Road I.D. Necessary!!!

Today's blog is a story of today's run and why I need to apply for a Road I.D. (i.e. in case I die out on the street somewhere).

Today was my half-day at work (every other Friday I have a 1/2 day - a great perk!).  I ran to Target, came home, started laundry and decided to have lunch.  Of course, I've been eating quite healthy doing Weight Watchers, so I had a salad (mixed greens with cucumbers and light dressing) and a Yoplait fruit smoothie.  Very delicious.  I also had a few small slices of Swiss cheese while checking my email and posting on Facebook.  A relaxing afternoon to myself.

Then Matt called and asked if he or I would be doing "pick-up" for the kids.  I thought, well, I better go workout now and have him do pick-up.  That way it's done and out of the way for a nice evening home as a family.  Matt agreed, so I got dressed (in the very last pair of running shorts, sports bra and tank top I own - as it IS in fact laundry day).  I put on my sneaks and headed out the door. 

I chose an outdoor run today, as I haven't been lately.  The weather's been sooooooo HOT that I couldn't bare it the last few days (been running treadmill or doing elliptical).  Today, however, was overcast, so I thought I'd take the chance.  BOY WAS I WRONG TO DECIDE THIS!

I put on my I-pod armband, locked my front door, tied my key to my shoelace and pressed play.  Off I went (listening to Jay-Z's Empire State of Mind).  The first 10 minutes, not so bad.  I quickly realized, though, that it was hotter than I thought.  Very muggy, stuffy and humid outside.  Why didn't it seem this hot earlier?  (Oh yeah, because I wasn't running!)  Soon, I was half-way through my run, and I was coming up to the hardest part of this particular run.  THE DREADED HILL. 

This hill and I have a love/hate relationship.  I hate doing it going up, but I get a total adrenaline rush on the way down.  Love that part!  At the middle of this hill, I pass a church which today I found quite symbolic.  As if I need to be reminded I must keep the faith (faith that I can continue running, beat this hill and press on).  It was almost comical.  Not only does this church land at the center of this hill, but it also has a huge marquee sign out front.  It lists the time, date and temp.  Well, as I passed it today, the temp read 95 degrees!  Ick!  Really?!

So here I was huffing and puffing.  My legs began to feel wobbly.  My heart was racing.  My head was hurting, and I began to feel dizzy.  This was NOT good.  I decided STOP!  Today was the first time I really needed to walk.  I needed to take my time, catch my breath and swallow my pride (I hate stopping on a run - makes me feel like I failed in some ways).  This got me to thinking...what if something were to happen to me?  What if I passed out right here on the side of the road?  Would someone stop?  Would someone help?  Would anyone notice?  OMG!  This freaked me out. 

This herein determined my title for today's blog.  I now need a Road I.D.  If I'm going to continue running outdoors on busy or even not so busy roads, I better be prepared.  Today, all I had was my I-pod.  No phone, no I.D., no water!!!  This does not make for a good running experience. 

Note to self:
Be better prepared!  Drink more water.  Don't run in extreme heat.  Apply for Road I.D.  Be safe. 

Note to my Runner Friends:
Learn from my mistakes.  :)