Forums >General Running>Things that make you swear when you run
ultramarathon/triathlete
1. Having to stop to tie my shoe.
If I made a list of the things I've successfully trained myself to do to make life easier, double knotting before EVERY run (training or race) would probably be the only thing on the list. :-)
HTFU? Why not!
USATF Coach
Empire Tri Club CoachGatorade Endurance Team
flashlight and sidewalk
I don't know if it has been said already but...
People who leave their cars parked across the sidewalk.
**Ask me about streaking**
I just squeezed in a run, after school, before parent-teacher conferences.
I was chased by a German Shepherd. I've run by this house a dozen times this year, maybe more, when I run from work.
There are four dogs at a particular farm house, with an invisible fence set up.
Three stopped. The batteries in this one's collar were apparently dead. It charged me twice, and despite me being rage-screaming at it, got uncomfortably close. Never had a dog get that close to me, and seriously thought I would finally, actually get attacked.
Next time, I'm running that route with my bear spray.
"When a person trains once, nothing happens. When a person forces himself to do a thing a hundred or a thousand times, then he certainly has developed in more ways than physical. Is it raining? That doesn't matter. Am I tired? That doesn't matter, either. Then willpower will be no problem." Emil Zatopek
Mendeldave, Good tip! I did double knot my shoelaces before my first half-marathon but found early on that I'd tied them so tightly that my feet hurt throughout the race.
So I guess I need to learn to double knot before every run, but not overzealously. A delicate balance!
Current PRs: Half-marathon: 2:04:46 (Nov. 2013) /10k: 55:01 (Oct. 2013)/ 5K: 25:40 (Dec. 2013)
Upcoming races: 5k Jan. 25, 2013
Half marathon Feb. 23, 2014
Live Free & Run
Most of my runs take place in darker hours so keeping that in mind:
5) Landing in a deep puddle that soaks my shoe(s)
4) Hitting my foot on a piece of hard snow/ice
3) Loose dogs
2) Forgetting to start my watch
and the number one thing that makes me swear so much I put sailors to shame.....
1) Cars driving too damn f*cking close!
PRs
1-Mile - 6:18 on 4-4-2015
5K - 21:48 on 10-31-2015
10K - 47:57 on 10-24-2015
HM - 1:52:36 on 3-25-2017
FULL - 4:41:12 on 1-11-2015
Upcoming Races
Tanger Outlet 5K
Disney World 19.3 Challenge
Race the Runways 10K
There are a number of loose dogs on my half-mile stretch of road, so I generally drive to another location to run or I walk to the end of my road before starting to run (the dogs are less annoying and more manageable when I'm walking). Far more annoying are my neighbor's GOATS, who will follow me as far as I go when I'm walking, sometimes forcing me to turn back or knock on the neighbors' door because I don't want to have goats following me for miles. I used to be able to fool the goats into going back and then I'd run away before they caught on, but they've gotten smarter lately. Once a long time ago I had a dog follow me and I just couldn't shake him. Everyone driving on the road was giving ME dirty looks because he decided to just hang out in the middle of the rural highway he'd followed me onto, forcing cars to stop while he sniffed their hoods. I had no great way to convey, "This is not my dog!" Finally, I had to hold him by the collar and walk him a couple miles back to my office where I called the (very apologetic) owner to come get him.
There are a number of loose dogs on my half-mile stretch of road, so I generally drive to another location to run or I walk to the end of my road before starting to run (the dogs are less annoying and more manageable when I'm walking). Far more annoying are my neighbor's GOATS, who will follow me as far as I go when I'm walking, sometimes forcing me to turn back or knock on the neighbors' door because I don't want to have goats following me for miles. I used to be able to fool the goats into going back and then I'd run away before they caught on, but they've gotten smarter lately.
Once a long time ago I had a dog follow me and I just couldn't shake him. Everyone driving on the road was giving ME dirty looks because he decided to just hang out in the middle of the rural highway he'd followed me onto, forcing cars to stop while he sniffed their hoods. I had no great way to convey, "This is not my dog!" Finally, I had to hold him by the collar and walk him a couple miles back to my office where I called the (very apologetic) owner to come get him.
This makes me chuckle. I'm a early morning runner I leave around 4am most mornings, for two years or so one of the neighbor's dogs is waiting for me on my porch to go running with me almost every morning. I tried taking her home, I called the owners and told them what the dog was doing at 4am in the morning but still the dog is waiting on my porch. I even started putting the dog on a chain till I got back from running but the dog started to wait till I was a half mile down the road or so before she would show herself. After awhile I decided I had a new running partner, I trained her to run beside me when called and to get off the road when a car passed. She has turned into a great training partner and has even helped training my dog. After the run is over she lets me pet her a few times and off she goes for home.
The dogs owners are older and retired, I don't think they have any idea about their dogs secret life.
This makes me chuckle. I'm a early morning runner I leave around 4am most mornings, for two years or so one of the neighbor's dogs is waiting for me on my porch to go running with me almost every morning. I tried taking her home, I called the owners and told them what the dog was doing at 4am in the morning but still the dog is waiting on my porch. I even started putting the dog on a chain till I got back from running but the dog started to wait till I was a half mile down the road or so before she would show herself. After awhile I decided I had a new running partner, I trained her to run beside me when called and to get off the road when a car passed. She has turned into a great training partner and has even helped training my dog. After the run is over she lets me pet her a few times and off she goes for home. The dogs owners are older and retired, I don't think they have any idea about their dogs secret life.
I love this! I also find the thought of being followed by goats rather appealing! I love goats.
But seriously... loose dogs and drivers who don't give you an inch, especially in the winter, have me swearing way too much some days... Finding a moose in the trail is a heartstopper, but not necessarily swear inducing (other than "Oh $hit!!").
Worms all over the road after it rains. Yesterday I was hopping around all over the place (not unlike Frogger) trying not to step on any!
Drivers who turn on their high beams when they see you. Why? Are they trying to be helpful by lighting up the road? Am I that hard to see? I'm wearing a reflective vest. Are you deliberately trying to blind me? Your car is a lot bigger than me so you win. Sigh.
Love the dog with a secret running life story! We had a bottle calf we raised and it lived in our yard in the country. we named her fat Sally. She would not stay with the cows when she was weaned. She used to follow me on my runs and jog behind me. It was cute except the fact she tossed gravel in my shoes the whole time.
Things that make me crazy: the insane oklahoma wind.
Mean dogs. Forgetting to turn ony garmin.
Getting monkey ass usually brings out the drunken sailor in me.
Oh roo roooo!
You need to check this out: http://www.antimonkeybutt.com/ It's for real, and we have some in our bathroom....
Ha ha, love the story of the dog with the secret life! Hmmm, maybe I should coach those goats.
People leaving their dogs unleashed, especially in places where leash is the law. It looks like just about everybody here has had a bad experience with Fido.
Automobiles exiting driveways or parking lots can usually be annoying. For example I could be running on the sidewalk then comes a car exiting a parking lot. It blocks my path on the sidewalk and the driver sees me coming. None the less even though I give the driver a suggestive hand signal to make a little room for me it rarely happens.
Running on a sidewalk that goes against traffic I try to stay away from. In that case you're lucky if a driver looks in the direction you're coming from, especially when taking a right on red or gabbing on the dreaded handheld cell phone. God do I hate those f-cking things.
It gets annoying too when you're running on a bike path and a few people ahead of you are blocking the whole path with their backs turned against you. Can't you just show a little courtesy or do you own the whole trail?