I can’t wait to look like this tomorrow:

This morning I ran the Brooklyn Half Marathon. At mile 4 Luis Rios jumped out and yelled “SHISHALDIN!” and we ran a mile together. If you’ve ever run in Prospect Park and seen someone who looks homeless, that’s Luis.

Here’s a story about him on wnyc. Go to “One Mile Seven Hundred Times” and click Listen.

I’m back from work and I’m eating blueberries Madge left in my fridge and watching the Yankee game encore. I want to be on YES’ Ultimate Road Trip and spend half a year going to every Yankee game. I would require that one of the weekly challenges be a one on one crossword puzzle race against Mike Mussina.

Last year Abichal Watkins was asking me to complete some questions about my first multi-day race and I never finished so I’ll answer some on here. He’s an amazing multi-day runner and there’s a ton of info on his website.

Abichal: One thing that is interests me is how you perceived the race before and how it actually was.

After I started running I began to push myself for longer and longer distances. After a couple marathons it didn’t seem like I had done a workout, especially if I was barely sore the next day. The funny thing about last years 6 day is I hadn’t even done an ultra when I applied. I had to run a 50k a couple weeks before the race so I could be accepted. Basically there’s no way I would be able to know what it was like to run a multi-day. My best guess is it would be like any other time I ran!

Before starting the race I read about multi-days and ultras and I tried to plan for major disasters like blisters and horrible exhaustion. My initial plan was to change shoes every 10 miles, lay down every 10 miles or so, and do a lot of walk/running. I also brought a lot of different shoes and sizes because I thought my feet would be huge. The only thing that went to plan was changing my shoes. I only got one small blister during the race because I wore a pair of running sandals for 2 miles. I ended up alternating between 2 pairs of shoes after the first day because they were the most comfortable.

During the race I was amazed at how little mental energy you spend. I remember during the 3rd day I felt like it was such a vacation! While at work I’d be on my feet moving quickly 8 hours a day, all the while multi-tasking and having numerous people needing my attention. I would leave work mentally and physically exhausted every single day. My schedule at work was also random. I’d have to wake up at 4 am one day and the next I wouldn’t get home until 11:30pm. The race was nothing like that. I’m sure my daily work schedule helped with my training.

While running a multi-day everything from everyday life gets stripped away. I had never been in a race like that because anything I had done before only lasted half a day. Nothing matters except walking on this one-mile loop, over and over again. The only thing you have to think about how to keep moving. A multi-day gives you mental clarity and the challenge is to keep your body strong enough to keep going.

I expected to have more moments of euphora or a runners high. I don’t remember having one at all. At first I had a lot of emotional ups and downs but I started taking vitamins and I was fine. I had seen Running on the Sun and read Kirk Johnson’s book about it,  To the Edge and I thought I would discover something deep about myself. I think I’m introspective enough as it is, I didn’t need the race for that.

Overall it was an amazing experience and it exceeded my expectations. I find with most things, the process of reaching a goal rather than the goal itself, is satisfying. This race is a good length of time and different challenges arise. Having a number of miles at the end doesn’t matter to me, the pleasure starts when I begin the race.