EVERY runner?

1. No

2. No

3. No

0.6/10

Keepingitsimpleforstoopid wrote:

Whether you’re elite or hobby jogger - all 3 of the following have happened on a run at one point:

1. dangerous animal encounter

2. getting lost

3. taking a $h*t in “[place]XXX”

If dogs count, yes on all three. At times, #3 was almost a daily occurrence.

All three have sort of happened to me:

1). Yes, aggressive dogs

2). Yes, but only when traveling. I know my own area and running routes very well.

3). Yes, but not outside (I’m not the mad pooper after all). If I need to go while on a run, I’ll change my route in order to get to a gas station, grocery store, etc.

The only dangerous animal encounter I experience is encountering a cyclist on the bike lane.

To be fair though, I was running on local highways through a mountain/park reservation. The only lane for pedestrians would be bike lanes as long as there are no sidewalks available. I caused a mountain cyclist to ride straight through a highway where a car was going 40 mph. I appeared on the exit path of a downward slope from the mountain that opens up to the highway/bike lane, and he almost collided into a 40mph suv because he didn’t want to crash into me.

?

I stopped running on bike lanes so that I don’t jeopardize cyclists.

Deer and dogs are my major concerning.

I have had a couple of encounters with dogs, but I was able to

control the situation in the end. The attacks weren't super aggressive.

Deer are a different situation. I was aggressively chased by a doe, and it was not pretty. I

think her fawns were near, and she was in protective mode. I really fear running natural trails

that are way out from the city There are more reports in illinois of seeing coyotes, bears, and pumas like never

before.

Yes - Aggressive snake, dogs, boars and potentially a tiger once but I m probably wrong on the last one ( only heard a strong roar

Yes - Got lost in Jakarta once. Very scary, no water and nobody knew where my hotel was and no English speakers...

Yes - I deposited countless poops in Central Park. Probably north of 500, but in well hidden places (generally north of the 102nd traverse).

I once ran around a bush and startled a mother bear and her cub-coming ~5 feet away from them. Thankfully they were right next to each other and backed off, I'd hate to think what would've happened if I had come between them. I also came across a guy JOing-can't decide which was more dangerous.

Took the wrong loop and had to turn a 17 mile long into a 23 miler.

I've done it all over. One time I did it right on the train tracks.

1. Yep - dangerous dogs (esp in the country where people don't see a need for fences for them), water mocassins, rattlesnakes, bears. Coyotes, though they seem friendly. One let me pet him once.

2. haha ya, every time I go someplace new more or less. Easy 6 turned into 20 once.

3. yep. Hope no one is around and find some leaves.

And?

SDSU Aztec wrote:

Keepingitsimpleforstoopid wrote:

Whether you’re elite or hobby jogger - all 3 of the following have happened on a run at one point:

1. dangerous animal encounter

2. getting lost

3. taking a $h*t in “[place]XXX”

If dogs count, yes on all three. At times, #3 was almost a daily occurrence.

If humans count, then yes on all three. Better not to mention #3.

1. dangerous animal encounter

- A handful of chases/bites from people's poorly-behaved off-leash dogs on trail runs. None of these encounters have ultimately been dangerous, just annoying af.

- Being trailed by feral dogs in Puerto Rico for about seven miles of a 12 mile run really freaked me out for a while. It became apparent that these particular dogs weren't aggressive or dangerous and were kinda just hanging out with me and hoping for a snack at the end. For context, they were two mangy little chihuahuas and every morning after that they'd emerge out of the brush and accompany me for several miles. By the end of the week we were buddies, and having two little feral dogs be on my support crew made me feel safer when we'd encounter other random feral dogs, which happened a lot.

- Stepped in a yellow jacket nest while running off-trail; chased and stung by them for a solid 400m... only 4-5 stings, but that could have turned into a really bad day. Bee stuff is scary.

- I have encountered many black bears on runs and hikes. Probably over 100 encounters at this point -- with cubs and without. It never fails to get my attention and jack up my heart-rate, but generally the bear encounters have been less scary than encounters with people's aggressive off-leash dogs. Bears just run away.

- I've seen a fair number of moose while hiking, but only one while actually "running". Moose scare me a lot more than bears. They don't run away. They just give you a hard stare that says, "I can curb-stomp you", and then keep munching leaves until they're ready to casually walk away.

- A couple of run-ins with coyotes. Nothing ever happens, but they freak me out a little. A pair hidden in the woods started howling once right as I ran by. At close range, that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand right up! Hearing them howl in the dark on early morning runs is always startling.

- Almost stepped on a rattlesnake sunning itself in the middle of a hot trail. Felt like a frozen-in-time matrix moment as I tried to rearrange the landing of my foot. I've encountered them a few times while hiking as well. It is unnerving to actually hear them rattle at you.

- I've flushed plenty of grouse on snowy winter trail runs, and it always shoots my heartrate right up. Also once got dive-bombed by a ptarmigan on a mountain run.

- I once ran into a muskrat on a trail around a pond. It was so cute, and I felt bad for scaring him. His eyes looked shining and fearful. I stupidly approached it being like, "Hey buddy! It's okay!" And his eyes switched from fearful to determined, and then they hardened like black diamonds and this f*cker CHARGED me like it was his last stand. I ripped a bloodcurdling scream and he was so surprised that we both turned around and sprinted in opposite directions. "Runner used SCREAM! It's super effective!"

- SKUNKS JESUS CHRIST. Once, on an early morning summer run (~4am, still dark), I was jogging on the road and my headlamp shines on a skunk. NO! I turned around because not much scares me more than the prospect of smelling like a skunk for two months. I ran back in the other direction and ANOTHER skunk starts crossing the road super close, and it's doing that hard-eyed determined foot-stampy "this is my last stand!" thing. OMG. I am literally trapped between two skunks within a 100-foot stretch of road. I ran back toward the farther away skunk and then that one starts doing the gonna-spray-ya wind-up, and I basically played a terrible game of monkey in the middle between these two stamping skunks, and all three of us were terrified and just didn't want to be there. Eventually one of the skunks scooted off the road and I escaped unscathed.

- I'm surprised no one has mentioned Canada Geese. I have had three memorably terrifying runs that involved Canada Geese during the breeding season. Ruthless, neck-bobbing monsters.

- Humans are definitely the most dangerous on an exposure basis. Mostly the stupid drivers. A dude who was clearly on drugs once aggressively grabbed me while I was running by a bus stop early in the morning in a city, but my momentum sort of carried me away before he really could get a good grip.

2. getting lost

I take wrong turns on mountain trails all the time, but I've been lucky never to have it end in a bad place. Worst case scenarios end with me running a few more miles than planned. It always makes me uneasy though -- bad stuff can happen fast when you're alone out there.

3. taking a $h*t in “[place]XXX”

Many woods poops.

Keepingitsimpleforstoopid wrote:

Whether you’re elite or hobby jogger - all 3 of the following have happened on a run at one point:

1. dangerous animal encounter

2. getting lost

3. taking a $h*t in “[place]XXX”

1. kind of depends on where you live. Where I live now I would never run into a dangerous animal unless you'd count a coyote or snake(I wouldn't as these never bother you unless you're a moron)or stray dog, I guess you could. Near where I grew up I ran into a bear and mountain lions so those I'd definitely count.

2. elite yes, hobby jogger unlikely

3. obviously, always pack you teepee.

All three:

Being chased by a couple of German Shepards on a dirt road in Vermont while running with John Parker (author of Once A Runner.)

Lost in the woods while exploring the trails of the Palisades north of the George Washington bridge, on a chilly blustery day, began to panic because I was close to getting hypothermia.

I've taken a dump in NYC's Central Park, and another time in the woods near a trail in the middle of a long run with friends---and wiped my butt with poison Sumac leaves. Horrible rash EVERYWHERE "down there" for about two weeks.

1. yes

2. yes

3. no

I alway take a $h*t before going out for a run. if you have to take a $h*t during your run...then you lack the foresight to prepare ahead of time or you have astonishingly low bowel control.

Absolutely.

1) mainly with dogs. Have ran across a few snakes. Including a 6’ rattle snake. That also turned into my turn around out and back lol.

2) most times I try a new route in an area I’m

Not familiar.

3) I’ve taken so many poops outdoors I’ve lost track. I’ve even planned on bringing toilet paper cuz I knew I would be stranded out in the middle of no where with the nearest bathroom about an hour or so running time away from me.

I’ve called My wife to drive to me during my long run to bring me toilet paper cuz I was on a dirt road 7 miles from civilization. Still had another 7 back home.

Do dogs qualify for #1? Then yes.

As for #2, I have been a runner for 30+ years and I have never once been lost.

#3 happens weekly. Corn fields are the best, but make sure to use the smooth side of corn leaves.

1. Never

2. Never

3. Nearly every run. Usually took 1-2 k to get warmed up for it. Usually carried TP so I could duck into some wooded area and do my business. Of course I liked running at night.

Keepingitsimpleforstoopid wrote:

Whether you’re elite or hobby jogger - all 3 of the following have happened on a run at one point:

1. dangerous animal encounter

2. getting lost

3. taking a $h*t in “[place]XXX”

1. Yes. Lots of aggressive dogs on dirt roads in Vermont. Fortunately no bites to date.

2. Yes. Occasionally a wrong turn on a trail or just poor signage. Only got lost once in a city.

3. Yes. In a park with few trees to hide behind. Otherwise off the side of many country roads and trails.

Live in Maine so;

1. Yes, moose, dogs, and 1 black bear

2. Of course. 45 min run turns into hour and a half.

3. Every run longer than an hour.