The "Pace" of Mother Nature

recriger

So this morning I get up at my normal run time. The alarm goes off at 4:10 am and I am on the road by 5:00 am; you can take a guess as to the quality of my sunlight. NADA. I normally wear a sleeve-less shirt to jog but it was 40 degrees this morning so I wore a Duo Dry shirt. Since this shirt is thinner than my normal clothing I noticed that my water bottle was leaking since my back was cold in one little spot.

At the same time that I am fidgeting with the bottle to fix the plug I am looking over my shoulder to check for traffic so I can cross the road. The start of my run has no sidewalks so I run against traffic (yeah, traffic at 5:00 am :huh: ), around 400 meters later the sidewalk starts on the right side of the road so I have to cross.

I am looking over my right shoulder as I cross the road and I see something flash in my periphery. When I lived in Iowa I was able to make several plaster castings of Mountain Lion tracks in my back yard; this flash must have been tan in color:noway: . You all know that irrational experience or fear that makes your heart skip a beat...or a couple. That is what this was. I knew that even though there are a couple hundred acres of woods around, the area I live and jog in is a suburb dating back to the late 1800's. Well established. There aren't any mountain lions...I hope.

So I cross the last 10 meters to the sidewalk in what felt like 2 steps (I didn't want to get hit by a car AND eaten by a lion; that's just a bad morning any way you cut it) and I whip around to my left (running sideways) to get a look at my "attacker". Guess what... It wasn't a Mountain Lion. There was about a 100 pound doe that had been spooked out of the woods running in the same direction as I was, but on the side of the road I had just left. As we are both running down the road she looks over at me with one of those "WTF are you" expressions (??you stupid humans run for fun??).

We continue running down the road staring at each other for another 60-70 meters. After that distance it appears that she gained satisfaction that this tubby human was no match for her and stood no chance of catching, and eating her. With no effort what-so-ever her speed nearly tripled and she crossed in front of me and disappeared into the woods.

I shook my head at both the grace of her running and the oddity of the interaction, then continued on down the road adjusting the damn cap on my leaky bottle and listening to the Beasty Boys for another two and a half miles. One of my best run times to date I'll let you know.:bigsmile:

Had any good run-in's yourself??

coliema

Aww Hahaha, sounds like a good run!

recriger

Aww Hahaha, sounds like a good run!

It was. I think I need to run into her every morning. First time that I didn't have to stop due to a gut splitting cramp. I think, perhaps, she was good luck.:happy:

coliema

Aww Hahaha, sounds like a good run!

It was. I think I need to run into her every morning. First time that I didn't have to stop due to a gut splitting cramp. I think, perhaps, she was good luck.:happy:

I love Nature. I can't run in the mornings anymore though, it's so cold here now.

mfanyafujo

Sounds so cool! Just don't get hit by a deer. Apparently it's a lot more painful without the car.

Had any good run-in's yourself??

Deer, bobcats, alligators, wild pigs.... the list continues, but those stand out more.

toriaenator

definitely have had my deer experiences; except i once ran into a vicious one (baby nearby) so it was quite creepy. otherwise rabbits, or just neighbors/teachers/friends/crushes which is always super awkward (oh hiiii dont mind my sweaty self half naked in a sports bra) ^^

LeenaRuns

My most exciting run was a 10-miler where I found an empty box of Trojans, Smirnoff nippers, and zip ties...

Chenoachem

Great post. Thanks for sharing. All I run into are stray cats.

jgm379

Are you a writer. That sounded like something out of a book. Very descriptive. I too run with deer. I run miles of trails behind my property thru a hunting club in the evening. I do not run in the evening or the morning during hunting season. LOL.

recriger

Sounds so cool! Just don't get hit by a deer. Apparently it's a lot more painful without the car.

Had any good run-in's yourself??

Deer, bobcats, alligators, wild pigs.... the list continues, but those stand out more.

I'm told that indeed it is painful. I have a cousin that hit a deer several years back. He got out of his work van to see if he killed it or not. Turns out, no, he hadn't. He just stunned it. The deer proceeded to get up and kick his *kitten*, went him to the hospital for 50 stitches. Split his chest open when it kicked him. Those deer are bad *kitten*!! Hee hee.

recriger

Are you a writer. That sounded like something out of a book. Very descriptive. I too run with deer. I run miles of trails behind my property thru a hunting club in the evening. I do not run in the evening or the morning during hunting season. LOL.

Thank you, but no I'm definately no writer (I misspelled "maybe" as "maby" for years). I've flirted with the idea of improving my skills a few times, but since I basically failed grade school I realize that grammer is not my strong suit. My wife says I'm too opinionated and teases me about publishing a book about how others should think. Sheesh!

coliema

Are you a writer. That sounded like something out of a book. Very descriptive. I too run with deer. I run miles of trails behind my property thru a hunting club in the evening. I do not run in the evening or the morning during hunting season. LOL.

Thank you, but no I'm definately no writer (I misspelled "maybe" as "maby" for years). I've flirted with the idea of improving my skills a few times, but since I basically failed grade school I realize that grammer is not my strong suit. My wife says I'm too opinionated and teases me about publishing a book about how others should think. Sheesh!

I agree, it was very well written!

recriger

Are you a writer. That sounded like something out of a book. Very descriptive. I too run with deer. I run miles of trails behind my property thru a hunting club in the evening. I do not run in the evening or the morning during hunting season. LOL.

Thank you, but no I'm definately no writer (I misspelled "maybe" as "maby" for years). I've flirted with the idea of improving my skills a few times, but since I basically failed grade school I realize that grammer is not my strong suit. My wife says I'm too opinionated and teases me about publishing a book about how others should think. Sheesh!

I agree, it was very well written!

And thank you as well. Such an emotional roller coaster of a day. I almost get eaten by a deer, I complete a 3 mile run and now you are going to make me blush.

Phera

It's surprising since I live in the middle of L.A. but I've seen coyotes, skunks, deer, and raccoons in my neighborhood.

MD1978

There are a couple of rabbits who like to run along side of me in the morning.....I guess I must be their tortoise. I've also encountered wild horses, an owl and heard coyotes. I like early runs once I force myself out of bed:-)

cmriverside

What a great story, and you are a great story-teller. Glad someone bumped this today.

I walked for 45 minutes along the shoreline of Puget Sound one day about 30 yards from a full-grown Gray Whale (they feed in the shallows). I don't think he/she knew I was there - but it was the coolest walk ever.