Cav's Place

To once again continue from where I left off, what followed after we got moving again was another period of straightforward running, following the route that was originally planned. So we reached Cismigiu Park but went around it, without entering, then there was another group picture, taken on the bridge, when we crossed the river before entering Izvor Park, and after crossing that park we just kept going until we turned on Progresului, where the sidewalk’s narrow and damaged and the tram tracks may seem like a better option but the grass planted on them hides the hazards, which include quite a number of deep pits, so it’s not surprising that there was another fall and we stopped for a while. Or at least I’m almost certain that this is where that fall took place, and I really don’t see where else it could have been. Either way, I was near the head of the group at the time and the person who fell was some distance behind, so I didn’t actually see what happened, but that did act as a warning for the other participants, and when Radu returned to the head of the group he also stressed that we should be careful, and I clearly recall that, as we mostly kept running on the tram tracks on that street, almost every time I passed by one of those notable hazards, another participant was standing over or in front of it, to keep others away.
After the next turn, we continued along the originally planned route, to Drumul Taberei Park, but the group was getting more and more stretched, with some pushing ahead and others tiring and falling behind. I tried to stay in what might have been considered a second group, those who maintained more or less the pace mentioned in the e-mail, but staying around the head of it did mean that I occasionally found myself pushing forward and ending up sort of between groups, especially when that group was also getting scattered and it was less clear whose pace I should try to match. But there were a few from that group who kept complaining about those who were pushing ahead and shouting at them to slow down or wait, and if I was more than a few steps ahead of them when that happened, I let them catch up. And we did make use of red lights to let more of those who were falling behind catch up as well, but as time passed that was no longer enough, so a longer pause was eventually called for, and I thought that it was at Favorit metro station, since a non-stop Mega Image is there and I recall some trying to buy something from it but finding that it was closed, which actually does happen between 2 AM and 3 AM even for the non-stop ones, but now that I had a better look through the “official” pictures, I actually believe that it was at the metro station that’s just before Drumul Taberei Park, and that Mega Image may also be non-stop, though the information differs depending on where I look. Either way, the point is that the store was closed, and if that actually was the place where we stopped, it wasn’t just to let the rest catch up, but because we had to reach that park together and decide what to do next.
Either way, we eventually reached Drumul Taberei Park, the problem being that we were running late and going past the park and running along that entire loop that surrounds that part of the city already seemed unlikely if we were going to also reach the second planned stop and then get back to University Square, even on the shortest possible route and at least not long after sunrise. So it’s a good thing that we didn’t even try, the matter being settled when many stopped to drink and fill bottles from the drinking fountain and use the toilet from that entrance of the park, the pause stretching an unusually long time, so a few of those who had energy to burn started dancing or otherwise fooling around and eventually the decision was made to give up on that loop and find a spot for the picture marking the westernmost point of the route in that park. And, on someone’s suggestion, that spot ended up being on the bridge, which I must admit is quite spectacular, though I otherwise don’t like what was done with that park.
After leaving the park through the southern side, it might be said that we were once again on the route which had been originally planned, but we were going in the wrong direction and only kept running for a little while, stopping once again when we reached that gas station that’s across the road from the eastern side of the park. And that was a refreshment stop, even if it hadn’t been listed on the schedule or, as far as I know, even mentioned during the run. The route, as shown on the map, did include a tiny detour that would indicate going to that gas station, but I for one missed it completely when I checked before the run, only noticing it afterwards, when I was trying to determine and measure the actual route we had covered, and seeing as it had been clearly stated that we were just going to have those two refreshment stops, I’d say that anyone who had noticed it would have been likely to just assume that it was planned as a toilet break for those who needed it, which was probably the reason for that long break for water, since I doubt that so many would have stopped to stand in line and fill bottles at that drinking fountain if they’d have known that better things would be available to drink a little while later.
Either way, t-shirts were also available there, offered by one of the sponsors, even if they were presented as just an option for those who wanted to change out of their sweaty t-shirt at that point, but since they were black I didn’t even care to take a closer look. Not that I’d have been likely to get one anyway, since the expectation would have obviously been for those t-shirts to be worn for the rest of the night and I wouldn’t care to wear something, especially something that was going to be in direct contact with my skin, without washing it first. But the other things that were offered were much more useful, and I drank a shake and a shot and took a lemonade and a second shot of the same kind as the one I drank, the other kind being likely to be very spicy. So, while I easily found where to put the shot, the lemonade ended up being the second bottle that I carried in my hands, and my reusable one was still full of water at that point, since I had expected to have nothing else to drink until that second planned refreshment stop. And, with the pause once again stretching on while others used the toilet while I was quite surprised to find that I didn’t need to do so at all, I also took a little time to jot down a few more things and otherwise just stood around and watched those who once again had too much energy to burn and danced or otherwise fooled around.
After we got going once again, we did fully return to the originally planned route once we passed the park, following it to that other new park which had been added on the route last year, where another group picture was taken. But we were running really late and had to keep going, so instead of getting back to the road and going around that area, the decision was made to keep going straight, through that park and then continuing along that road that extends behind it, even if it wasn’t exactly the best surface to run on and the area gave me the impression of being somewhat questionable in other ways as well. And, of course, the group kept getting stretched and broken up, but I was still feeling very well and could stay close to the front.
That continued to be the case after we got back to a main road and, a couple hundred meters later, returned on the route that was originally planned, since what followed was another period of straightforward running. I guess that those who were falling behind were staying much closer together, but I was still feeling surprisingly well, stayed close to the front, and any larger group tended to be well out of sight behind me, yet the pace difference between the others who were more or less at the front and the lighter traffic that sometimes allowed many to just keep going when having to cross roads meant that there were even moments when the very first ones were also out of sight, ahead of me. And it was at such a time, I believe while we were in the area of the Cotroceni Palace, possibly even while we ran along the wall that surrounds it, when I heard one guy who was behind me tell another who questioned leaving the others behind that he was doing it on purpose, his belief being that those who are struggling and feeling that they are already giving 100% can be encouraged to dig deeper and find that they can push past what they currently believe are their limits if others who are at, for example, 60%, like he felt he was at the moment, offer a target to chase. At that point I meant to comment that something like that may only be true if that target remains in sight, the effect of others easily getting so far ahead as to even get out of sight being the opposite, getting disappointed and disheartened, and the feeling may persist past that night, but I didn’t say it out loud. On the other hand, I was also thinking that I was at about 90% at that point, and that I was going to struggle to maintain anything like that pace all the way to that second planned refreshment stop, and if I will do that then it’ll be really hard to keep running back to University Square from there.
I drank part of the water when we were once again at the river, though I’m not sure whether that was just when we reached it or when we crossed it, since we reached it at one bridge, those of us who were ahead crossing the road and then waiting for the others to catch up, but then we ran along it until the next bridge, most of the others staying on the other side of the road and only crossing at that point, another long stretch of straightforward running along the originally planned route following after that, as we made our way back to Victory Square.
Next came another group picture, in front of the Natural History Museum, so we did wait to regroup completely, but there was still a long way to go to that second planned stop and once we got going again, still following the route that was originally planned, I was thinking that I was nearing my limit and will start to struggle… However, as we ran along Paris Street, mostly on the street, since the sidewalk was too dark, and I initially found myself some distance behind the first ones, who kept pushing ahead, I gradually realized that I could not only keep up, but even reduce that distance, the fact that I kept having targets to catch obviously having just the effect mentioned earlier. So I kept doing that, setting my sight on the person who was ahead of me and pushing to catch up and overtake them, then finding the next target and continuing, finding that I could just keep pushing for far longer than I thought I would and gaining confidence, so by the time we reached the end of that street, and perhaps even more so a few hundred meters later, when we reached Floreasca Park, I no longer thought that I was going to struggle to reach that second planned refreshment stop, even if it was still some distance away, so that was far from certain.
Either way, after we regrouped I guess that some were suggesting to cut through that park, since I heard Radu say that it was too dark, but there wasn’t much of a discussion and we just continued along the originally planned route, going around that park. It was after we got past it, at the intersection of Mircea Eliade with Floreasca, when I drank the rest of my water, but otherwise the straightforward running just continued and I was increasingly surprised by how well I continued to feel and, maybe even more so, by the fact that I wasn’t troubled by any pressing need. And that didn’t just continue to be the case all the way to the building where we were going to make that second refreshment stop, which I remember reaching after just one more brief pause during which Radu reminded us of the route, but I was in fact feeling so well that, when I knew that we were approaching that building, I could push even harder and once again overtake many of those who had been ahead of me before that point, being among the first to get there, at 4:35 AM.
Since the group was so stretched, it took a while before everyone got there, so we waited on those stairs, and after being somewhat surprised when I saw that one of the organizers, who had been waiting for us there, had been wearing a jacket, I realized that it did actually feel a little chilly if you didn’t move. Considering how hot the day had been, and the fact that the heat had continued to be something of a problem during the night, that was unexpected, but it was early in the morning, I was sweaty and had made all that effort. Either way, that was just something that I noticed, not a problem in any way, so I just rested and tried to make sure that I didn’t miss anything that was being said, since we were supposed to reach that building’s rooftop, which featured a running track, and the organizers were telling us how, and also stressing that it was an apartment building and we obviously had to keep very quiet, since people were sleeping.
We were given a choice between using the stairs or the elevators, so I was among those taking the stairs, and I did try to sort of jog, however lightly, and turned the stopwatch back on until I reached that rooftop, so that time was counted at the end and the distance should also count, but it’s pretty much impossible to measure it with any sort of accuracy, since we went up to what I seem to remember was the second floor, walked through the building’s hallways for a little while, then took some other stairs that led to that rooftop, which wasn’t actually the roof of that building complex, since the other parts had more floors, so we weren’t just above some apartments, but also next to others, so the need to keep quiet remained… But it was obviously quite impossible to make sure of that while we ate, drank, relaxed, chatted and ran some laps on that short track built around the playground that’s also on that rooftop. And piles of fruits were available, so even though I couldn’t wash or otherwise clean my hands, and many other hands were probably also touching everything, I dug in, eating a total of one banana, two apples, one nectarine and quite a bunch of grapes, the last few grapes being those left scattered on the trays just before starting to make my way back down, and the second apple being eaten on the stairs. And, while I’m quite certain that I didn’t drink anything, I did take a bottle of water, without opening it. Otherwise, initially I ran just one lap on that track, though after the group picture taken on that rooftop, as the others were starting to leave, I ran two more, that and the fact that I picked up what was left on those trays meaning that I was among the last ones to start getting back down, once again turning on the stopwatch during that time, and obviously also while I ran those three laps.
With sunrise approaching, we obviously had to give up on the route that was originally planned and take the shortest possible one back to University Square. Not that we were going to get there in time even so, especially considering all of those who were struggling, but we couldn’t do anything more at that point, so Radu tried to make sure that this new route was clear, for those who were likely to push ahead in particular, and then we got going again, at 5:05 AM… Or at least the others got going at that time, since I obviously couldn’t exactly overtake many people on the stairs and while eating that apple, so I was still among the last ones when I exited the building and then I struggled to take a bag out, put the three bottles that I had at that point in it and arrange them in a way that allowed me to carry them in one hand while running, since it didn’t exactly seem feasible to run with one in one hand and two in the other, without anything keeping them together, even if one was empty. So I ended up being the last one left in front of that building, and since a few had announced that they weren’t going to continue to the end, the cyclist who was supposed to stay behind the group asked whether I was still coming, but my answer probably made no difference, since after I confirmed that I was he went ahead, leaving me completely behind the group until I finally got going again.
Before moving on to this last part of the run, I want to add that the second person who fell, most likely on Progresului, did continue after that, despite the scrapes and bruises, which I remember noticing very clearly when we stopped at that gas station, after Drumul Taberei Park, when I also noticed that they were dirty as well, without any sign of having been cleaned in any way, but when I said that she should probably wash them, she said that she had been advised against it. That seemed like really bad advice, but she seemed to believe that it was for the best, so I shrugged it off. And, despite complaining that it was hurting and stinging badly and she couldn’t keep going, she did, and I saw her at least one more time, I believe around Cotroceni Palace, once again complaining that it hurt and stung and she couldn’t keep going but then adding, with a forced laugh, that she had to, so of course she will. I’m not quite sure what happened after that, however, since I seemed to remember that while I was on that rooftop I was thinking that she must have eventually given up, but now that I took a better look at the pictures, I seem to see her both there and later, so I’m either misremembering what she did then or confusing her with someone else now, which seems odd, since it was something that I actually found myself paying attention to.
Either way, once I started running again, I really went for it. The bag with those bottles was something of a problem, and I kept trying to find the best way to hold it, making slight adjustments while running to the position of the bottles, to how it was wrapped around them and to how I was holding it, but other than that, I was too far behind afford to keep anything in reserve anymore, sunrise was approaching, and those who could go fast had been “released” to do so until Romana Square. So it was once again a matter of fixing on a target, catching up, overtaking them, then finding my next target and repeating. For a while, those targets tended to be groups rather than individual runners, but I was eventually once again ahead of the larger groups and starting to chase the scattered runners who were pushing ahead, and those were obviously much harder to catch, so I was digging deep and hoping to get lucky with the stoplights, or simply with the traffic.
In the end, I followed a few others after the end of Dorobanti and crossed Dacia diagonally and in a place without crossings, since there was no traffic just then, and we reached Romana Square more or less together, though a few others got there ahead of us. And then we waited for the rest, some of the others trying to use the drinking fountain that’s in that spot but complaining that the water was too warm, and I seem to remember one even saying that it was hot. And, even if that pause did stretch on for a while, we didn’t actually wait for the last ones to get there, Radu saying that they were too far behind and it was already too late, so those weren’t in the group picture that was quickly taken on the street, while the light was green. But that picture doesn’t seem to have been posted, so I guess that it didn’t matter anyway. On the other hand, while we were there I took the empty reusable bottle out of that bag and tried one more time to put it through that loop that I make in order to tighten the running belt more than it’d normally allow me to, and it just happened to settle in a position that seemed much better, so I left it there, which made it easier to carry the other two as well. However, while I could move my arm better with it in that position, it kept hitting my side, around the bottom rib, as I ran, and by the time I finished that spot hurt a fair bit, and when I looked I saw quite a bruise. But at that point I was less interested in that, focusing on the fact that I had once again taken longer than others to start running again, so I had to catch up once more, and I had much less time to do it.
So I once again gave everything, gritting my teeth and going for it, cutting through the pack surprisingly quickly, the somewhat frustrating moment coming just when I should have ended up in clearer air, since I found myself behind a larger guy who had a pretty good pace, especially considering his size, and in an area where the width of the sidewalk and the obstacles that were on it made it hard to get around him, so he slowed me down for a little while. But once I did get past him, I only saw three more runners ahead of me, two of them running together and a third, whom I had learned over the course of the night regularly participated in ultramarathons, being a little behind them, so at first I thought that I wasn’t going to catch anyone else. However, on top of not feeling any pressing need, the fact that it hadn’t happened all night being shocking in itself, I still felt so well and so strong that I decided to try, just pushing like crazy every step of the way and finding that I could somehow dig even deeper when I realized that I was slowly catching this third runner. And I eventually passed her, at which point she cheered me on. But the first two had been pulling ever so slightly ahead of her and, despite using every last shred of energy to get as close to sprinting as I could possibly get at that point, I’d have had no chance to catch them… But they got confused when they reached the stairs leading to the underground passage, hesitating, disagreeing which way to go and going around them at first, so I found myself going down ahead of them, and I stayed ahead of them until the end… But a few others were already there when I reached the statues, and one other guy came out of nowhere and passed me just a few steps before the end, apparently after having crossed the street instead of going through the passage, since the others were joking that he had cheated and cut the route.

Before midnight, I got to the point when I was about to start running again, after the last refreshment stop, so I was at least pretty close to finishing the part about the actual run, and thinking, or at least hoping, that what happened after that and the other things that I meant to include in this post should be less of a problem, but the first notable edits and additions made to this third post of what became a series were actually made to that part that was initially posted, before going to bed in the morning. And then I edited it again Wednesday evening, in order to add the rest of what’s above, starting with that paragraph about the second person who fell. And the next edit, to add the following section, covering what happened until I walked away from University Square, was made Thursday evening. And Saturday afternoon I edited this once again, finally adding the rest.

Sunrise was at 5:30 AM, but I reached the finish at 5:39 AM and the only way for anyone to have had any chance of getting there at 5:30 AM would have been to have been among the first to reach Romana Square and then just keep going, without waiting for the others and for the group picture… Which isn’t impossible, I guess, but it probably doesn’t really matter anyway. So, to get back to my run, the total time, as shown on my stopwatch, was 5:06:43, but that is, of course, a somewhat rough approximation… And the total distance is probably even more of one. Based on what I had heard on the way from those who were tracking, I was quite certain that we had at least reached a marathon distance and said so after sitting down, but the guy who was next to me said that he had more than that, over 43 km, and I’m used to the distance recorded and announced by Radu over the course of the night falling behind those mentioned by others and being about two kilometers less by the end, so I wasn’t surprised when, after getting back, I tried to measure the distance that I covered and ended up with 43.6 km. However, that first measurement was somewhat rushed and likely included a poor estimate of the distance covered while I sort of jogged through that building and then ran on that rooftop track. And a second measurement led to a total of 43.8 km, assuming about 300 meters covered in and on that building, which I believe is a reasonable approximation, but while I tried to do it as properly as possible and I’m pretty sure that I eventually managed to remember everything quite well, that was a couple of days later and the live tracking link, showing the actual route, was no longer valid by then, so there might have been a few little mistakes. But the fact that the two measurements are so close should also confirm their validity, and since they’re both over 43.5 km, I’ll consider the total distance to be about 44 km.
Getting back to what happened right after I finished, we cheered, high fived and congratulated each other, and when only the last few were still to arrive, Radu asked us to make the finish a little more special for them, since they had struggled so much, going so far past their limits, so we split in two, standing on either side of what became sort of a final straight, and cheered them on as they trickled in… Only for the very last person to be forgotten, the one who had arrived ahead of her, those who should have been at the rear at the group and Radu all thinking that nobody was left, so we had gathered for the speech and the draw by the time she arrived, at 5:51 AM. And at least two people, probably the last two, though I’m not completely certain anymore, looked beyond exhausted and in pain, and what made the fact that they had pushed through and somehow managed to go all the way even more admirable was that Radu said that they had only started running quite recently and hadn’t covered long distances at all before that night!
That was a part of the speech, and there was the draw as well, for the prize given to one of those who was there at the end, and the final group picture, and then quite a number of things were set out and we were, as usual, told to take them, so they won’t end up transporting them back. Radu did also say that he was going to lead at least some quick stretching exercises at that point, but he didn’t seem convinced that the rest would join and didn’t stress the need for it, so some did join him right away, some others did so later and some not at all. I for one just did a few moves as they were about to finish, after eating a slice of chec, which was the interesting thing that was available, and we were told that it had been made and brought by someone, not bought, and looking through what else was available and taking some things. And after those few moves I went back there and took a couple more things, and at some point I also dug through the fruits and set the oranges aside, since they were quite bad and mixed with the two kinds of apples, so I wanted people to be more likely to take them, and we were also repeatedly asked to take the fruits… But they were still left with plenty of them, including most of those oranges that were starting to spoil, which the others avoided almost completely.
In the end, I took two oranges, three apples, two shakes, two bars, one of each kind, and another shot. In case of the shots, I dug through them, since there were many left but mainly with ginger, since everyone was avoiding those, and I seem to remember finding just two of the other kind and someone asked whether I wanted both, so I took one and left the other. As for the bars, I grabbed those quickly, since there weren’t many and people were taking them, and those from the box were of a single kind, but I saw a few others of a different kind next to it and didn’t wonder why, so I only noticed after getting back that the one of that kind had expired months before, at least according to the date printed on it, though I ate it since then and it was fine. Either way, when the organizers were gathering the trash, I spotted a shake bottle which had been missed, took it to the garbage bin that the other trash had been taken to, and grabbed a plastic bottle with the deposit symbol from there. And then, at 6:20 AM, I finally walked away.

After a while, I sat on a bench to jot down the last few notes about the morning, though I obviously didn’t think to go back and clarify the earlier ones… Not that I know that I still remembered what I should have written there even then. Either way, I then went to Carrefour Unirii, picking up a few more recyclables with the deposit symbol on the way. But the recycling machines weren’t working yet, so I put everything in a cabinet, peed and washed my hands and face, bought some expiring products, then retrieved what I had in the cabinet and arranged everything. The recycling machines had been turned on by then, but people with large bags were waiting in line, so I moved on, taking the metro to Obor, since I had dad’s metro card.
I was thinking of checking Auchan as well, but it was still a couple of minutes before 8 AM when I reached that shopping center and it wasn’t open yet, and I didn’t wait, continuing to that Carrefour, putting everything in a cabinet and, after getting a carton of expiring eggs, replacing a cracked one with one from another similar carton from there, I took my time to check the piles of expiring bread and bakery products, getting one bread for myself, two for dad and a sweet pastry. And it would appear that a 0.10 RON coin was already in the self-checkout machine, since that amount was deducted as soon as I meant to pay.
After retrieving what I had in the cabinet and arranging everything, I continued to Kaufland and put everything except the recyclables back in a cabinet, but there was a long line at the recycling machines, so I continued to Penny, picked up another recyclable with the deposit symbol on the way, and used the recycling machine from there. Then I just cashed in the voucher, the cashier muttering that I hadn’t signed it, which is that odd requirement that only they seem to have, but she didn’t actually require me to. And then I returned to Kaufland, peed and washed my hands one more time, bought a few things, retrieved what I had in the cabinet and struggled to arrange everything in the bags that I had taken with me. Then I took the metro again and got back here, picking up two more recyclables with the deposit symbol as I approached the building.
I got back at 10:45 AM, but after cleaning the litter box I went to drop a bag of trash down the chute, at which point I saw that my old chair was still in the garbage room, after dad had insisted on leaving it there for the janitor instead of putting it at the building entrance, with a note stating that anyone was free to take it but warning that it was a little broken, as I had wanted to do ever since I had replaced it, and even forbidding me from writing that note and getting unusually angry when I tried to insist. Either way, I then put the purchases in their place, washed what was in the kitchen, even did the day’s squats, ate something sweet and some yogurt with cereals, then went to the bathroom, to use the toilet and wash. After that, I watched the rerun of Romania’s match, eating a bag of peanuts during that time, so I once again got some 950 calories just from that. And then I ate lunch as well, and after finally finishing writing the part about this year’s half marathon and editing that post in order to add it, I got in bed at 7:35 PM, so that nap should probably count as the sleep that I had skipped until then and therefore mark the end of the day.

After waking up, I also wrote that week’s second post, but then I went to the kitchen later than usual, also had to feed Liza, dealt with my bread as well, also mixed something, and ended up eating dinner between 3:35 AM and 4:15 AM. And I had just managed to make the new bread fit in the freezer when dad got back, really early, and after he took out a bag of trash he came back with the wheeled travel bag which I had also seen in the garbage room earlier, and I had to stress that he should at least wash it a little until he finally did… And then, even though I had told him to pay attention because the lack of space had made me place some of the things which I had taken after the run in the fridge in a way that made it easy to knock them over, basically the first time he opened the fridge he did just that, by which I obviously mean knocking them over, not paying attention… And then he made a joke of it, of course. Either way, I then put some cream on my feet, which were also swollen, but I opened a new one at that point and the oil seeped out first and ended up dripping on my pajama pants, so I then tried to wash that spot off a little, and finally went to bed at 6 AM. And the following night, after cooking something and only eating lunch around 1 AM, finishing after that hour, I ended up eating dinner between 3:30 AM and 4:15 AM and getting in bed at 5:30 AM. And the next morning, so in the early hours of June 26, I got in bed at the same time, after beating what I thought was the final boss in Vampires Dawn… Only to discover that it wasn’t. But I did finish that game in the afternoon.