So today was the last run for week 14 and I ended it with a "14 mile" run.
On Monday I enter the dreaded week 15. Week 15 is the most running you do in a single week. 5 Monday, 10 Wednesday, 5 Thursday, and 20 Saturday!
Today was a rainy, cold day and while I wasn't dreading my run I wasn't jumping for joy to do it either. I really enjoyed the route I took and planned my hydration better so I didn't have another repeat of last week. I took it easy and didn't care about my watch constantly beeping to tell me I was behind my 8:20 pace. Even though I wasn't on pace I was consistent and felt great-I was having a great running day (despite the rain and cold).
At mile 10 or so I started to realize how wet and cold my shoes and clothes were but figured I only had 4 miles to go so I'd be fine. At mile 11 I started to get excited because I was a 5K away from a warm shower. As I turned onto a road to begin my final 3 miles it happened-A ROAD CLOSURE! I thought maybe it was just closed to cars and I could sneak through on foot-NOPE! There was no way around it so I continued the only way I could realizing this detour would add at least 2 miles to my run. While I was feeling good I didn't think I had 2 extra miles in me especially when I took into account my final 2 miles were uphill (with a few flat parts). I decided the only way I could get this done was continue on with this detour (because I had no other option) and then when I hit 14 miles on my watch I'd simply call my brother to pick me up because he lives a block away from me. I considered walking the last 2 miles home but thought, "I'm warm because I'm running, if I stop running to walk I'll get cold really quickly since I'm soaked".
Thankfully my 14 mile run ended at the base of the 2 mile hill I'd have to climb had it not been for my new genius plan. After I stopped my watch I reached into my running belt to retrieve my phone from the ziplock bag I protected it in and hit the home button so I could call my brother....that's when things got interesting. I looked down at my phone and it said, "your phone has been disabled for 58 minutes." I was shocked then realized what must have happened. Somehow I must have hit the power or home button which made the keypad to put your password in appear and with the jostling from my run I must have hit several wrong passwords attempts to eventually lock myself out...I must have done it a lot for it to lock me out for 58 minutes. (I wanted to take a screen shot-damn lockout!) At first I laughed then thought, "shit, I can't call Scott...how am I going to get home?" I had not choice...I was walking the hill. I decided to walk up the steepest parts, but I started to get REALLY cold-I was shivering! I took the hill up a good 3/4 of a mile and when I got to a flat part I realized I had to run because walking was making me colder and running would warm me up and get me home sooner. My legs felt like I was running on 2 broken tibia while wearing lead weights on my feet. I wanted to die! (Side note before I get to what happened next: since my brother and his family live a block away I often see them while I'm running and they beep at me to say hi) As I'm "running," so I can get warm/home quicker, I hear someone behind me honk and whistle and I think, "SCOTT! I'm saved!" I turned with childlike excitement thinking I'm saved when I realize it's not my brother....it's just some creep. (Note to all readers...this tactic does not work to pick someone up...I know, I know you'd think it would, but it doesn't. I have been honked/whistled at tons and I've never dated anyone who's done it to me ha ha) Despair set in again since I was still freezing and in some decent pain. I pushed it as best I could yet the distance didn't feel like it's ending. I heard my phone ring and filed with hope as I saw it's my mom. I went to answer thinking she could help rescue me....turns out you can't even answer calls when your phone is disabled so I had to press on.
I guess I'd appreciate this feature if my phone had been stolen, but I was wet, cold, exhausted, and in pain so I hated this feature today. Eventually I made it home and my phone finally allowed me to try to unlock it-successfully this time! Regardless of everything that happened, I still felt like it was a great run!
"Relish the bad training runs. Without them it's difficult to recognize, much less appreciate, the good ones." -Pat Teske
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