CONTEST ALERT!
29. Aug, 2009 
40 Comments
Alright, it is time for another contest. The rules are simple. Leave a comment on this post and let us know what animal you run like and why.
That’s it. It’s that easy. Wait, all contests need a prize right? Well if you have the best entry you win a pair of Pearl Izumi shoes! Pretty sweet right? Oh, there’s more. If you are runner up, you get some Pearl Izumi running gear.
What you waiting for? Post your entries for a chance to win!
Good Luck!
*******For those who emailed- your are still eligbile. We changed the course and thought it would be great to post them for others to follow. Keep track…..
Author Info
Loading ...
An old sloth…..bold legged and pigeon toed. Need I say more?
I run like a Mule! Really! I know there are times when I should not run! 5 below zero- lightning storm- middle of the night- work- but I run anyway. (all real runs, this year!)
I’m not pretty- I’m not real fast but like the the virtuous mule, I possess the patience, endurance and sure-footedness of the donkey, and the vigour, strength and courage of the horse. Having some limited experience with Mules, I have found mules preferable to horses: mules show less impatience under the pressure of heavy weights, and their skin, harder and less sensitive than that of horses, renders them more capable of resisting sun and rain- just like me!
Another notable characteristic of the Mule is it’s stubborness! Webster defines Stubborn: unreasonably or perversely unyielding : mulish (2): justifiably unyielding : resolute b: suggestive or typical of a strong stubborn nature 2: performed or carried on in an unyielding, obstinate, or persistent manner
3: difficult to handle, manage, or treat.
Also, if I don’t run and am difficult to handle, manage or treat- just ask my wife who begs me to run on “rest days”.
I am a Mule- not incredibly fast- but reliable- persistent- stubborn and crabby when not running. Give me a little nutrition, a trail and a guide and I will run with you until you say stop!
I promise there is a Mule inside of each of you! Rejoice the noble Mule the symbol of the modern endurance runner!
Animal You Run Like = A Sloth. Why?
(i) Sloths are omnivores. I’m an omnivore.
(ii) Sloths have very large, specialized, slow-acting stomachs with multiple compartments in which symbiotic bacteria break down the foods they eat. While I probably don’t have multiple compartments to my stomach (I have never checked), I can break down most foods while running without issue or repercussion.
(iii) Sloths’ claws serve as their only natural defense. My black toe nails have been known to turn people into stone and, thus, are a great natural defense.
(iv) The main predators of sloths are the jaguar and the harpy eagle, both are fast and agile. My main predators are the fast and fleet of foot.
(v) Sloths move only when necessary and even then very slowly. Anyone who has seen me run comes away thinking the same thing about me.
(vi) Sloths are considered among the most somnolent animals, sleeping from 15 to 18 hours each day. While I rarely get the chance to sleep that much, I can go toe to toe with a sloth (regardless of whether we are talking about a two-toed sloth or three-toed sloth) on the sleep front.
(vii) Sloths are very sturdily built and rarely die from a fall. I often fall when I run and I have yet to die.
(viii) Sometimes sloths’ low level of movement actually keeps males from finding females for longer than one year. This is dead on with my dating experiences.
Black Lab Pulling a Dog Sled
Enthusiastic, willing, and quick on short trips, but just not perfectly
suited for going the distance.
Up until this season I have always thought of my running as being similar to
a wolf. Like the wolf I enjoy running with a pack (friends) but I also
enjoy being a lone wolf from time to time, seeking solitude to cleanse the
soul and focus purely on the effort. I suppose that I occasionally hunt
down prey (mountain bikers), but my favorite hunting time is at the end of a
race, finishing strong and picking up places. Occasionally I do the scent
roll (falling down for me) like a wolf and I enjoy howling after a tough
effort. Also, like the wolf I can cover long distances with little
sustenance as long as there is a cold beer, I mean, food reward at the end.
This season is a different story though. Unlike the wolf I’ve been getting
lost. So now I would say my running is either more like a visually impaired
wolf or a bat (technically they’re not blind but real close). So there you
have it, I run like a blind wolf…
Dear Mr. Zumi,
They call me “Bandit Bill” because I never register or pay for a race.
But when I’m in the race my negative splits are due to my Anaerobic
running style, similar to an Australian Frilled Neck Lizard (see
attached photos). Early in my life I would run 5k’s in the style of a
Jesus Lizard but my poor biomechanics led to me hitting the wall and
bonking. After much soul searching I chose to have endorphin laced
frills surgically implanted onto my neck and I am proud to say I have
been on a runner’s high ever since. My top heavy running style is said
to be fascinating to watch (unless there is a strong wind) while my
small spindly legs create a quick scampering stride. I have never felt
or looked so good, but I do need a new pair of running shoes that can
deal with my under-pronation.
See ya at the finish line Pearlie.
I have been called Running Deer for most of my life..I love to watch deer run and jump when they can feel happy and free!
So…since being called this for so many years I will stick with it!
Lisa
Like a scalded monkey…..ppppphasssst!
Hamster
When I’m indoors at the gym the treadmill keeps spinning I go nowhere but feel the bliss of running. Always training for when the freedom of the great outdoors can be attained
When I escape the cage I will run anywhere and everywhere. You may see me go one direction but by the time you think I’m somewhere I’m already somewhere else. No destinations in mind I just keep my feet moving till I have nothing left.
Pat
Most drivers tell me I’m a lard ass, so I’m going to have to go with that. Not sure which continent they originate from, but I understand they are pretty common.
corey
I run like a coyote–traveling great distances across the southwest desert.
My dad says I run like a gazelle, so when I feel great (or not so great) I envision myself as a beautifully swift gazelle running effortlessly across a savanna. It may not be true, but the thought always lifts my spirits.
I run like an alpha wolf. Strong, confident, and aware of his surroundings. Very content to be own his own but also very comfortable in the pack leadership position. Oddly enough the wolf has been my totem animal since I was a kid and just seemed to evolve with my running.
Unfortunately, I run like a cow or even a sheep. Only when something is chasing me do I ever run. However, my 9 year old son challenged me in a running race and….all of the sudden I was a Cheetah! Yes, only for a short distance. However, it was great. My son thought I was a super fast runner. Talk about motivation…I would rather be the CHEETAH than the COW! Wouldn’t you??? Believe in you what other poeple already know is in you.
KaTrina
Like a little newborn horse (foal) – still trying to figure it all out and how the legs work. I feel that way a lot of the time. Like a foal just getting a feel for the ground and how the legs work. Then suddenly it all falls into place and you find that perfect balance of the legs hitting the ground and taking you further and further. Then getting all excited at how well you did and how much fun it was and wanting to do it all over again – only much better this time!
I run like a kangaroo might run if they did not hop. I run a little lopsided and although this kanga girl can run a long way, I am really not a fast or pretty runner (note, I did not compare myself to a gazelle!). After having five children, my body does not look like it once did, thus the reference to the kangroo with the pouch for the little “joeys”!
Well I used to run like a bulldog but since Ive gained wait-a pygmy hippo is what I remind myself of, waddling until I get to some cool moist spot in the lake or mud and then collapse and roll around in it.
Then afterwards have a salad and a refershing beverage. Sounds about right!!!!
I run like a greyhound. Not, mind you, because they are fast, but because they chase a rabbit on a stick. Those greyhounds want to eat that rabbit. Like a greyhound, I can be enticed to run by culinary delights. For example, my high school x-country coach used to bribe me with big-macs…but more recently, I’m all about the thai green curry from our local hole-in-the-wall thai place and an occasional ultimate brownie cupcake from the trendy shop around the corner. I think, however, I get the better end of the stick, (ha ha) because unlike the greyhound, I actually get to indulge in my reward.
Thank you.
Jennica
I run like an elephant. Not fast, but not slow. Easier to run through/over something than around it. 6′1″ +220lbs. Love running through the desert in Africa.
I run like an elephant. I can run fast when I need to but usually just lumber along. I can run hundreds of miles but ever so slowly. The earth trembles when I pass by. Small animals scatter.
I don’t think there is a single animal for me.
Sometimes I feel as light footed and nimble as a squirrel. A minute later I can be as heavy and cumbersome as a wombat after a massive feast.
Obviously the squirrel seems the most appealing, and generally is, but sometimes it’s nice to just amble along like a wombat too.
I run like an Emperor Penguin. A slow waddle, all day, all night, seemingly forever in horrible cold (Minnesotan) in a wasteland (urban), often sliding on my stomach (trail races) just to get to open water and a few fish.
I think I run like a camel. I may look clumsy, bounce a lot, and look like I am not a threat, but just like a camel I can run fast for short periods of time. I am happy when I run, my bouncing is more like a happy dance than anything else. What I may lack in speed I make up in determination. I live and run in hot weather and have learned to be conservative with my water. I can go for long distances, just like a camel. I love being a camel. Sure I could try to become a horse, fast and efficient, but a camel bouncing along at “full speed” is far more interesting and entertaining than herd of “Boston runners”.
Probably most like my yellow lab. Neither of us know when to stop running – we’ll usually keep going way beyond on limits. We also both get distracted easily and will take a route not in the original plan, though he does chase more rabbits than i do. We also enjoy the same post-run activities – eating and napping.
Run like a sled dog!
Sometimes I might be passed by a runner who, in passing, whispers “rookie jogger”, but that’s just my energy-storing strategy.
A sled dog is agile and focused. We know the course is long, and the conditions sometimes unbearable. Yet we forge on to reach the finish line. Just before crossing, we find all those victims of the road – guys and gals who used up all their energy showing off. They’re crawling off the road to find a nice place to puke, only to crawl and cry their way to the finish line.
The sled dog is wise – reserved, yet packs a punishing amount of energy whenever called upon. Wisely using energy is the only way for me to push on.
Run like a sled dog!
I run like my Whippet. She runs for the just because she can and the joy of it. Around and around the yard she goes. The she sits on the couch the rest of the day.
I run like my parent’s black lab, (before he got thrown off the 4-wheeler by my dad and hurt his hip!). Not extremely fast, but steady and happy, especially if I’m running with friends.
A koala….rarely, and when I do I’m usually carrying extra baggage.
An aging cheetah. I’m 52 and still think I can compete with the young sprinters half my age. I started endurance running 3 years ago and now run marathons but I’m still a sprinter at heart. I’m not fast for the first 25 miles but that last mile I gun it and sprint across the finish line; probably means I saved too much.
I would like to be the head of a lion with the body of an antelope. I could stare down my competition and intimidate with my roar and fangs, then prance off in bouncy little antelope steps.
The marmot. ‘Cuz when I see on it means I’m running above treeline.
I love this question…I believe I run like a gazelle, fast and furious… see ya at the finish line.
Great Blue Heron. I know it sounds weird, but I feel like I’m flying when I’m running. And I have long legs and somewhat knobby knees.
I run like a turtle. I’m not fast, but I’m steady. I can go for miles and miles and miles.
A snow leopard. They’re very rare which pretty much describes the frequency of my running lately. They don’t thrive in captivity. I’m always happiest when I’m in their habitat – the mountains, and if there’s snow to run on that’s even better. They cover great distances but move quickly when the time comes – I like mountain hundreds and track workouts.
While many folks call me “goat,” I run like one of the most trail worthy animals out there – the human. The human evolved to be able to run across hill and dale. The species’ endurance is legendary. While not the swiftest of creatures, there a few land animals that the human cannot run into a state of exhaustion. Extensive and readily accessible energy stores, bipedal locomotion, and excellent thermoregulation give the human great advantages. For example, my well-developed and amply-padded gluteus maximus both power me down the trail and provide me with a nearly endless energy source.
Not only is the human chock full of unique physical adaptations, it’s keen mind gives it another advantage that’s almost unfair. The ability to strategize regarding pace, nutrition, hydration, and competition ensures that the human can make optimal use of his or her physique and at times make the human appear super-human.
Use of tools while running prolongs the human’s endurance and range, while enhancing the human’s senses. Attachment of protective and cushioning elements to the human’s feet allow it to run further than it’s feet would allow. Sunglasses allow the runner to run in blinding light while lighting systems permit the human to run undaunted through the night. Hydration systems and packs give the human the option of running where there’s no water or food to be had. Like those humans, I like to use tools while running, too.
Having evolved as a societal animal, a human teams up with others of its kind to take on tasks greater than he or she could on their own. Like humans, I rely on race directors, volunteers, crews, and pacers at times while trail running. In addition, I join up with individuals and packs to move more quickly towards our goals.
Oh, to be human!
I run like my dog Tanker after he stole my sandwich!
I run like an antelope – out of control.
is your odggie Tanker an irish-wolfhound/labrador mix sorta looking doggie? if so, did you adopt him from oasis sanctuary? if so, can you email me at rosaphilia2012@aol.com?
i know your doggie if the above is so and would like to see him once again.
I run like a girrafe. I have long legs and while running I look beautiful/elegant and kind of strange all at the same time.