Training Log Archive: Nadim

Warm-up at Watergap National Park, NJ for the DVOA Sprint Stage 1. I jogged to the start and did a few strides.

DVOA at Stuckey Pond, Stage 1 Sprint. This one was worth 40 points. I started 30 seconds ahead of Jon Torrance. With a small boo boo at #3, Jon caught up but passed me on the climb to #4. With 14 controls, they were so close together that you were on top of them before you knew it. Jon pulled ahead on climbs and I lost sight of him by #9. Going to #13, all was well but just before getting there I saw Jon coming back the other way saying "ooohh, that was bad." I didn't understand. I went on and punched kind of glad that I'd made contact again even if he'd made an error. I automatically turned around for about 15 meters then realized he was headed off in the wrong direction. I knew I had just punched #13 and check it again as I went past on the way to #14. I figured Jon was just further ahead than I thought because the course doubled back on itself. At #14 I punched and read my map as if I was going to #14 again. The lines were thin against the contours on the blown-up 1:5,000 map and I just didn't focus on the leg. The oxygen dept and confusion with Jon running the other way had done a number on me. I ran west parallel to the creek looking for the trail which I'd crossed w/o seeing. I finally read my compass and turned to cross the creek still looking for the trail. I was well west of it in the thick green. Hearing voices, I thought they were coming from the start not the finish. I looped a bit getting due south of the finsh still thinking I had more controls to find. I finally read more carefully and embarassingly went to the finish after losing +2 minutes. Jon had finished well ahead and Dave Onkst got me by a bit too.

Warm-up at Watergap National Park, NJ for the DVOA Sprint Stage 2. I jogged to the start and did a few strides.

DVOA at Stuckey Pond, Stage 2 Sprint. A bit of deja-vue; this one was also worth 40 points. This time I started 30 seconds ahead of Joe Brautigam and a minute ahead of Peggy. Phil Bricker was 30 seconds ahead of me. Before the start I had guessed the location and could see the first control from the waiting area--not that it mattered much but I probably shouldn't have given it away. After passing Phil, I had another small 10 second boo boo at #3 by being too low thinking the control was in the reentrant. Joe didn't catch me there. I climbed the ridge a bit going to #4 and eventually dropped into the long reentrant. Joe had nearly caught me there by not climbing the ridge. He later said he had twisted an ankle around the time I dropped down into the reentrant. I guess he slowed as I was a few steps ahead going over the saddle. I kept looking on my right for sign of the ridge ending and stupidly let myself get drawn off by others who had climbed too early. This time Joe got ahead for good. Realizing my error being on the ridge slope, I went back down and into the reentrant and into the control (#4) behind Joe. Number 4 was the crux for just about everyone. The rest were easier. For me it was me all trying to catch Joe by watching him run off from the control while I stopped to read and verify the direction, then pursuing. Even when I could read ahead and go in and out, it seemed Joe was in and out faster. I liked his route choices for the terrain and didn't see any reason to try something different. Staying low here allowed faster running than staying on rocky ridge tops. At this pace I had trouble with the footing. Joe took a big fall going to #10 but was still far enough ahead to keep ahead of me. Though my route to the finish was shorter, the cliffs made me lose 5 seconds to him.

Sprint 1 - Splits

sprint 2 - Splits