Running in Arky has been... interesting!!! I've seen a lot of these...
This snake in particular from farther away looked like a stick. I almost jumped over it... until I saw what it really was! FREAKED out!!!!
I also have gotten used to
This snake in particular from farther away looked like a stick. I almost jumped over it... until I saw what it really was! FREAKED out!!!!
I also have gotten used to
- lots of road kill
- the smell of burning trash (everyone burns their own trash)
- no side walks
- Big scary trucks zooming by me
- Sweating like I'm in Hades with the crazy humidity
- running in circles since there is nowhere to run!!!
- People looking at me crazy cause no one runs in Arkansas lol
- Talking to Angel on the phone through my head phones!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE that we can still "run" together hehehehe!
When I first moved here I thought I was going to have to buy one of these babies...
Then I realized there is no where for me to push that thing since there are no sidewalks! We were so blessed and the secretary for Chris's department GAVE us a treadmill! SERIOUS answer to prayers! I've put a lot of miles on it but I still prefer to run outside whenever Chris is home!
I found a 6 mile route that I could do everyday... I run up past the elementary school which leads down a long road to a dinky little airport!
I then run back home and down what I nicknamed "dog street." It got it's name real quick since there were ALWAYS dogs out on it. I've never been an animal person and I am definitely cautious around dogs. I was chased by a dog on almost every run so I was just starting to get used to them! I told myself that "they are just going to run with me a little ways and then they will go back... they aren't going to hurt me!" WRONG!!!!!
One Saturday I was running down dog street and as I passed a house, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a big black dog full speed running at me... before I could even react, the dog was attacking me. He bit me right on my unfortunate love handle. Thank heavens the dog's owner was outside and must have pulled him off (although I don't recall this) because it could have been sooo much worse. I was actually talking to Angel on my headphones when it happened. I was just screaming "I just got bit by a dog!!!!!" The teenage owner just stood there in shock... I was so shocked I just ran off. I literally sprinted the whole way home in tears. When I got home I told Chris what happened and he called the police. Animal control picked up the dog and kept it for 10 days. They checked it for everything and thank heavens it was up to date on all it's shots. I guess the owners did feel bad and they said they were, "outside teaching the dog to stay in the yard..." EPIC FAIL at my expense!!!!!! It really has been one of the most traumatizing moments of my life. I am now 100 times MORE afraid of dogs. Even little tiny ones will make me scream like a little girl. I got a "dog dazer," which puts out a high pitched noise that hurts dogs ears and I run with it in my hand. I no longer go down dog street for good reasons and probably never will! I do drive down it though and call animal control every time there is a dog out. I'm sure animal control hates me!!! Lately I started getting a little more laxed... I wasn't taking my dog dazer, etc. A couple days ago I had another stand off with a dog on a main road... it was a stray dog and it was probably 8 feet away from me just growling at me.... I just stood there and was screaming at the top of my lungs, "GO AWAY" over and over. I was terrified and bawling... finally a lady saw me and started honking her horn and scared it away... sheesh... it was just horrible. I will no longer be running without my dog dazer and I keep my finger on the button my entire run. I have a permanent scar from dog street... I guess I can call it my battle wound!
Moral of the story: Arkansas is NOT made for runners.... but I will not let fear stop me from being who I want to be and I will keep running... with the dog dazer of course!
.JPG)
