The combination of a sweat-logged iPod and two Ironmans in the next two months has left me doing some really long runs entertained by only my own thoughts. Sometimes running without music can be a really good thing. It gives me a chance to think about my running form, focus on my pace, and even enjoy the sounds of nature/traffic/my own stomping and man-breath.
But recently I’ve found my mind wavering just a bit. And some unnatural fears have been creeping in…
My first crazy fear is snakes. Occasionally when I’m riding or running I will see a snake. Usually it’s had a run-in with a car and poses no danger to me. But I have seen some live ones. I’ve also seen True Grit, and I know what snakes can do. And without John Wayne or Jeff Bridges nearby, who knows what could happen to me?! My mongoose brethren would not approve of my fear of snakes.
My second crazy fear is cows. Or actually bulls. Last weekend I was running past a herd of cows. A calf took one look at me and started running away, triggering a stampede! At first I thought this was a sign of my power. Yes! I cause animals to run in fear! Except one cow – or actually a bull – he gave me a long look that instantly had me questioning the strength of the fence between us. I was about to scale a small sapling in search of safety when the bull turned away and joined his herd. Thank goodness!
I had barely breathed a sigh of post-stampede relief when I found myself face-to-face with three very mean looking dogs. I’m fairly certain they were a pack of Muttations transported straight from the Hunger Games, though they may have been a pack of Welsh Corgis, which I find equally terrifying.
Attack of the torsos - so scary!!!
I usually run with keys or a water bottle that can double as weapons, but for this run I was completely empty handed. As I slowly backed away from the dogs while taking full advantage of my vast four-letter word vocabulary, a truck came by. The friendly couple had passed earlier, seen me, seen the dogs, and had decided to return and collect my mangled corpse. Surprised to find me alive, the Good Samaritans distracted the mutts while I high tailed it back toward my car. That was a close one!
Despite my animal apprehensions, I still manage to get myself out the door, day after day – likely a sign of extreme mental illness. But I did just use a Target giftcard to purchase a brand new iPod Shuffle! It may seem counter-intuitive that running with music makes me less afraid, but ignorance is bliss, and I’m fairly certain most of my worries reside only in my head.
One person I know who is never afraid is my friend Drew. He’s actually racing the Norseman Xtreme Triathlon – touted as the “World’s Toughest Ironman” – this weekend! Drew will be swimming in a 55 degree fjord, riding over crazy Norwegian mountain passes, and then running a marathon – UPHILL. I admire Drew and his courage and wish him the best of luck. The race starts at 5am Saturday August 6th Norway time – which translates to 11pm Friday night here in ATL. Be sure to follow the action (and take a look at the always exciting pictures) on Drew’s Twitter feed. Go Drew!
Hopefully Drew got a new bike for Norseman...
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