Time Warp Math and Curly Q's

Several times a week (usually 5) I take a 3.5 mile jog that I try to accomplish within 60 minutes. So far, I've managed to finish the 3.5 miles within 60 minutes--today it took 59:54! I enjoy finishing in the last possible seconds. Fun.

Here are two problems I experience in the course of this exercise:

1) My run consists of running 1.75 miles then turning around and running back on the exact same course. No deviations. When I return and get to my exact beginning spot (the edge of my driveway) I have NOT YET REACHED 3.5 MILES! It's usually around 3.25 miles or maybe 3.30. That's about a quarter of mile less than it should be. WAAAAAAAAAAT??? How can this math be correct? Doesn't 1.75 plus 1.75 equal 3.5? I add those two numbers together every day trying to understand how it's further to run back home than it is to run 1.75 miles away. Any ideas? I don't understand this fuzzy math/physics problem.

2) I use my iPhone to calculate the statistics of my run using Nike+ and my Nike Fuelband. The iPhone goes into my left pocket while I run. Occasionally, I take the phone out to use it in some way. When I take the phone out of my pocket, the cord is all twisted and curls back on itself (that's how twisted it is). WAAAAAAAAAAT??? It's physically impossible for the phone to twirl around in my pocket and twist the cord. And on the other end... the cord is clipped to my shirt to keep the cord from pulling which makes it impossible for the cord to twist on that end. Ugh. It's maddening. How does the cord get twisted up??? It's not from repeatedly taking the phone out of my pocket and putting back in - that would make twisting possible if I put in a different way each time. This twisting phenomenon occurs the very first time I take the phone out of my pocket. It's a serious problem.