Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Running Randomness


Out for my solitary 4 miler this morning (which sucked butt, btw...more on that later).  When I'm about a mile and a half in, I see something in the grass.  Normally it's a rabbit and will scurry off.  And sometimes they'll run in the direction I'm running....then dart across the sidewalk....then back....then sprint ahead.  I'm all like "I'm not chasin' you lil' bunny fo-fo....just stop" but they don't seem to listen.

Anywho...in the grass.  I see something that appears to be crouched down.  I could tell it wasn't a rabbit and first thought was a bobcat kitten/cub as it was small.  Shortly there after, I got a little nervous as a kitten will have a momma near.  Now....being from the country, I know that if I'm not a little animal/rodent or a chicken....I'm fine.  But still, coming upon a bobcat isn't the most fun thing on a jog.  I did have a quick thought of "well....this can be my interval training".  As I get within 10 yards, it starts across the sidewalk and I hear *click-click-click....* and I realize that I'm coming upon an armadillo.  They're docile and more scared of you....and they are the worlds worst animal at getting across the street.  So....the armadillo realizes that I'm coming up and quickly heads back the other way.

That interaction and the thought of the senseless murders of armadillos every year on Texas streets by out of control cars and truck.....brought me back to a FB post I saw not too long ago.
The Balloon says "Get Well Soon"


Then....with the armadillo being the State Animal of Texas (actually the Nine-Banded Armadillo), I thought of all the cool facts of the armadillo that we were taught in school.


**Armadillos have four babies at a time, always all the same sex. They are perfect quadruplets, the fertilized cell split into quarters, resulting in four identical armadillos.

**Armadillos get an average of 18.5 hours of sleep per day.

**Armadillos can walk underwater.

**Armadillos are the only animal besides humans that can get leprosy.

**When an armadillo is frightened it jumps straight into the air.

**Armadillos can be housebroken.

**Armadillos have a very low need of oxygen. Even when burrowing they can stop breathing for 6 minutes by storing air in the trachea and wide bronchus.

**The name "Armadillo" comes from the Spanish explorers word meaning "Little Armored Thing"


So that was my morning.  Oh....and the run sucked because I ran slow and it was hot (80 degrees) and humid and no wind to cool the body down.  Ran 4.01 in 44:45.  That's absolutely horrible.

2 comments:

  1. huh

    we don't have armadillos in Australia. You've armed me with an arsenal of random information!

    ReplyDelete