Reed Dunn, Senior Recruitment Marketing Manager

I’m a guy, so it should be no surprise I don’t stop for directions.

Driving around lost is a little different from running around lost, as I learned this week. While I should be at least slightly ashamed to admit this, I got lost while out on my mid-week run.

My plan was to set out from my apartment and clock a nice five- or six-mile run. When I was about two miles into one of my standard routes, I decided to veer off course and check out a different trail. This was a bad idea, especially in the dark.

Within the next mile, I realized I had no idea where I was – aside from inside the city limits of Seattle. I could see the downtown skyline and other important landmarks. While I wasn’t completely lost from all civilization, I realized there was no way I would be landing back at my starting point without adding somewhat significant mileage to my original plan. There was also now way I’d be turning around, which, you know, would have made too much sense. So I carried on from there.

That normally would be an OK thing, except I had no water or refueling snacks with me. I had my iPod, keys to my apartment, and three whole dollars. I realized that money could be used to take a bus back to near my home base, but there was no way I would know what bus to take. I don’t know a thing about the routes in that neighborhood, whichever one I was in at that moment. I was constantly staring at my Garmin watch to see how far I was going. My pace was all over the place. My heart rate was abnormal.

But I ran on, guiding myself back toward the downtown skyline and further away from the much closer University of Washington campus where I was located at this point. I tried to convince myself this was a good accident, especially considering I feel at least one short run behind schedule in planning for the upcoming Rock ’n’ Roll Half Marathon in New Orleans.

I passed my six-mile point. Then seven. Then eight. I was nearing my neighborhood by this time, but I hadn’t had any water or electrolytes to refuel my body. I still felt OK, though I knew that wouldn’t translate well later in the evening. My legs, inevitably, would cramp from lack of hydration.

It’s not like I was going to be completely left to the wolves. I did have three bucks, should I really need to barter for a bottle of water.

I got back to my apartment after wandering around new-to-me parts of the city having clocked right at nine miles. It was almost like I’d planned it, except I hadn’t at all.

Getting the extra mileage into my total was a good thing, but I learned my lesson. Not having a solid route planned on other days when I wasn’t so hydrated – I had taken in five large glasses of water throughout the day leading up to this run – would have ended much more terribly.

Having a plan allows me to know my pace, know where I’m going, stay hydrated, and perhaps most important, know the quickest path home.

Reed Dunn is senior recruitment marketing manager at Alere Wellbeing. He discovered a passion for running, completed his first half marathon in December 2011 in Las Vegas, and now is working toward new running goals.