Woman Vs. Wild

Today I returned to the four-mile paved trail that I blogged about last week-- the one where I stated that I always worried about snakes but had never actually seen one-- the woodsy, wonderfully shady trail full o' nature.

My friend Shelly and I set out around 8:15 a.m. to run 8 miles on the trail. Around mile six, Shelly stopped for a bathroom break and I went on ahead. It wasn't the first time I'd run a portion of the trail alone, but it IS kind of creepy and isolated out there.

I was cruising along really enjoying my music when I noticed something black across the trail up ahead. I thought for a second it might just be another broken tree branch until it started moving. Or should I say "slithering." I froze. About the length of my arm, it was blocking part of the six-foot-wide trail. (Stop reading and stretch out your arm. That's a pretty scary snake, am I right??) I didn't think I should run by it or jump over it. Or spray it with my mace. So, I just waited. Finally, it slithered off the trail into to the underbrush. I cautiously ran on past.

I am so glad I was paying attention to where I was going! I could very easily have stepped on its tail, which was right in my path. I question what would have happened in that situation-- Would it have reared up and tried to strike me? Can a fairly slow human being outrun a medium-sized snake?

There are poisonous snakes in this area near the river--there are warnings posted with pictures at the trail head. (Perhaps I should look at these more carefully next time.) It was probably just a harmless black snake. Right?? My mom once told me of a snake she called a "black racer" that chased her as a child. Maybe that's a "rural legend" (as opposed to an urban legend since she grew up in the country), but she swears it chased her. Well, I'm just glad this one didn't chase me.

Then, not five minutes later, I hear all kinds of commotion coming from the woods. There are dry leaves and twigs being stepped on by SOMETHING fairly large. And it's coming quickly toward me. (You know how on Lost when they are hiking through the jungle and they hear something moving, and they don't know if it's a polar bear or the smoke monster or an other?? It was like THAT.)

But it was just a deer. She (or he??) saw me and went the other way.

Whew, that was enough nature for one day.

I wound up with 8.5 miles total because I got freaked out and doubled back about a quarter mile for my friend. I figured two helpless females in the woods were better than one. (I really shouldn't call my friend Shelly helpless. She could easily have kicked that snake's butt.)

It was the first time since April 25th that I'd run over 7 miles. And most of my lower body now hurts. Has it forgotten 18, 20, and 26 miles so soon? I guess it has!