My Three Hour Four Mile Run

Posted: July 6, 2011 at 4:00 pm

Alternate titles for this post?

  • Should Have Done The Speed Work
  • Wear The Dang Spibelt
  • I Need To Learn To Charge My Music
  • But It’s All Okay In The End

This morning I woke up with a speed work session on the half marathon training calendar. I also woke up to Peter informing me the iPhone died and I would have no music for my run. What is this? The third time in less than two weeks? Sheesh!

Anyways…I headed to the track intending to make the best of my run and somehow power through the dreaded speed work without musical inspiration. Then not even halfway around the first lap of the track I said “to heck with this madness!” and opted to run a quicker paced four miler on the running trail instead.

Since I had planned to simply run around the track, where I can leave my stuff on the sideline, I didn’t have my Spibelt carrier with me. So, I stashed my water bottle back in the car and tucked my key inside the handy little pocket inside my running shorts to stay nice and cozy.

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I got going on my run and instantly knew I made the right decision. For my run, at least. I was on fire!

  • Mile 1 = 9:12
  • Mile 2 = 8:43
  • Mile 3 = 8:41
  • Mile 4 = 8:14 (!!!)

Just as I patted myself on the back and slowed to finish my run, I realized something. I didn’t feel a particular something poking into my hip anymore. You know where I’m going with this, don’t you?

The key. Gone!!!! And I knew exactly where it happened. The full two miles out where I had turned around. Where something came out of nowhere and hit my foot. That something I originally thought was a random rock was actually my key I saw flying into the thick, tall brush off the greenway’s boardwalk area.

Oh---cean! Right when I realized my predicament, I came across this extremely kind woman who happened to have a phone on her to borrow. I called Peter right up to see if he could come save me. Problem numero uno? He has the kids. I have the car seats. So, I let him see if he can reach my sister-in-law in the neighborhood to watch them for a few minutes. I hang up and walk with the kind woman, Carolyn, and her dogs waiting to hear back. Problem numero dos? He can’t reach her.

Oh-cean! Don’t worry he says. He will go down the street with the kids to see if anyone is home. I stroll along for another long while with Carolyn waiting to find out whether or not Peter can come. He calls and says he doesn’t know if anyone is home because no one came to the door but their cars are there. So I stroll along with Carolyn more again, holding this poor woman’s phone captive, until I finally get a call from Peter saying he is on his way.

I race back to my car to meet Peter. And you better believe I added that to my workout. I want credit for that hectic .58 miles and achieving an 8:40 average pace! I think I got my speed work in for the week, don’t you? 😉

IMGP0073

After Peter picks me up we drive out to the area where I know my key fell out to attempt finding it. Too bad there is no easy entrance to this area of the running trail. So what do we do? He pulls up alongside the road and I have to dash out on a busy road with no sidewalks, a bridge, and cars going past me to eventually climb through grass and get to the path. Only to search and search and search but no dice. Adios, key!

Finally, I get home three hours later. So much for heading out early to get things done sooner. It bothered me at first, probably because I had not eaten and was past the point of angry hungry, but then I just had to laugh it off. Plus, I can’t help think that God had a hand in it. Carolyn doesn’t normally walk with her phone but had it today. I don’t normally change my planned workout like that but did today. Carolyn’s husband recently passed and she normally walks with a friend – so maybe God just wanted me to keep her company. And maybe He just wanted to remind me that little “annoyances” don’t make up life. Love does. I felt love from Carolyn’s, Peter’s, and Marie’s (sister-in-law) graciousness in helping me out today. So, yea. It’s all okay in the end.

  • Have you ever lost your key? Locked yourself out? Or something similar?
  • What is the last act of kindness you received from someone?
  • Of Possible Interest: Check out the panel discussion and my awesome fellow bloggers on the Healthy Living Summit site!

One Final Note – If you can visit the blog tomorrow morning to help support my Fitfluential Ambassador post, I will be eternally grateful! 🙂

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73 Comments to “My Three Hour Four Mile Run”
  1. First off – nicely done on that run! Great times. Thankfully I’ve not ever lost my key. Really worries me thinking about it though so I constantly feel for it if I put it in my shorts pocket. I usually keep it stashed in the pocket of the handle on my water bottle. Now I’m going to be even more freaked out thank you LOL

  2. Mellissa says:

    This post made me smile and think about the love message, it is easy to get caught up in the annoyances and let it ruin the day. A few weeks ago after a weekend away I realized on Monday morning that I had left my laptop 3 hours away. Left it right at the B&B we stayed at. My initial reaction was to getting angry but I let it go. I got a bonus day off and a fun road trip it out of it.

    Trying to let go of the little stuff!

    • Tina says:

      And for some reason the little stuff can be so hard to let go sometimes! Glad we’re both learning, huh? 😉

  3. Amy says:

    I love that you think today happened for a reason! I am such a believer in that as well, and all too often forget to take a step back.

  4. Mary says:

    I’m sorry that you lost your key. I know the replacements can get pricey if you have a fancy key. When I go running with a key (house or car), I usually double knot it into my shoelaces and then tuck the tip under the laces so it doesn’t bounce around. I haven’t lost one that way yet!

  5. Oh no, I’m so sorry that happened this morning. Like you said, at least you made a new friend and felt the love from kind acts around you.
    Hope your day improved from there! 🙂

  6. Chelsea says:

    I adore your positive attitude!!

  7. i went for a long bike ride, saw something out of the corner of my eye, and didn’t realize it til later that it was my car key flying out of my bag. so yep, i’ve been in your same boat! glad it all worked out in the end

  8. I have lost my key on a run once! It’s not fun at all. Luckily I was with some friends who were able to drive me home to get a spare key. Great job on your run and for looking at that annoyance in such a positive attitude!

  9. Yikes I would freak out! Glad it all turned out ok though…and at least the run was rockin’!

  10. I am so sorry that happened! Your attitude amazes me though. I would most likely cry. I like to tie my key to my shoe, but it’s usually my house key. I tell myself I would notice my shoe untying before the key would be gone, but I always panic that something like this will happen. I am glad you made it safe and sound!

  11. Mrs. Fish says:

    What an “interesting” run, so glad you found someone to help you along the way! 🙂 I usually tie my key to my shoelace, and I constantly keep looking down to make sure it’s there!

  12. Anna says:

    This makes me think about the song This is the Stuff by Francesa Battistelli! I heard that song on K-Love and it reminded me of how God works in the everyday things of life for His greater purpose.<3

  13. Loved this post! While it may have made for a hectic morning, He always has you right where you’re supposed to be at the perfect moment.

  14. Jen says:

    What a great story with a happy ending and a Good Samaritan! The boardwalk where you run is so beautiful!

  15. What a day! I’m so impressed that you are able to turn it around and see the positive. Carolyn must have really liked having you to walk with her. 🙂

  16. I’m so sorry you lost your key on the run, but I love the way you wrapped this all up. It is so easy to dwell on the little life annoyances, but that’s not really the “life” we want in general. But dwelling on those will make those your life. Nice post!

  17. Great job on your run and good job keeping your cool — I would have been crying for sure. I’m glad you found a nice person who let you use their phone, etc. Sorry to hear about the mess though — that really stinks!

  18. Can I just say I love your outlook? I’m totally with you on God putting people in certain predicaments to either teach us a lesson, keep someone company, etc – I love this love love loooooove!!!

  19. I’m with Holly — I would have been tired, hungry and prob in tears—you rock! Great outlook!!! 🙂

  20. Tina, you’ll die when I tell you this. You know the time I commented to say I’d seen a kid fall down a cliff? The SAME day I saw that…was the same day I lost my key…only to find that an hour after searching (with a phone lock in my car) someone had left my key on a park bench along my route. See: http://liveloveandrun.com/2011/04/heiswithm/

    Great job on the running…you’re inspiring for sure!

  21. wow way to keep you cool, I would have been FREAKKKKIN’ out! At least you can chalk it up to a good run! 🙂

  22. when i moved a year and a half ago, i actually somehow put my keys in a trash bag of stuff and threw the keys away. car keys, house keys, clicker for the gate… everything. go me.

  23. Jess says:

    Oh man! That is my BIGGEST fear when I use that little pocket in my running shorts. My aunt got me this awesome little wrist pocket thing that stashes a key right there on your wrist. Perfect for days with no pockets that zip shut or didn’t bring my hydration belt with pocket.

  24. Ugh that stinks! I’m alway s afraid I may lose mine. I tie it in the bow (double-knotted) of my shoe lace now. That sucker ain’t going no wheres! I actually have trouble getting it back off when I’m tired and sweaty at the end.

  25. Maria says:

    This is my biggest running fear (well that and throwing up and passing out)! I now run only when B is home so I don’t have to lock our apartment door, but when that’s not an option, I tie my key around a ponytail holder and put it on my wrist. That baby isn’t going no where!

    Great point of view about the situation though Carolyn sounds super sweet (gotta love Southern women).

  26. oh WOW. I would have died. But so cool that you found peace and joy in the situation! I make sure to hide a key near the car, so that it won’t fall out….try it maybe next time?

  27. lindsay says:

    ahhh, I’ve done that! I had to search for my key for hours and was starving at the end. OH i feel ya tina!

  28. I’m always worried about my key falling out. But I finally bought myself a pair of crops that have zippered pockets so hopefully I can focus more on my run and less on leaving a trail of my belongings on the running path! Great job on the run time!

  29. Callie says:

    This totally happened to me one time! Same mistake – put my key in that little pocket and it came out somewhere during a run. Luckily I was running in my neighborhood so I knocked on a friends’ door and called my husband from there – because of course I didn’t have my phone either! So thankful Carolyn was out there – sounds like it might have been a divine intervention. 🙂

  30. Melie says:

    I am sorry you lost your key. But this is a nice story nonetheless! 🙂 I am constantly locking myself out of places… My highlight was when I locked my key inside my car with the engine still on! I am talented what can I say? And I’ve done it twice! The good thing is, there are always nice people willing to break into my car (alarmingly fast I must admit) to help me retrieve my key. Jeez, I love living in the ghetto 🙂

  31. Julie says:

    We were visiting my in-laws at Christmas three years ago and my husband and I BOTH lost our keys. We had to go to a dealer, pay mega bucks for a new one, program it (not that simple), and pray it worked. Thank the Lord, it did.

  32. Wow, you handled that WAY better than I would have. You also just made me feel far less crazy for checking 400 times that my key was in my pocket when I was running yesterday.

  33. I once lost my key on a run and was locked out for 3 hours until the leasing office opened. It was 20 degrees!

  34. I’m loving this story because this is so something that would happen to me! I know how one car key and I started with three, hehe. I’ve moved wayyyy too many times and some have gotten lost in the mix! Can’t wait to see your FitFluential post!!!

  35. Lauren says:

    I ALWAYS have that fear of loosing my key on my run. I usually end up holding my key. It’s also a great defense mechanism! Glad you got home safely! 🙂

  36. Dorry says:

    Tina, you know I LOVE your outlook on this situation! I’ve had several annoyances/inconveniences lately, and my goal is to always look to God and realize He has a much bigger plan than I could ever imagine. So I don’t spend too much time feeling frustrated and just try to move on. We lost a rental car key while snorkeling once in Mexico! It was in Billy’s pocket and once we were back to the car, he remembered seeing “something” floating to the bottom of the ocean floor. 🙂

  37. What a disappointment! I panic a little bit when something like that happens, but you have the right attitude about it- be calm and carry on 🙂

  38. You have just had the most eventful runs lately! I think you’re totally right about God using that situation though. Isn’t it just the coolest when that happens? I love moments like that. A+ to you for being able to see the positives in a crummy situation.

    I’ve never lost my key, but I have locked myself out of my car more than once. Both times at the same place, no less! Alas.

  39. I fully believe God has a hand in stuff like that. As for keys, ha!!!! I practically lock them in my car on a weekly basis. At church, the store, work, restaurants, in the middle of a snowstorm. The list goes on, really!!

  40. Anna Crouch says:

    Oh man! Sounds like quite the day!

    One time on a run, I also put my key in the “safe” pocket of my running shorts, just like you. Right after my run I had to pee like a mad woman, so I made a dash for the public bathroom at the park. I went to the bathroom and as I pulled my shorts back up, somehow the pocket got turned inside out, and my key dropped in the toilet as the automatic flusher went off!!! HAHAHA I was sooo annoyed because the only person who had a spare to my car was my husband (who was my boyfriend at the time) and he wasn’t off work until like 3 hours later. Ya. I sat. For 3 1/2 hours until he got there. LOL It may have been a sucky situation, but it’s a funny story to tell now 🙂

  41. Jane says:

    Ah what a bummer! I’ve never lost a key, but have definitely locked myself out of my car and apartment to name a few! Glad you got rescued eventually 🙂

  42. jobo says:

    Seriously, I was like, freaking out FOR YOU with this situation!! Man, you kept a sane head about it and thank God your friend was around…what a great outlook you had (echoing others) on this too. Everything happens for a reason, a powerful reason, I believe. I am so glad it turned out okay, even though it was uh, four hours later!

  43. I enjoy the love you were able to show and were shown. Sometime the things we expect to be simple are so much more complex and worth it.

    For me recently a friend needed a ride to the doctor and it provided me the opportunity to talk to her when I hadn’t seen her in a few weeks.

  44. Errign says:

    Last time (and only) time I locked myself out of my old apartment: I had dropped my car off to be looked at, and went off on my merry way to work with a friend. I was working the 2-10pm shift at a grocery store, and thought nothing of it, until we were heading home and I realized I had given the mechanic ALL of my keys, including my apartment keys, and they were all safely locked up in the garage for me to pick up the next day. I ended up breaking in through an interior door with a credit card, ahha.

  45. awwww what a terrible way to start the morning 🙁 glad you’re able to keep a good attitude about it!

  46. love your positive attutide regardess of the key situation! I once locked myself out of thehouse too! i tried every window but everything was locked up tight! i just sat and waited for my mom and it gave me a chance to catch up on some reading that I just happen to have in my bag 🙂

  47. Ahh, that’s one of my worst running-related fears! I always tuck my key in a pocket when I go running. In the winter it’s fine because I can just put it in a coat pocket, but in the summer, I use the pocket in my running shorts (like you did) or just inside my sports bra. Making a mental note now to re-think this!

  48. Whew that is definitely something i freak out about everytime i go on a run. Glad u are ok! That was so nice of her letting u use her phone.

  49. Ugh that must be so frustrating! I lost my keys last summer at a gym and it was the worst (my house key and everything). Luckily they found it a few days later!

  50. Karolina says:

    While I’m sure it was a very frustrating experience for you, but neat that you were able to provide something to Carolyn that she was missing…it’s cool when things work like that.

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