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I Saw My Race Flash Before My Eyes

I am a self-proclaimed klutz. When I was younger, I could fall over for no reason at all. Just because my legs would decide to stop working. I no longer wear a watch, because I would bang and eventually break the watch face every single time I walked through a door frame, just due to a complete lack of physical self awareness.

So it should really not come as a surprise that last night while standing in front of the thermostat (not changing it, just....looking?) I did some weird stretch thing with my leg and then fell to the ground. I know I can be a little overly dramatic at times, but I swear - my butt broke. There was little pull and then - there it was.
This photo is like a year old, but it's applicable here. 

You know how people say that when they get in a serious accident their life flashes before their eyes? Well, for me something else flashed before my eyes. The 50k race. I swear to you, that is the first and only thing that crossed my mind.  For the record, today it's sore but not bad at all - I ran 4 miles on it and there's barely any pain at all, so I think it was a little strain from me being generally awkward and it should be fine for Saturday.

In other potentially life-altering news, I feel the need to share will you all just how "out there" I live. The biggest news in town? Some black bears are chilling by the local school so no one can go outside and play during recess. So far authorities keep hitting them with rubber bullets and they keep coming back. Typically, these bears would be shot with sedatives and relocated, but we can't do that here. Why not? Because it's almost bear season, and authorities are afraid that someone will shoot the sedated bear and eat it in the coming weeks.

The local mascot outside the school. (SOURCE)
I really don't know what's worse - the fact that there are bears roughly 50 feet from where I grocery shop, or the fact that people in my town eat bears.

Have you ever been in a bad accident? If so, have you ever had "your life flash before you eyes?"
That's a no for me on both counts. I'm curious about it though. It is something made up for movies as a cliched line or is it true?

What freaks you out more: having black bears around in an urban setting or having neighbors and that shoot and eat said black bears?
Definitely the wild bears. I can deal with a little bit of hillbilly, but wild bears freak me out. Plus, these ones are a mama and two cubs. Protective mama bears do not sound friendly.

Comments

  1. You are gonna rock your 50k!

    The wild bears would definitely freak me out! Even when I was in Yosemite I was on the look out for them everywhere. They are not to be messed with.

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  2. wait people shoot and eat bears in your area?! I've heard of turkey season and deer season, but bear is a whole new one

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  3. That's crazy. Why don't they sedate the bears and pen them up (somewhere FARRRRR away) until they are more alert? I don't get it. I wouldn't let my kids go to school if that were happening outside their school. No way!

    And I've been known to do a weird stretch and then be in pain. I don't get it!

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  4. Mmmm sweet, sweet bear meat.

    I really prefer my bear to be full of elementary school age children. Let's bring back recess! That's the best way to combat childhood obesity.

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  5. My BFF lives in Charlottesville VA and a black bear crossed the road in front of her on her long run last weekend. Crazy!

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  6. Eating bears? Oh no... cooking bear meat smells so awful! Or so I have been told. Cannot imagine.

    I have lived all my life where there are bears nearby. I have had them in my own back yard and never really been afraid of them.. black bears that is, and from the picture you have, I think ours are bigger... now grizzlies... that is another story!

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  7. No bears here, but once we were driving home and an aligator sauntered across the I-10 right smack in the middle of New Orleans. Weird.

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  8. When i worked in the Boundary Waters we got permission to shoot a bear that kept getting into our garbage. Obe of the guys shot it with a bow. And yes, we ate it. And it was pretty good.

    You will rock your 50k!

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  9. We have mountain lions, deer, moose, and elk that occasionally wander through town here, but bears would be a nine day's wonder. Not many bears in western Nebraska. What would worry me about a bear being in town is some idiot taunting the bear, provoking said bear, and the bear ends up getting shot for fighting back against the idiot. The big animals always lose out against people, even when the people cause the problem/intentionally provoke the response. :( *steps off soapbox*

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  10. So glad you don't seem to be seriously injured! You are going to have a great race! I can definitely empathize about both the klutziness and the bears and other wildlife that roam around the 'hood. The other day there was a traffic back up because a moose and her calf were trying to cross the highway....

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  11. So glad your race is not jeopardized by the injury or the bears!

    I've been in a bad accident...but not so bad that my life flashed before my eyes. And I've had a weird medical thing happen that almost killed me. But again, no life flashing. Kind of glad that I never experienced that...though it does sound kind of cool.

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  12. oh my gosh, i'm so sorry and i hope ur feeling back to 100% ASAP!! i'm the same way, i'm a klutz but anytime anything happens the first thought is, "omg, how is this gonna affect my running?!"

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  13. Ha! I can relate sort of... this past Sunday was suppose to be my first 50k I've been training for all year. Saturday morning right after I woke up I brushed my teeth and right as I put my toothbrush back I had a massive back spasm that dropped me to my knees. I crawled back to bed, couldn't walk until late Sunday. Glad nothing broke too bad for you!

    Really enjoy your blog!

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  14. I'm glad you're ok. I feel like the closer you get to the race, the more dramatic every little twinge becomes, so I'm glad your butt isn't actually broken.

    We have bears around here, too, but even worse, we have fischer cats. They are basically small nasty wolverines and they are EVERYWHERE!

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  15. Where I'm from, we have plenty of black bears (and black bear hunting season though it's really short) so it does not seem odd to me to see them but the whole they can't relocate thing seems odd! You'll do great at your 50K!

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  16. i had no idea people ate bear. or there was a bear season. and i would FREAK out if they were near me. SOOO glad you are okay for the race. GOOD LUCK!!!

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  17. OMG, that sounds exactly like me. I apparently enjoy walking into door frames, doors, you name it!! Glad everything seems to be ok, and I would be freaked out by the bears more.

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  18. Not to be a Debbie Downer but a friend of mine (60 year old lady) got mauled to death by a bear last year. She was taking trash to the dumpster at her condo in the high country at night and it got her. She survived long enough to have 10 surgeries...but the infection's what got her. It scalped her btw. So sad. Be careful! I've had my life flash before my eyes in a major way 3 times. The motorcycle cop that almost hit me going full speed while running last year, almost got hit by a train when I was drugged up on allergy meds, and was driving on a highway road when an oncoming double trailer semi tossed a rock through my windshield (right in front of my head area)...the size of a large grapefuit. We later found the rock under my gas peddle. I have NO idea how it didn't hit me. Glass everywhere...even in my mouth. Crazy.

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  19. Yeah, my friends have adopted the term "I pulled a Jamie" when they fall, trip, or drop something! So I feel your klutziness!

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  20. Hope everything is feeling better. I can't tell you how many times I run into door ways and counters. Ugh.
    We had a bear in our back yard this spring. It was cool but then again we were in the house. When I took the dog out afterwards I would jump at any rustle in the bushes that I'd hear. ;) Good luck this weekend!!!!

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  21. When I went on my The Office tour of Scranton, PA, we learned that once there really was a bear on the loose there so when Dwight said it on the show it was based on fact. I really hope you watch the Office or this comment sucks. Also I'm way behind so I can already say CONGRATS on rocking the 50K!

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  22. Glad you are feeling ok. I am slight klutz too and I have often fallen/tripped while on the run.

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  23. Glad you weren't seriously hurt! I always have some weird injury (nothing serious) right before an important race. It's like a given.

    ❀Barbara❀
    My Running Shortz

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  24. I can't believe there are bears just walking casually in your neighbourhood!! Definitely no bears around here. Lots of squirrels though! SO happy your butt didn't ACTUALLY break...the race would have been the first thing to cross my mind too!

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