I live in Northern VA and there are lots and lots of Civil War battlefields here and there. Twice now while running on this trail I like to run on a lot (WO&D), I have come across 3 men dress up to the hilt in Civil War attire. It is sort of freaky. They totally looked the part of what you would expect them to look like including funky beards. Anyway I felt like I was in the twilight zone and they were ghosts from the past.
Another time coming over a hill and was chased by 6 or 7 dogs. The funny/weird thing was the one leading the charge had 3 legs.
As I was finishing an early morning run, I had a women run up to me on the trail and ask if I’d take the two zuchinni she had in her hands. She had brought them from her garden for her running partner, who stood her up. I accepted them graciously.
i had a llama take a liking to me on a ride once. he ran alongside and when he came to the end of his field he jumped his fence to come see me. his name was larry.
At the end of a big volume week while doing a long brick, I was 2 hours into a run on a quiet country road. It was hot day and I was feeling drained and very tired. Along comes a vehicle heading down the road towards me. As it gets closer, I notice that it a three-wheeled car and closer still notice that the driver is in full clown makeup. He honks and waves at me as he passes.
Strangely, this is not the first clown I have seen while training. Was also doing a ride the same year when I was passed by a station wagon with four clowns in it.
A friend of mine and I were running in a state park in my community a couple of years ago. We were doing a pretty hard tempo run, and about a quarter of the way into our run, three deer hopped out of the woods a few yards in front of us. They crossed the road immediately, and left us kind of looking at each other. But there was a straggler – a fourth deer came out of the same place, but hung a left and stayed on our side of the road. She was probably 30 yards in front of us, and she just galloped down the road. After 100 or so yards, she turned right and crossed over. She was so close to us that we could smell her when we got to where she crossed the road. Our encounter only lasted a few seconds, but it was very cool. For that brief period of time, it was like we were running with a herd of deer. Never felt that fast before, or since.
back in hs, i lived near some woods, even though my area was pretty overdeveloped. i woke up at 5am one morning, trying to get a headstart on my day 'cause i wouldn’t have time to run after school. about 2 minutes into my run, i found myself being stared down by about 6-7 deer. there was a pause, and then they took off into the woods. very ghostly.
Just finishing from an ocean swim with Honey Bunny and another friend, a reef shark about 4’ long is circling around and has a big ol’ hook in its mouth, adding to it’s menacing look. As we pause, tread water to watch this, we all suddenly realize that dangling our legs and feet over a shark probably isn’t the smartest thing, and quickly swim the last 50 yards in, keeping one eye on the shark.
I live in Calgary, Alberta, but I do a lot of mountain rides (I used used to live in Canmoe, AB). I have seen deer, 2 grizzly bears, at least 2 black bears, mountain goat, and have been stopped by elk in the road many times.
A few years ago, I had my weirdest wildlife sighting. I was riding on a relatively popular highway in interior BC (near Salmon Arm), and there was a woman on a tractor “mowing” her large field on a tractor. As I got closer, you could tell that she was topless. As I was riding right by her (She was right next to the road), it was clear that she was bottomles, as well. It was a bumpy field, and there was plenty ‘o jigglin’ going on!
I live in Northwest Florida, which is visited every year by tons of tourists. Well, last year (2003), during the spring break time frame I was doing a morning run. There were only a couple of cars on the road, and two girls drove by me and flashed me. I have been flashed many times, but that was the first time while running.
I ran over the feet of a fox once on my bike. It was trotting along the side of the road, was crossing the road when traffic cleared, suddenly heard me, turned and ran toward my bike. I could not steer away so I just tried to keep going and not fall over as I ran over it. I am pretty sure it only its feet as I looked back and saw it limping away with one leg up like a dog does when you steep on one of its feet. Amazingly no damage to the bike, and I did not fall when it happened.
Well, the absolute weirdest thing would have to be last year when I was going for a bike ride. About two miles from the house, I’m cruising down the road, and I see a dildo in a plastic zip-lock bag lying on the street.
The freakiest thing that I have ever seen was when I was mountain biking in North Conway, NH, a couple of years ago. I was riding down this new trail called the Clear Cut Trail(because it ran along a big swath of forest that had just been clear cut, if that wasn’t obvious) and I keep hearing branches breaking behind me. I figured it was other riders just out of sight. I get to the clear cut area and see two huge moose running through the woods, not more than 100 yards away from me. They stood there staring at me, and me at them, for a few minutes. I waited until they moved off and then rode on, but I was pretty freaked out. It didn’t help that I kept hearing gunshots off in the distance.
BTW, regarding the dildo, it was gone when I rode by on the way home.
I raced a turkey vulture once for about twenty-five yards. He was flying rigth at head level about an arms reach away. I didn’t dare get out of the aero bars. I remember seeing it looked like he had a little bit of dead (and I do mean DEAD!) meat hanging out of his mouth. My only thought, “I qwonder if I’m next?”
Those things are freakin big, ugly birds up close.
I live in Northwest Florida, which is visited every year by tons of tourists. Well, last year (2003), during the spring break time frame I was doing a morning run. There were only a couple of cars on the road, and two girls drove by me and flashed me. I have been flashed many times, but that was the first time while running.
My experience does not compare to some of these postings, but here goes. One morning I was just finishing a long and fairly steep climb on my bike. Just as I was about to crest the top a possum litterally came at me, baring its teeth and all. I was very startled, needless to say I have had dogs come after me before but never a possum.
I spent a couple years as a Peace corps volunteer in SE Africa and when I ran, kids would follow you for miles! Barefoot, of course, and they wouldn’t get winded at all. With a dozen random kids following you through the countryside, you start to feel like the Pied Piper!
Now I am in Montana and ots of mountain bikers hit deer and even moose and even bears! I know several mountain bikers who hit deer and were injured!
-TB
We swam with dolphins last year 3 days before Hawaii. There were a lot of people pre-swimming the course and about 1000 yards straight off shore toward the turn bouy, there was a school of about 10 dolphins. I first saw a few below me and then looked right and there were a few about 8 feet to my right swimming the other way. The local safety folks on boards were suprised. They said dolphins rarely swim that close to shore. We went back the next day with my sister, she wanted to see them, but they were nowhere to be found.
Riding along a trail in farm country , I was held up for several minutes as a herd of cows crossed the trail in single file from one field to another. Most ignored me but a bunch stopped on the trail and stared at me before continuing across. Not knowing much about cows, I didn’t dare try to cut between any to get on with the ride because I thought that might piss 'em off and cause them to chase me. Also when they were staring me down I wondered if they were getting ready to run after me. In the end I guess they had more important things to worry about than chasing after some guy on a bike.