This week’s Blog topic was suggested by Rick Phelps. He wanted to discuss strange/interesting things that have happened on a run or in a race. OK Rick! Here you go!
(Tim)
The are so many strange things that have happened through the years on both training runs and in races. I had an encounter with a mountain lion, been caught in a hail storm, and been screamed at by a “mean lady on a porch.” (This became the name of that particular loop.) I watched a teammate run straight into a parked car, and so many other incredible and funny moments! The one thing that stands out in my mind as particularly strange, happened one summer evening as I was running with about 20 teammates on the University of Colorado Cross Country Team. We were doing a run called “The Tank.” This is a 13 mile out and back on dirt trails in the country side east of Boulder. Maybe a mile into the run, we were still in a pack enjoying some conversation and friendly banter. Up ahead we could see a shirtless man riding a cruiser bike toward us at a slow clip. No one thought anything of it, but as he got closer and closer, we realized that something was off about this dude, but we could not really tell what it was. Finally, when he was only a few feet away, it became clear that he was wearing only the clothes he was born in! He rang the bell on his handlebars to give us a friendly hello, and 20 distance runners toppled over like a bunch of bowling pins. We were laughing so hard as this naked rebel slowly rode on giving us a friendly wave. What made it even funnier is that we knew the woman’s team was about five minutes behind us!(Adam)
I have two quick stories. #1 Just about a year ago, I was dive bombed by an owl on a run. I have no idea what I did to upset this beautiful, yet very scary, raptor, but it swooped over my head from behind and scared me half to death! It landed in a tree up ahead and as I got closer, I could see that it was giving me the death stare. My heart was pounding and I was confused by what had just happened. I stopped cold wondering what to do. It was like an old western show-down at high noon. I decided enough was enough and I turned to continue my run and hoped it would leave me alone. As soon as I turned, I looked back over my shoulder to see the huge beast take flight and zero in on me once again. I threw both of my hands into the air and screamed at it like a wild animal! Just as I was thinking I was about to be shredded by its razor sharp talons it turned away, barley missing my face. I sprinted about 150 meters up the trail and turned around to see the owl perched in a tree still staring me down. If I didn’t know better, I could have sworn he was standing on one foot and flipping me the “bird” with the other.#2: Back in college I had a teammate (who will remain nameless) who had an upset stomach from too many hot wings the night before. We were running in a group on a dirt road, when he said he could not hold it any longer. He disappeared into the trees for a bit. When he caught back up, he was only wearing one sock! We all started laughing at him, but he quickly disappeared into the trees a second time. When he caught up again, he had on no socks at all. Amazingly, he darted off into the trees a third time while the rest of us wondered what he would do since he was out of socks. When he came back this time, both the sleeves had been ripped off his shirt! It was one of the funniest runs I can remember.
Last week we read as many of your comments on the radio show as possible and it made for a great time with lots of laughs. Thank you for the contribution! Leave us your comments and stories again this week, and then tune in Sunday 12:00 ET to see if we read yours on the air!
31 Responses to “Strange Running Stories”
Rick Phelps
Tim and Adam, those are HILARIOUS stories! I don’t know if I can match them, but I am sure going to try. Like Adam, I am going to give you 2.
Many years ago, I had a job that required me to spend 1 month per year in the Soviet Union (yes, not Russia, but the old Soviet Union-as I said it was many years ago). One year, the trip occurred during the winter. I stayed in a small town about 20 kilometers outside of Moscow. Being a runner, I always brought my gear and tried to run several times each week. I decided one day to go running on some trails in the woods I had been told about. The nice thing about running in the woods was that the wind was blocked, making running in the cold a bit more tolerable.
So I headed into the woods. Now what my Russian friends did not tell me was that there were MANY interconnected trails in these woods that went for many miles. After about a half an hour into my run, I realized I was lost. I ran along trying to figure out what I would do to keep from freezing to death, when all of a sudden I got a break that came in the form of 2 little old ladies who were walking down the path I was on heading toward me. Now I don’t speak Russian, and they certainly did not understand English, but I guess putting your arms out with a bewildered look on your face is a universal gesture. They talked to one another for a minute, then one of them pointed down the path and made a turning motion (hooking her finger). I ran down the path, and just a little while later came to a fork. I took the branch in the direction she had indicated, and about a mile later came out on a road that I recognized. 2 more miles and I was back at my hotel. Looking back, I probably should have followed them, but I was dressed to run in the cold, not walk in it, and I had no idea how far they were going. So I probably made the right decision in thinking I understood them and running on. I wonder if those ladies wonder if I ever made it out of the woods. I have gotten lost on several occasions while running, and it always turns out to be an adventure (And I’m still around to talk about it).
The other story takes place in a more conventional location: Ann Arbor, Michigan. I was a pretty avid runner when I was in graduate school at U of M. Like all big Universities, Michigan had student dorms all over the place. Several of them are “quads”, meaning they are rectangular that have an enclosed courtyard. These quads have a gate on one side where you can get in the courtyard without having to go into the dorm. Anyway, one day I am running along the sidewalk, passing one of the quads, when this lady sticks her head between the bars of the courtyard gate and says “Excuse me sir, can you help me get out?” Being the gentleman that I am , I stop immediately, and see that the gate is chained and locked shut. She says I can get in from the inside of the dorm to let her out. I go in and find a door that leads to the courtyard, open it and go through. At the last second before the door swings shut, I grab it, realizing that it is locked from the inside (which is why she couldn’t get out). It would have been ironic if I had gotten locked in the courtyard with her while trying to rescue her. (The really weird thing is that this was the SECOND time someone asked for help from me while I was out on a run because they were trapped. This one was more interesting than the other in my opinion).
Tim
Wow! You have had some adventures! I would hate to get lost running in a forest in the Soviet Union!
Rick Phelps
Oh what the heck. Here’s one more.
I lived in Houston for several years, not far from the Astrodome. I had a running loop that went around it’s outskirsts that I did several time each week. One day, I decided to run the loop in the opposite direction than the way I had always ran it in the past. About halfway through the loop, I was running toward a bus stop. As I approached the bus stop, I saw this guy leaning up against a lightpost smiling, arms crossed, and knodding his head. As I passed him, he said “Hey Man! Your runnin’ the WRONG WAY!”.
Tim
Thanks for the stories Rick! This one is great! You had a fan!
Jeff L.
I used to run a 7-mile packed-dirt loop with my friend Mark at Salem Lake outside of Winston-Salem, NC. Mark always brought his chocolate lab, Buddy.
One winter morning, after it had hailed, snowed, thawed and frozen over again, we went out for our usual run. The trail was like a sheet of ice. As we passed 5 miles, a squirrel darted out in front of us. Buddy the dog dashed after the squirrel, pulling my friend Mark with him. Mark lost his balance and fell face down onto the trail. He’s screaming at Buddy to stop. Buddy pulls my friend Mark 20 yards down the trail and into the woods over the ice, with Mark yelling “Buddy! Buddy!” all the way.
Still makes me laugh every time I think about it.
Tim
That is Hilarious! I can see the whole thing in my head!
Rick Phelps
Did you ever see the movie “Up”? I can just see
Buddy yelling “SQUIRREL!”
Jeff L.
That is EXACTLY what it was like!
Aron Taylor
As senior’s in high school my brother and I were cruising down the Lewiston, Idaho running levy. At a portion known simply as Kiwanis Park the levy splits with a fork in the road. Adjacent to the Snake River I wanted to stay in the lighted path but my brother David wanted to run down through the lower level in the darkness and trees because it made him feel faster. The two paths connected again in 400 meters. As I neared the reconnect I hear this screaming and see my brother in a full blown sprint. He flies up the hill to the connect and simply runs across the path I am on and dives into the freezing Snake River.
When he gets out of the water he smells horrible. Then he tells me about this skunk and how he and a skunk had gotten into a stare down and he was sprayed point blank from 1-foot away. Then chased. He smells horrible. We finish the 3 or 4 miles back to home where he takes a tomato sauce bath. The funniest worst running experience of my brothers life.
Tim
Wow! That story stinks!
David Taylor
Ok…the story is not told as it actually occurred…
I did depart into the darker wooded area…the sun was going down and I wanted to feel fast…for some reason I felt faster in this area…..
As I ran about halfway through I saw what looked like a cat…not dont hate me but the cat came running directly at me in an aggressive manner..and I mean it was making growling sounds! So as it got about a foot away from me I tried to kick it…(this is the point where I say “I am so sorry” to all you cat lovers)…and thankfully it wasnt a cat…it was a skunk and that SOB got me good..my entire shirt was soaked and as I tried to take it off it suction cupped ot my face and I actually vomitted all over myself.
yeah…the tomato soup part was true too…but what wasnt said was how I was tinted orange for an entire week with everyone thinking I was either wearing that coverup makeup or spray on tanning…not a big hit with the ladies.
Just to clarify.
Kara Goucher
I cannot believe that Adam didn’t tell this one!
In 2006 Adam and I were training in St. Moritz, Switzerland. We both headed out separately for long runs on the forrest trails. I got about 35 minutes out and BAM- out of no where I run into 3-4 guys randomly playing those long huge horns from the Riccola commercials. And they were dressed in costumes too. I thought I was hallucinating. How did they get there, where did they come from, how did they get those huge horns there? I turned around and by the time I returned to the hotel I convinced myself I had imagined the whole thing. But Adam was there waiting to tell me that he ran into them too! It was real. It was, without a doubt, the craziest thing I had ever seen on a run!! -Kara g
Rick Phelps
After reading this one, I laughed so hard I had to walk away from my computer so I could breath again!
Tim
Actually, he told me that he just admitted to seeing them too so that you didn’t think you were going crazy. Common Kara! guys in costumes in the middle of the forest playing great big horns?? A few too many energy bars can cause these types of hallucinations!
Aron Taylor
LOL! Best story yet! Ricola!
Eric Sondag
Not funny, but one of the craziest/stupidest/coolest experiences I’ve ever had. Someone from Boulder help me out with the name of this run…this particular day it was 14 miles, with one small section of it run over a large water pipe suspended over a deep ravine. I only recall going over the pipe once, which begs the question, why did we have to go over it at all! It was freaky, because in addition to having to run across the curving top of a four foot diameter pipe, you also had to hop the ribs where each section was connected, and there was a slight downhill grade to the pipe on one end, as well as an uphill grade on the other side. I couldn’t believe I was getting to run with (for a while, anyway!) guys like Alan Culpepper an Shawn Found, but also that these guys were that crazy. Although, I should have guessed based on Alan’s hair at the time. Sideshow Bob? haha. Crazy run, great memory.
Tim
OMG!!! I might have been on that run with you! We used to run along a pipe suspended along Boulder Canyon. It is up pretty high and scary so we had to run/walk to be sure we didn’t fall off. Then it runs into a tunnel in the rock and you have to creep through before you come out in an empty aqua-duct on the other side. I used to love that run! I even took my high school teams up there to do it when the duct was full of water. Now that is an adventure! I don’t remember doing that run too many times with Alan and Shawn but I am sure we did it a few times.
Eric Sondag
If I recall correctly, it was a good 50-60 feet off the ground in the middle, with nothing to stop a person falling right off the side. It wasn’t like balance beam skinny or anything, but not a lot of room for error, either! Glad to hear someone else thought it was a bit crazy, too! This would have been summer 1992 or 1993. Wetmore’s first year working with the team. Good times.
Aron
This will make you run faster. Dave and I were on a five mile run around the Lewiston, Idaho airport (if your ever there, drive the loop and you will know what I mean). Once started the only way to go is forward or come back as it is a five mile road loop in the middle of nowhere. Half way through we started hearing yelping and to our horror about 30 little eyes. We were thus followed all the way around the middle of nowhere by a pack of coyotes. I think our personal four mile bests were run that night. Never ran so hard in my life.
Tim
We should have made this topic “Scary things that happen on runs!”
David Taylor
Those damn things followed us all the way back to the city. That was more then scary…but I was confident…I knew I was faster then Aron!
jason jensen
what the hey…
in College was on a run we called rabbies with tav and hack. About 8 is miles in we were on a dirt road when a dog came sprinting at us. For whatever reason, I stopped running pointed at the dog and yelled “STOP”. What happened then, oh my. Dog skidded to a stop making a cloud of dust. the dog then proceeded to try and turn around, let me tell you it was exactly like in the cartoons, where the character gets crazy fast legs but goes nowhere. Finally the dog was able to get footing and took off towards its home. It lost control coming off the road and ran smack into a picket fence and rolled over. My teammates and I looked at each other and bust up laughing. The next two miles were more of a walk/jog as we could not stop the laughing. Good ab workout though,
Aron Taylor
this is hilarious!!!
Aron Taylor
Running across the Lewiston(ID)-Clarkston(WA) bridge with my buddy Todd Jones, who just got second in the Snake River Half Marathon, a bicyclist came strolling by and looked to the left across the street. WHAM! hit a sign and fell off the bike. One of the many funny moments from running in the valley.
David Taylor
Ok…freakiest thing that ever happened to me on a run:
It was winter, there was snow on the ground, but I still wanted to get a good trail run in. So, I left the house and departed into the canyons just south of the Lewiston Orchards. There was this little skinny trail and I stared at it for about 30 minutes to decide if it was safe to run on…as it looked kind of slick.
For about 30 minutes everything was cool till I turned down this slope and tried to throw in a surge…as quickly as I did that I was spinning in the area doing a full 360 degree spin…remarkably I landed back on my feet….I dont know how..or what angel was looking over me…but I just stood there…and then I walked home.
needlesstosay…didnt run that trail again in the winter.
David Taylor
By spinning in the area…I mean in the air…literally as if I had done a front flip…
jason jensen
something about me and dogs ( I have 2 – Coe and Dasher).
In minnesota, was running with the team out to a park to do a point of reference workout. As we were running we passed a lady with a dog. A japenese kid on teh team- that was always joking around tells the team jokingly that he was going to eat that dog. anywho, we get to the park and start our workout. On the third set we are about a minute in and out of nowhere this black lab comes flying by and totally upends this our japanese friend. When I say upended, I mean feet up in the air above his head, almost a complete flip. Dog just kept running and that was it. Could not believe what happened. Total karma.
Minnesota gave me some greta memories. Got to go run when it was 40 below zero outside (not the wind chill). A very very cold 4 miles.
Sierra Stevens
Coach you should tell more of these stories at practice!!! These are sooooooo funny!
Sierra Stevens
Honestly, the funnest/weirdest run I’ve ever been on was actually last night. My team was running the football from our school over to the stadium our football was playing at for the Homecoming Game. Well for whatever reason, we started a game of Red Light Green Light. You can imagine us starting and then suddenly stopping with people staring at us.
I also almost tripped right over one of the boys when he decided to stop in the middle of the pack (right where I was running) to tie his shoes. I barely was able to get around him (I did stumble) but it ended up causing a traffic jam for all of the runners behind us.
I’ll probably wake up tonight at 3 in the morning remembering more stories……
Timo Mostert
A few years ago, we were on a morning run through town, We had crossed the big main street through town, but one of our runners was a bit behind, so he started running down the suicide lane in the middle of the street. A guy in a van stopped to let him cross the rest of the road, but two guys in a pickup who had just picked up breakfast at the Burger King on the corner weren’t looking and slammed into the back of the van. I sent all the boys back to school while I had to fill out statement forms with the police. I barely got back to school and had to teach first period in my running gear(yes, they were running shorts).
Last spring we were running under an overpass (on the sidewalk). It was hot so we had our shirts off. Some guy was watching us, didn’t see the light change, and rear-ended the car in front of him. We just kept on running.
Sierra Stevens
OH! Mudfights. Those are the best runs ever. End of story. When the girls go for a run on a rainy day, and we “accidently” run by a thing of mud. Someone always stops, picks up a hand of mud, and throws it at someone, effectively starting the mud fight.
We get back to the school, COVERED in mud, and our coach just looks at us and we’re all like ‘The mud monster attacked us!’