A week before I graduated from college, the seniors voted on class superlatives. My award? No, not “Best Looking” or “Most Likely to Succeed.” Instead, I was voted “Class Klutz.” Having this dubious honor, combined with bad eyesight and being left-handed (notorious klutzes), has made for a tricky, sometimes painfully dangerous running existence.
This got me thinking of some of the predicaments I have gotten into while running over the years:
There was the fire hydrant I ran into, which did more damage to my ego than it did to my knee. You see, I did this the first time I ever ran with a running club. What an interesting way to get to know new people. Oh, it was physically painful, but embarrassing too.
Next, there was the street sign I clipped toward the end of a long run as I trained for my first Broad Street Run. No stitches were required, but it left a nice gash on my shoulder.
Third, one icy morning, I decided to use the treadmill. A logical and smart idea, right? Well, where we were living at the time, the treadmill was in another building in our apartment complex, so I had to walk outside to get there. [This is the part where I slip on the ice and land horizontally on my back, cracking a rib and giving myself a foggy head]. I never even got to start that run.
Recently, I almost stepped on a snake (literally). At first, I thought it was a stick; however, the stick started moving. I jumped high, VERY high. I screamed loud, VERY loud. I am sure the snake was harmless, but I wasn’t sticking around to find out: Instant Fartlek.
I have been stung by a bee, which was nice enough to fly into my mouth at the furthest point “out” on an out and back run.
Let’s not forget the many dog chases and the many near misses with cars (I’m sure most of us have had those). My biggest near miss while running was a tree falling within 15 meters of me. Close call.
There are all kinds of predicaments we can get ourselves into after we lace up our sneakers and head out the door.
What kind of hazardous situations have you gotten into while running?
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