Nothing like a nice run in nature. That’s what brings me back, run after run. It’s the combination of running and the elements, although sometime nature tries to dissuade you at times.
We’ve all been chased, nipped at, or accompanied by a stray dog or two; more so in town, but occasionally on the trails. Owners with their dogs off leash saying “he won’t bite,” as the mutt is barking and snapping at your ankles as you run past. Sometimes, the dogs will run along with you as their owners helplessly call trying to call them back.
Dogs are usually the most frequent animal obstacle, but occasionally there have been others. How many of you have had these experiences?
Dive bombing birds attack as they think you’re a threat to their nearby nest. They usually don’t make contact, but they come close enough to be a bit frightening. Maybe this is where Alfred Hitchcock got his idea for the movie, although I can’t picture Hitchcock running anywhere.
Although I’ve never been threatened by coyotes, they can cause me to change course, or at least stop when I see one. One occurrence, I was running to the top of Mt. Diablo (about a 13 mile roundtrip). About a half mile from the top, I spotted a coyote a few yards ahead on the trail. I stopped and waited, but he seemed to be content there. I certainly didn’t want to turn around and go back without making it to the very top. I waited, and finally he moved on. I eventually started back up, made it to the top and finished the run without seeing him again. I did run a bit faster, looking over my shoulder every few steps.
While running in Yosemite valley, I had two brief encounters with bears. One bear was far off the trail, and moving away, but the other was almost right on the trail. As I was running and enjoying the sights, smells and sounds of the valley, I heard a rustling off to the side of the trail. There sat a moderately sized bear. I stopped and the bear looked up. I quickly started walking slowly backwards, retracing my steps. When I was a safe distance, I started running back the way I came. I looked over my shoulder just in time to see the bear running in the opposite direction, looking back over his shoulder at me. I laughed at that sight all the way back to my starting point.
Another run up Mt. Diablo. On my way back down, I spotted two animals coming up the trail in my directions. From a distance, I thought they were dogs, but there were no owners nearby. As they got closer, I recognized they were two wild pigs. I quickly figured I probably couldn’t out run them, so I spotted the nearest tree and climbed as high as I could. A minute later, the two pigs came snorting up the trail, passing the tree and continuing on their merry way. As soon as they were out of sight, I flew out of the tree and sped down the trail away from the two little pigs.
More so then not, my runs take me past cows. The trails I frequent are on park land leased to farmers for grazing cattle. Most of the time the cows are in the fields, but occasionally, they are smack dab in the middle of the trail. I weave my way through them without much fuss or bother. One time though, it was a different story. Little did I know that the farmer was herding his cattle up the trail that I was running down. I turned the corner just in time to see a scene from Rawhide. About 20 or 30 cows running at a good clip right up the trail directly at me. I quickly put on the brakes, turned around, and sprinted back up the trail, with the herd not too far behind. Good way to get some fartlek in, in the middle of a long run.
I’m sure everyone has had their adrenaline raised as they ran along and about landed on a snake slithering across the trail, or sunning itself right in your path. Most of the time they are not dangerous, but still a few time, I’ve heard a distinctive rattle after passing by. That puts some speed in your step!
Once, running in the hills surrounding Cal State Hayward, the silence was broken by a loud, scary yelping sound. As I ran along a narrow footpath, the sound was getting louder. I stopped, not knowing what I’d be running into. I slowly continued. Soon, the mystery was solved. There was the university’s mammal center, and in it was a seal. Who would have though they’d see a seal in the hills of Hayward, California?
Second only to cows, deer are my most frequent friends on the trail. They can give you a quick startle at times, but quickly, and quietly, they prance off through the brush. They give you a quick look, like saying, “have a good run,” and then they are gone.
So remember the Teddy Bear’s picnic, “if you go into the woods today, you’re sure of a big surprise.”