Dear Saint Anthony, please come 'round; something's lost and must be found ~ A Child's Prayer for Lost Things

Yesterday, I completed my final day of week one of the Couch-2-5K. I'm ready to start week two on Monday.

The walk/run went very well until I started my cool down. I finished my last run interval and was headed for the last 1/4 mile marker when I reached down to the waistband of my pants and realized my car keys weren't there. Ruh, Ro!

When I do my walk/run, I take three things: My iPod Shuffle with the cued music; my cell phone, just in case I fall down and break a leg or hip and need to call 911; and my car keys, which I routinely put in the waistband of whatever pants I'm wearing. Putting my car keys in the waistband of my pants has worked very well up until now. You see, I'm pretty chubby and my chubby tummy pushes quite firmly against my waistband. Usually, when I put something between my chubby tummy and my waistband, it STAYS PUT.

But, apparently without noticing it, because I no longer step on the scale because I hate being depressed for weeks at a time, my chubby tummy has shrunk ever so slightly and, consequently, released a little pressure against my waistband.

So, back to the car keys situation. When I realized my keys were not in my waistband, I tried to be calm. I, ever so discreetly, started feeling around in my pants, thinking the keys could have slipped inside my pants without me feeling it. After all, I was really focused on my workout. I searched inside the front, groping desperately for my keys while I was looking around to see if anyone was coming. I didn't really want to be caught with my hand in my pants! Then I felt around the inside of the back of my pants. Nothing. Shit! I thought, I just traveled a mile and a half, they could be anywhere!

I turned around and started retracing my steps along the trail, eyes to the ground searching for anything shiny or black. It's cloudy and it's supposed to rain. The further I walk, the more desperate I feel. I walked later than usual so there are fewer people on the trail, but I finally pass two women pushing strollers.

You haven't by any chance seen any keys on the ground, have you? I asked.

No, ma'm They were young. I'm old. It's the south. Ma'm is appropriate.

I continued walking, my eyes glued to the trail moving from one side to the other. I hear a car behind me and move to the side of the trail so that a city maintenance truck can pass me. As the truck passes me, I'm thinking, Oh God, please do not let those truck tires find my keys, crush my clicker and bury my keys in the mud! The truck passes by and stops about a quarter of mile in front of me. Six young guys jump out and start unloading weed-eaters and shovels.

As I reach them, three of them yell, Hi, how are you today?

I'll be fine when I find my car keys, I so cleverly respond.

You lost your keys? the obviously brightest one of the bunch asked.

Yes, somewhere between the parking lot and just after the 3/4 mile marker.

We'll keep an eye out for them, he responded.

Thanks I said, passing them and heading up the hill for the 3/4 mile marker.

A couple of hundred feet from the 3/4 mile marker, I saw a jogger, a young man in a green shirt. I recognized him as the man who passed me going to opposite way as I was headed back to the starting bridge in the second half of my workout. But, I went back to scouring the ground for my keys.

Just before he reached me, he called out, Hi! I looked up, said hi back to him and resumed looking.

Lose something? he asked.

My car keys, I responded.

What kinda car? he asked.

Weird question, I thought, but said, Chrysler.

Here you go, he said as he tossed me the keys. I found them near the first quarter mile marker. And he just kept on jogging past me.

Oh my God! Thank you! Thank you so much!

You're welcome, he called back.

What's your name? I yelled to his back.

He turned around, running backwards, and yelled, Dan McKaye

Thanks again, Dan!

I was nearly in tears. I was so relieved. I stopped for a minute to just take a deep breath, then turned around and started back.

So, since my workout was finished and I had already walked an additional 3/4 of a mile and had to walk another 3/4 of mile to get back to my car, but I could now do it at my leisure, and since I still had my phone, I thought I would take some photos for my readers so you could see what I see during my walk...

Looking down the trail...



The creek and the brush on the other side...



Looking back at a grove of trees...



A little man-made waterfall...



I'm nearing the starting bridge and the parking lot. There's my car! The red one! I can open the door and drive it home! Thanks again, Dan McKaye!



And on Monday when I start week two of the Couch-2-5K, I'm not taking any chances. Two words. Safety. Pin.