Weird training encounters

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Weird training encounters

Rickshaw
Runworks 2005 5M Racer
San Francisco, CA
Joined: 26 Nov 2004
Posts: 1157

Weird training encounters Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2004 10:47 am

What's the weirdest encounter you've ever had while out training? I've had plenty of confused people stop me to ask for directions, and crazies in cars shout at me. But I think my strangest experience was during a hard run up a long, steep hill near my home. About half way up, I saw an old woman standing on the sidewalk. As I got closer, she flagged me down. "Young man!" I slowed a bit, and gave her a yes, what do you want look. "Young man!" I slowed still more, with an exaggerated raised eyebrow expression. Oh boy. "Young man!" Now I was at a complete stop, standing next to her. "Are you running up that hill?" "Yeah". I'm wasn't sure how to answer this trick question... "All the way up?" "Uh... yeah." "Well, I have to congratulate you!"

phaedrus

Joined: 26 Nov 2004
Posts: 37

Re: Weird training encounters Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2004 12:18 pm

While visiting Las Vegas once, I went running through the campus of UNLV. I guess they don't get many runners there, because I got a lot of strange looks. I even had one group of women shout "way to go, stud!" in a voice that made it clear they sadly did not recognize my inherent studliness. No one physically assaulted me, though, so I guess that's good.

sfird
Runworks 2005 5M Racer
Long Island, NY
Joined: 10 Dec 2004
Posts: 80

Re: Weird training encounters Posted: Fri Dec 10, 2004 6:33 am

I've had two weird encounters. The first was during a long run early on a Sunday morning. I was running along the Long Island Expressway service road and ran past a guy in a parked car pleasuring himself. This really spooked me and caused me to keep looking over my shoulder the rest of the run. The second was along the same route. A guy on a horse came out of a little wooded area that runs along the service road. We talked as I ran next to the rider and horse for a couple of miles. When I got home I told my wife that I had a one horse power engine!

Rickshaw
Runworks 2005 5M Racer
San Francisco, CA
Joined: 26 Nov 2004
Posts: 1157

Re: Weird training encounters Posted: Fri Dec 10, 2004 9:43 am

sfird wrote:
When I got home I told my wife that I had a one horse power engine!

Heh, that had me laughing out loud!

BGibbsLMT

Southington, CT
Joined: 12 Dec 2004
Posts: 68

Re: Weird training encounters Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2004 8:41 pm

13 miles, 2 hours, 3 deer, 2 hawks, more chipmunks than I could count and a fisher (like a big weasel, not some guy with a pole). No people, no cars.

MaconMoves

Joined: 13 Dec 2004
Posts: 3

Re: Weird training encounters Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2004 7:06 am

One afternoon while I was running past a local college, I was surprised as a red-tailed hawk struck a chipmunk that was no more then 20 feet from where I was. The hawk then took its victim up into a tree and proceeded to eat it. I ran a lot faster the rest of that run. Just glad I'm a lot bigger than a chipmunk and that there are no rocs in my neighborhood. Scott

Rickshaw
Runworks 2005 5M Racer
San Francisco, CA
Joined: 26 Nov 2004
Posts: 1157

Re: Weird training encounters Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2004 10:20 am

That reminds me of an incident that happened around here not too long ago. My memory is sketchy, but as I recall a runner was attacked and killed by a mountain lion. This was in some woods in the suburban area not far south of San Francisco, not a remote wilderness area. A lot of people went out and found new running partners after that.

Bricks
Runworks 2005 5M Racer
Chicago
Joined: 09 Dec 2004
Posts: 222

Re: Weird training encounters Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2004 10:38 am

When visiting my hometown at my parents' over the holidays last year, i was 'pulled over' by police on a run. The car pulled up next to me and rolled down his window. I gave him a glance but kept moving, becuase i was in a nice goove. "Excuse me sir." "Yes?" I answered withour breaking stride. "Could you stop for a second sir?" Officially pulled over now. I politely asked what he wanted. "We recieved a call of a man running through this neighborhood." "That would probably be me" I dumbfoundedly answered. "Do you have an I.D." At this point I had started to loose my patience. "No officer, I don't, I'm out for a run, why do you need to see it, is it illegal to run in this neighborhood?" He proceded to tell me that the caller didn't recognize me and though I looked suspicious. I told him how I lived in Chicago and was in town for the holidays and training for a marathon, etc. and that runners, even in the winter are very common where I live. "He felt I got a little too sarcastic at this point and told me it was his job to check it out and that I needed to relax." I politely asked if I could finish my run. He asked me which direction I was heading and asked my parents' name and adress (to check if my story checked out I guess?) I finished my run without getting pulled over again. I'll be going back again this year and have a couple runs planned. I wonder if I should call the police in advance to let them know exercise will be occuring on their turf...

Rickshaw
Runworks 2005 5M Racer
San Francisco, CA
Joined: 26 Nov 2004
Posts: 1157

Re: Weird training encounters Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2004 10:54 am

It's a well-known fact that any person wearing running shorts in the winter is a thief, child molestor, or worse! But seriously, what did this caller think you were going to do? Break into someone's house, steal their TV, then run off with it to finish you 8 mile loop? I guess that might be one way to build endurance...

Bricks
Runworks 2005 5M Racer
Chicago
Joined: 09 Dec 2004
Posts: 222

Re: Weird training encounters Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2004 11:04 am

I still try and imagine what the caller was thinking. It was at 8 or 9 in the morning and what I wear to run screams "he's a runner." The only explanation I have is that the police in the area truly do have nothing better to do. It took every ounce of control I had to hold back the myriad of obvious donut-like jokes that were rushing through my head. Maybe I'll mess with the local fuzz a little bit this year and carry an empty dvd player box on my run and wear all black and a ski-mask...

Rickshaw
Runworks 2005 5M Racer
San Francisco, CA
Joined: 26 Nov 2004
Posts: 1157

Re: Weird training encounters Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2004 11:54 am

Bricks wrote:
Maybe I'll mess with the local fuzz a little bit this year and carry an empty dvd player box on my run and wear all black and a ski-mask...

I love it! Be sure to slow down in front of some houses and peer into their windows, too.

sfird
Runworks 2005 5M Racer
Long Island, NY
Joined: 10 Dec 2004
Posts: 80

Re: Weird training encounters Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2004 12:29 pm

My cold weather running outfit is a long sleeve black shirt, black running pants, black gloves, black hat and sunglasses. If you got stopped, I'd probably still be in jail!

Bricks
Runworks 2005 5M Racer
Chicago
Joined: 09 Dec 2004
Posts: 222

Re: Weird training encounters Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2004 1:13 pm

If I knew the concerned neighborhood watcher that called it in, I'd dawn a singlet, bib number and the whole 9 yards and run laps around his/her house. I could donate all race procedes to the local police department for their tireless efforts to keep the streets safe from physically fit n'er-do-wells....

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