my addiction, the first step is recognizing you have a problem…

I took about 3 weeks off from running after my knee injury and have been able to VERY GRADUALLY build back up again.  I’m not where I was when I got hurt but doing pretty well putting in 15-20 miles a week.  I realized something during my time off from running.  I am so addicted!  Is that possible?  During that time off I would go on walks with the girls on the trail and runners would pass us.  When that happened, here was my thought pattern:

FIRST-  “Puh, he/she’s not very fast, I could totally beat him/her!” (COMPETITIVE)

SECOND - “Who am I kidding, I can’t even run more than a mile right now without pain?!” (HONEST)

THIRD - “I am so jealous they get to run, I just want to be running!!” (ADDICTED)

I actually read about running addictions in a running injury prevention book and from what I remember I am not dangerously addicted if I stop when I am hurt.  Addicted runners will go out for a run come hell or high water and will sacrifice their safety and health to do it.  I don’t do that, but I think about it some times.  Truthfully though, I only run after sunrise and on well used (usually populated) trails, plus I take a break if I am think I need to for health reasons.  What do you think?  Am I addicted?  I think I have this under control, I think I’m simply enthralled with running.  The “runner’s high” is so real and totally addicting in that you want it again and again!  I love the feeling I get as I power up a hill and then get to fly back down it, I love seeing nature’s beauty all around me in dawn’s early light.  It’s empowering to know that I can travel long distances on foot, call it self-reliance? :)  And you can’t deny how great you feel mentally and physically from a good workout. 

Well anyway… you know what does scare me a lot when I am out running early in the morning?  ANIMALS!!  Yikes.  I’ve seen OODLES of coyotes, 2 deer, and a handful of sleeping bums.  I even had a crazy bird fly around my head squawking for a 100 yards.

Problem with this urban wildlife is that they aren’t scared of me!  I choose this coyote picture because that’s what they do, sit in the middle of my trail and stare at me as I am running towards them!  Freaks me out.  People tell me all the time that coyotes are cowards, doesn’t stop me from slowing, pulling out my mace, and waiting for them to move.  The deer were actually the scariest encounter I had this summer because I was coming out of an under pass and BAM they were right in front of me, about 20-30 feet I’d guess.  I stopped, immediately backed up a bit and waved my arms in the air… in an effort to intimidate them??  They were both much bigger than me and wanted to go past me the way I came.  They seemed to consider trampling me because they sat there staring FOR-EVER!!  But they ended up turning around and bounding up the hill to the right.  A couple early mornings I left my keys out instead of tucking them in my bag so they’d jingle in hopes the wildlife would hear me coming and stay away.  Oh and the bums don’t scare me, they are too tired (asleep, literally), slow and lazy to be able to do anything to me.  What do you think?  Know any anti-animal encounter tricks? 

I guess the safest thing for me to do would be to get a running partner… but those don’t grow on trees!  I tried running with one of my young women last weekend.  Bless her heart, she told me she could run the 1st half of my run with me, but she only made it a mile before she had to walk.  So disappointing.  What’s your addiction? Coke, video games, ice cream?  C’mon spill!  Is there such a thing as a healthy addiction?

On the bright side, I did get to see a pelican (I think that’s what is was) gracefully land in the creek next to me this summer.  That was awesome.