almost hit by a deer

-



I see deer all the time on my runs. There are woods near my home so they cross the street and come into my neighborhood on a regular basis. Sometimes there are enough of them that I can smell them before I turn a corner. Naturally we all keep our distance.


But today a doe broke the respectful distance policy.


One dear trotted across the road as I headed out on my run. It stopped and I slowed down to make I contact, but what I thought was eye contact actually was her looking beyond me giving signal to some of her girlfriends still on the other side of the street. They were so quiet I didn't know they were there until one darted right in front of me.

I felt a bit terrified by the close call. Another 2 feet forward and things would my run would have ended differently than I would have hoped. The emergency department would really start to wonder.... First I hit a parked car and then get hit by a deer. They would start calling me Job.

As things turned out, I finished my run without any other excitement. Nice and boring just the way it should be.


Popular posts from this blog

Heart and Mind are Hemming and Hawing

-
Image
I am in a constant state of framing and reframing just what my next move is for this weekend. Strikes against the marathon: 1. Diminished fitness  2. Calf niggles continue 3. Facial fractures 4. Poor practice with nutrition And yet it's tough to to leave it on the line at this point.  The race organizers say I can downgrade (perhaps "modify my registration" or "Transfer" are gentler words) to the half marathon until the close of the expose (Saturday afternoon) So if i scratch the marathon what do I have left.  A 3 month masters class in endurance to draw from sometime down the road? A plaque that says, "love the process?" I'm not at the point of resignation yet, but I'm getting there with some reflection. Perhaps I rushed signing up for a marathon when a half-marathon would have be suffient with aims as Chicago in 2026 and the Boston in 2027. Its interesting how on track I was 4 weeks ago and how quickly things unraveled.  Alright so I run the ...
Read more

hot

-
Image
 It's blistering hot. I got home from work last night sorta late, but got a full nights sleep and resolved to do a 10 miler. The weather through the night passed, but still threatened downpour. That would have been a welcome relief. The morning just got hotter and hotter mile after mile. I tried to stay hydrated and maintain some semblance of pace even if not as intense as other runs.  Now that I've run through a harsh winter, I think I prefer the cold, even the freezing, to the heat. I feel like I get duped into thinking the summer running will be pleasant, but then the reality it strains my body more than I expect. I suppose I just need to acclimate. Adjust the expectations. Leave the house know that I'll be running in a sauna. I hear all the pros are using saunas these days. 
Read more

All the feels

-
Image
There is a little incline at mile 3 of the Glass City Marathon and a turn into a boisterous cheering crowd. It happened for me about 22 minutes into the race.  Today the chill of the morning and perfect light made this moment the one where I teared up inside, and a little outside. It's been a long winter. It's been a long past 4 weeks. But in that moment I remembered the joy of participating in an endurance race. It might not have been the 26.2 I wanted or planned, but the overwhelming sense of accomplishment against the challenges surfaced as the crowd rang cowbells, held signs with silly phrases, and yelled words of encouragement. I didn't know a single person on the sidelines today, but it didn't matter to them and it didn't matter to me.  Over the course of this training cycle I've experienced a slew of emotions. I learned to feel the feels no matter how they came: Wonder Hope Disappointment Discouragement Resolve Satisfaction Pride Optimism Frustration Wear...
Read more