This really hurts.

In case you are wondering, I expressed my dissatisfaction with the changes in the course of the CLE Marathon to them via email. I was more polite than I have been on this blog, but no less terse. Here is their response:

The decision about the course has to do with the conflicts on the east side such as the Asian Festival, Case Western graduation, and lack of support from the community. It is very difficult to have to change the course, creates a ton more work on our part, but the decision was based on feedback from the City, runners and the other events mentioned above on the same day.

Of course. Because the only part of the East Side of town worth running through is down MLK. I do not know which "community" they lacked support from, as the previous route did not travel through any communities, only past office buildings and warehouses (closed Sunday.)

People live on the East Side of Cleveland, but they are different from those who actually run the race. I get it. We all get it. Running is a bourgeois, elite hobby for suburban dingbats.

Temperature: 19°
Pavement: crusty, lumpy, awful
Distance: 3.7 miles
Weight:174 lbs.

Long nights, arriving home around eleven. Late dinner, alone. Reading a few pages, and then sleep. Rehearsals are surprisingly physical, mornings I feel sore and exhausted. Five or six hours of sleep. Not enough. Certainly no time for running.

There are many plays to be seen around town ... but this is my night off, time to spend with the kids and my wife, because there has been little of that for the past couple of weeks. We will dine on a huge Greek salad and watch the games.

1992 Playlist
Rock In This Pocket (Song Of David) - Suzanne Vega
Blood Makes Noise - Suzanne Vega
Tennessee - Arrested Development
House of Love - East 17
High - The Cure
The Statue Got Me High - They Might Be Giants
Hypnotist of Ladies - They Might Be Giants
Hit - The Sugarcubes
Push Th' Little Daisies - Ween
Sexy M.F. - Prince

Last week, it would appear, everyone just gave up. After Wednesday's mammoth snowfall, no one shoveled down Mayfield. Running it was like jogging down a rockpile. Now that it's all just ice, I will probably avoid running until at least this Wednesday, when the thaw begins and we all drown.