Running and Laughing through the Golden State
Running and Laughing through the Golden State
When the pandemic started, I posted Exercisers You’ll See During Social Distancing. Now that fall is finally here; it’s time for the type of runners you’ll see when out and about this fall. It’s different in 2020 due to the lack of major marathons, but that doesn’t mean you won’t see fall exercisers out and about (hopefully social distancing).
Luckily for the US, exercise is permitted right now. With most everything shut down, exercise and outdoor activity seems like one thing we can control. YAY, as long as your safe and stay 6 feet apart, exercise is great for both the body and mind. (This is a running blog after all, so you don’t have to tell me that twice).
I don’t want to waste your precious black Friday shopping so I’ll keep a short post for today. I do all my shopping online so I’m probably still on the internet.
If you know me then you know I’m afraid of birds. Though there are many birds that I can tolerate, there are three that scare the pants off me.
Turkeys
Geese
Seagulls on VA Beach when tourists drop food
I’m afraid of Turkeys for a multitude of reasons but I guess I will start with my college period in Upstate NY. One of my closest friends was doing a lot of cycling. He was training and would go on 100+ mile rides on the weekends through the Adirondacks. The North Country of Upstate NY is a different world (even more so though normal Upstate, NY and it’s a different planet then NYC). There are no big cities and towns only have a couple thousand people. So there he was riding 100 miles (and probably only saw 20 cars the entire journey along “main” roads).
He had stopped to get food and drink in a small town. He was leaned up against a fence when all of a sudden a wild upstate turkey comes charging at him gobbling. Not a little baby chicken, but a turkey. He panicked and got on his bike and tried to ride away but the turkey was chasing him!
As he was trying to leave a few cars were stopped and watching him. He was in the middle of the road and no one would help! Then finally he was able to gain enough momentum to get out of the turkey’s sights. He said the Turkey left him alone because it found something or someone else to follow but he didn’t look back.
Long story short Turkeys attack (or at least in Upstate, NY).
I was once driving through Upstate to an even more north town then Potsdam and two turkeys flew across the road at windshield level. They were only about a foot from my car and if they had hit me, they would have shattered the windshield…or dented my hood.
Turkeys are scary creatures and I have no issues eating them for Thanksgiving.
Next time I’ll tell you about my hatred towards Geese perhaps but I don’t think there are holidays dedicated to Geese. Enjoy Black Friday shopping.
Questions for you:
1. How was your Thanksgiving? Are you Black Friday Shopping?
2. Least favorite animal?
You would think with all my socially awkwardness I would have more running humor stories to share with you. First and foremost, I am the worlds biggest drama queen when I run. I won’t run in rain, hail, sleet…snow, if I’m chilly. A bug bite? Must be a running related injury…so yes I’m a pansy but that is my running style. I do have lots of real life embarrassing stories though…
Moving on: My most embarrassing running moment comes from my first year of running actually…when I did go for a run in the rain. It was warmer fall day and the rain and it was sprinkling off and on…nothing too terrible (that year we got snow on Halloween). I had decided I would rather run in that then the treadmill with creepy meat heads watching me so that is what I did.
I put on my shoes like a normal run and went out running (imagine that?). I was wearing my first ever pair of Nike spandex (which I still have) and some sort of other white running singlet. (First, what I was thinking, I don’t know).
So with that I headed over to the opposite university about 2 miles away for some trail running…you can probably see where this is going. It wasn’t particularly raining at the time, just off/on sprinkles.
Mile 1. Just over to the other college.
Mile 2. Beefed it on a branch within a second of hitting the trails. Mud on my face. Mud on my shirt. Mud on my butt…cute. Mud on my shoes (ruined…just kidding).
Do I continue running through the trails or go back home and shower before class? (Which I notoriously always was the last person to walk into class). Yeah I kept running…
Mile 3-5 were just in the trails still being muddy but there was no one back there thank goodness.
Mile 6. Honk honk honk. Hey mud monster go back to the cove!
In my mind: Gee thanks..it’s 11am are you drunk…mud monster…really?
Mile 7: Honk honk honk. Dammm girl, I like a girl that can get muddy.
Me hollering back: And I like men that get arrested for sharing those thoughts with minors (no I was 20 at the time but can still pass for 17…it’s great).
After a quick shower (pretty sure I still smelled) I went to class. It wouldn’t be an upper level math course filled with more socially awkward people without someone saying, Hollie was that you covered in mud 15 minutes ago…
Questions for you: Most embarrassing workout story?
Last week I posted some gym favorites that I have in my two gyms. This week I’ll continue the trend. Please don’t post a comment that you hope you aren’t one of these people. Unless you come to my gym I can guarantee you aren’t. We all have strange quirks and this isn’t meant for anyone to get their panties in a bunch.
Moving on, first to some fun facts I learned this week while mindlessly watching the TV on the treadmill.
Pretty boring week if you ask me.
People I saw in the gym this week:
Chatty McPhee Clone: This girl was screaming on the treadmill on her phone while I was trying to elliptical to Cake Boss. I could physically here her over the volume in my headphones and I’m pretty sure I’m partially deaf. At least she left early.
Muscle Quenching Meat Heads: I chose an elliptical near the water fountain (for no reason I just did). These two bro’s came and got water, made eye contact and left 9 times in an hour (I counted). Does weight lifting require that much water and making eye contact with me? I wasn’t even wearing booty spanx (because I don’t at the gym).
What What in the Butt of the week: Let’s be honest here, we could have a different person each week. This week’s winner I could see bottom booty crack. What an erm…glorious sight the entire time…not.
Dayumm Bitches Love Me…man: Stared at himself at the mirror the entire time he was on the elliptical. Keep in mind there are 5 machines between him in the mirror and of course I was the one next to him so it felt like he was staring at me.
They see me smelling…they hating: Yes because you smell like cologne and I wanted to vomit.
Potsdam Undergrad: Someone that went to my undergraduate school when I did. I think we will become good friends and I have nothing snarky to say I just thought it was worth noting people do exist from there. She is at graduate school now.
Tanning Flashlight: I think I could get a tan just by using the machine next to her. I understand planet fitness has tanning beds, but I think you are supposed to work out at the gym more than actually use them. **I don’t use tanning beds at all…never will and never have.
Question for you: Any life lessons from the gym this week? Any noticeable characters?