The WORST things that happen while running.

First, I got really excited this morning when I realized that I only have 6 more weeks until I go to Thailand.   My body and soul are excited to finally have sunlight in my life for the first time since September.  I also can’t wait for the food.  Can’t wait.  

Today was an easy 8 miles on my treadmill at home and weights.  

While running I had a random memory:  

Once upon a time (about 10 years ago) when my sister lived in New Mexico I went down and visited her.  I forgot my headphones and I was way too cheap to go get a new pair so I did the next best thing…  I forced my sister to share her headphones with me for all of our runs while I was there.  Two girls + one pair of headphones + running around town = we got a lot of weird stares from people.  We had to run really close to each other to make it so that we could each have one earbud in our ear. Heaven forbid we went without music back then.   We were/are ridiculous.

After the workout I went on a cleaning and organizing frenzy and then Paige came and picked us up to go drive-thru Subway and eat it in the car because we are super classy like that.  It is just so much easier to eat when the kiddos are in the carseats:)  

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A little hello from the Brookers.

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And just FYI Brooke and I have both been loving Red Delicious apples with peanut butter lately.  Brooke holds onto her apples with an incredibly tight grip, these apples are her current favorite food right now.  

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Here on HRG we always talk about all of the really great things that happen during a run:  The endorphins, the stress relief, feeling stronger, the getting faster part, the good conversations with your running friends but today we are going the opposite direction.  Let’s talk about the things that can go wrong during a run.

This little clip inspired this discussion:

The video summed up a lot of the worst things that can happen during a run but here is my list.  All things that have happened to me before while running—>

1.  Chaffing.  I wore a pair of shorts the other day that completely chaffed the front side of my right leg.  My leg still hurts (please note that I
have the lowest pain tolerance in the history of the world.  For example- I wanted my doctor to give me a continual epidural starting when I was 5 months pregnant).

2.  Dropping your phone and/or iPod or any other really expensive thing while running.  I have only cracked a few iPhone screens by doing this.

3.  The runny nose.  My nose goes into shock and it ALWAYS runs when I am running.

4.  Having to use the restroom when you are really far from any.  

5.  SIDE STITCHES.  Cramping anywhere.  It kind of takes my breath away from me when it happens.

6.  Hitting the wall/your legs feeling like cement/feeling like laying in the gutter may be your best option.  Whenever this happens, I always remember this quote:

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7.  Getting lost.  I don’t even want to tell you how many times this has happened to me when I go running while traveling (I have decided I will only be running on a treadmill when I am in Thailand because I really don’t want to get lost when I am there).

8.  Getting a ginormous blister on your foot when you are still really far from home.

9.  Your treadmill stopping because it hit the time limit or the safety cord fell off and you have no idea how far you had gone.  You then have to start the treadmill again after your legs now know the feeling of how nice it is to stop.

10.  And the worst of all, falling on the ice and hitting your head really hard.  (1/13/2014)

Even after all of these things that can and do happen when running… We all still love it and are kind of addicted to it.

Tell me what some of the WORST things that have happened while running?  Or things that you are very worried about happening when you are out for a run?  

I love stories so please share them with us:)

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155 comments

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Amen to “eating is easier when the kiddos are in car seats.” My subway needs a drive thru!

Bad things while running…losing your car key and having to back track and try to find it. No fun.

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That happened to me on an 8 mile run. Never found the key. Now I have a spare in my car and the # for AAA programmed in my iPhone.

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Worst thing to ever happen to me on a run – a bloody nose. I never carry tissues when I run so when my nose started gushing I had to take my shirt off and use it as a ginormous tissue while attempting to still see and run home. Totally gross right?

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Got off a treadmill to change the TV station, forgot to pause the belt, stepped on it again thinking it had stopped, went bouncing like a ping pong ball, took skin off all over and still have the scars!

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OH NO!! That sounds absolutely awful!

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I did the same thing, only to adjust a fan. It was at least 9 mos ago and I too still have the scar!

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I saw this happen to a boy at the gym. Thank goodness he was okay and he hopped right up. I still giggle when I think about it.

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all of this funny

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That is my treadmill fear! I am extremely cautious because I do not want to go flying off that thing.

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I dropped my gloves in a port-a-potty once…not the floor, the hole where everything goes. It was also about 12 degrees out that day. Obviously, it also coincided with a time that I needed to immediately use a bathroom, but still had to run several miles. The whole experience was a rollercoaster of emotions.

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Oh Amanda, that sounds like the worst! Not your day…

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Flying off the back of the treadmill. Always a graceful and unmortifying experience…sigh.

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Oh just wandering into the West fields close to Utah Lake and getting lost. & 10 miles turned to 14. All who wander are not lost…. but sometimes they are :)

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Two terrible/humiliating things that have happened to me while running:

1. When I first started running as a freshman in high school, I was running around my neighborhood when a cocker spaniel came out of nowhere and rushed my shins . . . and knocked me down. I STILL get mocked for having been bowled over by a cocker spaniel.

2. Our school was running late arriving at an out of town track meet my sophomore year in high school. When we arrived, the meet was starting, AND they had reversed the order of events so my race (3200m) was being run first. No time to warm up or even go to the bathroom – I had to haul butt to the starting line as soon as we got there. After a 2-hour bus ride, I had to PEE. So I did . . . while I was running. But I got a PR in the race so I didn’t care too much. ;)

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I was running one summer afternoon when I felt a strange thing hit me in the face. I couldn’t figure out what it was so I kept going and when I got home I felt a really bad pinch in my chest. When I went to see what it was a dead bee fell out. Turns out a bee ran into me and somehow made its way down my sports bra where it hung out for about 30 minutes without me knowing. Needless to say it freaked me out a little, especially because it was my first time getting stung by a bee :/

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Having gas while running on the treadmill at the gym….I mean when the person next to you has gas…I mean…did I just say that? I’m so embarrassed… ;-)

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That’s the worst!! I’m so used to being outside and freely gassing away that when I’m inside Ita like hmm… is it too quiet??

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The no close bathroom issue has been one of my worst experiences! My worst was probably the time I was out on my usual route and a HUGE dog came up and actually ran into me. His head hit the side of my leg just right, and apparently my muscles tensed up. I tried to run it off for a few minutes, but it was really painful. I ended up with a massive bruise on quad for a good week, and wasn’t able to run for a few days. The dog was friendly and wasn’t attacking me, and his owners were out on the trail and actually good friends of mine. To this day, they don’t even have a clue what happened!

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I saw so many weird things/people when I lived in New Mexico, I’m sure no one thought you were the craziest thing they saw that day! Now I’m craving Subway..

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Having to use the bathroom and not being able to make it in time-horrifying! This happened last Spring right across the street from a park restroom! Luckily it was very early and I didn’t have an audience unless someone happened to be peeking out their home windows – ugh! Friends and strangers come up to me quite often to say they have seen me out running. I pray the day never comes when one of those people say they seen me on that Spring day! This will always be my biggest worry/fear while out running and that is the reason I rarely stray from my usual route consisting of enough bathrooms to prevent an accident ever again!

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The bathroom thing is by far the worst if you run into serious GI issues…I was 8 miles from my car and barely held myself together. I had a sore tummy for 2 days afterward from trying so hard to hold back :( learned my lesson about trying new fuel on a route with no bathroom options…

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I’ve heard of people having stomach problems and going liquid poo in the middle of the race (luckily, the worst things I’ve been through are just chafing, blisters, and hitting the wall).

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I went running in a new neighborhood which means I had no idea where I was going and my phone died which means I had no way of knowing how to get back to my apartment. Obviously I survived, but it was a close one.

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A few weeks ago I stopped for a potty break on a run at the outlet mall bathrooms (convenient right?) and pulled too hard on my glove and flung it right into the toilet. Thankfully the mall had just opened so no one had used the restroom yet, but I had to run 5 miles back home with a soaking wet glove while it snowed. Obviously worse things have happened…but it was a pretty rough start to my day!

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Nothing bad on a run so far, just wondering where you get those adorable headbands that Brook wears!

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Worst thing that has happened to me is getting bitten by a dog! I still remember the dog’s name – Tinker. Thank goodness he had his rabies shots!

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I think bathroom issues are the WORST while running. In the summer I headed out for a 10 mile run and I wasn’t feeling 100% but thought it was just in my mind. Turns out it was the stomach flu and that run definitely didn’t end well!

It’s a good thing that the GOOD things that happen when running outweigh the BAD things by a million to one :)

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I’ve given up subway now that I know they have an ingredient in their bread that is also used in yoga mats and soles of sneakers. Absolutely horrible now I need a new “healthy” fast food place. So much for eating fresh :(

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They’re removing it, thank goodness!
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/02/05/subway-fast-food-chemicals-in-food/5236537/

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Running into something because you’re thinking or looking around. I’ve run into a tree before. I felt like an idiot.

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My husband did a Tough Mudder race. When he came home he said the only thing that was sore were his nipples. He didn’t know he was supposed to lube up or use band aids. Lesson learned.

I curse myself when I hit stop instead of pause on the treadmill.

Most embarrassing thing that happens all the time, underwear that doesn’t stay in place. And then picking it in front of the security camera. I forget those things are there.

We have been eating a lot of Braeburn apples with peanut butter.

I can’t imagine sharing headphones. Some people just crank their music up on their phones and share with everyone. So thoughtful!

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There are a LOT of bad drivers in my neighbourhood and I can’t even tell you how many times I have almost been hit by cars who don’t look for pedestrians/runners. I have never been hit yet (luckily) but its probably only a matter of time lol.

PS. I ran once in Thailand and its SOOOO humid there that you’ll want to die. Definitely stick to the treadmill if there is a/c.

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true story. I used to live in Singapore (visiting Thailand often), it took me months to get used to walking outside. Running (though I did it) was an exercise in how efficiently you could direct dripping sweat away from your eyes! Have fun! and be safe too

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OMG – I hit the stop button way too often by accident. It is awful and frustrating. Beyond. And you know what else I hate? When I feel my pants slipping so I tug them up and then mess up where my underwear are and I just become a mess trying to fix all my layers all while trying to run.

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Chicago Marathon. Ran injured. Left IT band started to ache at MILE 2. Right one joined in on the fun at mile 7. Completely shut off by mile 12. First bloody nose ever at mile 18. Great running weather though! :)

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I have gotten a random bloody nose at two of my marathons! Glad I’m not the only one but also sorry you had one too…

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Um… I was on the treadmill at the gym and wanted to make it to an even number of miles even though I REALLY had to go to the bathroom (and not pee). Well, I didn’t make it. I did an Uta Pippig in my shorts and had to get off and run to the locker room while holding the back of my shorts. Sorry! But it happened. And it was AWFUL!

I LOVE this quote and will repeat it over and over from mile 20 (when I usually start to incur serious pain) to the finish line of the Boston Marathon.

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And by “this quote” I mean the Jillian Michaels quote.

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Having to go the bathroom, treadmill stopping, cramping, etc totally agree with all of those! In addition to the “traffic dance” like in the video I’ve almost been hit by cars multiple times (their fault, not mine I swear!). Twice by people driving too fast around a turn and jumping up on the curb and a number of times by people turning right at an intersection and not looking for pedestrians (so scary!) I also totally echo the falling! I thought falling while I was running would end after leaving Provo and moving to San Diego but it turns out I’m just clumsy and trip on curbs sometimes. It always seems to happen when you are the farthest away from your house and have no choice but to keep going!

It really is a good thing that running is too awesome to not go :)

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I tripped on concrete a few summers ago a few days before starting a new college program. I got a huge road rash on my chin, scraped up my knees, and scraped a huge chunk of skin off the 5th met head on my left hand. I washed myself off in random sprinklers and ran home. Thankfully a friend was with me, and she didn’t laugh. My husband, however…

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Oh gosh. The worst thing that has happened to me while running was a couple years ago during on of the Fitness Friday runs my high school held every friday. I am really really bad with direction and the run was through a trail with a bunch of different little trails running off of it so I usually forced myself to run behind someone so I wouldn’t get lost. Well one day I go ambitious and tired of running slower than I knew I could just so I wouldn’t get lost so I decided to just run ahead of everybody. Well of course I got lost.. and I realized this after about an hour because I knew it should of taken me only about 2o minutes. I had no clue how to get back so I planned on calling my mom but I didn’t have any reception so I just turned around until I got reception, called my mom, she came and picked me up and brought me back just in time for 2nd period. The worst part about the whole thing was I was sure I was going to beat my PR but my teacher gave me a zero because he just thought I walked the whole thing!? Not cool.

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I got pooped on by a bird while running once. That bird must have had good aim to get me while I was moving! ;)

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One of my biggest fears is having an accident while on a run or racing. I know it’s happened to people before and I just don’t want to be one of those people!! Gross! And I swear I ALWAYS have to use the bathroom when it’s lease convenient.

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Worst thing by far was getting hit by a car making a left turn while I was running across an intersection. It was three days before a marathon so I got up off the road and just kept thinking, “this didn’t happen. I am fine.” I didn’t got to the doctor until the next day. I was black and blue but I did run the marathon. It wasn’t pretty and hurt like crazy but I kept telling myself I wasn’t going to stop unless I literally fell down and couldn’t move any longer. It was slow but I finished.

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Wow, that is hard core!

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One of my worst running moments happened during my final 20-mile before tapering for a marathon. Complete torrential downpour with limited visibility and several inches of heavy mud stuck to my feet in 38-degree weather…beginning at mile 10 of an out-and-back trail. :-O I’m very much a “look at the bright side” kind of person, and actually welcome the rain most days…just not when I’m TEN miles from my car in the cold, and certainly not during a 20-miler. I survived though! :-)

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I actually blogged about this very thing a few months ago. If you have time you should read it. It was a hit.
http://www.meganljam.blogspot.com/2013/06/my-very-own-poop-story.html?m=1

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Megan. I have never laughed so hard while reading something. That is the most well written poop story I have ever read. I probably enjoyed so much because it happens to the best of us!!!

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Having to run is the worst! But I’ve never done this –> Came across this video a few weeks ago! http://laughingsquid.com/runner-repeatedly-poops-on-mans-yard-in-new-mexico/

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Yikes! I meant to say having to use the restroom on a run, not having to run! Haha, that’s the best not the worst!

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Imagine if on our run in St. George I would have only given you one lens of my sunglasses… Selfless award goes to me ;) I’m excited to hear all about Thailand!!!

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I’ve definitely had some tumbles on runs before, but the worst was probably when I was chased down and bitten on the butt by a dog! The owners had it unleashed as they were playing with it on their front lawn as I ran by. The teeth didn’t break through my running shorts all the way luckily, but I was bruised pretty badly and it was painful! I’m a huge dog lover, but now I’m always weary of them when I run past! (I’ve been chased two times since then as well, but they didn’t catch me/gave up interest)

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During the first half marathon I ever ran, I had set one goal for myself: to run the entire time. At about mile 8, I started feeling like I needed to use the bathroom. Me being stubborn, decided that meeting my goal was more important. 5.1 miles later, I crossed the finish line in a crowd of people, and was in sheer terror looking for a bathroom. I pushed through 29340 people, ran into the middle of a busy intersection where a cop was directing traffic and demanded to know where the nearest bathroom was. That poor man must have been horrified. He directed me to a hotel across the street- I ran inside and busted into the restroom where I finally got some relief. I then had to text my fiance to pick up my dry bag for me so I could change.

I will NEVER again not stop if I start to feel like that during a race- some goals just aren’t worth it! haha

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The worst thing on a run …. hmm. Maybe running a route with only one downhill at the very beginning?

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In college I had the *bright* idea to go running while wearing my glasses instead of contacts (I’m as blind as a bat and glasses make life barely tolerable). Them jumping around on my nose didn’t help me see the sidewalk littered with pine cones. My foot landed right on top of a pine cone, I fell, rolled, and was on crutches for a few weeks. The bad part was when people asked how I got hurt. I wanted to tell them a story about saving a small child from being run over or stopping an armed robber… But, instead, I had to tell them I stepped on a pine cone. Totally embarrassing. Lesson learned though, I’ve never again attempted to run without wearing my contacts. :)

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When I originally cnmeeotmd I seem to have clicked on the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and from now on every time a comment is added I recieve four emails with the same comment. Perhaps there is a means you are able to remove me from that service? Thanks!

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I was running on a trail when I tripped over a rock and scraped up my leg. I was so embarrassed and had to run back to my car with blood running down my leg. Eww.

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The worst thing that happened to me while running was during a 1/2 two years ago- at mile 5 I realized I was done. Not just with the race, but with running in general. It felt good to admit it…. until I realized I had eight more miles to finish. Two years later I’m getting the urge to get back out there, so I guess it was both a bad and good thing.

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I really can’t even decide which is worse: chaffing really bad or needing a bathroom and being really far away. I guess the bathroom is probably the worst because the consequences of not finding a solution are just embarrassingly awful whereas chaffing is just plain awful. Ugh, hate both!

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definitely horrible chaffing or blisters that happen halfway through and you have to keep going! And 6 inches of snow the night before a race… that was an awful experience.

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Stomach cramps while running are the worse for me. On two occasions that stick in my memory: I can remember PRAYING that the door was unlocked to the public building closest to me. This wasn’t a guarantee since I run around a college campus & it was on a wkend. Thankfully, my prayers were answered!

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Ummm…five days ago while running with the long distance kids on the track and field team of the middle school I work for. About one minute in I tripped on my too long pants and fell, cracking the screen on my coworkers phone and scraping up my knee and arm. Fortunately, only one student witnessed my utter gracelessness. I couldn’t even go back and get cleaned up because I had to watch and time the kids! Oh, and then two kids went off route to find a shortcut back, leaving me doubling back looking for them…while trying not to bleed all over the place.

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I fell off a treadmill twice as a freshman in college, and I was extremely shy and didn’t know anyone and the treadmills were in the front of all the other equipment so everyone was just staring at me. I was mortified. I’ve locked my keys in the car at the beginning of a run and didn’t have my phone with me… let’s see, I’m sure there are others I just can’t think of them. I’m kind of the opposite of coordinated so I know there’s more!

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Stomach problems are definitely the WORST while running! I got chafing pretty bad when I did the Marine Corps Marathon and had some scars from my sports bra for weeks afterward. My feet always get really sore on the bottom during long runs. However, I continue to do long runs and races and won’t let these problems stop me.

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Cracked phones from running are the worst. I cracked mine last week after tripping over my puppy on a run. I am so mad at myself because I almost always have a otter box on it but thought I was responsible enough now to have a thinner case :) guess not. Really I’m just glad no one got injured but getting the phone fixed is a pain.

Apples and pb have been my fave snack lately too :)

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The worst thing that happened to me was in the Fall of 2012 when I was trying to encourage my then 8 year old daughter to start running. We ran a 2 mile route and as we hit the 1 mile mark and turned around my right foot stepped in a hole and twisted my ankle and fell to the ground. I was sprawled out on the ground trying not to cry in pain and not to call any more attention to myself, as we were in front of her best friend’s house and I was halfway in the street. I tried to act normal and manage to limp/run the mile home, deeply embarrassed and in pain. Even now I still get twinges in that ankle. Luckily we can laugh about it now and we are running a 5k together (that I am organizing!!!!) in May.

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The time I decorated my treadmill for Christmas because I so wanted to feel the joy of the season while running….instead I dropped sweat on the Christmas lights and they sparked and almost caught my shirt on fire then they shorted out and when I went to unplug the lights and treadmill I got shocked and almost thrown across the floor. It nearly eloctrocuted me. http://upandhumming.com/2013/12/that-time-my-treadmill-almost-killed-me/ It was by far the stupidest thing I have ever done. Next year, I’m using LED lights for sure!

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Omg the guy in the video is exactly how I am when passing another running. What is the right moment to say hi!?!
But basically everything on the list also applies.

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I don’t even know where to begin my comment.

Brooke dresses better then I do. For you I think it counts if she wears real people clothes and you don’t. You could get away with sweat pants and leggings forever.

The worst things that have happened to me running. 1. Getting hit by a biker. 2. Seeing a mama bear and it’s babies in Upstate. 3. Doing an out and back 18 miler and 9 miles out it starts hailing and snowing. We got 3 inches of snow in my time running back.

I haven’t had a lot of rest room emergencies but I have really only run in rural places and can hide behind a tree.

Also red delicious is where it’s at. Always.

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Ugh I hate when I stop the treadmill and then have to find the motivation to start it again! Or having to go to the bathroom in the middle of your run with no bathrooms nearby at all. That SUCKS.

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I had my first horrible fall this past new years eve. I went out for a lovely 5 mile morning run, and was completely snipered by a rude sidewalk crack as I was enjoying a fast downhill stretch. Toe kicked crack, body plunged forward, head whacked ground. Broken brain, black eye, cheek/chin scrapes, bloody hands, hips, & knees… A car saw and stopped, helped me call for help, I cried (after I woke up), and then I went to bed at 8pm that night (new years eve). Silver lining: 2014 could only go up from there (and it has!)

Also, I love your blog. And your daughter. Cheers to family, big salads, and eating fro yo while watching the Bachelor!

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I actually just got back from my run and I ran into a flipping coyote! I came around a corner on the path and the big ol’ guy was standing smack in the middle of the trail. Not one of my favorite encounters!

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I haven’t experience too many horrific runs, luckily. The only things that comes to mind is that I trained for my first half-marathon wearing FiveFinger shoes and one day as I stepped up onto a curb, the sidewalk caught my pinky toe (only!) and I almost caked it. I saved myself from falling, the shoe protected my toe enough that it didn’t break, and I was mad enough that the next mile seemed to fly by. So I guess it was a win, right?

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I am really embarrassed to be writing this but I trust you as a friend Janae. Last summer I was on my run and I had to POOP. Bad. I was about a half mile from home but there was no way I could make it – when you gotta go you gotta go now. So I went in the field and squatted behind the only tree and… I think you can figure out the rest;)

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Ok, this is only loosely related to this post. But I have a question(it’s one of my “worst things while running”) and maybe you could even do a post on this sometime if you haven’t already. I am getting a cold, each day it gets a little worse. Would you run if you knew (without a doubt!) you had a cold coming on? Complicating things for me is that I have asthma, and literally EVERY time I get a cold it settles in my lungs and turns into an upper respiratory infection and even turned into pneumonia once. I can feel this cold getting into my lungs right now…but I hate missing a workout! How do you handle running while sick? And if you know anyone with advice for asthmatic runners, I would be willing to pay to hear it! I am so tired of asthma getting in the way of running!

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I have definitely gotten lost running – several long runs have turned into very long runs.

The worst is probably getting blisters when you’re far away from your house/car. There’s nothing to do but keep going and hope that your sock isn’t all bloody when you are done.

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Oh my gosh, I .Cannot. Wait. to read about your adventures in Thailand, I am going to be living vicariously through you!

Hahaha I am laughing out loud just thinking about you and your sister running in tandem via headphones, I frankly am super impressed you were able to do that!

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Oh the interaction part of the video is so true! There’s always that awkward dance to see if you’re both going to acknowledge each other

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Being charged by a brown (grizzly) bear while trail running back home in Alaska. Less than ideal.

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What?!?!? Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!

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Hahaha, the funny thing is I don’t get ‘warm up’ itchiness, I get ‘cool-down’ itchiness. So weird!

I hate hate hate getting huge blisters on my big toe when I’m super far from home. This happened to me this past Sunday.

The worst thing that happened to me was that I saw a coyote when I was running alone in the trail here in Nova Scotia. FYI: Coyotes here are super crazy as in they bite and attack people. :S I managed to sneak off to the main road and run home like heck!

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Today I didn’t dress warm enough for my run, and my thighs were BEET red when I got home. They are still tingling, and I finished almost 2 hrs ago :( also, my watch broke so I had no clue how far I had run and totally overdid it since it was too cold to walk home. Rough run :(

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You have a drive thru subway!? I find that really cool!

Anyways…the worst thing that happened to me while running was probably getting lost. My husband eventually came and found me but it was not fun!

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The worst thing has happened to me not once, but twice! I’ve gotten two major blood blisters in the same spot during long races. One last June and Feb. 1 during my half marathon. Ugh they suck!

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Brooke is so stylish!!

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I have chafing so bad from my long run that it keeps bleeding! It is SO much more painful than I ever expect when it happens.

Also, my nose runs constantly. Every run. So I have to do the snot rocket routine. Except on today’s run, all my run clothes were freshly washed (thanks parents) and they smelled so good and I hated the idea of wiping my nose on them! It was terrible. Ok not really but it was a little sad.

After reading some of the other comments I’m really thankful that I don’t encounter bears coyotes or other wildlife in NYC!

http://nyviewsnikeshoes.com

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Cramping is the worst!! Not the small ind- the under the rib knife-like pain that just stops me in my tracks. I don’t have the endurance you do, but when I travel running outside is my favorite! I went to Costa Rica last year and ran on a along side a volcano. Super cool.
PS: If you haven’t read Born to Run you totally should! A quote I found some solace in and thought you might like:

“There’s something so universal about that sensation, the way running unites our two most primal impulses: fear and pleasure. We run when we’re scared, we run when we’re ecstatic, we run away from our problems and run around for a good time.”

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I would say the worst thing that ever happened was either getting a giant blister or this past summer when I was chased by a dog and I ran faster then I ever have before.
My biggest fear is being attacked. I do a lot of night running by myself and I saw a story once about a young mother who went out for a run and never came home. It was pretty scary.

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I fell off the TM once, peed my pants because it was cold out and I had to fart, but pee came out instead (TMI?), and pooped in a wooded area (not even the true woods), because it was either there or my pants…..

and chafing pretty much every long run.

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Worst things? There are just too many–most of them already mentioned. There’s the time I tripped over the sidewalk, skinning my knees and breaking my phone and then had to run 3 miles back home with blood running down my legs. Ouch! The time I headed out for a six mile run outdoors only to discover the elastic in my waistband was shot and I had to hold my pants up with one hand the entire run. But the worst thing has to be the time I got flashed by a pervert. He pulled up to a stop sign as I ran by and somehow found the strength and flexibility to position himself so that I could see him in all his glory. I didn’t go running outside again for a long time after that. Just too disturbing.

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Apple + PB + maple syrup = SO GOOD. I had that today. I think I could bathe in maple syrup though. Markings of a true Canadian!! haha

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Bathroom issues are the worst, my runs are always planned around bathrooms! Creepers are a close second, I had a guy follow me around in a van, I was close to home, and you better believe I was sprinting!

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I came across this article today and found it inspiring…
Lets all try to do this…and then have Yogurtland every day as a reward!
http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/24/health/irpt-26-marathons/

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Love apples with peanut butter! YUM!!

The worst thing that has ever happened while running happened two years ago. It was a very windy spring day and I had a long day at work and I really didn’t feel like running, but as one who doesn’t like to stray from a training plan, I went anyway. I decided to try a new route to make it interesting and offer a little motivation. About halfway into my run, out of nowhere, this dog charges up behind me (in town!!!) and bites me in my left butt cheek! OUCH! It ripped a hole through my shorts and I was sore for days. Needless to say, I am now overly cautious when it comes to dogs. I will go out of my way to avoid them!

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The runny nose is my major problem. It happens every time I run and it is so annoying!

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Probably the worst thing for me is the time I thought my new running jacket was basically waterproof and i wore a sleeveless shirt underneath so I didnt get too hot. The weather said like 40 degrees, light rain and hardly any wind. Instead I got out about two miles and it was COLD heavy rain with gusty winds and my jacket got completely drenched and pasted to my bare arms underneath. And then after another mile I started having bathroom-need issues and had to walk every few minutes so I didnt poo my pants. It was the first time i was ever really cold and wet for the whole run and it was so miserable!

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Can you blow up Brooke’s clothes and send them to me? She out dresses me.

My friend and I determined the worst are hunger and the poops. I live in the middle of nowhere and love point to point runs down the highway. Halfway to my parents from my home (7 mi) I had to poop bad enough that I could no longer run. So after crossing a barbed wire fence and wading through a pasture, praying for no animals or cars, there was literally one bush for two miles. I used it.

Worst race experience required a two post recap on my blog. Dead watch, 40 min in port a potty line, war with a pacing group on a 6 foot wide path surrounded by prairie grass, debilitating cramps…. Basically awesomeness.

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That video just made my day. The chafing one where he’s holding his shirt with his teeth is awesome. :)

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That is so funny imagining you and your sister running while sharing headphones! One time I was at the gym and the girl on the treadmill next to me slipped and fell and SHOT off the back of the treadmill. It was the most terrifying thing ever! She was totally fine though, haha.

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These comments are HILARIOUS! I have never fallen off a treadmill…yet!! GI issues, always fun. CHAFING is my worst. Before long runs and races I put so much vaseline on I’m glistening from miles away. I used to think short shorts were cute…not anymore. That’s one plus of winter running…tights!

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That video is awesome! So true! I would have to say chafing is probably the worst thing for me.

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This list is MY LIFE! Seriously, NOTHING is more frustrating than when the treadmill stops you.

Also I love the visual in my mind of you and your sister running side by side sharing headphones. Too funny!

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The worst was running while pregnant and tripping over a curb. I really banged up me knee, had to stop at a bathroom to clean up my leg so my husband wouldn’t have a fit when he saw me. I cleaned myself up and went to meet my husband and son at the playground. Still felt great, went on the swings with my son about 15 mins after everything happened, started feeling woozy and was pretty sure I was going to faint. I have normally very low blood pressure and anytime I lose a fair amount of blood I tend to faint. I woke up staring at the skies being dragged to the car and my son crying because he wanted to stay on the playground. We raced the 1km to the hospital (I was fine by this time) and had to stay 3 hours until the dr came and they were satisfied I was ok. The funniest was the poor student nurse who took my pressure after it was back to “normal” (about 90/55ish) and he turned as white as his coat when he whispered it to the RN. That was why I wasn’t allowed to leave until the dr came. Good times! 2 days later was back at it with my heart rate monitor strapped on.

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The worst experience was when I was 7 months pregnant.. And had to pee so bad.. So I found what I thought was a secluded place.. And just as I was pulling up my shorts a police officer came around the corner and busted me.. He began writing me a ticket .. I begged him and pulled the I work in local hospital in the ER.. He then proceeded to lecture me about the dangers of running while 7 months pregnant.. Although I disagree, it was not worth angering this guy, so I just agreed and appoligized. He gave me a warning.. I finished my run feeling a little humiliated.. Ok a lot humiliated .. But quite frankly I would do it again.. But be a bit more careful.. With not a bathroom insight ..hard to control the bladder being that far along!

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I was running a half marathon with 7 miles beforehand to make it a 20 miler (my last long marathon training run)….well about 2 miles into the half (9 miles into the start of my running) I felt this burning on my thigh….Looked down and saw my capris had ripped along the seam and an entire chunk of my thigh was chafed so raw it was bleeding. I guess it was rubbing against the seam of the other side. I sucked it up and finished the race and hobbled back to my car where I luckily had a cooler with an ice pack keeping my chocolate milk cold. I grabbed that ice pack and applied it to the wound. I still have a scar there almost a year later. I also had a stomach issue in Wyoming last september running a half where I literally had to walk at times and “clench” my butt cheeks. And then there was a half that I ran in the pouring rain. I will never forget the bubbles that came out of my sneakers that day. It was fun though.

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Worst thing = surgery + purple cast up to my armpit for about 8 more weeks!! And bathroom emergencies really suck too.

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On one run I tripped and did a full on roll. I scraped myself up, but managed to finish the run. It took some convincing though.

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Love this post and I have 2 words: face plant. I have tripped and fallen and have witnessed friends tripping and falling on the road and the trail. Not only is it painful but also super embarrassing!

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If you think of the #1 ULTIMATE worst thing that could happen on a run….it might have happened to me….just once….during a race….

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On long runs…it’s always the bathroom thing:S

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Many stories come to mind. Many. Lots of getting lost. My last time getting lost while running i just kept getting myself more and more lost with every turn i took. It was SO frustrating. It ended up near the airport, somehow on the other side of the river then i had thought i was on, on a road with very few people (non of whom spoke english) but tons of cars, crying a lot. It’s really funny now, not so much at the time.
The other story that came to mind was the time i went for a run in the middle of summer, in South Texas (so crazy hot/sunny) and had a Vega gel (like a GU but all natural, and in my opinion way more sticky) in the pocket on the back of my tank top. And then said gel exploded in the pocket on the back of my tank top. And all over my back. What followed turned into a really long story, some funny, some awful, but all extremely sticky and uncomfortable.
Also, probably about ten years ago as well, my then roommate and i would share ear buds as we walked home (several miles) almost everyday. yep, lost of weird looks. We would sometimes sing too, so i’m sure that didn’t help…

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Haha, I always get lost, even when I’m home- I cannot tell you how many times map my run saved me from disappearing. Also, I HATE when the cord on the treadmill detaches and you don’t know how far/long you’ve been running!

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9. Your treadmill stopping because it hit the time limit or the safety cord fell off and you have no idea how far you had gone. You then have to start the treadmill again after your legs now know the feeling of how nice it is to stop.

OH MY GOD! I know this feeling! Last week when I ran on the treadmill at the Y, I hit the 30 minute time limit :( Yesterday, when I was running on the treadmill at Rapid, I hit the emergency stop with my fist by accident….TWICE. That stuff sucks SO bad!

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Getting grabbed/groped by a gang of “kids” while on a run in Philadelphia. I didn’t tolerate it very well and ran after them and caught the smallest, slowest one …and threatened to tell their moms. As lame as that sounds, it seemed to work!

#9 is the pits.

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I actually did puke on a run, not just a run but a race and my second marathon. I felt great miles 1-16 and then I felt horrible. Finally Mile 21st-ish I broke down and puked. But I felt much much better and continued and finished strong!

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Just wanted to let you know that when I was running tonight and I wanted to stop SO bad, I thought, “I’m not puking, fainting, or dying, so I gotta keep going” and I went an extra 4 miles! You (and Jillian) are seriously an inspiration! I just signed up for my first ironman and I can say that I get so much motivation from reading your blog every day. Thank you!

Also, I’m Erin McAdam’s friend that you gave a shout out to on Instagram the other day. Totes made my day.

You are great. Thanks for being just who you are!

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Oh man…cracking up about you & your sis running together with one set of earbuds! My cousin & I ran a half marathon together and passed two ladies doing that. We decided we love each other – but not THAT much!! To run 13.1 miles that close to someone else! haha

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I always get a cold as soon as I start running! I’ve had to go into an art gallery in London to use the loo, and I know someone that has had to do a number 2 under a bridge on a run, then shuffle home. Luckily that was not me but I’ve had some near misses!!

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Worst thing to happen whilst running…

Chaffing. Absolutely Chaffing.

Second to that, needing the loo halfway round a run. Running a 400m PB to get to the nearest pub / bathroom

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The worst thing that ever happened to me while running: getting stung by a wasp. I was on mile 15 of an 18 miler, just minding my own business, and suddenly I had a searing pain along my jaw line. I was so startled by the sudden pain (and the pain itself) that I started screaming and a nice lady who was biking on the same path I was on came over to help me. Had to call my husband to come pick me up because I was terrified of getting stung again. No fun.

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Having to use the bathroom ASAP when there are none around is the worst feeling in the world! This has happened more than once unfortunately :/

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You and your sister crack me up.

I think the worst thing that’s happened to me running was when Mike, Bungee, and I got horribly lost in the woods on a trail run and the sun was going down. I was on the brink of freaking out when we finally found our way back.

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When my knee starts to hurt! It’s always a sign to me to lessen my mileage and do more cross training. But it’s still a bummer (I’m going through this now)

Also, when my iPod dies. It gives me rhythm while I run, and if it just poops out I swear I start running like Phoebe Buffet.

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Things I worry about happening on a run:

1. Pooping myself. I would absolutely die if this happened to me. Eeeewww!
2. Getting hit by a car. I have had several close calls, but I’ve managed to dodge them so far.
3. Getting lost. My son (who was 12 at the time) and I got lost while hiking on a very secluded trail through some mountains in Oklahoma. It was 120 degrees, we had a limited water supply, no food, no cell phone service, and there were herds of wild buffalo and longhorn cattle on portions of the trail. We were scared out of our minds and thought for sure we would be “those people” you hear about on the news who go on a hike and never come back. What’s really scary is that it would have taken awhile for anyone to even know we were missing, because my husband was deployed in Iraq and we had no family or friends in the area to notice our absence. We ended up hiking over 12 miles that day–but the trail was only 8 miles, so we obviously got on the wrong track at some point. I have never been so scared in my entire life. Lesson learned!

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Haha, I can’t imagine sharing headphone earbuds with anyone while running, you guys must really really run well together!

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My one and only marathon I ever ran my biggest fear was getting lost, even though I was reassured that that is impossible. Uh yeah. Guess who got lost during a freaking MARATHON?! I don’t know if I was too busy trying to not die or what, but I saw a bicycle cop who asked me if I was running. Then he told me I had gotten off course by a little over a mile. So what do I do? Burst into tears.

Another fear common for runners that I experienced: having to GO. Like, immediately. When I was training for the horrendous marathon mentioned above I had to do all my training weekday runs in the morning before work. Well I had asked a forum of runners how I could avoid the uncomfortable feeling of having to go as soon as I got home after a run, often times feeling like I wouldn’t even make it to my door. Many people mentioned drinking a strong cup of coffee in the morning and doing some stretching or jumping rope to “loosen things up” and take of it pre-run. I did that, but to my amazement I didn’t feel like anything was coming, I felt like I’d be fine for hours. Halfway through the run on a trail that ran along some houses it CAME. I had to literally hustle into some bushes right there, in plain view of at least four houses. My only hope is that since it was so early in the morning no one was up to see me. Thank GOD no one else came running up the trail behind me!

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This wasn’t a running story…but I was riding my bike to a spin class super early in the morning and it was dark/rainy/miserable. I noticed that my shoe was untied, so I was looking at it, debating whether or not to stop and tie it and BAM I ran right into a big trash can. It hurt pretty bad but I felt like such a beast all day knowing that I was THAT dedicated to spin class.

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I tripped on a big rock while running on 10/21/13 and was finally released to begin running again yesterday. . . : ( I feel like I am starting from scratch.

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your list… #9… YES!

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My worst run was when I was 8 miles from my house and I got my “monthly friend”. When that happens I get really had cramps to the point where I can’t move and just lie down. I laid in some poor unsuspecting person’s yard for a half an hour before I started back home.

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I think all of these have happened to me….yesterday i fell and wailed my knee on ice and it STILL is hurting..yeowwwww…….and it is bright red around the cut. Gross.

these stories really cracked me up! thanks for the headphones laughs!

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I did a 10k corn maze once and there were no restrooms along the course. Around mile 2, I really had to go but the corn was say, very sparse, throughout the course and I had to wait until the end – the fiance was super confused when I kept running past the finish line and disappeared. I still remember that as the most uncomfortable run EVER.

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1. Totally wiped out on ice while running crossing a street and a car was coming. They stopped to see if I was ok… I was ok physically, just slightly embarrassed.
2. I was doing a speed workout in really hot, humid weather one morning and I stopped for 30 seconds to catch my breath. I guess I was really exhausted and just let all my muscles relax, and then I peed my pants a little. I ran home so fast after that!

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Any type of awful pain or fall.

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Love that list! I always get a runny nose when I run outside, even in the middle of the city where there is nothing to make me feel allergic :/

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I’m sooo jealous that you’re going to Thailand! I went last summer and it was absolutely life changing. I would go back in a heartbeat! Enjoy your time there!!

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I was running on my favorite trail one summer day and the grass had gotten a little high (around my knees, but I’m short) on one stretch. Well, I startled a garter snake and it SOMEHOW FLEW UP AND SLAPPED AGAINST MY INNER THIGH! I screamed and ran my fastest mile ever back to my car.

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getting lost is the worst!! especially if you’re already dead and just want to get home!

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I was going to a 10 mile run. I ran out 5 miles and turned around. At mile 7.5 I realized my key had fallen out of my pocket. Had to turn around and look for it, luckiley I found it, but my 10 miler ended up being 15 miles. And my phone died while I was running….oh well, makes ya stronger right?

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I got a new pair of running tights a couple weeks ago. They’re soft and warm and comfortable and survived my dressing room jumpy/wiggly/run-in-place test. First time I wore them outside & busted out a sprint they promptly slid down & showed everyone else on the Greenway my underwear. At least I wasn’t running commando that day…

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My worst running situation so far: Running a race in the Florida Keys when a thunderstorm rolled in. Raining buckets of water. Wind. Lots of lightning and thunder. And as the roads filled with draining water the large trucks would splash you as they drove by.

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Ahh the blisters while far from home are the worst!! My worst story actually involves blading, not running. I was roller blading through a local park when I came up on a super steep downhill and got going SO FAST and KNEW I WAS GOING TO FALL. Needless to say.. I did.. cracked my tail bone and was 6 miles from my car. I had to take off the blades and walk (in the rain.. of course..) in my socks, with a fractured tailbone, about 3 miles until I saw a park ranger and flagged him down to give me a lift. That was awful and my rollerblades are still sitting in the exact place in my trunk that I set them that day.

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Ouch!

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I was running a local 10k race and desperately needed to blow my nose. Of course, I didn’t have any tissue. So, looking behind me to make sure I wasn’t going to hose anyone down (no one nearby), I blew a snot rocket. Then looked up and realized the race photographer was at the bottom of the hill taking pictures. I was mortified thinking he might’ve taken a picture and that beauty would be out there for all the world to see. Haven’t seen it…yet.

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Another story on here reminded me of a time my friend and I were trail running. We were at a single-track area and she was in front of me. She stopped and spun around so fast that I ran right into her. I thought there must be a freaking bear or other wild animal – but no, blocking the trail, was an entire herd of cows. My friend is terrified of cows. I tried “persuading” them to get out of our way, (which was quite hysterical) but failed miserably. We ended up having to backtrack significantly and find a new way off the hill. I think we added about an hour to our run.

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I have a couple. First, When I run I tend to get chaffing under my arms. I think I try really hard to hold my arms close to me and then I rub them raw. Second, The iPhone 4 sucks and runkeeper tends to freeze/ shut down in the middle of my run, which means 1. I have to stop and restart it. 2. I lost my run info and have no clue how well I’m doing. 3. I have to convince myself my run will be worth it to start again. I need a new phone and a fit bit or jawbone up. And last, I have a pair of running sneakers that the shoe laces will not stay tied no matter how tight or how many knots I use. I’ve seriously contemplated getting those twisty laces you’re not supposed to tie for them.

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worst thing happening while running addition:
not bringing water with you and being so thirsty, the empty bottles on the side of the road (soda, water, tea, beer, liquor) look so amazing, for a second you think about drinking from them (only a second)

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Been there!
“How old do you think that Mountain Dew bottle is…?”

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I was once stalked by a bumblebee and nearly stepped on a snake. During the same run. At about the same time.

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The bathroom thing is pretty bad, esp when you can’t find one! And chafing…..oh it’s painful. Another bad thing is if you run into animals……….dogs without leashes/owners is really scary but I also ran past a raccoon who was not right (rabies? poison?) in the middle of the day………he should not have been out during the day……..and he was on part of a trail with rails on both sides so I could not avoid him! I have run past lots of deer before, but the only ones that make me nervous are the bucks……….I have a fear of getting poked by them if they come at me……….and also, getting cold hands on a run stinks, I hate cold hands! Happy Birthday by the way!!

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I just love all the headbands that Brooke wears. Where do get them? My daughter Ashley (28 months old) has long hair and she doesn’t ever want it up but these headbands might at least keep her hair out of her face.
Worst thing that happened to me was last winter I was out on a nine mile run and at about mile 2 I needed to pee. I searched hard to find a place to go but it being winter there was no place that I could really hide. So I just held it, kind of. I was about .2 of a mile from my house. I could see my house but I just couldn’t hold it anymore. I had to go and that is what happened. I felt much better afterward. When I think about it now I should have just peed earlier in the run. I probably would have had a better run and no one would have ever known as I was wearing black running tights.

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I loved this post! Probably the majority of the things that happens to you, happens to me too. However, my two worst things are:

I was on a road trip with about 6 friends, which all 6 of them refuse to run with me. We were staying in Wilmington, North Carolina that day. I went out for my am run while everyone was sound asleep in the hotel room. About a mile into my run I got hit by a car, nothing serious, but I was in complete shock because I was wearing bright pink and could have sworn she saw me. I think I had so much adrenaline from the whole thing I continued to finish my run.

Second, I have a really bad chaffing problem on my lower back. So bad that it has actually scarred pretty bad. This just happened this past summer so I’m a little terrified to put a bathing suit on when the time comes. P.S. I switched all my running shorts to the lululemon “Groovy Run Short” – NEVER CHAFFED AGAIN! I swear by them.

Happy Birthday to you Janae, you’re so great!

-Katie

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I love the image of you and your sister running while sharing headphones. I think I would cry if I cracked an iPhone screen.

Oh and Happy Birthday!!

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Apples with Nutella is my latest obsession! Sooooo good. :)

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When I was running, i had to go down a hill so my feet slapped the ground with every step and i saw these younger kids from school so i stopped running and walked down the hill but then i felt like they had already seen me run and then thought i was a wimp for stopping yet now its awkward to see them around school.

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