Training Log Archive: Nadim

Cabin John Regional Park, MD. From the playground parking lot off Tuckerman Rd., I went north and did a trail loop. On the way back, I ran in the central section of the park by following the trail parallel to the power lines, and the loop up besides the kiddie train. To make sure I'd gotten 4 miles, I added on almost 3 loops around the picnic area. There were people practicing Tai Chi there. The conditions were good. The temperature was around 60 F. I'd started out with Peggy but we quickly separated so that I could go further.

When we'd gotten home we'd heard the great news regarding the Presidential election. Later we visited my sister's, father's and uncle's gravesite and had a picnic lunch in Algonkian Park where there were many other happy picnickers. The roads were busy coming back and it all seemed reflective of the happier mood.

From Northfield Rd., to Old Georgetown Rd., via Greenwich Park, to W. Cedar Ln., to the Bethesda Trolley Trail along Rockville Pike and up to Maple Ridge Rd., to Old Georgetown Rd., to Huntington Pkwy., to Custer Rd., to Northfield Rd. I wasn't feeling as strong as the day before. It was a nice time to run; clear skies, during sunset, and with temperatures in the low 60s F. I stretched after the run as usual, but did one I haven't been doing along my hamstring. that felt good but later when showering, the area I'd injured in October was sore. It hadn't been sore for a while.

From Northfield Rd., Custer Rd. to Wilson Ln. to Glenbrook Rd., to Bradley Blvd., to Arlington Rd., to Old Georgetown Rd. to the Huntington Pkwy., to Custer Rd., to Northfield Rd. I was surprised and relieved that I was feeling better. In the first half mile, a guy appeared ahead of me and I slowly gained ground before nearly passing him and heading a separate way. Maybe that set me up. The next mile was much faster and I didn't struggle too much the last mile.

From Northfield Rd., to Georgetown Pike via Greenwich Park, to Beech Ave., through North Bethesda Middle School to Bradmoor Dr., to Folkstone Rd., to Hartsdale Ave., to Heampstead Ave., to McKinley St., to Garfield St., to Roosevelt St., to Jefferson St., to Northfield Rd. I ran after dinner again. I felt better than yesterday, good enough to do an extra mile, but I still was weaker in my right leg.

From Northfield Rd. I ran up to Custer Rd., to Wilson La., to Exeter Rd. to Glenbrook Rd. to the Bethesda Trolley Trail, to the NIH grounds, to Maple Ridge Rd. to Georgetown Pike, to Huntington Pkwy., to Custer Rd. to Northfield Rd. I ran after dinner. After taking a day off because of my back hurting from yardwork, I still wasn't feeling that well. As I ran, I struggled. My right leg was much weaker than it had been feeling and that's reflected in my slow pace.

I did happen to see Max and Miles running over and into Battery Park, coming from NIH--I was going to other way. They'd stopped to hit the pull-up bars and to get a drink at the fountain, which surprisingly was still working.

From Nortfhield Rd., to Norfolk Ave., via Charlcotte Rd., and back. I went to get lunch for myself and the kids. Due to repaving of the replacement gas line road cuts, I went the long way there. However after climbing the initial hill I realized I'd left my mask in the car--I'd meant to grab it on the way out but I'd gotten distracted by the construction activity. I looped back via Huntington Pkwy., picked-up my mask then started again with a detour on Charlcotte Rd., and Huntington Rd., I returned that way too. It was very windy. The wind helped some of the time but mostly made me push my sore legs harder.

I had taken the day off from work. After lunch I spent a while cleaning out a tool shed. I had to open a lot of old cans of paint that the previous owner had left in the shed about 20 years ago. The county requires the cans to be dried out before they collect them so I opened a bunch. About half were dry and half still wet. Opening the cans required a lot of bending over. It made my back ache so I'm likely to not run today.

Event: QOC Balls Bluff
 

QOC: Balls Bluff Regional Park, VA. I started after the rain had stopped. It was around 50 F. I was a little tired from increased training this week but held up okay.

S-1 - I went somewhat straight, going above the first 2 ditches but doing so a little late. I crossed the large reentrant as it curved SW.

1-2 - I ran a little left of straight. I paused above the reentrant, thinking at first the control would be in it. I didn't see it so I looked across and saw 2 guys who'd started before me nearby a rootstock. It looked plausible so I went on to it.

2-3 - I started straight and found a small trail taking me into the reentrant. Crossing the bigger reentrant. I climbed the big spur and rounded a more shallow one on my right. I used a trail a little but left it quickly, eventually descending with a smaller one on my right to spike it.

3-4 - I climbed right away, keeping the reentrant on my right. I used a trail a little but left it at a bend. I'd gotten too far left, trying to save climb but used the open park terrain to correct. There seemed to be an unmapped trail in this area. I crossed the next reentrant staying above the unmapped greener parts and dropped into the control well.

4-5 - I stayed low in the reentrant, and used a trail. Leaving the trail, I crossed a reentrant and followed another to the control.

5-6 - I climbed to the road and got on the trail that parallels the green to the west of straight. With my glasses foggy, I never saw the extension of the trail along the green. Instead, I followed the one I'd already gotten on, down to the reentrant where it bends east. I made my way up to the field in the side reentrant. In the field, I started to pass the control, then I hesitated on where to cross the fence before reaching the control.

6-7 - I ran out to the road rather than cross the fence and run cross wet grass again. I left the road just before the field ended and rounded the reentrant ahead to drop into the control from above.

7-- 8 I went right of straight, hitting the gap in the mapped green, then I dropped into the correct reentrant, following it to the control.

8-9 - My foggy glasses led to small error. It didn't seem right from my bearing but I let myself get sucked down the small reentrant that was in between #8 and #9. On the map, the contour doesn't shown enough of it being there and I was reading it as just one reentrant over. I corrected well before the field but I'd still gotten past the control when I crossed to the correct reentrant.

9-10 - I was getting tired. I drifted a little left where there were other depressions.

10-11 - I ended up going straight but had thoughts of using the trails to the right. There was more ditch detail just before the large reentrant with the stream before #11 and so I wasn't 100% sure when I turned left to get into the right one. The leg line also hid the smaller reentrant that I climbed initially.

11-12 - I went across the top rather than back down the hill I'd just climbed. I came down a small reentrant past the cliffs and that allowed me to see the control better than if I'd come from below as the leg line was drawn. The leg line should have been shown straight, not favoring one side of the cliff or the other.

12-13 - I stayed low leaving #12, and turned west up the stream. I crossed quickly however. It wasn't clear to me which trail I got on and my compass didn't seem to line-up with the one that took me to the saddle. Coming down from the saddle, I crossed the small reentrant and could see the stream junction with the control from above.

13-14 - I went up the side of the reentrant still heading SE through the first intersection. I followed the next reentrant down to the stream and ran over the small spur. Goiong up the stream past #3 (which I didn't see again), at the next junction I headed south and got on the trail where I saw David Onkst on the Blue course. I criss-crossed the streams through the reentrant junction and slowly climbed the spur to the control. Kathleen Lennon was there having just left after punching, as I approached.

14-15 - I was surprised to see Kathleen walking tried to spur her on by telling her she needed to move faster to beat Peggy, but I later found out that she was out with a bulging disc. Kathleen had crossed the first reentrant and I ran around it. I was slow climbing back and wondering why I wasn't seen the control as I kept going but I didn't lose any time.

After finishing the Fab 4, spouses and others got to chat a bit which was reminiscent of older days.

Green - Splits