Contribute  :  Web Resources  :  Past Polls  :  Calendar  :  Advanced Search  :  Site Statistics  :  A Bit About Me  :  Site Index  :  Gallery  :  Our Store  
    Nordic Walking US.com Nordic Walking - Simple, Effective, Fun!    
advanced search  
Menu
Why Nordic Walk?
Tell us Your Story
User Functions
Username:

Password:

Don't have an account yet? Sign up as a New User
Events
There are no upcoming events
Sign up for demos
Home
Gear News (30/0)
News (8/0)
General News (43/0)
Older Stories
Saturday 06-Oct
Friday 07-Sep
Tuesday 04-Sep
Monday 20-Aug
Wednesday 11-Jul
Thursday 05-Jul
Tuesday 26-Jun
Wednesday 30-May
Avertising
POLITICUS.US. Politics, discussion, comments

Stingy Dave Deals
Stingy Dave Deals Saves you cash - deals and coupons

SpringBoost
Springboost
Democratic Voice of Burma
Democratic Voice of Burma Support the heroic struggle of the Burmese people!
UC Tours
Life Assurance
YouTube Nordic Walking Video
A nice, friendly, Nordic walking-related video on YouTube.

Entrecard
Technorati
Add to Technorati Favorites
Tagenie
FreeAdForum

Click here to submit your free, permanent ads to TheFreeAdForum.com!

Tagza
Add to tagza.com
Ivy Research
Ivy Research

Sample Admission Essay
Sample Admission Essay

Life Assurance
Life Assurance
Validated

Valid CSS!

Zevarti
Zevarti - a web portal with 10 types of search

Hotel Les Fleurs
Holidays in the Auvergne in France. Beautiful regional small hotel, health resort, sports and action

ArtsDirectory
TheArtsDirectory.net - Art Links
Szigg.net
Web Directory

BUMPzee
BlogCatalog
Agridwork
Free Advertising
 Welcome to Nordic Walking US.com
 Monday, May 12 2008 @ 12:30 PM EDT

My Nordic Walking Diary Part III

    
Sunday, May 11 2008 @ 01:24 PM EDT
Contributed by: Admin
Views: 1046

Had to give in to MySQL limits. Since the database exceeded the pre-set limit, the continuation of the diary resides here now. Link to the first and second parts of the diary are just below.

Results, so far - with no dieting, after 3,538.5 miles - lost 30 pounds and 5.5% body fat since May 16, 2005, when this diary was started. Just think what kind of results YOU could achieve with Nordic walking and a rational diet! Have also gotten faster, as proven by steadily tumbling personal records.

The main advantage of this diary is that it helps me maintain my goal of Nordic walking 15 miles per week as a minimum and 25 + miles as my optimum weekly total.

The 1st part of The Nordic Walking Diary

The 2nd part of The Nordic Walking Diary



September 30, 2007 Reston, VA: From Twin Branches Road to Steeplechase Road, both ways, along Glade stream. About 6 miles. 1:26. A good, but a more relaxed pace than the last time on this route. With Ania. About 65F and a great, sunny day.

October 1, 2007 Streets and parks of Vienna. 3 miles. 0:36:50. I must have started the month off right, as this is 10 seconds below my previous personal record for this route!

This is a nice, varied park and street loop, close to my house. Several hill climbs provide for a good workout.

October 2, 2007 W&OD Trail, from Vienna, to Piney Branch bridge and return. 3 miles. 0:38:20. 69F and sunny. Great weather, but we could use some rain here.

October 3. 2007 Streets and parks of Vienna. 3 miles. Pretty good time, just 35 seconds over my best.

October 5, 2007 W&OD Trail, from Vienna Station, to Route 66 and Virginia Lane and return. About 7 miles. 1:35. Started at 72F, with a full overcast, finished at 77F, with broiling sun.

Tested the big, fat LEKI Rubber Fitness Walking Tips on my LEKI Speed Pacer Varios. Good grip, not much visible wear, after 7 miles on pavement.

October 6, 2007 Riverbend Park, from Great Falls Park. About 6 miles. 1:26. The route leads through hills and valleys and along the Upland Trail. With Ania. About 82F and mostly sunny. Summer weather in October!?

The Potomac is really low. At this water level it is very much easier to run the rapids. Saw three kayakers descending Great Falls. At about this same water level (2.56 at Little Falls gauge) I had little difficulty exploring the Mather Gorge in a sea kayak, which at higher water levels could have been suicidal.

28 miles for the week

October 7, 2007 W&OD Trail, to Lake Fairfax Park and return. About 5 miles. 1:14. With Ania. 80F, sunny and very humid.

October 8, 2007 Streets and parks of Vienna. 3 miles. 0:40. 78F, sunny and humid.

October 9, 2007 Streets and parks of Vienna. 3 miles. 0:39:20. 80F and very humid.

October 10, 2007 Streets and parks of Vienna, including a section of the W&OD Trail. 4 miles. 0:53:20. 73F, sunny and less humid.

October 12, 2007 W&OD Trail from Vienna, to Hunter Mill Road and return. 5 miles. 1:07:10. My best time in a while :)

65F, sunny, with a noticeable breeze.

October 13, 2007 Great Falls NP, VA. Matildaville Trail, to Ridge Trail, to Difficult Run Trail, back up to Ridge Trail, return on Swamp Trail and Carriage Road. About 7 miles. 1:50. With Ania. Beautiful, sunny day. 67F. Very, very dry conditions.

26.5 miles for the week

October 14, 2007 Parks and streets of Vienna. About 6 miles. 1:11. This is equal to my best time for this route!

Beautiful, sunny day, around 60F.

October 15, 2007 Streets of Vienna and Oakton. About 3 miles. 0:35. 60F and sunny.

October 13, 2007 Streets and parks of Vienna. 3 miles. 0:46:15. With Ania. Another gorgeous, dry day, 65F.

October 17, 2007 W&OD Trail from Vienna, to Hunter Mill Road and return. 5 miles. 1:12. Pretty good, but rather relaxed pace. 72F and beautiful.

October 19, 2007 W&OD Trail, to Lake Fairfax Park and return. About 5 miles. 1:00:00! My best time, by 00:01:40!

74F, humid and drizzly. Finally some rain and maybe t-storms expected for later in the day.

Although on this largely dirt route I don't use rubber tips, have been testing the Exerstrider, LEKI Fitness and the large Swix rubber tips extensively. The conclusion? They perform about the same on a variety of surfaces. The Swix and LEKI tips have two advantages, though. First: They last a bit longer, as they have more rubber and second: They are cheaper, thanks to our policy of free shipping to the lower 48 U.S. states.

October 20, 2007 Streets and parks of Vienna, including a section of the W&OD Trail, to Piney Branch bridge and return. About 6.5 miles. 1:35.

70F, less humid, partly sunny.

28.5 miles for the week

October 21, 2007 Streets and parks of Vienna. A new route. Just over 5 miles. 1:18. 72F, relatively humid, sunny and beautiful.

October 22, 2007 Streets and parks of Vienna. 5 miles. 1:09.

67F, sunny and dry. Take this skeptics! We have serious global warming and drought to boot!!!

October 23, 2007 Streets and parks of Vienna. 3 miles. 0:41. 68F, slight drizzle.

October 26, 2007 W&OD Trail, from Vienna (mile 12.25), to Sunrise Valley Drive in Reston (mile 15.75) and return. 7 miles. 1:48.

57F. Light, but steady rain, for the third day in a row. We really need it.

LEKI Speed Pacer Varios, Springboost B-Nordic shoes (waterproof, but breathable), rain jacket, Tilley hat (to protect not only my face and head, but also the over-the-ears headphones for the mp3 player, and - for the first time in months - tights.

October 27, 2007 Reston, VA: From Twin Branches Road to Steeplechase Road, both ways, along Glade stream. About 6 miles. 1:29. With Ania.

68F and mostly sunny. Wet leaves left after the recent rains made our pole tips slide quite a bit.

26 miles for the week

October 28, 2007 Riverbend Park, from Great Falls Park, Virginia. About 6 miles. 1:27. The route leads through hills and valleys and along the Upland Trail and the Potomac River. With Ania.

About 56 F. Sunny and gorgeous.

October 29, 2007 Streets and parks of Vienna, including a section of the W&OD Trail. 4 miles. 0:52. 49F and sunny. Pretty good time.

October 31, 2007 Halloween! Streets of Vienna. 3 miles. 0:41. Sunny and deceptively warm.

November 3, 2007 In the morning Nordic walking demo at Nottaway Park in Vienna, Va. About 2.5 miles. 1:30. 50F, sunny and breezy.

In the afternoon, Great Falls Park, Virginia, with Ania. About 5 miles. 1:22. Warmer, it got to about 56F. Very nice day, overall.

21.5 miles for the week

November 4, 2007 Streets and parks of Vienna and Oakton, including a section of the W&OD Trail. About 6.5 miles. 1:32. 53F, sunny and breezy.

November 5, 2007 Streets, parks and trails of Vienna and Oakton. 3.5 miles. 0:50. 53F and sunny.

Found some new wooded trails, streams and a pond, I wasn't aware existed :)

November 6, 2007 Election Day in Virginia. Streets and parks of Vienna. 3 miles. 0:39. 48F and sunny.

November 7, 2007 Streets, parks and trails of Vienna and Oakton. 3.5 miles. Almost like the November 5, 2007 route. 0:47. 42F, partly sunny and breezy.

November 9, 2007 W&OD Trail, from Vienna (mile 12.25), to Sunrise Valley Drive in Reston (mile 15.75) and return. 7 miles. 1:45. Three minutes faster than last time.

41F, blustery, with a light drizzle.

November 10, 2007 Streets, parks and trails of Vienna and Oakton. 4.5 miles. 1:00.

43F. Mostly cloudy. Yesterday's drizzle has softened the ground somewhat, so its not baked hard as a rock any more.

27 miles for the week

November 11, 2007 Reston, VA: From Twin Branches Road to Steeplechase Road, both ways, along Glade stream. About 6 miles. 1:18. With Ania (5 minutes longer).

47F and Sunny.

November 12, 2007 Streets of Vienna and Oakton. 3 miles, 0:40. 45F, damp, after morning drizzle.

November 13, 2007 W&OD Trail from Vienna, to Hunter Mill Road and return. 5 miles. 1:08.

58F, after a rain. Deceptively warm.

November 14, 2007 Streets, parks and trails of Vienna and Oakton. 4.5 miles. 1:02. 53F. Damp, but no rain.

November 16, 2007 Streets and parks of Vienna and Oakton, including a section of the W&OD Trail. About 6.5 miles. 1:33. 40F, sunny and windy.

November 17, 2007 W&OD Trail, to Lake Fairfax Park and return. Extra loop next to the park. About 5.5 miles. 1:12. 50F (10C), beautiful, sunny day. Quite a few soccer games going on in the park.

30.5 miles for the week

November 18, 2007 Streets, parks and trails of Vienna and Oakton. 4.5 miles. 1:03. 50F. Sunny and nice.

November 20, 2007 Streets and parks of Vienna, including a section of the W&OD Trail. 4 miles. 0:54. 50F, partly sunny.

November 21, 2007 W&OD Trail, from Vienna, to Piney Branch bridge and return. 3 miles. 0:38. Pretty good time. 68F and partly sunny. Shorts, short sleeve shirt, sunglasses :)

November 22, 2007, Thanksgiving! Streets and parks of Vienna and Oakton, including a section of the W&OD Trail. About 6.5 miles. 1:36. 73F. Quite sunny and breezy. A lot of walkers, runners and cyclists.

The forecast calls for a 40-degree drop in temperature tonight.

November 23, 2007 Streets and parks of Vienna, including about 4 miles on the W&OD Trail. About 7.5 miles. 1:42. Fast. 39F. Pretty good day for it.

November 24, 2007 Streets and parks of Vienna. 3 miles. 0:38. 39F, less windy than yesterday.

28.5 miles for the week

November 25, 2007 W&OD Trail, to Lake Fairfax Park and return. About 5 miles. 1:01. Just one minute over my personal record.

50F, sunny. Not many people in the park itself, but quite a few walkers, runners and mountain bikers on the trail.

November 27, 2007 Streets, parks and trails of Vienna and Oakton. 4.5 miles. 1:00. Equal to my best time. 50F, partly sunny and windy.

November 28, 2007 W&OD Trail from Vienna, to Hunter Mill Road and return. 5 miles. 1:11. Didn't try to break any records. Very nice walk. 40F, sunny.

November 29, 2007 Streets and parks of Vienna, including a section of the W&OD Trail. 4 miles. 0:55. 50F and sunny. Not much wind, for a change.

November 30, 2007 Streets and parks of Vienna and Oakton. 3.5 miles. 0:48. 43F, sunny, almost cloudless sky.

December 1, 2007 Nordic Walking demo at the National Mall in Washington, DC. About 3 miles. 1:30. Cool, sunny, a bit windy.

In the afternoon, W&OD Trail, from Vienna, to Piney Branch bridge and return. 3 miles. 0:46. With Ania. 40F, sunny and less windy.

28 miles for the week

December 2, 2007 Streets, parks and trails of Vienna and Oakton. 4.5 miles. 0:59. My best time for this route, by a full minute!

40F and cloudy. Just missed the rain.

December 3, 2007 Streets and parks of Vienna, including a section of the W&OD Trail. 4 miles. 0:52. Crossed the 3,000-mile mark!. 42F, sunny, very windy, with gusts almost certainly exceeding 40mph.

December 4, 2007 W&OD Trail, from Vienna, to Piney Branch bridge and return. 3 miles. 0:40. 33F, partly sunny and very windy.

December 5, 2007 Streets and parks of Vienna. 3 miles. 0:42. 27F (-3C). Light, to moderate snow falling. About one inch on the ground. Fairly slick. It would be better with three, or four inches of snow.

December 6, 2007 Streets, parks and trails of Vienna and Oakton. 4.5 miles. 1:09. 30F. About 3 inches of snow and ice. Perfect conditions for the Swix Twist&Go tips, as I had to switch between the rubber and tungsten tips several times, but I brought other poles...

December 8, 2007 Nordic Walking demo at the National Mall in Washington, DC. About 3 miles.

Walked through the middle of the Mall, towards the National Gallery of Art skating rink, then east, to The Capitol, admired the Christmas tree, around the Capitol, by the Supreme Court and the Library of Congress and back towards the Air and Space Museum.

The weather turned out to be much better than expected. Sunny and pleasant. About 49F.

In the afternoon W&OD Trail, from Vienna, to Piney Branch bridge and return. 3 miles. 0:42. With Ania.

26 miles for the week

December 9, 2007 Streets and parks of Vienna. 3 miles. 0:39. 41F, damp and foggy, but no rain.

December 10, 2007 Streets of Vienna and Oakton. About 3 miles. 0:43. 43F, cloudy and still damp.

December 11, 2007 Streets and parks of Vienna, including a section of the W&OD Trail. 4 miles. 0:64. 45F and cloudy.

December 12, 2007 W&OD Trail, from Vienna, to Piney Branch bridge and return. 3 miles. 0:38. 58F. For the first time in weeks was wearing shorts.

December 14, 2007 W&OD Trail, from Hunter Mill Road, to Reston Parkway and return. About 7 miles. 1:36. Not a record, but a pretty good time. 48F, sunny and windy.

20 miles for the week

December 16, 2007 Streets and parks of Vienna, including a section of the W&OD Trail. 6 miles. 1:14. 35F, wet and drizzly. The snow/ice storm predicted didn't materialize. Some nasty weather forecast for later today.

December 17, 2007 Streets of Vienna and Oakton. About 3 miles. 0:43. 34F. Not as windy as last night, but gusts easily exceeded 25mph.

December 19, 2007 W&OD Trail from Vienna, to Hunter Mill Road and return. 5 miles. 1:12. 35F, cloudy, with a light, chilling wind.

December 20, 2007 Streets and parks of Vienna. 3 miles. 0:39. 40 F and sunny.

December 22, 2007 W&OD Trail, to Lake Fairfax Park and return. About 5 miles. 1:02. 44F and cloudy.

22 miles for the week

December 24, 2007 Charles River Reservation, along the Charles River in Newton, Watertown and Waltham, Massachusetts. Bridge circuit. About 2 miles. 0:35.

40F. Despite the above-freezing temperatures and heavy rain yesterday, there is still close to a foot of snow on the ground. The two miles through the often crumbling snow were really more like four, effort-wise.

December 29, 2007 Riverbend Park, from Great Falls Park. About 6 miles. 1:25. The route leads through hills and valleys and along the Upland Trail. With Ania. About 51F and mostly sunny.

Only 8 miles for the week. Traveling to Boston for Christmas was nice, but did not do very much for my mileage.

December 30, 2007 Streets, parks and trails of Vienna and Oakton. 4.5 miles. 1:02.

40F and cloudy.

January 1, 2008 W&OD Trail from Vienna, to Hunter Mill Road and return. 5 miles. 1:10. 41F and sunny. Good start to the New Year, except that I might be coming down with a cold, or something. May take it easy for a couple of days.

January 3, 2008 Streets and parks of Vienna, including a section of the W&OD Trail. 4 miles. 0:54. 27F (-3C) sunny, and windy.

January 4, 2008 Streets of Vienna and Oakton. About 3 miles. 0:39. 34F and sunny.

January 5, 2008 Great Falls Park, Virginia. Swamp, Difficult Run, Ridge and Matildaville trails. With Ania. About 6 miles. 1:26 (Ania 1:29). Speeded up for the last 1.5 miles. 43F. Partly cloudy. Fair number of people in the park.

22 miles for the week

January 6, 2008 W&OD Trail, from Vienna, to Piney Branch bridge and return. 3 miles. 0:38. 50F and sunny. Deceptively warm. Made pretty good time on the return leg.

January 7, 2008 Reston, VA: From Twin Branches Road to Steeplechase Road, both ways, along Glade stream. About 6 miles. 1:13. Probably my best time for this route.

65F and not a cloud in the sky. Should have worn shorts.

January 9, 2008 W&OD Trail from Vienna, to Hunter Mill Road and return. 5 miles. 1:08. 63F. Cloudless skies, but very windy.

SSSS (Short Sleeve, Shorts, Sunglasses) It could have easily be SSSSS (Short Sleeve, Shorts, Sunglasses, Swix) if I used Swix poles :) but since I had my LEKI Speed Pacer Varios today, let's stick to SSSS.

January 11, 2008 Streets and parks of Vienna, including a section of the W&OD Trail. 6 miles. 1:12. 54F and mostly sunny. Still wet after a rain, but it seems like I managed to sneak in between two periods of rain -:)

January 12, 2008 Great Falls Park, Virginia. Swamp, Difficult Run, Ridge and Matildaville trails. With Ania. About 6 miles. 1:25. Exactly the same route as January 5. 45F and partly cloudy

26 miles for the week

January 13, 2008 Streets, parks and trails of Vienna and Oakton. 4.5 miles. 1:00. Just a minute over my best time for this route!

42F (6c) and partly sunny. Rain,sleet and/or snow predicted for tonight. I certainly hope that it will be the real, white stuff!

January 14, 2008 Streets and parks of Vienna. 3 miles. 0:37. Within 10 seconds of my best time. No wonder it was a heck of a workout!

39F (4C) a few errant snow flurries in the air.

January 15, 2008 W&OD Trail, from Vienna, to Piney Branch bridge and return. 3 miles. 0:38.

29F (-2C). For the first 15 minutes had a strong headwind, with thick snow blowing in my face. Wish I wore a nylon jacket and warmer gloves, maybe even a face mask. The front of my fleece pullover was covered by a layer of snow. Soon, the wind died down, the snow stopped and the sun came out. Unfortunately, there was only minimal snow accumulation.

January 18, 2008 W&OD Trail, to Lake Fairfax Park and return. About 5 miles. 1:09. 43F. Wet snow, mud and melting water. Beautiful overall, but the pace was necessarily slower.

January 19, 2008 Same as yesterday. W&OD Trail, to Lake Fairfax Park and return. About 5 miles. 1:30. With Ania. 36F. Snow a bit more crusty and generally less muddy.

Met a group of backpacking boy scouts, all with trekking poles, training for a New Mexico trip.

20.5 miles for the week

January 20, 2008 W&OD Trail, from Vienna, to Piney Branch bridge and return. 3 miles. 0:42.

19F (-13C). Sunny. It would actually be very nice, if it wasn't for the 25mph wind gusts from the west blowing the frigid air right into the face. Some slick, icy spots in shaded areas.

January 21, 2008 W&OD Trail from Vienna, to Hunter Mill Road and return. 5 miles. 1:12.

20F (-7C), sunny, less wind than yesterday. Some icy spots.

January 22, 2008 Streets of Vienna and Oakton. 3 miles. 0:43. 34F (1C), cloudy. A fair number of tricky, uneven ice patches on sidewalks and streets.

January 23, 2008 Streets and parks of Vienna, including a section of the W&OD Trail. 4 miles. 0:54. 35F, cloudless sky.

January 25, 2008 Reston, VA: From Twin Lakes Road, to Hunter Woods Village Center, along Glade Stream, both ways. About 8 miles. 2:00.

32F (0C), sunny with some wind. Snow alongside the trail added some color, to the largely brown landscape.

January 26, 2008 A short walk in Great Falls, NP, Virginia. 1 mile. 15 minutes.

24 miles for the week

January 27, 2008 Streets, parks and trails of Vienna and Oakton. 4.5 miles. 1:13. With Ania. 36F, sunny and beautiful. Most of the muddy sections were still frozen :)

January 28, 2008 Streets and parks of Vienna, including a section of the W&OD Trail. 4 miles. 0:56. 37F (4C) and sunny.

Took a break for a few days, because managed to catch a nasty flu.

February 2, 2008 - Groundhog Day! Nordic walking demo and class at the Pratt Railroad Bridge on the Patuxent Branch Trail in Columbia, Maryland. About 4 miles. 1:15. The group has very quickly mastered the basic technique.

Only 12.5 miles for the week, because of the flu

February 3, 2008 Parks and streets of Vienna. 3 miles. 0:43. 49F (9C). Cloudless, with not much wind. Still taking it easy, because of the recent flu.

February 5, 2008 W&OD Trail, from Vienna, to Piney Branch bridge and return. 3 miles. 0:44. 57F and cloudy. Still taking it slow.

February 9, 2008 Great Falls Park, Virginia. Swamp, Difficult Run, Ridge and Matildaville trails. With Ania. About 6 miles. 1:43. With Ania and Ewa. 53F. Nice day.

12 miles for the week

February 10, 2008 Streets, parks and trails of Vienna and Oakton. 4.5 miles. 1:05. 43 F, mostly sunny and windy.

February 15, 2008 W&OD Trail, from Vienna, to Piney Branch bridge and return. 3 miles. 0:40. 55F and mostly sunny.

Quite a difference from the recent ice storm, with accidents, broken bones and power outages.

February 16, 2008 Cross County Trail, from the W&OD Trail at Hunter Mill Road, to Leesburg Pike (route 7) and return. About 8 miles. 2:34. With Ania.

42F with cloudless skies. Quite muddy in some sections.

15.5 miles for the week

Febryary 17, 2008 Streets, parks and trails of Vienna and Oakton. 4.5 miles. 1:03. 43F and mostly cloudy.

February 18, 2008 Streets and parks of Vienna. 3 miles. 0:47. With Ania. Mostly sunny and 68F (20C)!!!

February 19, 2008 W&OD Trail from Vienna, to Hunter Mill Road and return. 5 miles. 1;10. 43F (7C). Mostly sunny and quite windy.

February 20, 2008 Streets of Vienna and Oakton. 3 miles. 0:41. 32F (0C), mostly cloudy, but nice.

February 23, 2008 Riverbend Park, from Great Falls Park, Virginia. About 6 miles. 1:28. The route leads through hills and valleys and along the Upland Trail and the Potomac River. With Ania.

34F and with an intermittent and very light drizzle. Fairly muddy in parts.

21.5 miles for the week

February 24, 2008 Streets and parks of Vienna and Oakton. 4.5 miles. 1:12. With Ania. 28 F. Nice and sunny.

February 25, 2008 W&OD Trail from Vienna, to Hunter Mill Road and return. 5 miles. 1:09. 44F (6C). Sunny and nice.

February 29, 2008 W&OD Trail from Vienna, to Hunter Mill Road and return. 5 miles. 1:06.

43F (6C). Sunny. Very good time :)

March 1, 2008 Great Falls Park, Virginia. Swamp, Difficult Run, Ridge and Matildaville trails. With Ania. About 6 miles. 1:33. 43F. Sunny and quite windy.

20.5 miles for the week

March 2, 2008 Streets and parks of Vienna, including the W&OD Trail, to Piney Branch bridge. 7 miles. 1:32. 43F. Beautiful, sunny day, with light wind. It actually felt warmer than it was

March 3, 2008 Streets of Vienna and Oakton. 3 miles. 0:40. Equal to my best time for this route. Short and sunglasses.

60F (16C). Cloudless skies, noticeable breeze.

March 4, 2008 W&OD Trail, to Lake Fairfax Park and return. About 5 miles. 1:03. 68F (20C). Cloudy, ahead of a supposedly major rain storm.

March 5, 2008 Streets and parks of Vienna, including a section of the W&OD Trail. 4 miles. 0:54. 38F (4C). In the evening, with a headlamp.

March 7, 2008 W&OD Trail, from Vienna Station, at Ayr Hill Road (the original name of Vienna), to Piney Run Bridge and return. 4 miles. 0:55. 43F and raining.

March 8, 2008 Reston, VA: From Twin Branches Road to Steeplechase Road, both ways, along Glade stream. About 6 miles. 1:23. With Ania. 53F, with intermittent, sometimes heavy rain, which ended towards the end of the walk.

29 miles for the week My best weekly total in a while -:)

March 9, 2008 Streets and parks of Vienna and Oakton, including a section of the W&OD Trail. About 6.5 miles. 1:36. 37F. Quite sunny and breezy. A lot of walkers, runners and cyclists.

March 10, 2008 Streets and parks of Vienna. 3 miles. 0:36:30. My best time for this route! This is a very nice and varied route, with several paved, hilly sections.

43F (6C). Sunny and nice.

March 12, 2008 Streets of Vienna. 2 miles. 0:27. 43F and sunny.

March 14, 2008 W&OD Trail, from Hunter Mill Road, to Lake Fairfax Park and return. Starting at Michael Faraday Drive, the route goes through a forest trail with quite a few hills. About 9 miles. 1:59:30. My best time by about 4 minutes!

65F and sunny. Shorts and sunglasses. Warm enough to sweat heavily, at speed. Emptied a 3/4 -liter SIGG water bottle.

March 15, 2008 From Hunter Mill Road, to Twin Lakes Road and return, along the W&OD Trail and the Cross County Trail. About 4.5 miles. 0:59. With Ania. 52F, nice, sunny day, with relatively little mud, along the stream valley park.

25 miles for the week

March 16, 2008 Streets and parks of Vienna, including a section of the W&OD Trail. 4 miles. 0:51. My best time!

47F and partly sunny.

March 17, 2008 Streets of Vienna and Oakton. 3 miles. 0:42. 40F and sunny.

March 18, 2008 Streets and parks of Vienna, including part of the W&OD Trail. 4 miles. 0:50. Another personal record! The same route as March 16 - in reverse.

March 19, 2008 Streets of Vienna and Oakton. 3 miles. 0:42. 60F (15C). The same route as March 17 - in reverse.

March 21, 2008 Cross County Trail, from Leesburg Pike (Rt.7) to Georgetown Pike (Rt. 195) and return. About 7 miles. 1:27.

53F (13C). Beautiful, sunny day. This is a very varied route, mainly along the Difficult Run, with a number of small hills.

March 22, 2008 Great Falls Park, Virginia. Swamp, Difficult Run, Ridge and Matildaville trails. With Ania. About 6 miles. 1:25.

48F, mostly sunny, but with several brief periods of hail. Only about 1.5 mm in diameter, but noisy.

27 miles for the week

March 23, 2008 Reston, VA: From Twin Branches Road to Soapstone Road, both ways, along Glade stream. About 3.5 miles. 0:50. With Ania.

Beautiful, sunny day, 42F.

In the afternoon 2.5 miles west of Herndon, Virginia, on the W&OD Trail. 0:35. With Ania.

In the evening: Streets and parks of Vienna. 3 miles. 0:38. 40F at dusk.

March 25, 2008 Charles River Reservation, Newton, Waltham, Massachusetts. From Newton to Moody Street, and return. Went through the Charles River Museum of Industry on the banks of the Charles, which by the way is at a fairly high level now. About 6 miles. 1:20. About 32F (0C), cloudless skies.

In the afternoon, about 4 miles in and around Harvard Square, in Cambridge.

March 26, 2008 Along the Charles River, downstream and return from Rustic Street, in Newton, Massachusetts, to North Beacon Street Bridge - loop. About 5.5 miles. 1:11. 56F, sunny and windy.

March 27, 2008 Charles River Reservation, Newton, Waltham, Massachusetts. From Newton to Moody Street, and return, through the Charles River Museum of Industry on the banks of the Charles. 6 miles. 1:18.

58F and cloudy.

March 29, 2008 Burke Lake circuit. 4.5 miles. 1:01. Very good time, but despite trying, wasn't able to break my own record of 1:00:18.

50F and mostly sunny. Lots of walkers, runners, and cyclists. Burke Lake is just a few miles from George Mason University, hence a lot of student runners train there.

35 miles for the week

March 30, 2008 Streets, parks and trails of Vienna and Oakton. 4 miles. 0:57. 43F (7C) Mostly cloudy.

April 2, 2008 Streets and parks of Vienna. 3 miles. 0:45. 44F and sunny. With Ania.

April 4, 2008 W&OD Trail from Vienna, to Hunter Mill Road and return. 5 miles. 1:09. 57F, and partly sunny. In between some serious rains.

April 5, 2008 Great Falls Park, Virginia. Swamp, Difficult Run, Ridge and Matildaville trails. With Ania. About 6 miles. 1:27. 61F and despite the forecast - sunny and beautiful.

18 miles for the week

April 6, 2008 Streets and parks of Vienna, including a section of the W&OD Trail. 4 miles. 0:52. 46F, with a light drizzle.

April 7, 2008 Streets of Vienna and Oakton. 3 miles, 0:43. 44F with a very light drizzle.

April 9, 2008 Streets and parks of Vienna, including a section of the W&OD Trail. 4 miles. 0:53. 54F (13C), cloudy, but with the sun trying to break through, finally.

In the evening, with a headlamp. Residential streets of Vienna. About 2.5 miles. 0:35. With Ania. 59F. Getting warm!

April 11, 2008 W&OD Trail, from Vienna Station, to Hunter Mill Road and return. 6.5 miles. 1:22. Pretty good time. 82F, sunny and quite humid.

A lot of walkers, runners, cyclists and roller skaters.

April 12, 2008 Riverbend Park, from Great Falls Park. About 6 miles. 1:30. The route leads through hills and valleys, along the Upland Trail and by the Potomac. With Ania. About 75F and mostly sunny.

26 miles for the week

April 13, 2008 Streets and parks of Vienna, including a section of the W&OD Trail, Peterson's Lane Park, Tanglevale Park, and Glencannon Community Park. 6 miles. 1:15.

With Ania. 51F (11C) and cloudy.

April 16, 2008 W&OD Trail, west from Vienna to Buckthorn Lane and return. 6 miles, 1:25.

61F, gorgeous, sunny day.

April 17, 2008 Streets and parks of Vienna. 3 miles. 0:36. My best time!

Not a cloud in the sky and 68F (20C).

April 18, 2008 W&OD Trail, to Lake Fairfax Park and return. 5 miles. 1:04. Totally sunny and 82F (27C).

April 19, 2008 Sky Meadows State Park, in Delaplane, near Paris, VA. With Ania. North Ridge Trail, to Ambassador Whitehouse Trail, Appalachian Trail, down North Ridge and South Ridge Trails. About 6 miles. 1:50.

With Ania. About 78F and sunny. Many hikers, including a huge Boy Scout troop.

26 miles for the week

April 20, 2008 Streets of Vienna and Oakton. About 3 miles. 0:42. 56F and raining. At least I missed the big downpours and thunderstorms from earlier in the day.

April 23, 2008 W&OD Trail from Vienna, to Hunter Mill Road and return. 5 miles. 1:08. 68F (20C) and mostly sunny.

April 24, 2008 Streets and parks of Vienna, including a section of the W&OD Trail. 6 miles 1:12.

72F (23C). Mostly sunny.

April 25, 2008 W&OD Trail, from Vienna Station, to Route 66 and Virginia Lane and return. About 7 miles. 1:38.

81F (27C) and sunny.

April 26, 2008 In the morning: Nordic walking demo/class at Nottoway Park, in Vienna.

In the afternoon: Great Falls Park, Virginia. Swamp, Difficult Run, Ridge and Matildaville trails. With Ania. About 6 miles. 1:30. About 83F.

26 miles for the week

April 27, 2008 Billy Goat Trail, part B. Along the C&O Canal and the Potomac river, Maryland. About 4 miles round trip. 0:57. With Ania. Cloudy, 55F. The Potomac is very full, after last Sunday's downpours.

April 30, 2008 W&OD Trail from Vienna, to Hunter Mill Road and return. 5 miles. 1:10. Mostly sunny and 55F.

In the evening, with a headlamp - streets and parks of Vienna, including a section of the W&OD Trail. 4 miles. 0:54. 55F and quite nice.

May 1, 2008 Streets and parks of Vienna and Oakton, plus a section of the W&OD trail. 6.5 miles. 1:40.

52F and a light drizzle.

May 3, 2008 C&O Canal towpath, from Violette's Lock (mile 22), past Pennyfield Lock to milepost 19 and return. 6 miles, 1:50. 82F and sunny.

With Ania. Blue Herons, catching fish and lots and lots of snapping turtles, sunning themselves on logs. Quite a few runners, hikers and cyclists.

25.5 miles for the week

May 4, 2008 W&OD Trail, to Lake Fairfax Park and return. About 5 miles. 0:59. My best time!

68F (20C). Sunny and beautiful.

May 7, 2008 W&OD Trail, from Hunter Mill Road, to Reston Parkway and return. 7 miles. 1:33. 78F (26C). Cloudless skies and a bit humid.

In addition to the usual fauna (cyclists, runners, walkers, birds, squirrels, groundhogs and deer), saw a four-foot snake, laying in the shaded part of the pavement, calmly watching the traffic go by.

May 11, 2008 Stony Man Nature Trail in Shenandoah National Park. About 3 miles. 0:38. With Ania. We made it through the not too-long trail, but with an approximately 500-foot vertical elevation in record time.

Stopped at Shenandoah, on the way from our daughter Monika's graduation from Virginia Tech, in Blacksburg. It is a large school and over 5,000 students have graduated this year. Congratulations, Monika!

15 miles for the week

May 11, 2008 W&OD Trail, to Lake Fairfax Park and return. About 5 miles. 1:15. With Ania. 55F and cloudy.




What's Related

Story Options

My Nordic Walking Diary Part III | 0 comments | Create New Account
The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.
 Copyright © 2008 Nordic Walking US.com
 All trademarks and copyrights on this page are owned by their respective owners.		 Powered By Geeklog 
Created this page in 0.13 seconds 		 Nordic Walking US.com RSS/XML Syndication