A key and a flea

The Key
Where are you supposed to put your keys when you run? This is the runner’s — at least this runner’s — conundrum. Unfortunately, most of my workout clothes don’t have pockets so I’m faced with the difficult task of finding a good place to store my key.

Hiding it somewhere on my car doesn’t work because that’s just asking for trouble. You never know who’s lurking about watching you hide your key so they can take it for a joy ride once you’ve left the scene. I once tried putting it in my sports bra, but that was highly uncomfortable and kind of weird.

One day, a genius friend of mine told me to tie my key in my shoelaces. So for the last couple of weeks that is where my key has rested when I run.

Last night I discovered that there is an art form to tying a key to your shoe. Yes, I’m serious.

This epiphany came to me at mile No. 2.5 Tuesday night when I felt a nagging little burning sensation on the front of my ankle. I looked down to notice the key had popped out of the laces and was pushing the tongue of the shoe against my ankle. And thanks to that little key and my genius friend, I now have a highly uncomfortable blister on my ankle.


The Flea
During my training I’ve grown accustomed to having wind-blown hair, sand stick to my skin and the occasional bug fly into me. Hey, it’s springtime in Las Cruces. What else do you expect?

Usually I run with sunglasses to protect my eyes from the sun, wind and sand. As I was running last night, the sun started setting and it was becoming increasingly difficult to see through my sunglasses. So, naturally, I took them off.

Two seconds later, a flea or gnat or some small wind-swept bug flew straight into my right eye. It fluttered around on the bottom lid for a second. Then a gust of wind pushed the little creature against the eyeball. I blinked rapidly and finally grabbed the bugger by the wings and peeled him from my eye. Then I put my sunglasses back on.