13 + 1

I shifted my normal routine this past week to one day earlier, in order to run my 13 miler on Friday instead of Saturday. This was because a couple of months ago I signed up at work to participate in the Cleveland Corporate Challenge 10K relay. This meant that I would have to run an all-out mile on Saturday morning, and I didn't want run the week's main workout afterwards. This was a mental aversion as much as a physical one.

So, after work on Friday I ate a Snickers marathon bar during the drive home and then a banana at the apartment while I assembled my gear. My preparations for this run were more extensive than any previous trek. I was trying out one of my new pairs of technologically advanced socks (see below), as well as one of the shirts I picked up during the week. I applied Body Glide and wore wristbands. And to top it all off, I brought along a package of Clif Shot Bloks, these weird, bite-sized energy "bloks" that Dylana had recommended and compared to gummi bears.


I planned a route that would take me past some different spots in Lakewood with water access, most notably Lakewood Park, where I would stop for some water after about five miles and a couple of Shot Bloks.


So how did things turn out? Well, I finished the run. Thirteen miles and 101 minutes. I can report that Body Glide seems to work and that the Shot Bloks are really not anything like gummi bears (not as rubbery), though they probably did give me some sort of boost. Eating while running is still a foreign concept, I hope eventually I can get to the point of not wanting to gag. Overall, it was a tough run. I may give the general impression in this blog that my workouts are completed with ease, and while that is sometimes true, this one was not easy. There were several highs and lows, but "hanging on by my fingernails" would be a good way to describe the last couple of miles. There is usually a moment during a long run when I get the sense that I've caught the tiger by its tail, when I know I am going to be able to finish. Last week this happened with around three miles to go. On Friday, if I truly felt it, it couldn't have been much further than a half-mile from my driveway. I was wholly exhausted by the time I got home, but there was comfort in the fact that I had completed a half-marathon distance.

The next day I woke up early to run in the 9:00 relay, which was conveniently being held at Edgewater. I don't think the beautifulness of the morning can be overstated. The lake was a deep blue and the areas past the main city skyline still looked a bit misty. I wasn't looking forward to the race but felt that it was worth it to see the city looking so lovely.

I met up with my coworkers and generally enjoyed the carnival-like pre-race atmosphere. There were six runners per team, with each participant going a mile to make up the 10K distance. I was running the second leg and about a quarter-mile in was regretting the whole thing. But halfway through it felt as though my legs just said, "go ahead, man." And boy, it did feel nice to cut loose. Moen didn't end up placing, but I was happy with my time and for the chance to race. My pistons may have been good for nothing the rest of the day, but it was the best kind of tired there is.