Bit of an odd experience last while training

Triathlon Forum
1

I got out the door last night about 8:40 PM for a short run- 5.5 miles. One lap around the ford Motor Company engineering complex and the Ford Proving Ground next the Greenfield Village and The Henry Ford Museum. Nice route, quiet. A fox lives in the field next to the proving ground and sometimes I see him at night.

Anyway.

At about mile 2 I see some fellow pull down onto the rod, also running. Slightly taller than me, wearing a red cap and a baggy-ish sleeveless white top. Baggy shorts. It’s dark so I really can’t see him too well.

At the intersection of Rotunda and Oakwood I overtake the fellow. He is going about a 9:00 pace and my Forerunner is telling me about 8:10.

It’s dark, the roads are empty. I’m next to the proving ground now on Rotunda. The fellow apparently decides following me is a good idea or perhaps that was his route also- doesn’t matter. He is about 15 feet behind me and up to the left.

There is quite a spectacular storm brewing to the northeast- huge thunderhead I saw before sundown, now spitting out ominous lightening every few seconds but no rain. It is extremely warm and humid. Despite the storm to the northest the wind is utterly still for now.

Mile 3.

I turn north on the Southfield Service Drive, running against traffic but there is none. East perimeter of the proving ground wall. The fellow is still there, the leightening is building. We may get caught in a storm.

Now, this guy is behind, closer now and running up on the grass. I’m in the street. I briefly though about backing off to warn him of the thorns from the trees that fall on the ground up on the grass. I got stabbed in the foot by one a few weeks back. It hurt. Still smarts a little.

I decide not to say anything. Not sure why.

The gate into The Henry Ford comes up so I (we) are turning west on Village road now, entering the area betwee the proving ground and the Village.

The man is still there, ten feet back.

It’s a downhill here and I pick it up a bit- usually do. Later the Garmin told me my 4-5 mile split went down to 7:34. The lightening has taken on a truly powerful character asthough there is a huge electrical short in the sky and it is arcing through the entire night sky.

No sign of the fox.

There is no where to turn off here. To get through this road you either proceed all the way through the village area- about another mile- to the front gate near the engineering compleex or you double back to Southfield the way I (we) came.

As I turn in front of The Henry Ford up by the IMAX theater to cut thorugh the parkig lot I look back to see where the fellow is.

No guy. He disappeared.

I briefly got worried for him and slowed and made a long, concious effort to look back and see if he had just slowed and was jogging through the Village Road out to the gate, back up Oakwood and then, presumably, home.

But, nothing. gone. Vanished.

I went home and told me wife, now you.

If you were that guy let me know. There are a few runners and triathletes- quite a few- in our neighborhood. It seems like if it was someone I knew they may shout out.

Odd.

2

Why did you not say hi? Why not offer to run together?

I know I always wave and say hi to every biker and runner I pass. I am amazed how many just keep staring forward and respond with nothing back.

Dave

3

You think the fox got him?

4

Well, I wasn’t sure what was going on. I always wave on the bike. On the run I tend to be a little more focused. I didn;t want to bug the guy. I mean, I just kind of figured he saw me running and maybe thought, “Oh, I’ll check out where this guy is running…”

I didn’t intend to drop him at all. Matter of fact, I actually signalled my turn into the Village area with hand gesture.

Mostly, I am just a little concerned the guy got back home OK.

With the storm and neither one of us saying anything the whole thing was… eerie.

I know, I know…

5

?

The whole thing was weird.

6

Maybe a ghost? The ghost of Henry Ford?

I don’t know the area, but your description makes it sound like there was really no where him to go but straight past you or to turn around and go back the other way? No side outlets of any kind? No holes in the fence to jump through? Nothing like that?

7

Tom, I know exactly where you are talking about. Was the IMAX open? maybe he just ducked in for water or a call of nature stop. Other possible explanation was he started from there, had parked his car (only good place I can think of to park around there) and just got in his car and drove off.

8

LOL-jeesh, you’re funny!

9

I actually signalled my turn into the Village area with hand gesture.

That is the single gayest thing I have ever read.

Mind you, knowing triathletes, if you can make a carbon run turn indicator system they will all want one and you’ll make a fortune. You could call it the Raptorturn XL and make a pink version for the laydeez

10

Could the dude have simply been doing an out and back? And reached his out point and pulled a U turn?

11

There is a locked gate that goes into the proving ground about 150 meters from the gate leading into The Henry Ford. As you get up near the museum there is a turn-off into a parking area intended for the Village and the Museum. Other than that, walls on either side.

12

I know the area too. Maybe he worked for Ford and was just going out for run to clear his head before he went back into one of those nondescript engineering buildings to get back to designing a car that would sell at a profit :wink:

There is no way out of there so he was either a ghost or he ducked into a building or his car.

I was sitting on my patio about 20 miles away watching that storm. It was one of the more freaky lightning displays I’ve ever seen so I can see why his sudden disappearance would have made your hair stand up a bit. If ever a ghost runner was going to show his face, last night would have been the perfect time.

13

“I didn’t intend to drop him at all. Matter of fact, I actually signalled my turn into the Village area with hand gesture.”

Wow, someone who actually uses turn signals while running. Wish more people would use them when driving.

14

Well, the reality of it has to be something like this:

When I sped up a little bit he may have assumed I was trying to run away from him. Since he was originally going a trifle slower than me before I overtook him at the intersection of Oakwood and Rotunda maybe he had to do a significant effort to stay with me. He was originally going about 9:00 pace, I was going about 8:10.

I figure the guy maybe followed me into the Village, I picked it up on the downhill hext to the windmill before the Wright Cycle Shop and he just decided, “To heck with this guy and the weather is getting menacing…” and he simply did what you said and turned around.

Weird night.

15

The lightening was spectacular. We got no rain from that. None.

My wife was at Target on Ford Road near Greenfield about three mile northeast of there at the same time and said it was absolutely pouring.

16

Tom, is the Village open at night that you can run through? That would be a nice route.

17

Maybe an employee with access to gates/doors you don’t have access to?

18

It sounds like he may have been a ‘‘shape shifter.’’ Which could explain why you didn’t see the fox. :slight_smile:

19

No. There is a guard booth just inside the gate at a gated entrance to the back of the village. They are doing some huge project back there where they are re-routing the Rouge River (no kidding). It has been going on for years. The fox we see lives back in those woods. We usually see him crossing the road around 11:00 PM.

It would be really nice to be able to run back there. It’s pretty and entirely closed to vehicular traffic.

20

Dude.