Worst run ever

I've been consistently running 3-4 times a week. My "jogs" take me on a 2.5 mile circuit of my neighborhood. I'm averaging a pace of about 4 miles per hour. My endurance is improving. My pace is improving – I shave time off with each successive run. I'm finding running more rewarding than lifting weights or other forms of exercise. But yesterday's effort will go down in history as my worst ever. I need to remember to check the weather before I take off.

It started out as well as any run. I warmed up with a 1 minute walk then broke into a jog which loosened and improved as I warmed up and got into the zone. At about ¾ of a mile the wind picked up and the weather appeared to be quite threatening. Dark storm clouds were rolling in and I realized I might get caught in rain. I decided to head home at the mile mark rather than run the extra mile on the other side of the neighborhood.

I knew I could adjust my run to make up the distance while staying closer to home. What I didn't expect was that I should have been wearing protective goggles. With the wind, there was a lot of debris. As I innocently planned a new route, I came under attack. Something got in my eye. It could have been a grain of sand/dirt or a leaf for all I know. It felt huge, yet I couldn't seem to get it out. Of course I didn't stop running, that would have been silly.

So I ran with one eye closed, tears streaming down my face. Finally, as I reached the end of the first mile, I gave up and walked while trying to get the "something" out of my eye. I thought about knocking on a door. I thought about just walking up to a car in a driveway and using their side-view mirror (some objects are closer than they appear). I imagined my cornea getting scratched up while I rubbed on my eye. I imagined a trip to the emergency room to get the twig out of my eye. I didn't have to imagine the horrible pain I was feeling.

So I walked most of the ½ mile home.

When I got home I looked for all I was worth but I couldn't find the log that was in my eye. I put in eye drops. Lay down for a while. Looked again. Tried not to rub my eye. Rubbed my eye. Looked again. Eventually the tree or boulder that was in my eye came out. I never did figure out what was in there. Of course, by this time I was exhausted.

And so ended what I hope will remain on record as the worst run ever.