Training Log Archive: Nadim

Event: QOC Gunston Hall
 

QOC: Gunston Hall, VA. I ran Green and it wasn't so bad considering the little training that I've been doing. This was a nice course, set by Rob Field, that minimized the worst parts of the map. It was also a runner's course on the scale of technical skill required. I'm just not ready for running hard again, and being competitive at it.

S-1 - I used the trail, crossed to the ridge and went right to the control, only pausing a little. I wasn't reading the control to be a ruin and that was just my poor use of information. A description of it being inside the feature could have helped a little but I didn't really lose any time.

1-2 - I started straight, then used the right side to avoid the steeper drops. I spiked this.

2-3 - I went along the ridge until it steepened, then I descended into the valley. The valley was runnable as long as it wasn't too steep for me. I went right to get across the reentrant stream gully at the end but that might not have been optimal.

3-4 - I went along the right side of straight, and crossed the reentrant at the end to get to the control. I was not using the descriptions enough and didn't realize this was a pit until I got to it.

4-5 - I thought about using the main road that takes people to the park but the road in the park, and the field were pretty fast--I used the park road and field, rounded the house that's out of bounds, then used more roadway. Leaving the unpaved road from a bend, I ran through the light green to find the reentrant and follow the edge of it to the spur.

5-6 - I went straight, used the edge of the light green, crossed the creek and went straight. I saw the control in front of me but didn't think it was mine. I went to the top of the left knoll, looked over the other side of it, then came back to the control that I'd seen. I probably lost 20-30 seconds.

6-7 - I ran NE to the trail, hitting it well, then after crossing the bridge I ran at the control. I went over the ridge and came down a shallow reentrant to spike the control.

7-8 - I started a bit left to get through through green. Crossing the reentrant, I knew my position and went straight to spike the deep pit.

8-9 - I went around some green to the right of it, but over did this. After crossing the reentrant, I was too far to the left (west). The reentrant leading into #9 helped me correct. I probably lost 15 seconds.

9-10 - I angled to the trail, and came off the bend that I'd gotten onto when heading to #7. I went straight after that and hit the spur near the end.

10-11 - I stayed low by going to the right initially. I passed right by #6, then again used the west (left) edge of the light green vegetation to get to the base of the hill. I angled up the hill, again used the shallow reentrant on top to work my way to the control.

11-12 - I went to the field and looked for the shallow reentrants on the west edge. Plunging in on the second reentrant, I spiked the control and made-up some ground on those ahead of me.

12-13 - crossing the field again, I was not making-up much time on the couple I'd seen on the way to #12, or Michael Stasiowski. I spiked the control but the whole way I was thinking it was my last control.

13-14 - I should have gone straight. I total misread this. Using the trail to go to the field, I missed seeing the ride and went to the corner. I saw the dot knoll but not the ride again. I plunged into the forest near the dot knoll and got to the control without much trouble. John Baker. was nearby and punched after me.

14-F - I ran the elephant track through the grassy ride to get to the field. I could hear John Baker behind me. He ran through some of the forest but wasn't able to catch me.

Overall, I probably lost 2 to 2.5 minutes.

Green - Splits

Little Seneca Creek Regional Park - I started at Camp Seneca Creek again. It was nice a sunny when I started. I got going a bit earlier than I have been because I knew it was going to rain later. I worked along the main creek first, then covered some of the flood plan. I got up onto the end of the ridge to re-check a few things. I started to work west to connect to earlier field checking, but both along the floodplain and higher ground, there was too much vegetation. It'll be different in a few weeks. I got into the big field and saw large round hay bales there. The lower edges of the field had thorns but not where they'd been baling hay. I realigned some of the fence that I'd mapped a few days ago, then I crossed the ridge to work on the steep slope. I descended a reentrant with a mix of dot knolls and rootstock. It was hard working there. Even when I got to the bottom, I went back up and back down a few times as I headed north. There's lots more to do.

Adding on to the Holyes Mill map in the far northeast, I started in Little Seneca Creek Regional Park off of Clopper Rd. and started by field checking the edges of the open areas that I hadn't gotten to last June. The area was more open than last June, but still too green in the green parts of the forest--not enough leaves have come off and not enough low vegetation has died off yet. I climbed onto the ridge and realigned some of the trail. Then I went down the steep eastern slopes to get some point features. I'd gotten a blister on my right foot the last day of the US Masters Championship. Though that had time to get better, when I pulled some tape off, I also pulled of more skin on a different part of my foot, the front right side. That part of my foot hurt on the slopes. I moved slowly. Later I checked the stream valley on the west side of the ridge. I finished by crossing the ridge again and getting more features on the steep eastern side. The flood plan between the ridge and the creek was covered in grasses but is opening up some.