A Funny Thing Happened On My Way To...(part 2)

Apparently, there are lots of funny things that can happen on our runs.  A discussion on LinkedIn's Marathon and Team In Training groups elicited many responses to the question:  Has anything funny happened to you on a run?  Here are a few of my favorite ones:

THE DOG CALL
Have you ever received a call from your dog while on a run?  John has, but it wasn't his dog.  It was his running partner's dog.  Maybe the dog was mad that his owner took John out for a run rather than him!  Read on...

THE WILD GOOSE CHASE
We all love scenic runs!  Imagine running along a trail with beautiful ponds, a canopy of trees, roaming deer, and...a hissing goose from hell?  Well, that's what Tom ran into one beautiful but interesting morning.  Read on...


BOTTOMS UP!
You know us runners have no shame when it comes to peeing.  An early start time on a chilly morning and nerves can draw a crowd to the porta-potty.  When nature is screaming at you, we have to look elsewhere than stand in the long line. So, we make do with what we have...bushes, trees, back alleys, and of course, the metal guard rail.  What?  You've never did your business behind a guard rail before?  Okay, neither have I nor Steve.  Read on...

TRASH BAG MAN
When I run, I sometimes give other runners nicknames when referring to them in a conversation with a fellow runner.  The conversation goes something like this:  "Did you see Pinky?  She seems to have hired a cheering crowd for every 2 miles," or "Headband guy looks like he's about to hit the wall."  Well, in this story, find out how Trash Bag Man managed to refuel his energy.  Read on...

HIGH-FIVE!
At races, bystanders are great at offering motivation with their colorful banners, cheers, and high-fives.  When it comes to high-5ing, there's something about the slapping of hands and the sting that follows that keeps us going.  So, when runners see a hand stick out of the crowd, they take advantage of that opportunity. Mark took advantage of that opportunity, but I'm not sure I'd like to receive a high-five from him.  Read on...

RUNNING FROM COPS
If you've ever had the unfortunate event of injuring yourself during a run leaving you at the back of the pack in a race, you'll know what it's like to be escorted by a police car.  It can sometimes feel humiliating.  But if you're running a 150-mile relay, being escorted by a police car can make you feel pretty special.  But imagine getting police escort all to yourself in the middle of a residential area where people don't know that what they are seeing is an actual race taking place.  Read on...

A Funny Thing Happened on My Way to…

I love exploring new places on my runs.  It makes running enjoyable and new again.  On a fourth of July weekend, I traveled 50 miles to visit my in-laws.  It was a weekend I needed to do a 20-mile run.  So, I decided to map out my run in their area—a loop run from their house.  Fortunately, the area where they lived had miles of paved paths for runners and cyclist.  As long as I stayed on a path, I knew I would be fine. 

The weather was cool and the runners were sparse in the early morning, after Independence Day.  My husband and I were having a great run and enjoying the scenery.  The only problem was that we had to slow down to look at our map every time we hit a fork in the road to make sure we were headed in the right direction. 

Seventeen miles into our run, I thought it odd that a golf cart made its way on our narrow path.  The driver gave us a courteous smile as he passed by.  He’s  probably a little embarrassed that he’s on our trail and intruding on our run, I thought.  I looked at my map to verify my route.  Yes, according to my map, we were on track.  Then my husband pointed out a sign in the distance that we hoped would further confirm it.

It read:

Roast Beef Served Ahead

A few feet ahead was another sign:

BBQ Special Served on Weekends

“We’re definitely headed in the right direction!” my husband said with a big grin.  Soon after, a golf ball rolled by.  Turned out, we ended up on a golf course and was headed the towards the clubhouse.  We were definitely off track.  In my defense, the golf cart trail looked exactly like the running paths we've been running for the last 17 miles.