Coyotes are scary..and so are bunnies.

Tonight was my first run after taking a hiatus from all physical activity since August 28. (Except for the 100 miles walked up and down State Street last weekend looking for a bar after the Badger game).  The run was an unmitigated disaster.  It really is amazing how much fitness a person can lose sitting on their butt for six weeks.  My heart rate was elevated and I was running 1 to 2 minutes per mile slower then usual..(yes I was actually moving backwards).  However I did learn a few things today. (Some of which my 2 year old daughter already knows).

1.  I am not in running shape.  2.  It gets really dark after 6:45 p.m. 3. black and dark blue are not colors to wear when running at night. 4. Running at night on an isolated path can be very scary. 5. I could probably run faster carrying 40lbs less weight.

I got home late from work and thought it would be a good idea to run on the clear creek trail.  Nice path and fairly level for my neck of the woods.  However I was not thinking about how dark it gets.  I was only supposed to run for 30 minutes today..for me that is about 3 miles.  I ran 1.5 miles and turned around to go back they way I came. By then it was very dark with no ambient light and no one else on the trail.  As I ran through the parts of the trail with trees and vegetation on both sides I realized I was being followed.  I have often run into coyotes on this path and realized that there was probably a pack that figured I was the dying straggler of whatever herd I belonged to...which probably isn't too far from the truth...waiting for me to keel over.  I figured as long as I kept moving I would be fine..I then heard more and more rustling and began to freak out a little.  I finally turned to see the glare from three sets of eyes not more then six or seven feet from me.  At this point my heart skipped a beat and I realized that the eyes were too close to the ground to be coyotes..I was being followed by a pack of rabbits..I can only imagine that they were probably rabid.  As anyone who has seen the documentary Monty Python and the Holy Grail knows, rabbits can be very dangerous on their own..needless to say a pack of them could be downright deadly.  The resulting adrenaline rush was enough to propel my fat rear the rest of the way to the vehicle wear I hastily got into my truck to put a steel door between myself and the ferocious furballs.  I guess the one positive is that I had a negative split for the run.