst was leaving #7 at 90 degrees off, then catching myself 40-50m later.

Afterward we had a nice chance to catch-up with dinner nearby. We discussed mostly orienteering stuff--what events we'd be going to, club growth and other fun things. I don't get a chance as often as I used to, to see Mike and Mary in KS. My office travels less for work with there now being better teleconferencing tools, and when I do travel, we're often sharing vehicles. This time I was out alone to provide orientation to a new employee who started this day.

C • Thanks 2

Great Falls, MD. I was going to go to the park earlier in the day to check control sites, but I'd set the course using the new Condes 10, and my temporary license expired--QOC had purchased the new club license but I didn't get the code until midday. In the park, I hit most of the control sites. I went to 29 of 42 controls. I didn't go to most of the Beginner course controls which are exposed. I did check some new locations with the hope that the park service will allow them. I did need to adjust 2 controls. It is summertime still, but overall I found expansion of the invasive stilt grasses, and groves of beech tree saplings. There were a few areas that had opened up since mapped last, but they were rare. The forest was getting dark for the last 9 controls that I got to. On the early controls, I was feeling pretty good, without any discernible slowing down from the rogaine yesterday. I felt stronger, probably since I wasn't carrying 3 liters to drink. I ran between just about all of the controls except where the grasses were too deep or the hills too steep. I did start tiring on the climb toward the end. Even after drinking a liter of water on the way home, I weighed out at 190.