Training Log Archive: Nadim

Pohick Regional Park, VA. I helped at QOC's beginner event by doing beginner instruction. There were a lot of people trying to learn and a lot of regulars that I hadn't seen since last spring. Sid Sachs had brought some old memorabilia that he was looking to give away--things like the Wheaties box with Peter Gagarin featured on it for Orienteering, and the club's first copy of its original newsletter. Mike Ball came with his daughter and niece. Mike felt that they didn't get enough practice from the ROTC unit they are in and the more nearby events are infrequent. I unknowingly provided instruction to his niece. I felt worn out most of time and didn't do any courses myself.

Great Falls, MD. I needed to do some more updating of the map for the QOC event being held here in October. I made good progress today. I found some prominent features that I don't recall seeing previously. They weren't on the map before either. Vegetation has shifted here and there, and I tried to capture as much of that as I could too, in the time available. Walking around in Great Falls loosened up my legs which were feeling worn out earlier.

Event: BAOC: U.S. Nationals
 

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station. I was moving along pretty good but at the end, I again ran into more traffic.

From 12th & Independence Ave., SW, Washington, D.C. Independence Ave. to the Reflecting Pool, to the Lincoln Memorial, to the Rock Creek Trail, to along the Georgetown Waterfront, to the Capital Crescent Trail (CCT), to Canal Rd., NW, to Foxhall Rd., to 44th St. NW, to the Glover Archbold Trail, up to the Tenleytown Metro Station via Van Ness St. and Wisconsin Ave., then to the Friendship Heights Metro Station at the DC/MD border (Western Ave. & Wisconsin Ave.). The weather was nice; cooler and breezy. Once again, I didn't feel very strong. I felt some minor pain in my back too. I guess it's the increased mileage that my body is getting used to. Once in the forest, I ran steady. My weak strength starting out held up okay. I got out of the woods after sunset but there was plenty of light to see by. After Tenely Town, I picked-up the pace on the downhill. I ran with better form and tried to run more smoothly, pushing to the end. My calves were cramping when I did this. I ended up 7 seconds faster than the previous week.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. I wanted to go faster but when I tried, both of my calves would start to cramp. I weighed out at 189 lbs.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station. I ran into more traffic.

From the Bethesda Metro Station, Woodmont Ave. to Wisconsin Ave., to Norwood Park, to the Little Falls Trail, to Falls Rd., to Glenbrook Rd., to Battery Ln., to Exeter Rd., to Arlington Rd., to Edgemoor Ln. and into to the Bethesda Metro Station. There were several stops and starts on this route and I was glad for having them. I drank too much toward the end of the day at work so I partly picked this route for the reliable toiletries in Norwood Park. I kept hitting stoplights too. A little like the previous day, I felt like I was dragging. It was feeling like I was running longer than my GPS would tell me I'd gone. It was humid again, but at least it was cooler.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. I was a little tired and carried 2 backpacks of clothing.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station.

From Takoma Park Metro Station, Carol St., to 4th St. to Aspen St. NW. to Sherill Dr. to Beach Dr. to the Pinehurst Trail, to Western Ave. to Cummings La. to Turner La. to Brookeville Rd. to Taylor St. to Connecticutt Ave. to Thornapple St. to Leeland St. to Woodmont Ave. to the Bethesda Metro Station.

It was 88 F starting out, with high humidity. I felt like I was running more quickly that times I did this earlier in the year, but ultimately I was a little slower. I found an outhouse in the park and that made things more comfortable. It started getting darker (7:30pm sunset) but it got brighter as I was finishing the last rooted section of forest trail running on the Pinehurst Trail--the sun was reflecting off the bottoms of thunderheads. It soon showered, but only enough to raise the humidity on the pavement. I ran within 4 blocks of the recent Washington Post stories about dogs in Chevy Chase making too much noise in a dog park. I was soaked from sweat by the time I got to Bethesda.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. I was tired starting out and my knees hurt a little, from the transition to cycling. It rained soon after I got inside. After cleaning up an eating, I started to lay down when like Peggy, I ran my right knee into a corner table (coffee table in our family room). It hurt and I bruised it. I was worried about it stiffening-up but I took a nap anyway.

From Northfield Rd., to the Bethesda Metro Station. I kept running into traffic.

From the Bethesda Metro Station to Northfield Rd. I worked late and though I had my running gear, I went home and ate. Later I decided to take make this a rest day.

Summer Short Series at Bethesda, MD. Ken Walker Jr. had completely updated or remade the Bethesda City o-map for this nearly last of the Summer Short Series events. We've traditionally done this on Labor Day in the past so it was fitting to do so again. Ken's map was great! It was 1:5,000 and in ISSOM 2017.

I started out away from the start triangle so right away I was fumbling around. I got on track for the first control and went to it passing Mark Mace along the way. Controls were marked with about a 1 inch square tie-dye colored duct tape marker. That took a while getting used to. I got trapped going to the second control directly, and running into an un-crossable fence. In the past, that fence had sometimes been open, but I should have read the map better. I got to #2 fine after that, and used a back alley that I may not have been through previously. After #3, I paused but missed the pass thru behind the church and fire station that I had once set a control at! I went around and punched efficiently. I went in to #5 well--Gary Smith was hunting around in the boulders but I uncharacteristically had read the description indicating the north edge of the boulder field. Control 6 was in a less distinct place. Peggy had already passed it and was just coming back when I had gotten in the circle. I hunted knowing I was in the right area, while Gary Smith caught-up. Eventually, Peggy saw it first, a little more in the woods than where I was searching. I passed Peggy going to #7 and was on the right trail for it, but I couldn't see it. Peggy again found it and pointed it out. After that, things clicked better for me. I made nary any mistakes nor had any real trouble finding the duct tape controls. I was just slightly off at #22 and #24. We went through some of the newer blocks that had gotten completely rebuilt since last I had mapped the area. We also went through the older alleys and areas that I'd used before. We did get to a few places that I hadn't been to previously. I was getting tired toward the end--probably from my run on Sunday. The temperature had risen from 72 F starting out, to 79 F when finished. My GPS track shows a lot of inaccuracy--I didn't run out of the way into busy roads or through buildings.

Great Falls Park, MD. After the Bethesda sprint, I was pretty worn out. I tried to nap and got very hungry. I ate and then was a little lazy. It had warmed-up outside to around 90 F. I dragged myself out and got into the spider webs. They were even in places with big gaps between trees. I validated some earlier field checking and worked on more vegetation updating. I was trying to validate the one control site that I hadn't been to in a while but I had trouble finding it. I found some more mapable rootstocks in the area and I think one of them may have covered up the feature. I could hear thunder for a while and it started raining slowly so I was chased out.

From the Blackrock Mill Parking Lot, I ran the Seneca Greenway Trail north to Riffleford Rd., then the Seneca Ridge Trail back to the Blackrock Mill Parking Lot. I needed to do more to get ready for the Hudson Highlander so I went back to an old favorite. I wore my trusty Ice Bug Ardor OLX shoes for probably the last time. The sole was has been slowly separating away.

Going out, the Greenway Trail was a bit overgrown. In forested areas, there were some deadfalls blocking the trail and grasses encroaching from both sides. In scattered open areas, the Japanese Stilt Grass was making it hard to see the ground. Between Rte. 118 and Riffleford Rd., some of the trail had been re-routed. The last time I ran this loop, I'd gotten rerouted into fields and the way became indistinct. I followed the older trail this time but after a time it ran out. I was just fumbling in forested grasses then having to walk. Eventually I got on route again but I soon found that the trail was rerouted again. This time I took the new routing--mowed grass that I'd been following for a way. I wasn't sure if the turn away from the creek was correct at first since that way headed toward an access road. However, there was another turn that took me in the right direction. It got me onto a sharp hillside where the trail had been cut into the hill. Someone spent considerable energy doing that. More of that rerouting went through the inside edge of a 10 ft. tall corn field.

At Riffleford Rd., a mountain biker had just turned around. I got on the trail ahead of him and expected him to pass quickly. However, I got half a mile away before he caught me. I saw only one other cyclist soon after. The whole run, I didn't see any hikers or other runners; just a lot of solitude.

I drank fluids along the way and finished my bottle before the end. There was a 3rd re-routing near the end, that spread out the steepest part of the old Seneca Ridge trail. The forest in the last section was the best of all--worthy of summer mapping in that there was very little stilt grass anywhere. I had to slow down the last +2 miles since my knees had started aching and I wasn't so steady on my feet around roots and rocks.