Cav's Place

Picking up from where the post about the two previous runs left off, on March 5 I got up when the alarm rang, at 2 PM, though at 12:40 PM a neighbor started drilling and I was considering getting up then and maybe trying to catch another short nap later, if it’ll get quiet again, but the noise only lasted for a few minutes and then I probably drifted in and out of sleep, having pretty crazy dreams that made it hard to tell when I was sleeping and when I was awake. Then I had the usual stuff plus almonds, with the sweet thing being the last slice of that cozonac-sized chec, which Wikipedia says is a version of pound cake, with added honey, but also an expired bar. Unfortunately, the time spent on the toilet was mostly wasted, just getting the tiniest bit out, but I had gone before going to bed, getting quite a lot out, and that was good enough even if it definitely felt like there was a fair bit more there. Then I put on the full running gear, with some things in the pocket of my tights, also had that thing around my neck and the gloves, and the jacket for the way, tied around my waist as I ran, and left a little after 4:10 PM, when the reported temperature was 5-6°C, supposed to hold steady, the fact that it was also cloudy not helping.
The time was 1:47:16, with sector times of 4:22, 5:20, 6:03, 4:36, 5:17, 6:02, 4:36, 5:17, 6:07, 4:40, 5:23, 6:09, 4:43, 5:27, 6:17, 4:48, 5:31, 6:19, 1:59, 6:23 and 1:57, making for lap times of 15:45, 15:55, 16:00, 16:12, 16:27 and 16:38, plus 10:19 for the final portion. Being so tired and with my right ankle, and even some toes from that foot, still bothering me, I was thinking that I’ll reward myself if I’ll stay under 1:50, setting targets of 16:00, 16:00, 16:00, 16:30, 16:30, 17:00 and 11:00, adding up to 1:49, while the best case scenario was 1:48:30, since I saw 10:30 as the normal time for that final portion. And the exact target time I hoped for was in between, 1:48:48, since I was thinking of a reward of 5 RON per minute and that pack of four mucenici, or sfintisori, that I wanted was 5.97 RON. So that poor sector two of lap one made me worry, but the first lap’s time was good enough and I managed to gain a little more on lap two as well, while on lap three I pushed in order to just manage to stay on target. Then I relaxed a little on the first two sectors of lap four, before pushing a little again on sector three, worried that if I’ll go over 16:15 on that lap I’ll go over 16:30 on the next. And that was probably correct, since I was three seconds under 16:15 on lap four and three seconds under 16:30 on lap five. Since I was only seriously thinking of that 1:48:30, on lap six I probably relaxed a little again, but at the end of it I realized that in fact 1:47:30 was a real possibility, so I pushed on that final portion, also to make up for the seconds lost in order to look at the time, and made it by a safe enough margin to make me think that I could have done even better, quite clearly getting under 1:47 if I’d have been more confident early on, but maybe even getting under 1:46 if I’d have really pushed all the way.
A good part of sector two, two straights and a turn I had to take on the outside as a result, was fenced off again, but the remaining area wasn’t that narrow except in front of a stall, where I had to briefly stop on lap two because of a kid with a scooter and almost stop on lap three because of a cyclist, both appearing from behind the people gathered in front of said stall. Also slowed quite a lot, twice, on sector two of lap four, because of people with dogs, briefly stopped again on sector one of lap five, because of two boys chasing each other and not looking, and yet again on sector two of the final portion, because a little kid decided to go from one parent to the other, across the lane, just as I got there, so it’s a good thing I still had good “brakes”. Otherwise, there was obviously some weaving and going the long way around, and maybe I slowed a little a few more times and took just a little to the grass on a couple of occasions, but there weren’t as many people as I feared, probably because it was so cloudy.
Speaking of the conditions, at the start I was thinking that I should have taken a second t-shirt, but I eventually managed, though I can’t say that I was comfortable except for some moments on the first three laps, after warming up on the first and before it seemed to be getting too chilly for being warmed up to still be enough towards the end of the third, and minus the moments when the wind chilled me, since there were some windy areas as well, mainly on sector two, and on laps two and three I was freezing while passing through them. On lap five it already was quite cold, though when I was pushing on the final portion I can’t say I felt it anymore.
It did get rather dark though, and I started struggling from the start of sector three of lap five, my eyes watering, maybe because of the cold, and especially in that spot, after passing under the bridge, where it was dark, I couldn’t see well for a while and the time was over one hour, so the seconds were small. Then, on sector three of lap six, I looked at the stopwatch multiple times, trying to make sure that I had seen the time correctly, so I probably slowed a little while doing so, and that sector was also when I first removed my glove, to hold the stopwatch better and not cover it, otherwise pressing the button with the glove on. And on sectors one and two of the final portion I had to briefly stop, there was no other way to see, and I didn’t pick the best moments to do so. On sector one I chose the bottom of the stairs instead of the top, where I could have caught my breath for a moment, plus that I had to briefly stop again there anyway, because of people just turning towards the stairs as I was about to turn away, to cross the bridge. And on sector two I stopped just a few steps after starting it, while a little later I saw that a stall had turned the lights on and the briefest stop in that spot would have been enough to see properly, but those lights hadn’t been on when I had previously passed it, so I couldn’t have known.
As for physical issues, I felt bloated at first, but then it got better, and a certain pressing need only appeared on the very last sector, as I pushed, without being an issue. Otherwise, there were some warnings from my right knee, and also lower down that leg, on sector one of lap four, but that was pretty much it, as otherwise I felt surprisingly well… At least while running, because that ankle hurt a fair bit after I got back and things got worse over the course of the next day. After having a hard time sleeping, in the evening something wasn’t feeling right in my abdomen, there was some pain if pressing the liver area, and also that feeling that I associate with the inflammation of a tendon or something along those lines in my right foot, and at night my feet were burning again and my left ankle was visibly swollen.
Back to the evening of March 5, after the run I went to Carrefour and got a number of things, wandering around for a while in order to pick, since the time meant that I could reward myself with a fair bit more than those mucenici, plus that snacks were among the classes of products included in that weekend deal, customers receiving 20% of the value as a voucher for future purchases. But those mucenici were four for the price of three and you had to ask for them, and while this was stated on a big sign, the two women who were just ahead of me only asked for three, not seeming to pay attention even when I mentioned that the fourth would be free, and I couldn’t get myself to stop them and tell them properly after I got the four I wanted.
Then I jogged most of the way back and made a little detour to this nearby store, for cheese, ending up getting the buffalo kind, since they had increased the price of the regular kind so much that the two were equal, after spending quite some time trying to get a bag out of the pocket of my tights, since it had caught in the zipper… But I’m not sure what I did with the receipt. I’m sure I took it, but when I got back and spread everything on the table, it wasn’t there anymore. Either way, I then quickly went to take a shower, after which I ate a banana, the snacks I had purchased and one of those mucenici, also took a pill, just in case, and then made mamaliga, adding quite a lot of things in it.

And now I’ll go back to fill in the part I skipped in that post about the two previous runs, starting with February 23, when I left at 4:40 PM, also taking the recyclables, which I dropped off in a bin, then first went to the branch of my bank that’s just past the store I had ordered the external HDD and the speakers for dad from, to also deposit the money for said speakers, since I was paying by card, and at 4:55 PM I was at the store. After being asked whether the two orders could be merged and agreeing, I was handed the external HDD and asked to verify the product code, but I was looking at the serial number, so it was obviously different. But I was really struggling to make out those very small characters and they assumed that I couldn’t see it properly, and the first cashier said she couldn’t make it out at all when she tried, handing it to the second, who could finally confirm that it was the correct product. Then they just gave me the cheap speakers, without asking to check anything. And while that was going on, another employee was talking to a customer on the phone and at one point said that the computer doesn’t restart because of the video card and I couldn’t stop myself from saying out loud that it does if that video card uses more power than the PSU can provide, which caused the sales woman to laugh.
After using a route that took me past another recycling center I wanted to check, which ended up being just a waste of time, since the prices were no longer listed on the sign, I got to Auchan at 6 PM and bought a number of things, including one of those breads, the actual weight being only six grams less than the listed one that time. I also meant to get some purple potatoes, out of curiosity, after seeing them there, at a decent price and listed as being Romanian, but I forgot to go back there after getting the other products, only being reminded when the cashier said that she had thought that the eggs were potatoes and had almost dropped them before I told her what they were, at which point it was too late. Then, after taking a little time to figure out how to do it, I managed to use the credit that was on dad’s store card, as a result of the purchases made two days earlier, at the machine. And then, after taking some time to arrange the purchases, I left that shopping center just after 7:45 PM, the different access routes making me give up on the idea of also getting some meringues from a confectionery that’s there, after having previously noticed that they seemed to have the kind I’ve been looking for.
Since it was getting late and I didn’t want the added travel time between them, nor to have to put my things in cabinets in both places, I decided to then go to the Carrefour and Kaufland that are next to each other, leaving my things in a cabinet at Kaufland, peeing and washing my hands, but then going first to Carrefour. I didn’t get anything from there, but in that location they also discount some bakery products after 9 PM and since I was still there at that hour, I saw a guard get some buns, dropping one on the floor and just throwing it back with the others, so not just putting that dirty one along with the rest, but getting the others it touched dirty as well. Either way, I washed my hands again after getting back to Kaufland and, while there wasn’t much left in the bakery area, there was one last rye bread that had the evening discount, so I got that… And ended up using two small bags for it, as in those that I sometimes look for when I get pastries and rarely find at all, since that time around those were the only ones still available. Then I got some other things and wandered around until I realized that it was almost 10 PM and rushed to the self-checkout, needing to call an employee because the machine wouldn’t accept the expiring sandwich I had picked up as the correct item, and it admittedly had 25% more than the listed weight, which I knew because I had weighed two I had found and picked that much bigger one. Either way, the announcement that the store had closed came as I finished scanning, but I still took some ten minutes to arrange everything in the bags and backpack… And then rearranged them again once I stepped outside and saw that it was raining, so I obviously wanted some to be better protected.
I got back a little after 10:45 PM, having carried 15 kg. That was easy on that last part of the trip, from Kaufland, with everything properly arranged, but on the way there, from Auchan, I had struggled despite having carried a fair bit less, because everything purchased from there had been in one bag, just the external HDD and speakers being in the backpack. Either way, I then had half, so 25 grams, of the chocolate with 95% cocoa I purchased from Kaufland, what was still usable of the last of those three bananas purchased two days earlier, and that expiring sandwich. It was almost 12:30 AM when I went to the toilet and to shower and 1:20 AM when I got out of the bathroom, but I still had things to do and only started eating dinner at 3:30 AM, finishing at 4 AM.

That morning, I again slept poorly, despite falling asleep rather quickly and only waking up the first time at 9:35 AM, because I was unable to get back to sleep after that. So at 10:45 AM I got up, connected the new external HDD, made a first attempt at setting it up, and also tested dad’s speakers. Then I took care of various domestic matters and set up and checked a part of the new external HDD, but after it took an hour and 20 minutes to copy I realized that for some reason I couldn’t expand that partition after shrinking the first one, though I had deleted and recreated the others, so the 3 GB of freed space was right before it. So I had to delete and recreate that one as well, and then copy everything again.
I wasn’t feeling well, so I took a pill, but maybe I was just tired. My feet were also badly swollen again, but that was probably to be expected after sitting in a way that had cut off circulation, and also hurt my back, while rearranging the boxes and munchies at the bottom of my bookcase. And at least I got a little more sleep in the evening, though dad soon forgot that I had told him that I’ll get in bed and called me, and I couldn’t get back to sleep after that, though I tried to just stay there. Either way, after washing what he had left after cooking, slicing some more of the bread bought for him and trying to find room for it, as well as for that one I had purchased from Auchan for myself, in the freezer, I started eating dinner at 3:05 AM, and that was after having lunch in the early afternoon, but at least I still managed to finish at 3:40 AM. And I felt a little better after the time spent in bed, and there was a further improvement after dinner.

After getting in bed at 5:20 AM, which was the first time in a while when I failed to stick to at least 5:15 AM, I didn’t sleep enough that next morning either, since when I woke up the second time it was just after 10 AM and dad was in the bathroom, him going there probably being what had woken me up in the first place, I got back in bed and actually fell back to sleep right away, but the need to pee woke me up yet again minutes later, I waited for him to finish, and since he was probably shaving as well it was around 10:20 AM when I could finally go. And I then exchanged a few words with him as well, and when I tried to get back to sleep once again, I couldn’t. After a while I was thinking of getting up, but was just too tired, and while I did eventually fall asleep again, it took a long time, a rough estimate being that it probably happened around 11:30 AM, and since I woke up for good at 1:30 PM, I likely only slept for some two more hours, if even that.

Moving on to the early hours of March 1, I meant to start checking the large partition of the new external HDD before going to bed, but there was no time to do so and still get in bed at 5:15 AM, so I connected it at 8:45 AM, after waking up to pee, and started checking that huge partition then, before getting back to bed. And that time I did manage to sleep better… Though there was an unpleasant moment when I woke up for good, seeing as I was woken up by a cramp.
I went out at 4:20 PM, jogging part of the way to the big Mega Image from Vitan, though I stopped to also quickly check a Shop & Go on the way. The food for Liza was on sale, but dad said he had just found the kind for kittens, buying some of that, so I was looking for the kind we usually get for her, but it seems that the only kinds that were available during that period were that one for kittens, with chicken, and those for adult cats with turkey or salmon. Still, Liza did eat the kind with salmon before, when that one with chicken was also unavailable for a while, so I got the four I could get from there, the offer being four for the price of three and only five being left on the shelf. And I was done quickly enough, so I only jogged a small part of the way back and even checked the Mega Image next to Tei as well, finding plenty of the kind with salmon there but not buying any more. I had meant to get eight more, and should have done so, but decided to get back and ask dad first…
I was back at 5:40 PM and did ask him, and after showing him that Liza did eat that kind as well, he agreed that I should get eight more. So, after just having a slice of something sweet he had brought and leaving again a little after 7:05 PM, I checked four Mega Image locations on the way to Obor before finally finding some more in one, and also getting some more of that zacusca for him from there. Then I also quickly checked a Profi when I got to the Obor area, just taking a few steps inside, bought a pack of biscuits from a Ukrainian brand from that Auchan, and also checked that Carrefour, mainly looking for cheap eggs again but forgetting to even look for those sold by piece after finding no expiring ones, so I didn’t get anything.
I did buy from Kaufland, however, heading straight to the bakery area after washing my hands and getting some things that had evening discounts, and then plenty of vegetables that had deep evening discounts as well. Getting larger red potatoes, since dad won’t use smaller ones, meant digging through multiple crates, and I got what I could find without getting to the crate that was at the very bottom only for another customer to also move the last one left on top of it as I was selecting, discarding those that didn’t seem good enough at a closer look, and at that point I saw that most of those in that crate were much better than what had been in the others, but that guy and one other person started going though it and it seemed fair to let them do so, and they took pretty much all of the good ones by the time I got back there, after getting beets and carrots. Then, after also checking the expiring products but not finding anything interesting, I realized that closing time was less than ten minutes away, though there had been no announcement, so I went to the self-checkout… And again ended up with the jacket’s sleeve stuck in that magnet, since I keep all the coins there. Tried to pull away, but couldn’t, so I had to call an employee to help and she said she’ll try when I told her that I’d rather not tear the jacket, but she nevertheless yanked it loose, and while that didn’t cause an actual tear, that spot does look somewhat damaged, so there will be consequences in time… Either way, I asked what that magnet’s for and she confirmed what I had been thinking, that it’s to remove anti-theft devices, but couldn’t they find some other solution?
By the time the machine refused to accept the mushrooms as the correct item and I had to call that employee again to override that, the store had closed and I was rushing, even more so since another employee came to stand next to me and seemed impatient… And that caused me to simply forget about those bakery products, which were in the bag hanging from my neck, so I apologized to that other employee for holding her up, went to retrieve my things from the cabinet… And suddenly realized that I hadn’t paid for those products. So I went back, wanting to be fair, and just told that employee what had happened and handed her the money, thinking she’ll sort it out, but she wanted to do things properly, entering the products and giving me a receipt, but even though you can select multiple items and she saw that they were all in a single bag, she first entered only the bagels and then put the bag on the scales, then found that she had nothing else to place on the scales after also entering the croissant. And I didn’t think to tell her to just put something else there, since the machines tend to be lenient with the weight of those products, and she couldn’t log on, so she had to call another employee, explain what was going on to her as well, and after that other employee sorted things out I could finally be on my way.
Since that took several minutes, I then grabbed my things and rushed outside, arranging them in the bags and backpack there… Which actually took less than I thought, so I was already walking away at 10:20 PM and got back here at 11:15 PM, the snow and muck making me slower, plus that I stopped at a location of my bank, to quickly check that my card still worked, since it had also been in that pocket from my sleeve. And after I got back I told dad about the whole thing and he berated me for going back, saying that I shouldn’t have done so and that the fact that it had taken so long to sort it out was a sign of that, repeating that a few times, and also saying that you don’t get far with fairness, don’t gain anything and so on, when I said I wanted to be fair. What a good example he is…
Either way, I then put some of the things away, realized I had somehow lost a small bag while I was in Kaufland, then ate that croissant and a can of sardines and one of the bagels as lunch, went to have a quick shower well after midnight, the fact that the water wasn’t exactly at a comfortable temperature helping me finish faster, and got back in the kitchen just before 1 AM. I still failed to stick to the dinner schedule, however, still having things to do and also lettuce to deal with, so I started to eat dinner at 3:20 AM and finished at 4 AM.

After all of that, I didn’t sleep well the next day either. Even though I only got up for good at 12:45 PM, I only napped for a matter of minutes after waking up to pee around 9:20 AM. I did nap for another hour or so in the afternoon, then meant to get some more sleep in the evening, but first cooked, to use those rather spoiling mushrooms purchased from Kaufland the day before, and if I thought I’ll be finishing around 9 PM, then having lunch and then crawling back in bed for another couple of hours, it was almost 11:15 PM when I finally started having that lunch, taking so terribly long to cook…
I should really stop thinking that there’s anything I can actually do… I keep getting in that spiral of getting more depressed because I take so long and can’t do things right, which causes me to get even slower and less coordinated, even getting some sort of mind fog and shaking, which in turn makes me even more depressed and so on. And all that time spent cooking also meant a lot of time on my feet, and my right foot was burning again, and my back was also hurting to some extent. But at least the food turned out good, and I also boiled the carrots for the salad I had at night then while cooking, and if I only managed to start eating dinner at 3:05 AM in spite of that, at least I still managed to finish at 3:40 AM. And as I was getting dinner ready, a little before 2 AM, the check of that huge partition of the new external HDD also finished, so it took just over 41 hours, and no problems were found.