The weather around here has been frightful this winter (but I'm starting to think it's been frightful everywhere). Tonight it is supposed to feel like -41C with tomorrow being much the same. After a careful look at those horrid temperatures, I called in my Mom to watch the kids yesterday so I could do a long run. It was a balmy -3C. A number of factors played against me on this run though - let me explain.
About two weeks ago my middle came down with a cold, which spread to the toddler this past weekend and my hubby. Early in the week I could feel the cold sitting in my chest but it wasn't progressing to anything worse. Yesterday morning the middle was having a coughing fit at the breakfast table when he became physically ill. A quick call to my Mom who reassured me she had an iron stomach, and could watch both the middle and the toddler (the middle was supposed to be headed to preschool). I set off to take the eldest to school and start the run.
I knew my iphone5 would die minutes into the run. It's extremely tempermental about the cold. Word to the wise - buy a different phone or if adamant about iphones, a 4. My hubby's phone has none of the issues mine does. About 1K into the run though, my ipod froze. 24K is a pipedream without tunes. Unfortunately when an ipod freezes, the only way to unfreeze it is to plug it into the charger, simultaneously press the play and menu button together, and it will reset. Of course I tried my phone and thought I'd listen to it until it died, but no, already dead. Darn!
A quick stop down the road at the 7-11 for Gatorade, I asked if they had a charger. All sold out. I comitted myself to having alot of time to think, and off I went. I found some gorgeous pathways and tunnels to run through, and got to 10K when I just knew that I was going to quit unless I could get some music back. I put out a plea for "help". Not one to talk boldly about my faith, something amazing happened next. I was told that He could reset the Ipod. Unsure if I was just being crazy, or if it was worth trying it, I decided to try it. What was there to lose? So I pulled out the ipod and pressed the two buttons. Nothing. When I felt a prompting to try the home and menu button. And you know what? IT RESET! I actually said "Ha!" and "Thank you!". A gentle push to not have my debit and license in the same pocket or it would happen again, and I was off with music again, and a surprisingly lighter step. Shortly after "miracle" number 2 would happen.
I got onto the pathway I'm familar with near my kids schools, and took a wrong turn. I could see a school in front of me but it didn't look like the HighSchool I was expecting. When I got closer I realized it was my daughters school where I had parked. My Garmin said exactly 15K. This will become important in just a minute. I was familar with a 9K loop I could run that would get me to the 24K I was hoping for, so I set off.
At 20K, guess what died? My Garmin. I have had my Garmin for about 11 years. Never once has it ever turned itself off. I tried to turn it on. It said 0 battery left, but the battery bar said it was full. The only loss I really had, was for my walk breaks, as I knew that I would get to 24K by following the route back. So I continued on without the Garmin (but with music!), and ran back to the school, stopping occasionally to walk when it felt like an ok amount of time. I'm still pretty in awe about hitting the distance exactly thanks to a wrong turn that put me at the perfect starting point for a loop I knew, and about the ipod. Such a crazy, but amazing run!
Today, the cold has hit hard. My legs feel good, but my body is run down, and the cold has taken over. Lots of hibernating and rest this weekend as the cold weather sinks in. I'm wishing for Spring (and a new Garmin - ha ha!).
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