Death in Running

joehempel
joehempel Posts: 1,543 Member
edited October 3 in Chit-Chat
I've been meaning to post this, but keep forgetting.

I seem to be doomed to cause a path of death and destruction when I run. Not every run, but every other month it seems.

Last month I'm running along with the stroller...hitting my stride, got my music playing through the speakers, feeling GREAT! All of a sudden I hear "squeak!!!" I stop and look back like "huh?"....I notice a baby squirrel was under a giant leaf that I ran over and I just killed it. Ugh.

Fast forward to last Monday. I'm on my last long run before I taper for the half-marathon, I'm running at an 8:55 pace, my best yet considering all the damn hills in the area. I'm into mile 4 and trudging up a hill and a BIRD flies under my shoe...WTF??? A BIRD...WITH WINGS!!!

I was pretty disturbed because A.) I had to adjust my step. and B.) I heard the CRUNCH of the bones. UGH!!!

What's next?? A Flying Albino Chameleon??
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Replies

  • brocantrs
    brocantrs Posts: 273 Member
    Weird!
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
    The squirrels are going completely nuts (pun intended) at the moment. I've lost count of the number of times I've nearly stepped on or tripped over one when out running. I think they're doing some mad last second food burying for winter.

    Birds usually have better reaction time, though. There are dozens that hop out form the hedgerow into the footpath I run down and perfectly time a last-second escape. There are wrens the seem to pop out only when I'm coming - maybe I disturb their favourite food stuff or something, Except the pigeons that aim for the face. They're evil like that.
  • groomchick
    groomchick Posts: 610 Member
    Everyone would be safer if you ran on a treadmill!!! :tongue:
  • Incunabulum
    Incunabulum Posts: 41 Member
    Don't look at what happened or will happen as tragedies. You may be helping to maintain decent squirrel and bird populations in your city. You're performing a public service! The city government should be sending you monthly stipends!
  • joehempel
    joehempel Posts: 1,543 Member
    Don't look at what happened or will happen as tragedies. You may be helping to maintain decent squirrel and bird populations in your city. You're performing a public service! The city government should be sending you monthly stipends!

    Great idea!!! I'll send them the bill! LOL
  • EmmaRankmore
    EmmaRankmore Posts: 125
    Your post gave me a much needed laugh - thankyou :)
  • gingerfoxxx
    gingerfoxxx Posts: 267 Member
    I myself have slaughtered countless frogs in my runs :( You have my sympathies.

    Maybe it's natures way of saying you're going to KILL IT in the race? ;)
  • Incunabulum
    Incunabulum Posts: 41 Member
    You may want to include an amount for damages due to mental and emotional trauma.
    Don't look at what happened or will happen as tragedies. You may be helping to maintain decent squirrel and bird populations in your city. You're performing a public service! The city government should be sending you monthly stipends!

    Great idea!!! I'll send them the bill! LOL
  • DeBlue
    DeBlue Posts: 254 Member
    What's next? A fish jumping out of a pond and hurling itself under your foot? Sorry about the sound effects - must be awfully disturbing!
  • joehempel
    joehempel Posts: 1,543 Member
    My first thought at squishing the bird was:

    "Again??? REALLY??"

    WOODLAND CREATURES BEWARE!!!!!

    :devil: :devil: :devil: :devil:
  • aaleigha1
    aaleigha1 Posts: 408 Member
    all I can say is good job you arent a strick Buddhist or a Jain
  • cariandy
    cariandy Posts: 175 Member
    Ewwwww!!! :wink: When I run, I have to AVOID the already 'dead' squirrels and birds since my dog thinks they would be fun to carry around!! He is not sly enough to catch one on his own!!! :laugh:
  • JeSuisPrest
    JeSuisPrest Posts: 2,005 Member
    Where did you live??? I'm afraid to cross paths with you!! LOL Wow, strange stuff.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!

    stepping on baby squirrels & kamakazi birds are GREAT excuses for not going for a run... better than the usual 'i was tired after work' ir 'its raining'... I'll be using one of those tonight for sure!!!
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    That's pretty nuts. I've almost stepped on a turtle & a couple chipmunks while trail running.
  • Scoobiesnax
    Scoobiesnax Posts: 148 Member
    I've killed a worm or two in my day...

    You'll need to let me know your race schedule so that I'm sure to avoid entering the same events !.
  • ludgerclay
    ludgerclay Posts: 95 Member
    I'm a small time killer. Mostly snails, the occasional worm like Scoob. I see a lot of road kills though (not my fault!)
  • jayb0ne
    jayb0ne Posts: 644 Member
    Yeah, something going on with birds at the minute.. I've driven into a few in the past month, usually they're out of the way in plenty of time...
  • atsteele
    atsteele Posts: 1,358 Member
    Joe the Terminator: "I'll be back." ;P
  • juliecat1
    juliecat1 Posts: 3,450 Member
    haha Thats weird! Survival of the fittest though I suppose. Get out of the road!
  • ilbcnuz
    ilbcnuz Posts: 48 Member
    One day, awhile back, I was jogging peacefully with the dogs, who started to lag behind. When they finally ruined my pace, I looked back and they were carrying a dead cat that had been run over previously by a car. They wouldn't drop it, so we finished the run, me in the lead, a bloodhound with the cats head in its mouth, and a short stubby basset hound with the tail in it's mouth. It created quite the uproar in the small town I live in.
  • Scoobiesnax
    Scoobiesnax Posts: 148 Member
    I'm a small time killer. Mostly snails, the occasional worm like Scoob. I see a lot of road kills though (not my fault!)

    I'm proud to say that not once have I ever squished or killed a snail.

    Mainly because I can never catch the quick little buggers...
  • bregalad5
    bregalad5 Posts: 3,965 Member
    Ha too funny. I haven't run into any critters... yet. The squirrels are all over the place, but thankfully not under my feet!
  • joehempel
    joehempel Posts: 1,543 Member
    One day, awhile back, I was jogging peacefully with the dogs, who started to lag behind. When they finally ruined my pace, I looked back and they were carrying a dead cat that had been run over previously by a car. They wouldn't drop it, so we finished the run, me in the lead, a bloodhound with the cats head in its mouth, and a short stubby basset hound with the tail in it's mouth. It created quite the uproar in the small town I live in.

    That's messed up LOL
  • jgic2009
    jgic2009 Posts: 531 Member
    I would probably cry if that happened to me.

    Luckily, the cute little animals have plenty of time to get out of my way since I don't run very fast!
  • MJKing2
    MJKing2 Posts: 177
    I'm stuck at work for a good part of the night so (while I don't encourage the harm of animals) THANK YOU for making me laugh! :laugh: The image of these two events are just to much. How exactly could this happen!? Ha!
  • La_Amazona
    La_Amazona Posts: 4,855 Member
    :laugh:
  • Icewolf_The
    Icewolf_The Posts: 308 Member
    Ugh Joe... yuk!!

    Okay only thing I've personally mack'd (I'm not counting the car...that's just too high of a death toll)... is when I was growing up riding my bike I ran over a snake... I can *still* feel the sick sqISH bump BUMP of both tires going over it and I turned and looked back and saw it 'wobblety' off into the grass with the gash across it's middle.

    And yeah, I stopped and ran back to see if I could find it and save it... Good thing I didn't, probably would have bit and killed me.. :ohwell:

    I guess I'll stick to running the treadmills and ellipticals... I don't think I could take ending a baby squirrel... *ugh*
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    Oh no, I don't even like squishing snails on the footpath, and luckily nothing else seems to get in my way.

    I thought you were going to be talking about how bad running is for you - my family are all worried about me because a man in his 30s had a heart attack and died at the finish line of the 12k race I did in August. It's a tragic thing to happen but it doesn't mean that will happen to everyone who runs (ie me!).
  • 42hockeymom
    42hockeymom Posts: 521 Member
    One day, awhile back, I was jogging peacefully with the dogs, who started to lag behind. When they finally ruined my pace, I looked back and they were carrying a dead cat that had been run over previously by a car. They wouldn't drop it, so we finished the run, me in the lead, a bloodhound with the cats head in its mouth, and a short stubby basset hound with the tail in it's mouth. It created quite the uproar in the small town I live in.

    This made me laugh so hard! Probably because I have two dogs and this would be something that they'd do. But they'd fight over who got to carry the cat! Heck, they "argure" about who gets to go up the stairs first in the morning. Oh the mental picture you've painted for me! :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: "You carried the head already, it's my turn! You carry the tail!" "No I found the cat I get to carry whatever part I want! Moooommmmm he won't share the dead cat"
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