.004 Running Skunk Scared?

Do you do something for yourself that doesn’t make sense to anyone else?

Are there things that you DON’T do because…well, you’re not exactly sure why you don’t?

What’s something you’ve set out to do but find new and interesting ways to avoid doing it?

Are you ready to face something that scares you?

I’m your gal to send encouragement!

Hi! I’m Marla and Welcome to another episode of Overburdened No More. On today’s episode, I hope to convince you to face something that scares you head on. To tackle something, big or small, that you’ve avoided because you feel nervous or scared of what MIGHT happen. I hope that you’ll share your success with me in the reviews or send me an email at marla@hunkeedori.com. I’d just love to hear from you. Let’s get to it.

I run in the dark.

Just a few times a week and not that far. But I love doing it before the sun comes up.

My husband doesn’t understand why I do this. He especially doesn’t understand why I have to do it so early in the morning. (I also love hiking in the dark and seeing the reflections of spider’s eyes from my headlamp, but that’s a story for another day)

I will admit to you here because we’re friends, that the reason I started running in the dark was so that no one would see how slow I run or judge my bad form.

My neighborhood has a lot of big time runners and athletes in it.

I’m talking Ironman, Extreme hikers, Pro tennis players and marathoners.

My pride just couldn’t handle it.

So, when I finally got my health back to a place where I felt that I had energy to run again, I started slow, and I wanted to do it without anyone’s eyes on me.

It’s been about two years since I started doing this and believe it or not, I’ve actually started caring less if people see me.

I love running in the dark for a completely different reason now.

I love where my mind goes when I run.

I get really clear on ideas that have rumbled around in my brain for a long time.

Questions become obvious answers.

I love the way the mountains look with just a hint of moon light from one direction and a halo of sun from behind.

It’s so quiet and still.

It’s my favorite time of the day.

I LOVE running in the dark because of the way I feel deep inside while experiencing it all alone.

Well, that went deep fast.

I told you THAT so I could tell you a story that happened to me while running and what I’ve learned from it.

I guess I should give you a little bit more back story while I’m at it.

Don’t worry, this will all come together in the end.

I Promise.

Over the years I’ve had LOTS of things that have kept me from running.

I won’t get into all of them but I’ll tell you of a few.

There’s this glitch in my knee.

It doesn’t show up all the time, but often enough that I don’t forget about it.

I could be breathing really well, not feeling tired at all and that knee could be so on fire that I just had to stop.

I tried stretches and rolling and anything I read about.

I started to wear a brace and that worked sometimes.

A good friend of mine told me that it would actually heal quicker if I let it strengthen itself without the brace.

Low and behold she was right.

That knee still bothers me off and on, but if I keep running, it goes away.

Check that one off my excuse list.

Here’s my newest and favorite excuse to stop trying to become a runner.

Earlier this summer I was on the second half of my run and it was just barely getting light when I saw a skunk cross the trail.

A real, live, skunk.

My heart serious stopped!

I smell skunks all the time but I hadn’t ever seen one.

What would any normal person do when they see a skunk?

Run the other way….duh!

That’s exactly what I did.

Luckily for me, there was an exit from the trail just a few yards from where I was.

I decided to take a little detour and just skip that section of the trail.

My heart was a pumping.

I’m aware that skunks are small

But they are fierce!

Fierce smelling any way and I wanted to be allowed back in the house without being douced by tomato juice before entering.

So, I get back into my groove, trying to hold it together when you are NEVER going to believe what crossed the road just feet in front of me.

Yup.

ANOTHER SKUNK!

LIKE SERIOUSLY?????

I stopped dead in my tracks.

Now what???

It seemed that I had more distance between me and the skunk here on the road than the one on the trail so after pacing back and forth for a minute, I decided to just keep going the way I was. I could meet back with the trail further ahead so I went for it.

I told you that story so you could understand my CRAZY of this story.

Today, I was running on the same trail, headed in the same direction.

I had taken a few days to get over my fear of the skunks cornering me again and went the opposite way on the trail.

But today, I was going to be brave and go my favorite way again.

I made it past “skunk corner” as I now loving call it and was feeling pretty confident.

THEN, I caught sight of two dark shadows moving towards me far ahead on the trail.

Oh my gosh!

We’re they cats?

We’re they racoons? (yes, I see cats and racoons on this trail often too).

Yes, I wonder why I keep running on this trail too.

I just couldn’t tell. They were far enough ahead ,and I’m truly blind without my glasses, that I had no idea what they were.

So, I had a decision to make.

Do I keep running so I could get my distance goal in today or do I turn around?

My husband tried to convince me that skunks we’re not going to “attack” me, but he usually says things as if they are fact when he doesn’t really know.

I hoped he was right.

I was scared, like heart beating, yet still running toward the shadows, scared.

But even with all of that, I decided to keep going.

I know!! I was pretty impressed with myself too.

Actually, it was more from my indecision than anything that kept me moving forward. I really couldn’t decide what to do.

I wondered if skunks were more likely to spray if they could sense your fear.

I hoped they’d vear off into the weeds.

But I kept running.

I got close enough that the darkness wasn’t so thick and I could focus in a bit better.

and to my surprise, delight and embarrassment, even though I was alone and remember, I’m only telling you this because we’re friends and I trust you’ll keep it to yourself,

I finally could see that my fear was directed at a big, round, fat …

weed bush.

One on each side of the road.

What had looked like a hip-wiggling animal was actually a stupid weed.

Sheesh!

Was I going to run skunk scared all summer long?

I couldn’t let myself jump and turn around at every hint of it possibly being a skunk.

I also knew that I wasn’t giving up on running and I didn’t want to find a new trail or route.

I like my routine.

NO. I was NOT going to run skunk scared.

The only thing that makes running possible for me is choosing what to focus on.

I wasn’t going to focus on skunks that might be there

OR that my knee MIGHT start to hurt

OR that my stomach MIGHT decide to turn on me.

There’s always going to be something that tries to get in the way of a goal you set for yourself.

Our subconscious mind likes things to run like they’ve always run.

Let’s keep it normal.

Let’s keep it the same.

Let’s not try anything new.

Even if it causes you pain over and over at least it’s what you’re used to.

That’s what the subconscious wants you to do.

What’s something you’ve set out to do but find new and interesting ways to avoid doing it?

What’s your KNEE excuse?