Cav's Place

When I woke up at 1:15 PM, as dad was getting ready to leave, I was thinking to get up, but then I got back in bed and did manage to sleep some more before finally getting up a few minutes after 3 PM. Then I had an orange and then lunch, consisting of pasta and salad, between 4:50 PM and 5:20 PM, so I started eating exactly when I finished last year… And I also took a quick shower after going to the toilet, so I won’t stink right away, especially after cooking the previous evening. Then I ate a larger apple, kept since after the half marathon, yogurt with cereals, almonds and raisins in dark chocolate mixed in, and two of those expired nicer biscuits, with added honey, finished the tea and took one of those pills against gas. I also sprayed myself against bugs, decided to take a more visible t-shirt and picked the one from last year’s half marathon, and left a few minutes after 8 PM, wearing the full running gear, with that t-shirt, one armband and the running belt, with quite a number of things split between it and the pocket of my tights. I didn’t bandage my heels or toes, not even the second smallest toe from the left foot, where I had a small bruise under the toenail.
We had been asked to gather in Mega Mall, in front of that sports store that they work with, at 8:15 PM, but I got there at 8:20 PM and that was just when Radu started talking. But I knew that it was pointless to be there at that time, since it had been said that the participants will first do a quiz, on their phones, so I obviously couldn’t take part, so I retied my shoelaces while nearly everyone else entered that store and scanned the QR code, and then I made my way into the store as well, but only to stand around while almost all of the rest did the quiz. Then we went back out of the store, took the first group picture and Radu gave the actual opening speech. It was just before 8:50 PM when he said that we should go out, so I rushed to pee, then caught up to the others and took part in the warmup, in front of the mall. We also took another group picture and then stood around for a little longer than we should have, I’m not sure why.

We started running at 9:05 PM, so a minute late, sunset being at 9:04 PM that day… And this is where things get difficult, because I wanted to write this post directly but kept putting it off, so I have notes about what I did before and after the run, since at one point I considered putting those parts in a separate post, but the only ones that have to do with the actual run are the “compressed” ones about the refreshment stops and my toilet breaks, which I jotted down on a small slip of paper. It does help a little that they did also publish a huge number of pictures, and the e-mail with the link was actually only sent this Monday, but that doesn’t change the fact that I need to write almost everything from memory, four weeks after the event.
Either way, I felt rather tired from the beginning and knew that I wasn’t in good shape, so I was trying to control my pace and not end up at the head of the group. I was still among the first, but I made sure to stay behind at least a few others, to also benefit from them lowering the air resistance for me, and if a few shot farther ahead, I tried to not follow. But I still paid attention to the route as well, and when we reached the location where a group picture used to be taken, I stopped and waited for Radu while quite a number of others continued, so they had come back, since we took a picture there this time around as well… Even though it seems that the photographer who took that huge number wasn’t there at the time, apparently going straight to the National Library shortly after the start.
After that picture, we continued to a park that was quite recently created, or at least recently landscaped, in an area that was abandoned for a long time, needing to hurry because it closes at 10 PM. And, while Radu was praising what was done to that place, I didn’t exactly find it a suitable place to run in, since the paths are covered in pebbles, which is worse than simply leaving them as dirt paths, since it means slipping, possibly damaging shoes and getting some of those pebbles in them, and there were some pretty steep slopes as well. And it was also while we were in that park that it started thundering, and the forecast for that night had mentioned storms, so even though the thunder was far at that point and eventually passed without any rain at all, we were somewhat worried for a while. But the picture taken on the bridge did turn out well.
A potentially more dangerous moment came just after we left that park, when a car almost didn’t stop even though the first several were already on the crossing. The lack of grip and the slopes from the park meant that I was farther back at that point, so I reached that spot a few seconds later and didn’t actually see how close it was, but the front of the car was on the crossing and, judging by the shouts of those who were already there and what Radu said, it did seem that a pretty bad accident was just barely avoided. But at least it was avoided and we could continue on our way.
The next destination was the park that I usually run in, and a certain pressing need was already appearing on the way, which was quite a concern, being so early and before even drinking or eating anything. A stop at the gas station that’s just past this metro station had been mentioned, but that was quite some distance away, so I had to just deal with it. And, while it was a much lesser problem, I’ll also mention that it felt weird while we went most of the way around the lake, since when I run I do so in the opposite direction. Either way, another picture was taken when we left the park… And then I had even more reasons for concern, since Radu said that there won’t actually be a stop at that gas station, but those who really have to go can do so and then catch up to the others, who’ll continue to the National Library, since the pace had been particularly slow and we were already running late.
That meant changing my approach when we neared that gas station, pushing in order to get ahead. However, a few others still got to the toilet ahead of me and, despite doing my best to rush and seeing that most of what came out was actually just gas, since I did take longer and a urinal was also available for those who only needed that, it’s actually possible that I was the last guy to leave, though at least a couple of women were still waiting at that point. And at that point I didn’t know that the others had stayed on the other side of the road, and while a few others did stay behind, waiting for those who were still inside, I pushed as hard as I possibly could, almost sprinting on Decebal and part of the way on Unirii, setting my sights on the two who had been in the team that I had been on in 2020, since they had also stopped but had left a little before me and were also really pushing to catch up. And it seems that we pushed so hard that, when we crossed to the other side as well, we actually found ourselves ahead of the group! And, after pausing for a moment, to let at least the first ones catch up, I stayed with those in the lead, since the National Library, which marked the end of the eastern part of the route, was close.
I did check the time when I got there, but only jotted anything down much later, at the next refreshment stop, and by that point I had forgotten the exact time. It was roughly around 11:20 PM, however, and even if it was a few minutes earlier, we were definitely already late, the schedule listing 11 PM for that stop. But it helped so much that, even though I was certain that I was going to pay for pushing so hard after that toilet break, I actually felt much better from then on, the fatigue which I had felt from the start seeming to just go away, those shots likely having much to do with that. The taste wasn’t particularly pleasant and the pepper also made me worry about the other end, since I knew that I was going to need to go again before the end of the run, but they did seem really useful, so I eventually drank two. And I also drank a 500 ml bottle of water, munched on some pretzels and bagels and otherwise just stood around and rested until another group picture was taken and we eventually got going again.
Another potentially dangerous moment came as we passed by the metro station, since the sidewalk was being worked on, the pavement having been removed, but pieces were still scattered around and what was left was uneven, so it was all too easy to trip, someone fell next to me and I’m quite sure that he wasn’t the only one, so there were some scrapes and bruises, but at least nothing more serious than that, at least as far as I know, and we could continue on our way, until we made a tiny detour and very brief stop in front of the National Theater, for another group picture. And the next one was taken in Romana Square, in the street, after waiting for everyone to gather, then rushing to get into position, have the picture taken and get back on the sidewalk while the light was green. Some were saying that we should take a picture in Victory Square as well, in front of the Government, but Radu said that we’ll get in trouble with the gendarmes, so the next one was taken in front of Herastrau Park, and shortly after we got going again we stopped for one more, in front of Arcul de Triumf. And I’ll finish covering the part between the first and second refreshment stops in a single paragraph by mentioning that another picture was taken shortly after we passed by Victory Square again, on the way back, in front of a store that also sponsors the event, Radu saying at the end of that brief stop that he knows that these stops made for sponsors bother us, but we should remember that we pay some 200 RON to enter a marathon and bring home a bottle of water while for the Dream Trek we pay nothing and end up with full bags, which is true.

Since this is how far I got before midnight, the original plan was to edit this post in order to add the rest at a later time. However, as the days passed and I wasn’t finishing it, I ended up splitting it in two, leaving this post as it is and making another one for the rest, even if that means falling even farther behind.