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Home > Forum > Triathlon Forum > Blue Birds made my day Monday

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Blue Birds made my day Monday
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RockyMtnChic
Aug 13, 08 11:23
Post #1 of 11 (2368 views)
So I was out for a run on my lunch hour on Monday - one of my more difficult runs around here - pretty much goes from 8800 feet to 9900 in 2.2 miles, then turn around and go back down hill. It's pretty, it painful (but getting easier), and I suck at running (that running thread about being so slow you get stung by a bee, or attacked by birds, etc.).

Anyways - I'm nearing the end of the run and along the fence line are 3 blue birds - they shadowed me for a good 10 minutes, when I'd get close to them they would fly from one fence post down about 4 then wait for me to get closer... Always had a blue bird either flying to the next post or watching me. I love it! I've had them shadow me on bikes too. Just makes the day better I guess. It was a great end to a great run...

Anyone else have any cool things happen with nature while out training?
**********************
Harry: "I expected the Rocky Mountains to be a little rockier than this."
Loyd: "I was thinking the same thing. That John Denver's full of shit, man."
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Re: Blue Birds made my day Monday [RockyMtnChic] [ In reply to ]
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hbog12
Aug 13, 08 11:51
Post #2 of 11 (2360 views)
on my runs, which are exclusively on trails here in Boise...

we have some Red-Tail Hawks that live in the big trees behind our house on the edge of the preserve (trail system). the hawks LOVE to have my Lab "follow" / chase them. they will swoop around and get him to chase after him. it's pretty funny to watch and he loves to go after them.

the coyotes, which are super aggressive, i snap him on a leash as fast as possible. they will bark like mad to get his attention and try to get him to chase him. right now they are having kits and very territorial, and dangerous as heck. my friends GSP has been bitten and attacked several times by them in the past.

i see wildlife on a daily basis, some good, some not so good, but all very cool.
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Re: Blue Birds made my day Monday [sto] [ In reply to ]
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RockyMtnChic
Aug 13, 08 11:56
Post #3 of 11 (2358 views)
In Reply To:
i see wildlife on a daily basis, some good, some not so good, but all very cool.
I'm completely paranoid about mountain lions and bears. A St. Bernard gave me a quick bear scare last week - his human was out of site and he came lumbering around a corner. I nearly peed my pants! I steal my neighbors dog to run when I go on certain roads/trails. Too many mountain lion sightings and it just creeps me out!
**********************
Harry: "I expected the Rocky Mountains to be a little rockier than this."
Loyd: "I was thinking the same thing. That John Denver's full of shit, man."
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Re: Blue Birds made my day Monday [RockyMtnChic] [ In reply to ]
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hbog12
Aug 13, 08 12:26
Post #4 of 11 (2355 views)
no bears, but in the winter, oh hell yeah, i have "cougar fear" in a BIG way. too hot for them in the summer here, so they are not a threat, but they come into town in the winter. my neighbor had a hanging elk carcass pulled down from his gargage and dragged about 1/4 mile into the brush this winter. fish and game said they only thing big enough would have been a mtn. lion. FRUCK!

anyhow, when i run in the pre-dawn hours in the morning, i am ALWAYS listening and looking. in fact, it freaks me out quite a bit to run in twilight and when I am the only person out there and can't hear or see much. i hope my 80# Lab is a good reason why i've never seen one. i hear they are afraid of dogs.
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Re: Blue Birds made my day Monday [RockyMtnChic] [ In reply to ]
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JenSw
Aug 13, 08 12:34
Post #5 of 11 (2352 views)
We have Bald Eagles at my house and at the lake I swim at. They do flybys and their wingspan is awe inspiring. Scary when you see how big the feet and claws are though. They could do a lot of damage.

There is a park I run in and see quite a few deer. There are also bear and mtn. lion so I haven't been there in quite a while, too scared!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Jen

"In order to keep a true perspective on one's importance, everyone should have a dog that worships him and a cat that will ignore him." - Dereke Bruce
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Re: Blue Birds made my day Monday [jenhs] [ In reply to ]
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LovePugs
Aug 13, 08 13:37
Post #6 of 11 (2343 views)
Not sure if this is cool or not...

One day I was riding home and saw a coyote on the other side of the road. I'm used to seeing them, but they usually run the other way. Well today this one looked me right in the eye and didn't move. I got closer and he was still staring right at me... not too sure what to do at this point so I stood up on my bike to look big, pulled my water bottle out just in case, but he decided to cross to my side of the road and run after me! Well holy s*^t I had no idea what to do so I sprinted to what must have been Zone 6+.. he gave up and went the other way.

I named him Reggie.

A few days later I was running and saw who I thought was Reggie again since he stared right at me and started walking toward me. I picked up some rocks and ran by him, all the while he's staring right at me with no fear.

I see him every so often and say hi...




Come crawling faster
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Re: Blue Birds made my day Monday [RockyMtnChic] [ In reply to ]
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Matt B
Aug 13, 08 13:59
Post #7 of 11 (2335 views)
A couple of years back a friend of mine and I drove out to the country to get some hill running in. Our route took us past a quarter horse farm and for nearly half a mile we had about 20 horses running the fence line with us. They looked really disappointed when they reached the end of their pasture. :(
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Re: Blue Birds made my day Monday [RockyMtnChic] [ In reply to ]
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swimlinz
Aug 13, 08 14:04
Post #8 of 11 (2333 views)
The first evening I had my roadbike (previously used mountain bikes..), I took it out on a local trail. About 3 miles in, I had a small fox running beside me as I rode, about 6 feet away. It was hopping through the brush, so I wasn't too scared. Then, about 2 miles later, after the fox had disappeared, I saw a deer standing perpendicular to me in the trail. I figured he'd move, having a bike speeding at it (and no headlights to paralyze.) Nope. Stayed still. Slammed on my brakes and stopped about 5 feet from this massive creature. We stood there staring at each other for about 45 seconds. I yelled at him "Will you PLEASE MOVE off the trail??? Its rude to block traffic!" I thought the runner who was coming towards the deer from the opposite direction was going to pee himself from laughing so hard at me. The deer moved though. :)
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Re: Blue Birds made my day Monday [RockyMtnChic] [ In reply to ]
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Alibabwa
Aug 13, 08 14:22
Post #9 of 11 (2326 views)
At the Peach Classic oly in Penticton last month I was having a horrendously bad ride (biking over Richter two days before didn't do my legs any favours). As I was cresting a hill a rider coming towards me yelled "Deer!", which confused me until I got to the top and saw a totally freaked out deer determined to get across the road. I got there just in time to see it judge the gap perfectly and scoot across, scaring the heck out of riders heading in both directions. A few minutes later, at the bottom of a hill, a kamakazi coyote did its best to stick its head in the spokes of the bike in front of me.

I've never seen wildlife in a race so it was pretty cool, especially as no one was hurt (human or animal). I totally forgot I was having a bad day and enjoyed the rest of the ride.
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Re: Blue Birds made my day Monday [RockyMtnChic] [ In reply to ]
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RunMomRun
Aug 13, 08 14:36
Post #10 of 11 (2324 views)
Not my story, but happened to a friend of mine & is a legendary story in the town I live among roadies.

A group of about 5 riders were heading back from a ride through a local park that spans about 5 miles. There are TONS of geese that live in this park and on this particular day it was no different. Friend "Al" says to the group he's riding with, 'want to hear my goose call'. They all laughed and said sure. As Al is doing his very best goose call three geese hear him and take off after the riders. The geese flew into the group's line and completed a perfect "V" shape formation (as geese fly) with the riders and at their shoulder height. So imagine, one line of the "V" are human and the other line are geese, all honking away. They flew like this for over 2 miles before the geese decided they were finished flying with the riders and flew along their way.

I would have given ANYTHING to see that happen. I get to hear the story so often though it almost feels like I was there.
____________________________
Life is Short...Run Long
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Re: Blue Birds made my day Monday [RockyMtnChic] [ In reply to ]
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Smil'n Hawaiian
Aug 13, 08 17:08
Post #11 of 11 (2304 views)
Yesterday, during my ocean swim at Lover's Point, I had 3-4 harbor seals basically swim with me my entire swim. They were staying unusually close, within 10-15 feet most of the time, just swimming underneath or beside me. I would occasionally stop and wave underwater at them, or give them a "whoop whoop" out of the water. One breach no more than 5 ft in front of me, so cool, he was completely out of the water.

I've posted this before here on slowtwich...on a run from Lover's Point towards the Monterey Aquarium, I was pursued and almost attacked by a deer. Damn thing looked possessed.

Chris
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Chris
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“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!”
― Hunter S. Thompson,
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