A couple of months into my training schedule and i'm getting most aware of what to be afraid of. At the top of my list is DOGS!
I run first thing in the morning as its quiet, little traffic, fresh air and is the easiest time for me to fit in. What i'm noticing more and more are the dog owners that just open their door and let their pooch out in the morning for a dump and harass any unlucky passers by...often me. Great big German Shepherd the other day come bounding up to me..thankfully it lost interest after I went past. Maybe my quick 'Oh CRAP!' and diversion helped. This morning I had a Rottweiller go for me, thankfully its owner managed to reign it in before it anchored itself to my leg. The owner muttered ' well come on then' as I shat myself at the same time as checking traffic on the road i'd just had to jump into... like it was my fault..hmmm
Then two staffies bounded up on the way to the local school playing field for a dump, owner thought it was funny as I swore and made sharp deviation.
Ah well, i guess its what comes from running in suburbia. What other running hazards am I likely to come across? I can think of a few - dodge the dog turd is one. Morning van drivers taking advantage of the quiet roads to demonstrate their belief that they are Stirling Moss incarnate...arrgghh.
Still, I much prefer running early doors - great time of day!
Edit: just noticed the extra 's' at the end of 'Running' in the title - any way this can be edited
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Tourists taking pictures are my main hazard. My run home from work takes me past Harrods, and is always interrupted by snap-happy tourists - I have to wait for them to do it, or dodge behind them as I don't want to ruin their shot. Bring on the later evenings when it will be safe to run through Hyde Park and I can avoid Harrods altogether.
Also milling crowds at bus-stops. Drive me MAD!
you are good Litdog!! i just run through the picture! I hate it when people think they can stand their family one side of the pavement and the photographer stands the other end... and they EXPECT people to wait .... grrrrrrrr
Griffsters- I find you have to be more careful as a runner while using zebra crossings- apparently traffic doesnt have to stop for a runner using one of these....
Badgers. Only wanted to do a wee in a bush and do you think he would let me??? Frightened the life out of me.
Run past the same place quite often and it is now known as Badgers bush. LOL
Most dogs will show some interest in you, but won't actually touch you.
I've found that if you just ignore them they will either run alongside you for a short while or just lose interest immediately.
i was tripped up in the dark by a dog's lead the other morning.
the owner was oblivious as they walked down the other side of the path with the huge extended lead right across to the other side of the path where the dog was happily walking along. I didn't even notice the owner, thought I was just avoiding the dog.
Wilkie - Yeah, i'd agree. the GSD was just curious I think and once I showed no interest and had gone past it stayed where it was..the Rotty this morning on the other hand really wanted me for breakfast. Quite un-nerving!
Edit: tried the quote thing but didnt work
Two hazards that I often encounter.
After dark: cyclists in dark clothing, no lights or anything reflective, hurtling along a pitch-black towpath (where there's a large river alongside).
Anytime: dozy numpties meandering in a zigzag along a path, unable to go in a straight line because they're either zoned out with an iPod or twiddling with a mobile phone.
I nearly ran into a bollard in the middle of the pavement the other day during a fun run. It was near the beginning of the race so the field of runners was quite thick and I think others had the same surprise. There was probably some mention of it in the briefing.
Lol, I agree with the others about zebra crossings and bikes that seem to think they own the pavements.
Another hazard I find, especially in built up areas is smokers - nothing so horrid as running down a road where someone has just been smoking
In the countryside - and this has been really getting my goat lately is Quad bikes. They roar about ruining a nice peaceful run and curning up paths and tracks so they're all muddy and bog like, thus meaning that if you try to run on them you either end up shoeless, with a twisted knee or both. Or you have to pick your way around the worst of it and end up in brambly bushes that scratch you. AND they're so pointless, all they do is ride around in circles destroying the landscape and my run.
Sorry - rant over.
Cyclists for me. In the dark, on the pavement, no light. Oh, and they generally have a go at me, as if I was the one causing the near miss by getting in their way.
I like cycling, but pavements are for pedestrians, and cycling without lights at night is dangerous.
The dogwalkers for me - the ones who walk in pairs with at least 4 dogs each . . . .
Normally no dog poo as you get fined around here, but for some reason when it snowed all the dog owners stopped picking up there dog's leavings. So when the snow melted . . . .
Vomit on the pavements ealry in the morning in certain bits of the town centre, too - but thats prob my fault for running on new years day . . . .
One dog ( a collie) that I see quite regularly shepherds me . . . .
men just standing around on their own.....very sinister!
I run off road quite a lot, down canal banks, old railway lines etc. There are always loads of dog walkers/families out but occasionally there's just a man standing on his own in the track (not the same man, there are several of them on different routes). I never know wether to turn in opposite direction or just run straight past afterall, they're allowed to stand on their own if they want and i'm allowed to run where I want....does make me feel very vulnerable...not even like I could sprint away cos i'm usually too knackered!
Long dog leads are as bad as free running dogs.
Two women on horses in Sutton Park the other day just walked out in front of me without even looking, I almost ran into the horse. That was a first for me.
Kids running alongside me are fairly annoying, as are people shouting outside a pub run forrest run, etc etc
Finally, I saw dozens of Staffies the other day, all no doubt 'big softies' according to their owners, wouldn't hurt a fly, would lick a burglar rather than bite them etc etc. If you had a swimming pool, would you keep a shark in it?
One of the worst sights of summer is a chav walking down the street, football shirt off and in one hand, can of Stella in the other. Saw my first one of the year at the weekend. Lovely.
I have to watch out for loose dogs - apparently out here in the sticks people are quite happy to let their dogs wander around loose in their gardens without fences near the roads. Yes it's not a busy road but....
I always stop if a dog comes rushing out (otherwise i'd end up with a pack running with me!) and it annoys me when the owners say 'it's alright, he/she won't hurt' and i'm stood there thinking 'fine, but i've had to stop my run and lose my rhythm'. worst is when there is no owner in sight and the dog won't leave me alone.
and the other thing i have to watch out for is numpties who don't move over - i spend half my time diving into hedges to avoid them, and i'm wearing a flourescent yellow top so it's not like they can't see me! Especially annoying when there is no traffic coming the other way and they could easily move over a bit
I find the best way to deter dogs, playful ones that is, is to avoid eye contact and shout a very loud NO!!!. Generally the dog is so surprised they tend to stop following and stand with a look of astonishment. If the owners don't approve I tell them to p***** off, at least they do understand, where as the dog is just poorly trained.
I'm a dog owner and if this was applied to my dog in these circumstances I would not have any arguement with the runner/walker/biker.