Today tops the list of mine I think - just as I rounded a bend near the top of the biggest hill in my route - I came face to face with a man....skipping.....with a skipping rope. About a mile from the nearest house, just there, in the middle of the road, skipping and grinning!
Fair play to him - you might as well have a view as you skip - just not something I encounter normally
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Not exactly a sight but during my first 100 mile race I put my head torch on about 5 miles from home and for some reason as soon as I switched it on I thought I was wearing sunglasses... spent a mintue or so running along trying to take off my "sunglasses". Whether it was the change in light conditions or the shape of the light given off by the headtorch mixed with my confused state I don't really know.
I am sure there are more amusing ones than that from the ultra guys but thats my only experience so far!
Well I thought it was best to go skipping somewhere remote where I wouldnt get pointed at and laughed at, and them some bloody runner appears from nowhere......
I've yet to see anything stranger that the pair of underpants I saw hanging on a tree by the canal - they had obviously spent some time IN the canal too.
My OH saw a deer once - trust me, in Notholt that is pretty unusual.....
WiB - Wow - a 100 - my mind boggles - you're pretty much allowed to see whatever you like when you can run that far in one go!
KI - Ahhhh didn't recognise you without the hoody and all bundled up. Good effort up there - must have been hard work with your rope going all squiggly in the wind LOL ( I wonder how long he stayed up there - maybe he's still there now - maybe it's some sort of skipathon....)
Screamapillar - eeeeeeeeeeeeuuuuuuurgh . Just glad the deer wasn't wearing them too!
I saw a man riding a unicycle, wearing a top hat and tailcoat. He gave me the thumbs up as we passed, made my day
I also stumbled across this blog a few weeks ago ...
http://www.atrailrunnersblog.com/2011/10/found-body-on-my-run-today.html
Today there was a Russian man in speedos walking a chihuahua. (I´m in Tenerife, but still.....)
Mind you, he looked bemused at my t-shirt, which has a seal´s head on it.
Best thing I saw was a barn owl, flew about 2m infront of me as I ran along the path for 100m, I can see where the idea of ghosts came from.
Worst thing, I didn't see was a single strand of barbed wire across a gate entrance that I ran straight into at bollowck hight...owwwwwww!
Ha ha brilliant stories - except the body - urg - that'd be a pretty awful thing to come across oh and the barbed wire (yowsers).
You're a lucky thing Choisty to see a barn owl that close - must have been stunning! We get red kites round here - I've never seen one before we got here. They come really close - I keep wondering if they're checking me out as snack potential. They're HUUUUUUGE.
SR - Cillian Murphy as in the actor? Pwoar - I think I'd have been tempted to turn around!
The worst thing I've seen hmmmm now - nothing springs immediately to mind - that speedo-clad Russian keeps popping up tho - mental imagery hijack!
I once ran past a wedding procession - people were getting out of their posh cars and making their way towards the reception in one of the country houses in my area.
I joked on my wedding day that I could have gotten away with wearing trainers - would have been way comfier.
Morning Gemma - the ultimate all day outfit! Who needs tracksuits
Turned the corner to go down a cut through to be faced with a cow and (I assume) her calf in the middle of ta path. But they were very nice and moved out of the way for me
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I'm a fan of seeing people doing "running backwards" drills, not because they look particularly funny (although they do a little), but because of the reaction of non-runners around them! Jaws actually drop!
hahahah - good on her - no point pretending the obvious isn't happening! I've given up being embarrased when I fall over - if someone sees it you might as well just laugh about it I reckon! I saw a lassie fall over once in a park and her attempt to pretend it hadn't happened (don't think she'd hurt anything) were funnier than the fall.
I've never seen anyone running backwards GB -except us on the track but then I coudn't actually see us.Bet we looked a sight doing our funny long stridey things
i thought runners were safe from bodies, they are always discovered by dog walkers!
Got incredible close to deer in devon once, went round a bend and she was just stood there. So close I could have touched her but she just looked at me so I carried and she just stayed there watching. That was pretty special.
On a slightly more mundane note I nearly pooped myself running just now when I spooked some ducks who quacked and flew off. Properly made me jump.
Also as for the falling over thing it amazes me how much embarrassment can mask pain. I crashed my bike into a van and didn't even notice the fact I had split my chin cos I was so desperate to just get away.
The ladies and their dogs made me smile too
on my run yesterday i encountered 6 deers that ran across the path infront of me and later my route was blocked by a heard of exmoor ponies with just a mile to go to my half way point. i tried to get them to move but they were not budging.
Am loving all the wildlife stories .
Just got in from a cross country race that involved running through a field containing woolly cows - don't know the make or model - just that two of them looked like pandas! Hoping someone got a photo so I can show you all. Luckily they stayed in the corner when we all came trampling through.
hahahaha - here they are - the panda cows:
belted galloways I would suggest, although they are usually black and white. Panda cows seems a much more appropriate name though
the farm I help out at has a very friendly bull who loves a scratch but you forget that he weighs over a ton and often see walkers exiting his field rather rapidly.
Belted galloways eh! Looking forward to telling everyone when I see them next weekend - we were all wondering what they were
Aren't buffalo rather big? I think I'd be a bit scared if I saw one of those wandering round here. And llamas always make me think of those with 2 heads - Dr Doolittle style (or maybe I dreamed them).
SFTL - Yip - were you there? - what a fantastic course eh? I loved it!
The Llamas might be alpaca's apparantly as they have a permed fringe! but are friendly and cute looking.
Spot the difference
The Buffulo are huuuuuge, very smelly and look aggresive so I stay on the other side of the barriers, They are held in by the motorway style armco barriers!
All this is in North Hampshire, just outside basingstoke
Since I'd skipped my run earlier in the day I decided that I'd go at 2 in the morning, but to avoid running past nightclubs/bars etc I'd run along the canal side in Manchester... Never. Again.
Propositioned twice, by men.
Passed 3 copulating couples, 1 gay couple, 2 straight.
For all 5 encounters, I was thinking, what do I say? Do I say anything? Do I look like some odd running pervert?
Not as wholesome a sight as alpacas and panda cows, sorry