October is Squirrel Awareness Month
Capybaras and chipmunks only get one "Appreciation Day" per year, but squirrels get 31
You’ve probably heard that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month… but it turns out there’s more than one thing we need to be aware of this month (besides me reminding me to schedule your mammogram if you have boobs).
October is also Squirrel Awareness Month. 🐿️
This festive month-long rodent celebration was founded by someone after he’d had not one, but three starry-eyed encounters with squirrels.
Learning this made me remember a story I read a few years ago.
Unlike the founder of the Squirrel Lover’s Club, the protagonist did not enjoy an enchanting cross-species exchange of communication...
He needed police intervention because he was being chased.
Can you imagine making that 911 call?
You're out for a walk, minding your own business, noticing how colorful the leaves are when suddenly – a tiny ball of fur with razor-sharp teeth comes flying at you out of nowhere.
It sounds like the plot of some B-grade horror movie… and yet it happens!
In fact, the year before, police in Brooklyn were warning people away from a particularly bloodthirsty squirrel who attacked 5 people in a week.
So in the event that you ever find yourself chased by a pocket-sized predator, you wouldn’t be the first person to call the authorities for help.
But you’re not just gonna stand there waiting, are you?
Please tell me you’re not.
Because I can help you breathe better while you're fleeing for your life. Or, you know, just trying to finish a 5K without combusting or collapsing in a heap of sweat.
Let's dive into the wild world of running and breathing. 🏃➡️
The Squirrelly Truth About Running and Breathing
Most of us are doing it wrong. The breathing part, I mean. (Although if you're running from a squirrel, you might be doing that wrong too. Have you tried offering it a nut?)
When we run, we tend to take short, shallow breaths that barely fill the top of our lungs. Breathing this way helps kick our nervous system into gear. We’re literally fueling the flight part of “fight or flight”.
But it’s a lot like trying to fuel a Ferrari with a thimble of regular unleaded gas – it doesn’t cut it. If your lungs could talk, they’d tell you they’re appalled.
So, what's an oxygen-deprived runner to do?
1. Get Your Belly in on the Action
Remember when you were a kid and used to make your belly stick out like you'd swallowed a beach ball? You still can do that… you just probably haven’t tried lately.
As you inhale during your run, let your belly expand outward. No need to force it — just go to a point it feels comfortable. Then the exhale, let your belly fall back in naturally.
This engages your diaphragm, which allows you to take in more oxygen with each breath and to use your lungs more efficiently.
2. Find Your Cadence
Running is all about rhythm, and your breath should be too.
This is called cadence breathing, which is a name I’ve been called more than once in my life. (Cadence, Candice - I can see that, and I’ve been called far worse.)
What cadence? It’s up to you.
Some runners swear by a 3:2 ratio (inhale for three steps, exhale for two), while others prefer a 2:2 or 4:4 pattern. Experiment with different rhythms to find what works for you.
If you’re just starting out with this, I recommend trying a 3:3 rhythm. As you pick up your pace or intensity, you might want to shorten it.
The key is to find a breath pattern that feels natural and doesn't leave you gasping like a fish out of water. Unless, of course, you're being chased by a particularly persistent squirrel. Then all bets are off.
3. Use Your Nose
Want to completely revolutionize your running experience?
It’s simple: breathe through your nose. 🐽
I know, I know. It sounds too simple to be true.
But nasal breathing filters and warms the air before it hits your lungs, reducing the risk of exercise-induced asthma and other respiratory issues that you can experience with mouth breathing.
Plus, it helps you maintain a more steady pace and prevents you from hyperventilating (i.e. overbreathing and completely gassing yourself out) – which is super helpful when you're trying to outrun tiny woodland creatures.
Now if you haven’t tried it before, you’ll probably discover pretty quickly that breathing through your nose while you run isn’t easy. It’s natural to want to open your mouth… kinda like a squirrel, waiting to take a giant bite of your ankle acorn.
Hence, we start small.
First work on nasal-only breathing during your warm-up and cool-down. As you get more comfortable, try to maintain it for longer periods during your run. I’m a big fan of gamifying the experience and asking myself, can I keep it closed until I get to X [some upcoming landmark]?
Before you know it, you'll get used to it – and you might even outpace those pesky squirrels.
Actually, never mind that last part… squirrels can run 20 miles an hour. 🤯
The Finish Line: Putting It All Together
Good breathing is like a good pair of running shoes – it can take some time to get used to it. Be patient with yourself as you practice. You might not remember these principles or feel like using them 100% of the time, and that’s fine.
Some quality breathing is better than no quality breathing when it comes to these techniques, so just keep practicing.
Because who knows? With your newfound breathing superpowers, you might just become the stuff of legend in the squirrel community.
"Don't mess with that human," they'll whisper in their little squirrel gatherings. "Their breathing game is too strong."
The Last Gasp
"I don't jog. If I die, I want to be sick." – Abe Lemons
Have you ever had a close encounter with wildlife on a run? I’d love to hear about it in the comments!