The Benefit of Yelling at My Garmin

The other day I ran Eloise over to my sister's house, and then ran home solo while Eloise played with Julie and the kids.  This allows me to get in a few faster miles without the stroller.  I was aiming for 8 miles total and I was keeping an eye on my watch to see how far I'd gone so I knew what route to take back to my house.

As I was running around a familiar loop, I looked at my Garmin and the screen had changed to the time of day.  I couldn't see my mileage so I didn't know if I should take the longer route or the shorter route home.  I tapped it a few times and nothing happened.  It only beeped at me.  I tapped it a few more times as I ran before stopping all together and tapping it more forcefully.  I finally said, "Come on, Stupid," as I tapped tapped tapped and it beeped beeped beeped. 

And then I heard a voice.  "Do you want a running partner?"  I looked up and there was a girl working in her yard - the very yard I was standing in front of yelling at my watch.  I smiled and said, "Yes, I do."  She said, "Really?" as if she had not expected me to say yes at all, and a conversation began.  She said she had seen me running by often and that she likes to run but doesn't run during a time when any of her friends usually go, and I said I had that same problem.  She said her name was Amy but everyone called her Peaches.  She was/is a body builder of sorts and has won several competitions.  I told her I had family who did that as well and we continued to chat for a bit longer, getting to know each other a little.  I liked her right from the start.

She gave me her phone number before I continued on my way telling me to call her the next time I ran.  I was pretty pumped about this.  All of my runs lately have been mid-morning, usually beginning around 8:30-9:00 a.m. when Eloise starts to get sleepy, and because of this they are always alone (with a sleeping baby for company).  When my mom comes to watch Eloise, I still end up running about that same time and alone.  So the thought of having someone to chat with and distract from the mid-morning heat was a nice one.

The next morning I pulled out Peaches' number and smiled as I texted her.  I hoped she was serious when she gave me her number because I intended to use it.  She was game to join me and Eloise, so I ran a loop in my neighborhood before making my way to her house.  We had a GREAT run.  We talked the whole way and I did not give much thought to my tired legs, the challenge of running with a stroller uphill or the heat and humidity in which we were running.  I just ran and enjoyed getting to know my new partner. 

On our way back we picked up another runner named Charlotte and she joined us for a climb up a hill.  My legs were seriously burning, but once again I was distracted by my pals and our conversation.  Charlotte turned off into her neighborhood and then I dropped Peaches off near her house on my way home. She had gotten almost 5 miles and I was getting 6.5 total. 

I'm pretty pumped to have a new running buddy.  And what a funny surprise to find one while having a Garmin issue.  I laughed as I thought about her offering to run with the crazy girl standing in the road yelling at her watch, but I'm so very glad she did.