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. I’m pretty sure we have the same shorts because that waist and key pocket look very familiar. In fact, I ran with mine this afternoon and each time I always think how it’s amazing that the key stays in there. If that happened to me I’d have been a little more out of luck since it’s the only key to my car! I know, I need to make a spare!

    • Tina says:

      I always think that about the little pockets too. Which is why I didn’t hesitate to use it…then low and behold. LOL

      Mine are from Target so they very well could be the same ones. 🙂

  2. Ela says:

    What a story! Congrats on seeing such a positive side to it. It sounds like you had a great connection with Carolyn for those moments. Too bad you didn’t find the key after all. But amazing that your fourth mile was your fastest!

  3. Groff's Girl says:

    I have gone on a run and then locked myself out of my car…while not owning cell phones, and left stranded until I gave up and walked a LONG way home for the spare key…blah! I agree that it probably happened for a reason and it seems a nice reason (keeping Carolyn company)! I love funny things like that, serendipity at it’s best!

  4. That is a wonderful story, reminds me of a story Victoria Osteen was talking about a few years back when she lost her car keys and then recieved a phone call from someone that needed a friend to talk to. Glad you looked at the positive side of the story. You can always get another copy of your keys, sounded like your friend, Carolyn, really needed you today.

    Okay, you are a avery conditioned girl, you did an awesome circuit training workout and then you ran 4 miles the next day! That’s awesome, you are fit for having a baby not too long ago!

  5. Mandy says:

    Oh goodness. I have lost my key before, and it totally freaks you out. Glad it all worked out in the end and Peter was able to come help too 🙂

  6. Kelly says:

    Tina…I swear…only you could find the positives in that!! 🙂

  7. Kara says:

    I once ran back an extra 2 miles to get the baby’s stupid little hippo toy that she threw out of the stroller. I guess she just wanted me to get in a longer run that day 🙂

    • Tina says:

      Its a curse and a blessing that kids get attached to special toys. Blessing because instant happy baby…cursing because instant angry baby when it gets lost or something. I wuold have gone back too!

  8. I locked my keys in my car once during a tornado warning at a Dairy Queen. My dad had to come rescue me. Another time, I was dropping money off at the bank for my employer and locked my key in the car. So I sat on the curb with a money bag waiting for someone to rescue me! My friend was at work and couldn’t come get me, so was my other friend. Luckily my husband (who was my boyfriend at the time) had an extra key to my car and it was in a drawer and he was able to find it and come get me! Whew! Work was understanding, thankfully–and no one robbed me. So many people have a key to my car because I’m so bad at locking my keys in my car! But now I carry an extra in my wallet plus others have copies 🙂

  9. Vanessa says:

    Yay for staying positive. I would have probably cried, panicked, and then cried more. I always do when I mess up, especially when I have to get others to help get me out of my mess. I just feel bad for asking for help. But, after it’s all worked out I’m so grateful, and I cry again because I feel so loved and silly I made it a big deal. You have a sweet husband it seems. I remember last yr I ran out of gas, but I made it to a gas station. Well, my card wasn’t working. So, I cried, called my mom and of course my dad came to get me. Granted we were an hour late to when we were going(i was meeting them). Oh and my mom and dad gave me $ to get groceries to last a week until my paycheck the next week. I WAS broke(O.00$) and that’s why my card didn’t work. So thankful for God showing me he will help supply all my needs. 🙂 I just need to be more positive when bad happens so people can say “wow, I want to know how she can be so happy at a time like this.” Then I can say”well, I serve an awesome God!” 🙂

    • Tina says:

      I think that was the hardest thing for me. I felt bad needing to call on people for help. But that’s what God wants from us – to serve him by loving and also being loved. 🙂

  10. My husband has an INSANE story about getting locked out of our apartment in the middle of a snowy night right before his MBA final exams the next morning! Instead of re-typing it, I blogged about it here:

    http://texas2nashville.blogspot.com/2010/12/its-christmas-and-were-all-miserable.html

  11. […] of topics and making the most of this little thing we call life. You can find me falling more in love with running every day; working towards my Body After Baby progress goals; sharing crazy stories about my life; […]

  12. […] Tina @ Faith Fitness Fun: We always joke around that we are soul mates and were destined to be friends. She is motivating and always makes me laugh with her great stories, like the time when she dropped her key on her run. […]

  13. […] More running clothes! They were actually on sale this week, so I blew the rest of a Target gift card on these lovely items. I realized approximately three seconds ago that a teal shirt was probably not the wisest choice since I already own a pair of shorts in the exact same hue. I actually wanted a hot pink shirt, but they didn’t have any in my size. Alas. I’m pretty stoked about the shorts, though. For one thing, they’re for realizes running shorts. For another thing, they’re purple, which just so happens to be my favorite clothing color of the moment. They also have a key pocket, which definitely made me laugh a little. […]

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