Runners of all levels love to take part in 5K races, which are 3.1 miles or 5 kilometers long. This distance is a favorite for both new and experienced runners. It is short enough that beginners can build up enough stamina, strength, and skill to be ready to race in just a few months, but it is still hard enough for faster runners who compete to improve their finish time or win a medal.
Knowing how to train for a 5K and how long it might take you to run it can help you do better and keep you motivated to get better. And while it may seem beautiful and peaceful to run even though there are no cars around, dangers still lurk on the roadways and the most common one is animals.
In a worst-case scenario, though, you could die, but for Rebecca Heasley, her head, ear, and neck were gashed open because a deer that was running into the woods struck Heasley.
According to The Hill, a 5k race dubbed the “Space Race” in Montville Township, Ohio, on October 1 turned into a painful incident involving a deer and a runner.
Heasley from Willowick loves to run, she has been competing in races for years and completed dozens, when she decided to enter the race.
A deer attacked Heasley while she was enjoying the thrill of the race and the beauty of the trails in the great outdoors at Observatory Park in the Geauga Park District.
“I thought I got hit by another runner who just was too close ,I saw blood on my hands and realized it was a bit more severe,” Heasley said.
The deer hit her in the head with its hoof, opening a large cut and nearly ripping her ear off. She also sustained scratches from falling down.
Heasley said, “Honestly stayed calm through the whole thing. I had a moment of freak-out when I found my ear wasn’t where it was supposed to be, but other than that, it was more or less like, ‘If I’m going to freak out, this is going to be much worse than it really is.’”
She decided to get up and walk to the finish line so she could get assistance from emergency medics. “They said it would take a bit of time to get the gurney back, So, I actually walked out to the front of the race. So I finished,” Heasley said.
Despite her injuries, Heasley still plans on participating in races in the future. “I’m not going to let it scare me from getting back out there because it can happen anywhere at this point,” Heasley said. “It’s nature, it happens. You can’t be afraid of it.”
Sources: Westernjournal, Cleveland, Nypost, Thehill
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