Random sights - General running

Sleepy Bear

08/12/2011 at 13:10

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

WiB

08/12/2011 at 14:33

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!

Kicked-It

08/12/2011 at 15:17

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......

Screamapillar

08/12/2011 at 15:59

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.....

Sleepy Bear

08/12/2011 at 16:15

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!

xine267

08/12/2011 at 16:59

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

Simon Pryde

08/12/2011 at 17:30

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.

Doug Hughes

08/12/2011 at 17:34

Very large lady with a greyhound, walking with very thin lady with a big fat bulldog. Made me laugh (I'm a simple soul).

Choisty

08/12/2011 at 18:00

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!

Sussex Runner (NLR)

08/12/2011 at 18:29

I ran through a 5k race once in the opposite direction with Cillian Murphy in 2nd place

Sleepy Bear

09/12/2011 at 16:13

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!

Timi

09/12/2011 at 19:34

That story about the dead body is horrendous! Not exactly what you expect to see on your run...

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.

gemmabee

09/12/2011 at 23:35

This morning, lady ran past me in trainers, a running rucksack, roll neck jumper & pencil skirt...

Sleepy Bear

10/12/2011 at 09:13

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

ninjaTRIATHLETEmonkey

10/12/2011 at 09:51

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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cougie

pirate

10/12/2011 at 10:57

I did come across a bloke practicing some martial art topless in the driveway of his house - wielding a wooden sword. Odd.

gemmabee

10/12/2011 at 11:30

I hope that wasn't recently Cougie- although topless in these temperatures would be the ultimate display of a marshall arts iron discipline.

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!

Runnin man

10/12/2011 at 12:05

I was running in the woods at Rivington near Bolton and saw an Owl flying along the narrow path towards me with what looked like a rat in it's claws, it seemed to fly very slow and got very close before it turned into the bush, but the funniest was on an early morning run I passed a large woman having a wee, she just said "Good Morning" I tried not to look, carried on running and replied the same, but killed myself laughing as I got a good distance away

Sleepy Bear

10/12/2011 at 18:07

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

Half_Pint

10/12/2011 at 18:25

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

Edited: 10/12/2011 at 18:27