Remarkable Run

Since about August, all of the runs I've gone on have been so un-remarkable. The most eventful moments have only included me doubled-over at a stop sign catching my breath, cursing a hill, or just giving up and walking. All of these moments have to do with the fact that it has been 90+ degrees in Columbia since May and I've been exhausted because of the start of the school year, and so the result was just slugging through run after run convinced the whole time that I wouldn't make it home ever gain simply due to lack of energy. Today, though, all of that changed.

Things began with the fact that it was only 80ish degrees outside. There was rain, which makes any runner (even slow ones like me) feel like a badass because everyone else is inside hiding from the rain. It was Sunday evening, which means I'd had two decent nights of sleep and two decent naps. So with all of those things working for me, the run didn't suck as all the runs for the last two months have. This on its own was fairly remarkable. I like to narrate while I run, pretending that I'm writing a blog post. Once I got to the worst, most-dreaded hill of the whole route, I heard some people over at the park nearby cheering. I'm sure a little kid scored a soccer goal or hit a baseball or something, but in my narrative, they were definitely cheering for me because they, too, could tell that I would actually make it up that hill and still be running. Things were just working. So they cheered. I gave a quick fist pump to the crowd, and hauled myself up that hill. As if that wasn't remarkable enough, it gets better. When I was almost at the top, I heard a screeching car and a crash behind me. I turn around and see a car slamming into a mailbox and a white Explorer speeding away in my direction. A lot of thinking happened at this point in a split second. 1. I could be hit by that white Explorer runaway criminal! 2. Oh my god they are driving away! They hit that car and are speeding away from the scene! Ahhh! This isn't good! 3. Quick! Run into the closest yard (which I did as fast as I could) to get out of the way of reckless driver hit and runner. 4. Get the tag number. I could only get the first three letters. Damn! 5. Okay, it's over, and I'm standing in someone's yard. Time to do something....go!

Then, reality started again, and I ran back down the hill to make sure the people who got hit were okay. Not sure what I as going to do other than survey the scene (being a lifeguard is always a part of me!) and make sure it was safe. I didn't have my phone or anything, but whatever. There was this guy who was getting in his giant truck nearby who also tried to help. He stuck his head out the window and said, "Which way did they go?" and after we all pointed, he sped off. I love a guy in a truck chasing down a criminal. One time Will chased a guy who stole a woman's purse, except they were on foot. I'm not sure what boys think they are going to do when they actually catch up to the person they are chasing, but I appreciate the effort. After the guy took off on the hunt for the hit and runners, I talked to the two people who told me that they were about to turn into the driveway they were now sitting in. Apparently the house was their brother's house, and their dad had just passed away the day before. They were there to meet the minister. They were so tired and couldn't quite grasp what had happened, so I told them to call the cops for insurance purposes, etc. When it rains, it pours, right?

So that was the end of it really, I wished the two people luck, and started running away. At that point I realized that I had to run up the most-dreaded hill again. Yep, that would be two times up the worst hill ever. Thank goodness that the running was actually working out today. So sorry for the people who were in the accident though.