Thursday, October 28, 2021

Creepy Crawly Runfessions

It sure has been a long month, hasn't it? With plenty of time to accumulate runfessions, you'd think I'd have a ton for this post. I'm not usually at a loss of things to runfess, but there haven't been a lot of running miles this month. No worries, there's always something to share. Most of my 'fessions this month are of the creepy, crawly kind. Kind of apropos for October, don't you think? Thank goodness Marcia opens the runfessional! 

What do you have to runfess?

I runfessionsfess... that due to my browser continually being taken over by malware, I will no longer be using gifs and reducing my use of memes in these posts. I hate the people who make viruses and malware. Hate. Even though searching for the perfect image is time-consuming, I really have enjoyed adding those funny enhancers to my runfessions posts over the years. But now with the time it takes to fix my browser every time it gets hijacked, it's just not fun anymore.

It goes away for a while, then comes back when you least expect it.

I runfess... that earlier this month, when Instagram and Facebook were down, every time I opened the app to check on it, it opened to Erica Agran's latest post and I didn't mind seeing her on repeat one bit. It sure beats all the ads, right? Plus, who doesn't love Erica?

I runfess... that one morning, I pulled on a pair of shorts for a walk/run and felt something in the pocket. When I stuck my hand in, I pulled out a large, dead roly-poly bug. So many questions. Mostly, how did it get in my pocket?

Snacks for on the run?

I runfess... that a few weeks ago, I woke up from a scary dream that when I was running in the forest preserve, I came upon a giant snake. And then a few days later, there was a story on the news that someone found a python under her car in one of our local forest preserves. Coincidence? I think not. I sure hope this isn't a trend. 

Can you hear me screaming?

I runfess... that as much as I love my trail hikes and running, I get spooked occasionally. I often hear some rustling in the bushes along the trail. It's a good thing we don't have any wild animals around here. Once I was crossing the creek in the forest preserve and a duck flew out from under the bank, almost hitting me. Sometimes I get the sensation of someone coming up behind me, only to look over my shoulder and find no one there. And then I get caught in a web some spider has strung across the trail. Who needs a haunted house?

I saw a few of these banana spiders hanging from Holly's porch when I was there in August.
They don't kill them. She says they eat bugs.

What do you have to runfess? Did you have anything funny happen during the FB/IG outage? Did you know roly poly bugs were edible? Have you ever tried them? Any snake encounters on the run? Do you ever scare yourself when you're running?

I'm linking up with Marcia for Runfessions and with the ladies of Fit Five Friday: DarleneMichelleReneeJenn, and Zenaida.








26 comments :

  1. I saw that snake under the car incident on TV and I'd have died. Knock wood there've been no snakes on my trails. I found the FB/IG outage day to be a huge relief. I need to make my own "outage" days. Haha!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think I need to take more outage days too! We had a nice break from it all when we were away.

      Delete
  2. Oh, plenty of creepy crawlies on the trails in South Africa!
    Funnily enough, I came across two tortoises last week. We do see snakes quite a lot, but they quickly dive away into the bushes when they hear us coming.
    I get nervous when I hear rustling in the bushes, too. But the other day we heard something super-scary: we were running along the bottom of a mountain when we heard men's voices chanting from a cave above us. The low humming sounded like a funeral ritual of some sorts. Very scary!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ewww on eating roly poly bugs! I did find something in a pocket recently, but it was actually something that had gone missing half a year ago (this seems to be a theme today).

    I sometimes get a bit worried about bears when we're hiking -- we do have them around in some of the places we go to! So far, so good.

    Snakes generally don't bother me, but sometimes when you are running it's a surprise and that can be startling!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Startling is a good word for it--I scream when I see little snakes. I can't imagine how I'd react to a python! Or a bear!

      Delete
  4. I'm such a bug-phobe that finding one in a pocket like that would have sent me reeling! I think I would have fared better with the python LOL!

    I runfess that I actually didn't mind the FB/IG outage - probably a sign I could use more breaks from the socials.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I have never intentionally eaten a bug. I tolerate the spiders that share my basement gym and office space on the assumption that they are eating other bugs — I hope that’s true!

    I didn’t even notice the FB or IG outages, as they happened while I was working. Plus I’m rarely on IG these days.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I never realized that spiders poop until I saw that banana spider in Alabama. Now I see spider poop in my house. So gross.

      Delete
  6. I have started to see a bunch of spiders and other unidentifiable insects around. I guess it's the time of year. Please don't bring any with you when I see you next week! My husband has been traveling a lot and I always hear all kinds of weird animal noises when he is not here. I swear we have things in our walls but he never hears them. Hmm I don't know

    ReplyDelete
  7. I'm with you. I scream when I see a snake. And I usually am on a trail alone. I am always looking around. It has so far only been a chipmunk or a squirrel. They can be noisy. I'm getting used to seeing deer. They just stare.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I like that we don't have any vicious animals around here. At least, I think we don't!

      Delete
  8. Wow, you really did make your runfessions creepy! We have those banana spiders in Florida. They are SCARY. Several years ago I planted a butterfly garden in our backyard, but then discovered that it attracted banana spiders too. There was one huge, scary one back there right before Halloween and my daughter wanted me to "relocate" it to the bushes right next to our front door to terrify trick or treaters. Um... I don't think so!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know you have a lot of bugs in Florida. And snakes. {{{shudder}}}

      Delete
  9. Any type of bug freaks me out so this runfessions post made me squeal a few times, lol. I think finding the dead bug in my pocket would have freaked me out a lot for sure!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I didn't freak out because it was dead, but it made me wonder where else they are hiding!

      Delete
  10. The pill bug in your pocket would have really freaked me out! I didn't know they were edible though, lol! And the banana spider? OMG!

    I haven't spent much time on the more secluded trails but I have definitely been nervous about my recent evening runs, especially since my Noxgear vest has been low on batteries. I make sure to keep alert when I'm alone, but sometimes I psyche myself out!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My imagination seems to have a mind of its own when I'm running alone, lol

      Delete
  11. Ewww, that bug! At least it was dead LOL Knock wood, I’ve never seen any snakes on the wooded trail by the lake, just lots of squirrels & chipmunks. I’m sure they’re slithering around, but ignorance is quite blissful.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. But are you truly ignorant? You know they're out there...waiting for you...lol

      Delete
  12. I have never seen snakes on the train but I had many adventures with shepherd dogs.
    We had a spider who lived one year in our kitchen: in the morning he spent his time behind a cabinet and in the evening he came out. His name was Hugo.
    I would never eat a bug.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love that you named the spider, lol! Not only would i never eat a bug (intentionally), I would never name one, lol

      Delete
  13. Mr PugRunner left the sunroof of our truck open on Halloween night. I told him that if a snake had crawled in, he owed me three whole puppies. Because OMG NO!!!!

    ReplyDelete