I’m upping the mileage once again!

When I was running my two miles yesterday, I almost stepped on a pretty garter snake and I think the drivers that saw me hurdle the snake had a good laugh.  I have a feeling that I wasn’t the most graceful runner/hurdler but I didn’t want to get bit!  I thought that it would have felt my feet pounding on the pavement, but I scared it just as much as it startled me and snakes in an s-position scare me.  I’ve been bit before by a grass snake and I didn’t like it.  So this brings me to the point of my post… What to do when you confront nature while running.

There are a lot of deer where I live and I hope they stay.  I love seeing them.  However, they scare the BEEJEZEES outta me when they pop out of a bush (yes, a bush) and cross the road right in front of me.  So how do you avoid these confrontations?

• Be aware at sunset and sunrise.  This is when they are most active.  If you see one, there are bound to be more around.
• Be loud around areas where deer are.
• If you confront one, be silent and don’t try to scare them off.  You’d think that loud noises would make them run away, but actually the opposite happens quite a lot.  Just stay still and wait for them to cross.  They look small from your SUV, but up close they’re HUGE!!!

Snakes are encountered a lot in Florida.  What to do?

• Be aware around tall grass where they like to hide.  Keep your eyes peeled for snakes crossing sidewalks!
• Stay away from large rocks.  Snakes like to make homes out of them.
• If you run at night during the spring and summer, be really aware of snakes on the road.  They need to soak up the heat of the roads to keep themselves going.
• If you see a snake already in a s-position (threatening position), BACK AWAY SLOWLY.  NO SUDDEN MOVEMENTS.

I also found this funny, yet informative link on this subject on WikiHow.  I hope these tips help keep you safe while running during the cooler parts of the day.  Happy running!