Night Run

This evening, I ran almost 5.5 miles. It has been a while since I have run at night. I still enjoy it.

I like that it is cooler and it is somewhat peaceful. Plus, in some ways, being outside at night feels like being inside.

However, if I do run at night again, I am going to take a different route.

Tonight, I ran on a bike path that goes out of town into less developed land. There are patches of near-wilderness (I say near because it is really close to the city, so it shouldn't be able to support large predators) and it can get pretty dark. It didn't give me the creeps or anything, I am simply aware that a deer would beat me in a fight if it thought that it needed to.

I saw three deer during the run (lest you think I am just being paranoid). The first was off in the distance but the second encounter was with a pair just off the path. They were in a well lit area so I could see them for a while.

In order to let them know I was coming, I stomped my feet. That got their attention but it wasn't until I started waving my arms that they ran away. Even though that took some energy, I was glad that they didn't decide to start their violent rebellion against man at that moment.

That was when I decided to stick to city streets on any subsequent night runs. But to punctuate the point, I had an encounter with a dog.

With a mile left on my run, on a straight stretch of path, I heard a loud bark (from a large sounding dog). I could barely make out the shape of a fairly big dog about 50 yards away, right in the middle of the path.

I was not pleased about the prospects of being mauled and exhausted on a dark patch of bike path. There was a row of houses whose backyards lined the path. So, I figured that the odds were good that this was a pet. But I didn't really want to take many chances.

So I slowed to a walk (actually I did that immediately when I hear the bark) and just kept going. I saw the dog shape move off the path and into a back yard. That was either good or it was trying to flank me.

Shortly afterword, I think I heard a doggy door open/close at the house the dog was closest to. I'm pretty sure it went in because I didn't see it again.

I walked for a little while passed the house (I didn't want to look like prey) and then started running again.

The run was good but I'm going to stay out of the country (-ish areas) at night.

mwz