13.1 miles at 10:28 per mile.
Yesterday was Columbindigenous Peoplesā Day. It was also the first day off Iāve had in honestly I canāt remember when. Well, actually, I kind of can. I was very sick, and Luna and my partner were in New York, and I lay on the couch all day. I watched Good Time on Netflix and dozed. The movie was great, the day sucked.
I spent yesterday similarly, but it was great!
Parenting, at least the way I do, I never get a day off. When Lunaās off from pre-k, I spend the day withĀ her. On the weekends, when I donāt have work, I spend the day with her. On the weekends when I do have work, I spend the day with her. Itās a lot, but I love it. But of course I hate it, too. How can you not hate never having any time to yourself?
After I dropped Luna off to pre-k I went home and had some leftover sausage and bread. Then I lay on the couch for about 3 hours playing Hades on my Switch and listening to podcasts.Ā
On Sunday I thought I was coming down with something. I went for a quick run (3 miles at 10:35 per mile) and felt better. At some point between that moment and sleep, I decided Iād go for a long run the next day, and Iād do it somewhere nice.
See, weāve lived in Syracuse (formerly of Flatbush Brooklyn) for almost two years, and have gone on plenty of weekend adventures to lakes, forests, and trails, but always as a family. Or, more often, Luna and me. Never just myself. I knew there were some good trails along the Erie Canal, so I figured Iād go out there. Iād gone there with Luna a few times, but I couldnāt remember the precise trailhead we used. I googled around Monday morning and found on in Camillus, which was only like 15 minutes away.Ā
Itās incredible how far a 15 minute drive can transport you.
Around noon, after digesting and gathering energy for a few hours, I drove out to the trailhead. It was a glorious day marked with an inauspicious start. I forgot my gum, my water, and a mask, so I found myself pulling my tech shirt up over my nose with one hand while I rooted around in a Byrne Dairy to get water and gum. I got a big Smartwater of high-PH alkaline water because the label was black and I thought it looked cool. It tasted like... water.
The trail near the trailhead was beautiful. It ran along the canal for two miles. Then, the way most of these trails work out here, theyāll cross a country road and then go on further, isolated from the roads or at least well separated. The next phase was hilly and seemed to be popular with dog walkers. It looked kind of scrubby and industrial. The stretch after that looked even more industrial, with some big Honeywell site fenced off. Finally, after crossing another road, I was in this weird Wizard of Oz type countryside with giant, feral-looking stalks of corn growing beyond a fairly fresh made wooden fence spanning the length of the trail for as far as I could see. On my left was a quiet country road and the random industrial-looking plant or whatever. Giant power line poles with DANGER HIGH VOLTAGE signs.Ā
Over the course of this first out, my knee started acting up. Around mile 3 I was worried I wouldnāt be able to go as far as I kind of thought I wanted to go. I hadnāt set an official goal or intent, but I knew I wanted to run at least a half marathon, maybe even 16 miles to go longer than I ever had before. Since I was on day 62 of a run streak, I thought it may be a bit foolish to push myself so far, but this countryside.
After running out a bit over 5 miles, I figured Iād turn around and see how I felt after 10 miles. I knew if I felt half alive, Iād make it to 13.1, and I was right. Around mile 8 the struggle was real. I felt like my arms were windmilling, but they were probably barely pumping. My cadence felt impossibly fast and the sound of my feet on the gravel trail sounded like an elephant charge. But my watch said I was barely going 11:00/mile.
I had started out listening to my running playlist, hitting some emotional highs. After maybe an hour I switched over to my audiobook of Malazan, though, and just powered through like miles 5 through 9. After I felt like I was really starting to lose itādespite having plenty of energy in my heart my legs were dyingāI turned back to music.
I finally made it back to my car around mile 10, and went for a water break. (Yes, I ran for like an hour and forty-five minutes with nothing but gum. When I began running, Iād get so mad at people who suggested you didnāt need to constantly scarf down water while you were running because running was THIRSTY WORK. But after a few years (?) I donāt really need to drink water when Iām running. I mean, it HELPS, but itās not necessary.) But in this case, yes, the water was glorious. I also found a few pretzels and chocolate left over from visiting a pumpkin farm Saturday, and god those were amazing.
The first part of the final 3.1 miles kind of sucked. I crossed the road the other way to run on a new part of the trail, and I somehow missed the actual trail and ran for about a mile on a shitty access road to a gun range. It was loose-yet-hard and the odd car went by. When I actually got back onto the Erie Canal trail, it was much better. You were right next to the water, the sun on this side of the wherever I was had come out. I really felt the water and snacks Iād crushed, and knowing I was all but sure to finish felt nice.
The last half mile or so back to the parking lot felt glorious. I hit my mark, crossed the road, and basically started laughing out of joy as I threw myself down on a grassy hill next to the trailhead.
Running in the actual countryside gave my better feelings and stronger energy than I can recall having in like, a long time. It was truly restorative. It feels a bit like a gut punch that I could probably run in a place like that everyday or several times a week if I couldĀ ācarve outā a little more time alone. I guess Iāll work on it.
I was planning on using this post to talk about the injury I had in March and how I never thought Iād be able to run much again. But perhaps Iāll do that in a later one. I was so happy yesterday. It feels foolish to end on a down note, now.