Three Bad Runs, One Particularly So, Even Considering the Conditions
After once again having no green onions and using a red one in the salad made in the early hours of February 25, I got in bed at 5:20 AM and the alarm was set to ring at 1:30 PM, but when I woke up a few minutes before that time I turned it off and got up. Then I had the usual stuff, going back to the raw almonds, and the sweet thing consisting of two more of those expired nicer biscuits, with added honey. I left at 4:25 PM, wearing the full running gear and that thing that goes on my neck. The reported temperature was 10°C, dropping to 7°C by the time I finished.
The time was 1:21:23, with sector times of 4:27.57, 5:20.04, 6:07 (6:06.93), 4:45.32, 5:20 (5:19.56), 6:12 (6:11.84), 4:43.50, 5:21 (5:20.28), 6:16.07, 4:46.15, 5:22.63, 6:18, 4:53, 5:19 and 6:14, making for lap times of 15:54.54, 16:17 (16:16.72), 16:20 (16:19.85), 16:26 and 16:26. That time I ended up memorizing the exact times for as long as they were displayed, since the light wasn’t a problem, but it did become one on lap five, so I had to stop on its first two sectors in order to check the time. And, while I hoped to do better at first, it always seemed that just squeezing under 1:22 was the realistic target, the fact that I only squeezed under 16 minutes on the first lap making that quite clear… Only for even that to become questionable when the average lap time was already over 16 minutes after the first two laps. But, even if it required pushing more than I meant to while it was still too early in the run, I didn’t get much slower after that, and after four laps I wondered whether I might even squeeze under 1:21:30. Sector one of lap five made that quite unlikely, but I wanted to at least give my best, so I then went for it, especially on the last sector, and made it by a safe margin. But, of course, that remains a really bad time, and what I lost because of the conditions is far from enough to justify it.
There were a lot of puddles, plus some remaining snow on the sides of the path, so I kept having to weave and go the long way around for those reasons. The worst puddles were still in those places on sectors one and three, and while there was a narrow area that could be used to get around the one on sector three, the way around the one on sector one involved slowing to a walk and stepping on some snow that was left next to it, and having to figure out just what to do meant that I probably lost a little more time on the first lap. On the other hand, the puddles from that paved area of sector two were manageable on their own, but on lap one I had to slow to a walk for a few seconds because a roadblock formed just as I reached that area, on lap two I had to go very wide and then just as I was about to clear that area I had to stop for quite a few seconds because of another roadblock, and I seem to recall another issue on sector two of lap three, but I can’t remember specifics and I know that a certain pressing need started to appear on that sector, so I wonder if that was the mental note and I’m wrongly thinking that there was something else as well. Either way, another person being there just then meant that I had to slow while getting around the puddle on sector three of lap one, and on sector one of lap two I briefly stopped because of a silly dance with another runner. And I really can’t seem to remember specifics after lap two, so I think that there was one more issue with that puddle on sector three, but I’m not entirely certain of it and definitely don’t remember which lap it was on if it did exist. And, while I’m quite sure that there were no such issues on lap five and lap four was also clearer, it is possible that one or two more notable issues slipped my mind.
Otherwise, I just felt exhausted that day, so I knew that it was going to be a struggle from the beginning, but the only specific physical issues were that pressing need that first appeared on sector two of lap three, which died down after a while before flaring up again later but was never a real problem, and the warnings that my right knee started to give from the start of lap four, which didn’t get worse but didn’t quite go away after that point either. And it started to get dark on lap five, when the time went past one hour and it was harder to see the seconds on my stopwatch anyway, so I stopped for a few seconds to check the time on sector one of lap five and again, but only briefly, on the next sector.
After getting back, I cleaned the litter box, ate a sweet pastry and some walnuts, washed and cleaned up a little after dad in the kitchen, changed, albeit leaving the running t-shirt on, and left when it was almost 8:50 PM, with the recyclables with the deposit symbol. Those included several heavy glass bottles that made it difficult to jog to the Mega Image that closes at 10 PM, but I did my best and managed to get there just after 9 PM. And with a lot of products discounted by 90% being set aside by the employees and nothing interesting among what was left for customers, I just got two sweet pastries for mother, with the 50% discount, and managed to put in dad’s recyclables, which included those glass bottles, before the machine stopped. And then I bought those sweet pastries and cashed in the voucher.
After putting the remaining recyclables in the machine from Kaufland when I got there and grabbing two which had been left there and which weren’t accepted, I put my things in a cabinet and I think that it was a little before 9:50 PM when I entered the store. There was a great evening discount for bananas, and while someone was just taking the better ones, I still managed to select some after that person walked away. And then I also grabbed some spoiling potatoes with a great discount, some onions, just making use of the regular discount in that case, and two expiring products that also had great discounts and two of those cheap yogurts. And as I had one last look before closing time, I saw an employee placing discount labels on more fruits and asked about the oranges, but he said that he was making those discounts for himself, so I made my way to the self-checkout and was still using the machine when the closing announcement came… And those potatoes wouldn’t scan, and when I looked for the employee from that area she said that those won’t work, confirming it when I asked whether somebody else had also tried them earlier. So I had to leave them there, using the voucher received for the recyclables when I paid, then retrieving what I had in the cabinet and going outside to use one of those tables and arrange everything, finally walking away at 10:45 PM.
After picking up a couple more recyclables, I entered that non-stop Mega Image with everything and was surprised to see some bakery products being bagged, since that location seemed to have stopped making bakery discounts since those had switched back from 90% to 50%, and while only some bakery products were bagged, those were indeed discounted by 50% before the cart with the products that were discounted by 90% was brought out. And that cart had been overflowing when it had been taken to the back, but employees got the first pick again and pretty few products were left when it was finally brought out, around 11:30 PM. However, I was the only person waiting for it, and just one other person came to have a look seconds later, so I could really take my time, reading ingredients, choosing what looked best and making up my mind. So I took a few things from there, along with some imported whole wheat spaghetti that was discounted by 50% and one more thing that had a regular discount those days, being relieved when I managed to find one thrown over some other similar products, after having found none left in the other location and seeing that the place where those products should have been was empty in that location as well. And then I arranged everything and on the way back I gave one of those products which had been discounted by 90% to a homeless person and picked up a couple more recyclables.
It was close to 12:25 PM when I got back. Then I cleaned the litter box and went to drop a bag of trash down the chute, picking up another recyclable from the garbage room, after which I put the purchases in their place. I went to wash a couple of minutes after 1:30 AM, being done close to 2:20 AM, but then I took care of a few other things before getting back in the kitchen, there were a few things to wash as well, and just taking occasional bites meant that I started eating lunch at 3:25 AM but was only half done when I finished working on dinner, staying in the kitchen a little longer in order to finish the rest, which I did at 5:05 AM. And I also took one more of those supplements for immunity that aren’t expired, and ate dinner between 5:10 AM and 5:40 AM, while writing some notes about the day. I got in bed at 7:10 AM, after rubbing cream on both hands and feet.
Since I still didn’t have green onions, I used a small red one that was starting to sprout in the salad made in the early hours of March 5. Then I set the alarm to ring at 2 PM, but the noise made by the workers made sleeping quite a problem after the first couple of hours. Still, I wouldn’t say that I was actually kept awake that long, but that I kept being woken up, since I usually managed to get back to sleep rather quickly, so the total amount of sleep wasn’t that bad, but the quality of it was. It is possible that the last couple of hours were uninterrupted, however, or at least I don’t recall being woken up again after dad left, even if I don’t see how I could have slept through it if the noise was the same as what I heard after the alarm rang and I got up. Either way, I then had the usual stuff, though the yogurt was a nice one with 8% protein and 2% fat. I put raw almonds in it, still keeping some of the other ones for a later time, and the sweet thing once again consisted of two of those nicer but expired biscuits, with added honey… And a guy was working right at the kitchen window when I ate those, but I couldn’t wait for him to finish and go away, plus that they also worked at my window, so I didn’t remove the cardboard before leaving, at 4:15 PM, after just taking a few sips of tea, since it was still too hot, and wearing the full running gear and that thing that goes on my neck. The reported temperature was 14-15°C, and 13-14°C when I finished.
The time was 1:19:21, with sector times of 4:17.82, 5:06 (5:05.72), 6:00 (5:59.91), 4:37.44, 5:10 (5:09.68), 6:00.10, 4:37.22, 5:16 (5:15.47), 6:07.21, 4:42.13, 5:24 (5:23.94), 6:08, 4:41, 5:18 and 5:58, making for lap times of 15:23.45, 15:47.22, 16:00 (15:59.90), 16:14 and 15:57. I once again have the exact times for as long as they were displayed and there were no problems with the light later either, which might have made a little difference. But I really wanted to push, going from it from the beginning, and while by sector three of lap one I was clearly tiring and couldn’t keep it up anymore, I just barely squeezed under six minutes on that sector, if you look at the exact time, and the lap was the best one in two and a half months. Pushing so early did show on sector one of lap two, which was poor, but then I didn’t just cover the lap in well under 16 minutes, but even managed to just squeeze under that time on lap three as well, if you look at the exact time. And, while that had been the target all along, it was only at that point that I actually thought that I could get back under 1:20… Only for the first two sectors of lap four to put that in serious doubt, so I pushed harder from sector three of lap four, doing enough to make me think that I had a good chance again. And over the course of lap five the realistic target seemed to be 1:19:45, 1:19:30 seeming impossible, but at the start of the last sector I wondered whether I could manage that as well and really gave everything, that sector ending up being the best sector three of the day and enough for a very safe margin. Not that this isn’t still a pretty bad time, but at least it’s not particularly bad anymore.
The thing is that there were no notable problems, and at most an average amount of weaving and going the long way around, if even that. My right knee started giving some warnings quite early, I think from sector two of lap two, though it’s also possible that it was actually lap three, but those only got worse on sector two of lap five, when I was pushing, at which point they were joined by a few faint ones from the left knee and a certain pressing need also returned, after having first appeared on what I think was lap three but then gone away quickly. But nothing got past the level of a warning, and there was nothing else to speak of.
I picked up a few recyclables on the way back, but one was a Pepsi bottle that still had a little in it and had been left in front of the door from the garbage area of the other part of the building, and even though even 6 PM had just passed, not just 5 PM, a couple of guys who were working at the elevator were right in front of my door when I went up, so I decided to leave that bottle in the garbage room from here, though they must have seen me do it. Either way, I was just holding the other two when I got here and asked whether I could go in, and they removed what they had piled up in front of the door. And they left soon after that, so after cleaning the litter box I went to retrieve that bottle, which was still there, though I didn’t also take the bag of trash. And then I saw that the bug net had been moved away from my window again, so I went out through the kitchen window, being careful to avoid touching any part of the wall, since the area was freshly painted, and put it back, though later dad said that it may well get lost or taken by someone else if left outside while they’re painting, so I eventually brought it inside, meaning to only put it there again while I’ll have the window open. Otherwise, I ate a banana and lunch, changed, albeit leaving the running t-shirt on, and left again at 8:45 PM, with the recyclables with the deposit symbol and the old phone battery.
I picked up one more recyclable as I rushed to the Mega Image that closes at 10 PM, getting there a couple of minutes before 9 PM and putting in the recyclables before the cart with the products that are discounted by 90% was brought. And there were plenty of products in it, many of them identical, but the two women who were also waiting for that cart snatched almost everything with great speed. Still, I could get one thing for myself and two for dad, but after beeping him and asking him about them when he called back, I put back the one that he didn’t want, just buying the other two and then cashing in the voucher received for the recyclables, the cashier throwing away the receipt and just handing me the money for that voucher, and I didn’t ask her to retrieve it from the bin.
I picked up a few more recyclables on the way to Carrefour, entering through the parking lot, and with everything, and beeping dad again, to ask whether he wanted frozen beans, getting two bags after he said that he did. And then I quickly arranged the purchases and continued to Kaufland, putting those recyclables in the machine but then spotting one more and going back to put that in as well before putting my things in a cabinet and entering the store. I know that it wasn’t yet 10 PM at that point, but whether it was only a couple of minutes earlier or a little more, I can’t recall. Either way, I saw bakery discounts there as well and meant to get a sweet pastry, initially trying to grab it with those tongs and then taking a glove, but then I read the ingredients and saw that they had changed from what I remembered, including something that I didn’t want, so I put it back and just got some cheese and an expiring mozzarella, and made use of an evening discount for some more of those Moldovan grapes. And I also grabbed an empty recyclable which had been left inside the store before going to the self-checkout and using the vouchers received for the recyclables as well as that 10 RON one that I still had when I paid, and still being at the machine when the closing announcement came.
After retrieving and quickly arranging my things and washing my hands, I walked out just after 10:35 PM, grabbed one more recyclable, and put my things in a cabinet when I reached that Mega Image, just buying two pretzels for mother that had the 50% discount, then retrieving everything again and going to that bench to arrange a little more. And I grabbed a few more recyclables on the way back… But just as I got in front of the building I realized that I still had that swollen battery, having forgotten to look for one of those recycling bins for batteries and drop it in there.
I was at the door at 11:30 PM. Then I put the purchases in their place, which also meant rearranging some things in the freezer, talked to dad a little, did the day’s squats, put jam inside a large doughnut and ate it, and went to wash a couple of minutes before 1:30 AM. I was done at 2:10 AM, and then I washed what was in the kitchen, moved something into a jar, dealt with my remaining bread, and took another Nurofen expired since May, since I had felt some occasional jabs since morning that initially seemed to actually be in the left side of my head, which was very concerning, but over the course of the evening they once again seemed to more clearly originate in that ear, and that pill seemed to once again pretty much sort out the problem for the moment. On the other hand, I was feeling some pain in my lower back, mainly towards the right, and that didn’t go away, still bothering me even now. Either way, after finally taking a first bite of dinner in my room at 4:45 AM, I realized that I had forgotten to put seasonings in the salad, so I went back to the kitchen to do that, and eventually finished eating 5:40 AM. I got in bed at 7 AM, after rubbing cream on both hands and feet.
While I initially posted this without the part about February 19, which was left to add later, I will also add a part about today, or in fact starting with last evening, when dad cleaned the litter box while I was in my room, obviously taking out too much, and I obviously lost it when I noticed, before going to the kitchen at night, so after slamming and kicking and yelling for a while I went back to my room and only actually went to the kitchen a couple of minutes before 2 AM, wondering why did it feel so cold… And seeing that dad had also cut away more of the foam around the windows, which made me even angrier. But I had to eat, so I eventually did so between 3:40 AM and 4:15 AM, and after getting in bed I just took a very brief nap before the alarm rang, at 6 PM, for the race, so it can be said that I only really went to bed after it, at 7:40 AM… But the workers once again started arriving soon after that, even though it was Sunday, and they worked in this area in the morning, albeit mainly around the bathroom windows, so I just caught a few brief and agitated naps until after dad left, which should have been around 11 AM. But then I could finally sleep, getting up at 4 PM, when the alarm rang again, for ski jumping.



