Training Log Archive: Nadim

Back pain is getting less severe and I'm increasingly mobile. That's good!

Harsh pain from the base of my spine and down to my right toe from whatever is ailing my back. I slept in a long while. Eventually I was able to sit very still and do some work for half a day. By the evening the situation got a little better. I was more mobile and having less pain.

From Northfield Rd., to Huntington Pkwy., to Bradley Blvd., to Seven Locks Rd., to Tuckerman Rd., to Old Georgetown Rd., to Huntington Pkwy., to Custer Rd., to Northfield Rd. I didn't have a lot of time since I'd worked late and started riding late. Thunderstorms were distant but seemed possible. It was in the upper 80s F. I rode okay. As has been the case going up hills was slow. I ran into a lot of traffic lights on Old Georgetown Rd., prompting me to stop and start a lot, including my watch.

After the ride I'd intended to bicycle with Peggy and Samantha into Bethesda. Samantha has grown and her old bike is much too small. The last time we tried riding it was on Max's bike, which is perhaps an inch larger than it should be. That was a disaster with Samantha's fears getting the best of her and it seeming like she'd completely forgotten how to bicycle. She rode right into a parked car. Since the rain was threatening, we decided not to ride into Bethesda for dinner. Instead, I took Samantha to the elementary school where I'd first taught her to ride. We started similarly with me running/walking along side of her until she could balance. This was successful despite it starting to rain lightly. She got around the small parking lot and accessed her brakes, able to get off on her own.

After dinner, I worked on picture from vacation. My shirt may have been a little damp. My back started hurting slowly while seated in my chair. The pain became more harsh. Radiculopathy brought it down to my right toe. It became hard to walk. Even laying down became very uncomfortable no matter how I lay. I got a little better but it was was hard to sleep for a while too. I suspect a piece of my deteriorating disc has moved about or broken off again.

From Northfield Rd., Greenwich Park, to Old Georgetown Rd. to Beech Dr. to Singleton Dr. to Bulls Run Pkwy., to the trail along the middle school to Bradmore Dr. to Folkstone Rd. to Hartsdale Ave. to Heampstead Ave. to McKinley St. to Garfield St., to Roosevelt St., to the trail at Jefferson St. to Northfield Rd. It was in the upper 80s F starting out, sunny, and very humid. The best thing about the weather was that there was a little breeze out of the south. I was sore and paced myself for both the weather and because I haven't been running enough. At least I can for now. I felt pretty slow but my knees did not hurt.

Great Falls National Park, MD. From the Angler's Inn parking lot, I started up the Berma Rd. I continued to the bridge over the canal, just south of the Billygoat A trailhead. From there I ran the towpath south to the bridge over the canal for Marsden Tract campers, and lastly, northwest on MacArthur Blvd. to the Angler's Inn parking lot. It was 76 F starting out, and 100% humidity. It was lightly raining except for the middle part of the run where a soaking rain fell. I felt pretty good for 25 minutes and as the rain fell I felt heavier. I had a lot of puddles to negotiate and sometimes I just went right through them. I'd picked this run because it's generally been harder to get into the park since pandemic social distancing had been in-place. The rain seemed to keep people away. The parking lot was practically empty and I saw a total of 13 people during the run. My right knee felt fine when running but I did feel my left one when running the paved "trail" along the sloped MacArthur Blvd.

Redgate Park, Rockville, MD. This got me going a bit. I was still tired this morning but feeling better than yesterday. I jogged part of this with Peggy.

Redgate Park, MD. Summer Short Series. Peggy had setup what was mostly physical training. Several others had joined. We rolled dice to determine the order and partly the number of hill climbs that we had to do. With a printed map, we moved to various start triangles and were to run hard up finish points. The navigation was negligible but running hard was good to do. I was worried about doing this since my right knee had been hurting. Surprisingly, once I started running hard, it didn't hurt so much. This is consistent with what my orthopedist has said; that it's okay to run and that the pain is from inflammation of the tendons over the knee cap. The pain returned after going to breakfast at Panera Bread and having a good time talking with others. I only did 6 climbs, which was the minimal amount for the prescribed training. Since the dice directed me, 2 were on the shortest hill. The climbs ranged from about 30 seconds to just over a minute. The grass we ran on, an old golf course, was mowed nicely but damp in some places from the storm last night.