Reunion Run

Peden Stadium to Rec. Center (and back)



Pretty much every trip to Athens includes a few runs on the bike path from Peden Stadium (4 miles RT) or White's Mill (6 miles RT) to the Rec Center and back.



The weather on Saturday morning was glorious.



It was a late kind of run, already 9 AM, so the sun was full and bright, and the air already quite hazy.



This bridge is not for pedestrians or runners or anyone except Golf Majors.



The back end of South Green (see the pig bobcat?)



Students clear out on Memorial Day weekend. No sunbathing ladies. Sorry.



Stimson Avenue Bridge.



Oops.



I see. No problem, then.



Beneath Rts. 50/33.



The public toilet near the rec. center. Christmas runs I can count on this to be locked and the water fountains shut off.



Time to head back.



Bong Hill.







Good run. See you on Labor Day.

(That was 4.5 miles - today's stats are as follows:)
Distance: 3.25 miles
Temperature: 71º
Weather: sultry
Weight: 161 lbs.

Damn. Running alongside my five year-old, who has suddenly gotten the hang of two-wheelers with training wheels, I get a big massive scrape on top of my dome from a low-hanging branch. That's going to look stupid at work tomorrow.

Everybody's free ... to feel good.

When you are strapped for cash, and are straining to tale good care of every physical object which contributes to your daily emotional and physical well-being, may I remind you not to cavalierly toss your sport headphones into your everything bag.

I mean, when I put phones in my bag (which carries a laptop, folders and paper ... but also sometimes keys) I col them carefully and place them in. But some time late last week I pulled out my N*ke Flight phones and it looked like a cat had been at them. I mean, was I keeping knives in my bag? There was a book in there sure, but wtf? I mean, they were ruined, all but cut entirely through in one spot.

It is disheartening to think I only run when I have muic available. I mean, look, I run Half Marathons without them, did so a few weeks ago. Listening to my breathing and my body. But you aren't alone in a marathon - not even in Cleveland - and the distractions and excitement are plentiful. Not so treading over the ground several times a week.

So I got new phones, because we are in Athens and I wanted to run. It is an informal "reunion" weekend, I will be meeting half a dozen former alum from the School of Theater here in a about a half-hour. I had invited them to join me this morning for the run, but, well, you know.

I took photos of the Hocking River run I always take, the shorter one. Expect to see those soon.

Pump Up the Volume Genius Mix
Pump Up the Volume - M/A/R/R/S
Mexican Radio - Wall of Voodoo
We Close Our Eyes - Go West
Can You Feel It - The Jacksons
Dance Hall Days - Wang Chung
Just Can't Get Enough - De[eche Mode
One Thing Leads To Another - The Fixx
A Little Respect - Erasure
Everybody's Free (To Feel Good) - Rozalla
Girls On Film (Night Version) - Duran Duran

Distance: 4.25 miles
Temperature: 78º
Weather: hot & sunny

Put your face in the gutter of a snakepit

La Roux Playlist
Fascination
Tigerlily
Bulletproof
In For The Kill
Quicksand

Distance: 2 miles
Temperature: 57º
Weather: lovely

Cleveland Marathon Proofs

Still taking a break from the big run ... but check out these proofs.

Damn, baby. I look sexy.

Hotcha! That's my town!

Official time: 01:43.35

WTF? I took FOUR MINUTES OFF MY PERSONAL BEST?

Yay-oh-me, but I don't even believe that right now.

Recap: I wouldn't even be running this today, except three of my co-workers announced in January that they wanted to. Two were to run the Half, and one the 10K. However, as of yesterday one of the Half Marathon runners thought he had a recurrence of strep, and the other has been having knee problems - so they switched to the 10K when they picked up their stuff.

It's what my wife tells me - listen to your body. Good for them. But now I was running alone. Which is all right, I usually run alone.

I do hate the fact that the Cleveland Marathon has a very lame start. No warm place to hang out, absolutely no free stuff to eat or drink ($2 for a plain bagel before the race? Fuck you.) and who in the hell are the announcers? I have no idea who these people are. "CLEVELAND ROCKS!" Yeah, whatever, keep saying that over and over and maybe I will believe you weren't flown in here by Clear Channel.

And. I hate, hate, hate the remake of that song (I won't even mention the band, it doesn't exist) I mean, love you Drew, but Jesus it's awful - and they played that version at the start this time, too. AND THEN THEY PLAYED IT AGAIN.

But I am a big fan of this year's Half Marathon route. BIG fan. That was awesome. Obviously there are corporate reasons for running down East 9th (you know, to run past the Rock Hall) which necessitates a run up West Third. That's okay. I can do that. I've done that several times.

Taking the Lorain-Carnegie was a new thrill (only one remaining Cavaliers headband on the Guardians of Traffic, by the way, the rest must have been stolen/blown away/dissolved in a pool of tears) and so was our journey through TREMONT! A real neighborhood, with real people! Okay, not real people, urban hipsters, but still. And also through OHIO CITY where I saw the fabulous Miss Carrie W. who I stopped to give a hug. Thank you, Carrie!

Outside CPT, in front of the Gordon Square, right where Calvin's brick used to be, there was a fifty-gallon plastic drum brigade beating out an amazing rhythm. You know, the brick is no longer there (it is now in our yard) but we put so much love into that tiny space for eight years, it is impossible not to feel positive when I walk or run past it. I love the fact that there were musicians right there this morning.

And yes, the Edgewater neighborhood. Do you think if we ran through any black neighborhoods we might attract more black runners to this extremely white race? Just asking.

Moving onto the Shoreway, things became ... challenging. I had no idea how I was doing on time. I started with the 3:30 (1:45) team. You know, running with a pace group can be good, it can be a pain. There's a wall of people there, right where the guy with flag runs, and unless I am in right front of it I feel boxed in. I had to pee in Tremont (yes, I used a proper facility - didn't see many errant urinators today, probably a good side-effect of keeping us in residential areas) and lost that group, but caught up with and passed the 3:40 (1:50) team. But then I had no markers at all, and just tried not to worry about it. When I saw Karl before the race and asked what his goal was he said, "finishing." He has had some major issues with his legs this year, as I did the year before. I thought I just wanted to finish ... but I can't help myself, and I run faster than I should.

So at mile nine, we move onto the Shoreway. That part kind of sucked. I mean, it really sucked. Uphill, more or less, for roughly three miles. With the wind coming at you off Lake Erie. And my knee began to ache, my right knee.

Listen to your body.

Would I slow down, for the sake of my right knee? Or just press on? I manage inclines pretty all right, I kept passing people. Finally we headed down the offramp into the city. The rest is a blur. Two miles? I can keep this up. One mile? I can go a little faster. We rounded the turn onto Lakeside Drive and - did I mention I wasn't wearing headphones this time, either - I couldn't hear anything. I could see the finish line, the last quarter mile, and I began to sprint. And sprinting felt good. It felt very, very good. I was running.

And I finished in record time.

Preparation

2010 Cleveland Marathon Course

I have been complaining for years about the race not touching many neighborhoods, just the stately mansions of West Cleveland, the boarded up storefronts of Detroit. That's half the race. The other half, if I ran it, included MLK which would be nice ... but also too much Chester and the Shoreway - love the Lake, but there are no spectators at all. And that's the last five miles!

This year - TREMONT! And we hit that first and then get all the football players' houses by the lake.

Anyway, it's past 9.30 and I should be asleep. You can' track me apparently, but I will report as soon as I get back. No, I will not "tweet" during the race, sorry. I will just run. Two years ago I did this and blew out my knee, I just fear this may be my last race ever.

Make me beautiful

I wore the wrong shoes. Just didn't notice, these are the last pair. And right now I am feeling it. Race in four days. Bad news.

But what a day ... three hours driving in a car in the rain, and I can't believe I ate that entire Hartzler's Cow Pie sundae. Time for a run. Big time for a run.

Gabriel & Dresden Remix Playlist
As The Rush Comes [Gabriel & Dresden Sweeping String Remix] - Motorcycle "Ultra 10"
Dust In the Wind - Gabriel & Dresden "Gabriel & Dresden"
A Perfect Lie (Theme Song) [Gabriel & Dresden Remix] - The Engine Room "Nip/Tuck Original TV Soundtrack"
Dangerous Power [Gabriel & Dresden Extended Mix] - Gabriel & Dresden "Dangerous Power (Club Mixes)"

Cleveland Marathon Update:

My bib number is # 5787

Unlike races in real cities, however, you will not be able to receive my splits via email this year because the system crashed. It's Wednesday, but they know now that the system will not be fixed by Sunday. Because in this town, we cannot fix things.

Met with fellow racers Steven, Nathan and Annie today! Steven is worried about his left knee. Hey, join the club! SHowed off some stretches, weight bearing exercises, and pressed the old-fashioned joys of ice, warm baths and megadoses of pain reliever.

From Brian: Fish Oil Benefits

Did I mention how emotional I got during my run in Sunday? I was actually weeping running through Cain Park. And I was listening to Ke$Ha. There was a reason for that, but it wasn't Ke$Ha. I am thinking of a show. I am thinking of changes, to this show, and to another show. Thinking of time. Of pictures. Of words.

No, I can't say more than that.

Distance: 3.25 miles
Temperature: 49º
Weather: brisk
Weight: 159.5 lbs.