Some things are so scary they can only be real…true tales of running nightmares!!
This story comes by way of a runner in Minnesota. You know, one of those states that actually gets REAL winter weather. No, the scary part isn’t the snow, wind, or temperature reading. That’s just freaking wrong.
With all the advancements we’ve made in the world, running and otherwise, one would think we’d have solved this whole ‘power outage’ issue. I mean, c’mon, we’ve landed on Mars. But I digress.
Minnesota. Dead of winter. Night. Running outside is clearly not an option, unless you want to wind up with frost bite on your nose and unconscious from slipping on black ice. Treadmill it is.
WHAT?!?!? Power issues, FIVE BLOWN FUSES?!?! What is a runner to do? Enter the Running Nightmare Zone. This quick-thinking runner, in what can only be described as a true Running MacGyver moment, rigged up the treadmill off of a remaining circuit and…
…got the treadmill working. No lights, no problem, that’s what a flashlight is for.
The runner was quoted, “You can take a lot of things away from me, but my sanity won’t be one of them.” AMEN!!!
Scary.As.All.He##. Stay safe, stay sane, stay running, My Friends!!
**Names have been omitted to protect the traumatized 😉
1) What’s one of the craziest situations you’ve been in to get your run on?
I’m actually embarrassed to say…it’s crazy.
2) What’s a true running nightmare tale you’ve lived through?
3) What’s the last scary thing to happen to you on a run?
Just this shady looking dude I passed, it was dark, I definitely ran wide and picked up the pace.
How funny you should ask…
I was in San Diego, and went for a run at 430am. (jet lag). The hotel clerk told me of a trail that went from our hotel to the beach. I ran to look for the trailhead, and a man with dobermans told me where it was, but that “I might need some dogs because it may not be safe.” He sort of laughed,and then said I’d be fine. It was secluded, pitch dark so that I could not tell where my feet were landing, and there were bodies laying all along the trail. It was bascially a homeless camp. Some stirred as I ran by. It was quite chilling, but worth it. The trail let out to a wonderful beach and crashing waves.
All of it inspired me to write my last novel “On the Lips of Children” about a runner who goes for a shake out run the day before the San Diego marathon but gets taken hostage.
holy smokes!!! so my line of thought in reading this 1) “line of bodies” i thought u were going to tangent into some zombie story and then come to find out you were telling me a creative story in my comment! 2) i caught on that u were, indeed, being serious 3) SOO pumped u turned that into an actual novel…cuzzz, like i said i thought u were going to do that in the first place! i’ll have to check it out?? are u selling it yet/is it released??
Yikes! Glad s/he was still able to get her run in! I am always scared that our power will go out when I’m on the treadmill and I’ll go flying when it abruptly shuts off. The last scary thing that happened to me on a run was having a loose pit bull materialize out of nowhere and chase me down the road while barking and growling. I didn’t get bitten, but the dog did jump up and put its front paws on my back as I tried to get away.