Monday 27 October 2008

Buck or Bear with me...

Since I got my Dirty Girl Gators from Mr. Q's weight loss challenge, I've been doing a lot more trail running.

Saturday morning I tried to get out for a run before my Open House. It was reasonably warm and I really love running in bush in the fall, but again I was delayed by phone calls and my Saturday 8:30 phone date with my dad...so by the time I got out the door it was raining.


I finally got out and headed into the bush and ran, it was exhilarating...I just love it.
Running on the trails out of the rain, listening to the sounds in the forest, the smell of the earth, rotting leaves and deep humus...ah, Mother Nature.

I live on an peninsula the juts into the Ottawa River, in the middle is the Torbolton Forest. A fantastic spot to hike, Nordic ski in the winter and trail run the rest of the season. It is also very popular with the snowmobilers.

As I headed out of the bush on my way back home, I headed towards the dirt road that would lead me back towards my place, I noticed a really strong odour. Knowing that often people would trailer in their horses and go for a ride through the forest, at first I didn't think anything of it. With the heavy air, I just figured it was quiet pungent, but, this was NOT a horse...


Once I got out onto the dirt road I headed back up the hill when I heard it.
FFFAHRUMPPFHHH, then I heard it again,

and again,

and again.

Very soft, very methodical, very menacing. What is it?? Do I throw myself down prone onto the muddy road? Do I start yelling, do I stand still and continue to listen? What do you do when you are alone on a deserted road, in the middle of a forest?


Was it a another runner goofing around? Was it a dog snuffling in the fallen leaves?

I was now parallel to the sound, I stopped running and started to walk backwards.

If it was a buck, I could probably scare it by shouting,
but if it was a bear, I would probably faint dead away.
And if it was a bear, I would have sooner seen it coming towards me than feeling the back of my scalp being peeled away if it came up from behind....gawd, what DO YOU DO?

So walking backwards really quickly I kept thinking, geez, now what?
Luckily a car came over the horizon of the hill and was heading in the direction of the noise...then I saw the brake lights come on!!!

Whatever it was, had been coming out of the bush.....holy crapiolla....



When I saw the tail lights, I took off like a shot....and blasted my way home. It was the fastest 5K I've ever run, 24 minutes....Holy Crap.

To this moment, I don't know if it was a buck or a bear, but you can be sure that for my run on Sunday, I stuck to the main roads...

Life's fun if you don't weaken,

Lily

14 comments:

Mel-2nd Chances said...

HOLY CRAP is right!!!!!!! congrats on the PR though LOL Glad you're safe :D

Anonymous said...

Scary. Maybe it's a yeti? At least I'm pretty sure the shape chasing me is human...

Anonymous said...

YIKES!! stick to the roads girlfriend! and it's hunting season in two weeks so break out the orange running gear if you stick to the woods eh?
Run safe... have fun.

T

Amy said...

OMG - the perils of running in the wilderness!!! I would have freaked!

Wes said...

Another bonus to living and running in the Great White North :-) Way to get your speed work in!!

Marlene said...

This is why I'm afraid of trail running! (Well, one of the reasons...)

It sure got ya moving though! Congrats on the super speedy run!

BeachRunner said...

Very KEWL. In a spooky, mysterious, holy S-scary, loch ness monstery kind of way, I wonder what it was. Maybe the joke is all on us and it was a really fat squirrel.

Vickie said...

I've been cornered by a six point buck before and that's scary enough! They do attack you know! So watch yourself in those woods! Its the crazy time of the year for deer and maybe bear too trying to find a place to hibernate.

Unknown said...

First Dusty and now you - using wild animals to enhance your speedwork. I'm not sure, but I think that's cheating. ;-)

Runner Leana said...

Holy crap indeed! Funny how the threat of bears makes us faster. That has definitely happened to me before...

Meg said...

Oh my gosh, that's scary! I probably would have cried!

Laurel said...

WOW! That's so scary! I can't believe it took a bear/buck to get you a PR!!! LOL! That's a super fast time though!

Judi said...

Maybe it was an alien!

Stuart said...

I know Gaiters are bare necessities, but that’s ridiculous!