Random find: snake sprinter
 

I just read that the Black Mamba can reach a top speed of 24 km/h.

That is 400 m/min. That is 15 seconds over 100 meters.

When I was at school, I did jogging and long distance and orientation running. Endurance over longer distance was okay for me, but I never were a sprinter - running fast was what I was not made for. I took short of 14 seconds over 100m.

To imagine that I try to run away from that reptile, but cannot.

That made me say "Gulp!"

Hopefully that's only for very short distances, like pouncing its prey :o

If I had a Black Mamba chasing me, I think I could do the 100m in exactly 14.9 seconds.

It is all about the motivation. :D

I guess I am canceling that east African vacation I had planned...

There are more than snakes to be vigilant if you are going to Africa,:up:

Yikes. :o

All I can do is pass along the wisdom that was passed along to my father when he was growing up lo these many years ago, and then passed along to me. My pop was born in mountain country in 1918 and once asked a local old-timer what he should do if he was out in the woods and found himself being chased by a bear.

The old-timer told him he could try to outrun it if it was far enough away, but if all else failed he should just throw poop* at it.

"But... where am I going to get poop?" my father asked.

"Just reach around," the old-timer answered, "it'll be there."





*Not the actual word used in the story, much to my mother's dismay when she overheard him telling it to me. :O:

Of course that leads to the other Old Tale:

Son: If I see a bear, should I climb a tree?

Dad: No. That won't work. You need to run as fast as you can.

Son: Dad, nobody can outrun a bear!

Dad: You don't have to outrun the bear, you just have to outrun the guy you're with!

Well said :up:

@ both SS & FK, :haha:

Precisely...or being faster than the guy alongside you :DL