This week on Tuesdays on the Run we’re talking about the road. Maybe the roadside where you run, maybe in the actual road. We wanna know the weird stuff you find there when you’re out logging some miles.
Personally I run on busy roadsides (where you find the most “interesting” things) as little as possible for safety’s sake. But there are a few stretches I frequent out of necessity. While I haven’t come across any alligators in these parts (heaven help me), I’ve noticed many things along the road:
Roadkill. Since I’m kind of out in the Chicagoland boonies, wildlife is copious. And with lots of wildlife comes roadkill. Gosh I loathe skunk season. Dead snakes are no picnic either. There was a mashed frog on the run course at the Espirit de She tri last weekend. Sigh.
Bottles of um….pee? Super gross.
Broken cell phones. Gotta wonder if they were broken BEFORE or broken BECAUSE they were thrown out of the car? Hmmmm.
Golf balls. My 10-mile loop goes past a country club and there are inevitably stray balls out along the road. I used to pick up a couple but then I wondered….why?
Fast food wrappers. Gross again. Litterbugs are disgusting.
Money. Usually coins but the most I ever found on a very muddy wet roadside was a $5 bill.
What do you find along the road when you run? Do you pickup money?
The weirdest thing I ever saw was the most perfect piece of cake just laying in the grass. It was chocolate with what looked to be peanut butter icing.
Of course I see a lot of condoms too! I don’t get it. Never have I thrown a condom out the car window!!!
I have never found any money, but now that I have read your post, a bottle of pee ? Yes, I have seen that !
I love picking things up on the run. We (my other half is usually biking wiht me running) but we can gather a ton of cans, maybe some things to ebay or some tools to yard sale. Just depends on what we are looking for that we find.
I’m trying to think what unusual things I’ve seen whilst running. Not much really. I’ve never found money!
I am with you on the litterbugs though, I think it’s even worse when the litter is only a few steps away from a bin! I usually pick it up and chuck it if it’s an (empty) bottle or can. Thankfully I have never seen a bottle of pee!!
One time I found $20 at the end of a run! When I lived in the city I saw all sorts of weird stuff in the early mornings, like shoes and random pieces of clothing. Makes you wonder the story of what happened the night before!
I don’t think dead snakes would be that bad but I have run past dead skunks & it’s definitely not pleasant. I never find money, but I’d pick it up if I did!
Darlene once found a phone (not broken) when we were running together; I, as usual, was oblivious. Maybe because I’m so near sighted, even with my contacts.
Bottles of peeeeeeeeeee! Oh man! Since I’m in Chicago proper, I guess finding shoes, socks, then pants and underwear…!!!!….then a t-shirt……….!!!!………then a used condom, all along the same path, was way more along the lines for me…? 😀
I’m scratching my head at the bottle of pee.
I did find a $10 bill on my run once!
Years ago, I saw a live alligator. Last week, a opossum! That’s Texas for you!
Condoms. But that could be living in chicago. One time I found a syringe. Again, big city.
I found a $20 once and that was just so exciting! I see a lot of what you see. But in the neighborhood, I see a lot of used condoms and beer cans. Along Rand Road, there’s always strange things. One time I saw 2 pairs of ladies panties and a bunch of little liquor bottles. A dead goldfish. I always wonder…do people just go for a ride and fling these items out the window?
Any and all trash is just irritating! It always makes me sad to see litter on my running routes!
I think one of the strangest things I have seen was a runner that had a dog in a stroller….. that made me look twice! I didn’t know what to make off a dog in a stroller!
I only see roadkill if I see anything on the roads. It always makes me depressed 🙁
Oh my gosh- bottles of pee! EWWWWWW! You win(?) lol
I would run more if I found $5 on runs ;-P
I see some really gnarly roadkill on my runs, too. Turtles (so, so, so sad!!!), chipmunks, frogs, coyotes, raccoons. Blech.
I was running my last 10 miler in King of Prussia, PA and there was a giant dead deer! I really didn’t think it was real but I guess rigor mortis kicked in! Yesterday I ran past horse poop, on a trail where there normally aren’t horses!
I see a ton of broken phones, too, which always kind of amaze me – how does that happen? In CO, I feel like I see an amazing amount of Coors cans, but at home in Indiana I saw all sorts of odd roadkill, including a beaver and muskrats.
I have a local lady that posts her “loot” she finds while running. She runs by a golf course so almost always she has a golf ball but she finds money on a regular basis. I’ve often wondered if she’s just that lucky or she looks so hard. I do good to stay upright while running much less scouting around for loose change.
I wish I would find some money!! That would be awesome! A bottle of pee! That is a strange one. Skunks are the worst! And they stink for days!! Thanks for hosting!
Dead squirrels are about as exciting as it gets around here. I never really find anything, but I may also not be paying attention LOL.
I only stop for quarters bills are a rare find lol
I hate litterbugs!
It’s things like bras and undies that always make me wonder. And I’ve managed to find quite a few of these on my runs.
I’ve been seeing lots of dead birds on my route lately, which has me a little concerned! I’ve never found “folding money” – good for you!
That alligator pic made me laugh. I have never found weird stuff along the side of the road, lol. Maybe I’m oblivious to it all. But bottles of pee?? Gross, lol!
woot! score on the 5 bucks! i find roadkill too… most curious are the armadillos
Oddly I’ve seen a lot of roadkill lately – you’d think squirrels would know not to try to outrun a car?! Last week I came across a huge snapping turtle trying to dig a nesting spot on a busy road.
I love love love this piece of my training walks as well
LAST WEEK? TO MY SHOCK 🙂 I FOUND A BRA.
A real nonsports bra.
By the side of the damn road (!)
I love finding money on the road but it is usually just coins. Roadkill is nasty and I rarely see that, but the thing I worry about are snakes. Recently I saw one in my neighborhood while on a bike ride and it really scared me (a poisonous one). I’ve also seen bags of dog poop while running and I sure hope the people pick those up later.
Animals – dead or alive. Always.