My car broke down so I went for an unexpected run outside in a snowstorm today.
This morning I had to take my car in to get looked at. I take my car to an auto shop just outside of Barrie down in Midhurst, a town just north of the city limits. My car has been making a funny sound for a while now and last night coming home from work it started to jar on the hwy which felt like I hit and ran over something, but I didn't. It was obvious to me something was going on with my engine, so as not to make things worse I eased up on the hwy babying and wishing the car home without a breakdown.
I made it safely home, man I was lucky.
This morning I go to my mechanic to get it looked at. He tells me it's the harmony pulley,( or better known as the cam shaft pulley) is wobbling and ready to fall off. EEK! I say! I told him about what happened last night with the jarring. He just said I was lucky the pulley didn't fall off. I ask him? what's the damage to get it fixed. He quoted me a price of $210 for the part plus labour another $60 plus tax. I said ok, get er done!
So I had to leave the car there and decided to run home, It's only 5k.
Man I like saying stuff like that being an Ironman! (It's only 5k)
Now what makes this run different is the fact that there is a major snowstorm going on, I'm running along the hwy with no shoulder and the road is full of slush, snow and water. I'm running in my everyday running shoes with no socks on and a pair of jeans that are to big for me since I lost weight and are hanging halfway down my ass because I have no belt on. I have my bomber jacket a pair of gloves and no hat. Plus there is the huge hill on the way home I had to run up, ( bayfield hill, better know to locals as Patty Dunes hill )
Well I start my journey back home and start running. I was fortunate I had the wind to my back but I was still getting pelted with Ice pellets and snow in my eyes. I had to keep looking back at traffic for on coming cars so I don't get hit and move onto the slushy sides of the hwy when traffic came by.
By the time I got to Patty Dunes hill the sides of my jeans were already soaked from cars passing and splashing the slush up onto me. My toes were starting to freeze because I had no socks on, but I kept on running. I ran about a third of the hill before I had to stop and walk, which surprised me because I don't run hills, and my knee still hurts as I run. While I was taking my walking break, I was thinking this is exactly the same feeling I had while doing lake placid last year in the rain soaking me and my feet, except instead of rain coming down on me I have cold and snow raining down and slush soaking my feet, numbing my sock less toes. GAK!
When I caught my breath i continued on finally getting to the top of the 1km hill at 6% grade, I know this because I ride this hill all the time and have clocked the distance, which from the lights at the bottom of the hill to the top of the crest is exactly 1km.
I continued onward and finally get into town, (the city limits line is at the top of the hill.) I get some sidewalk to run on finally, but it's just as slushy as the road, but safer. When I got home I was drenched with sweat from my warm bomber jacket being to warm and doesn't breath holding in moisture. I check my watch, and to my surprise It only took me 30 min to run.
Not a bad work out run today, not bad considering the route I took and the weather.
Now I just have to wait for my mechanic to call and I can go pick up my car. But I won't be running back!...Ohhh NO! ...Melissa will drive me back when she get home from work.
This is the Kathy the Barrie Rec director talking with another News guy from the weather channel who was taping the event for the weather station to be aired later today.
