Turns out August was a pretty low mileage month for me. Between back to back races, tapers and recoveries, I didn’t run much. September will be different.
September also means the bears are out in full force which is totally nerve-wracking. Turns out the ones I’ve been seeing have a mamma with them (even though I thought they were kind of big to still be with their mamma). Every walk and run has Kobi on high guard with hackles up.
I honestly can’t wait for snow right now just so these guys go to sleep already. Oh yeah, it did snow on the weekend, but it melted. The weather is supposed to be quite nice for a few more weeks so I’ll be running nervous for a while longer yet.
It feels very primal to be running in fear all the time. Isn’t this what we did 5,000 years ago? Ran in fear from pretty much everything? It’s stressful.
Enough about that. Now I shall entertain you with photos from the week…
How’s your September going? Are you jealous of my snow? Don’t you wish you could nap like Kobi?
Outdoor Running Adventures 
September 11, 2014 at 7:43 am
That’s a pretty plush bed.
September 11, 2014 at 10:20 am
It is! I call it her princess bed. She just melts into it too. The cats love it as well.
September 11, 2014 at 9:00 am
I am sooo jealous of your snow!! The Kobi the water dog shot is amazing!!!
btw, i was helping w/ a camera trap study (of cottontails )at clarence fahnestock park (where we camp sometimes, just an hour & 15 mins outside of nyc) & the cameras caught TONS of bobcats and multiple bears including a mom with 3 cubs! Zeke would be on guard sometimes but I thought it was just coyotes…yikes!
September 11, 2014 at 10:25 am
Kobi loved the snow. She is a winter dog. I was happy with the water dog shot. Just used my iPhone too. That’s scary to know there were bears around! Now you know when Zeke goes on guard that it might be more than a coyote.
September 11, 2014 at 9:14 am
Mama bears would give me a bit of fright for sure. Especially with a dog… Do you keep her on a leash?
September 11, 2014 at 10:29 am
She wears an ecollar when we run or walk so I can get her attention with a tone. She listens well to that when off leash. I watch her pretty close and get her on leash if I see something or I see she is scenting something and her hackles go up. It’s when she’s just chilling in the yard and bear wanders by that I get worried as she goes nuts.
September 11, 2014 at 9:50 am
Napping like Kobi would be nice.
I can’t imagine going out for a run with the feat that something big and hairy is gonna eat me. There isn’t much meat on me anyway but I think I’d be a good snack till they get someone meatier. Makes me wonder if bears would like me, I know mosquitoes do, but then again, mosquitoes eat pretty much everyone, I won’t feel special.
Jokes aside, I know you take your precautions but be careful, both of you.
September 11, 2014 at 10:33 am
A predatory bear might pass you over for someone meatier. A mamma bear will want to take you down no matter what your size is. Funny thing is, mosquitoes don’t bug me as much as they used too. I think I have mosquito bite poisoning though as I’ve been bitten so many times.
We’re being extra careful now and always carry bear spray.
September 11, 2014 at 10:39 am
Mammas are there to protect the kids, they won’t discriminate.
September 11, 2014 at 10:41 am
Totally true.
September 11, 2014 at 10:43 am
You’ve probably have seen this:
September 11, 2014 at 10:48 am
That’s funny! I haven’t seen this one before.
September 11, 2014 at 10:01 am
I love the weekly photo slideshow! Kobi is such a superstar (with a super plush bed). There isn’t any snow in southern BC yet. It was 0 degrees this morning but is supposed to be +20C today with sunny clear skies. Perfect fall weather. The bears and deer are on the move through our place these days and yesterday I saw a golden eagle in the hayfield which was cool.
September 11, 2014 at 10:34 am
Her bed is super plush, I want one. Sounds chilly your way too. I have to pull my garden out now for sure. You see some pretty cool wildlife at your place. I always love seeing your photos of them. Has Cash seen a bear yet? What does he do?
September 11, 2014 at 4:21 pm
It snowed already? Unbelievable!
September 11, 2014 at 4:23 pm
We always get one or two ‘teasers’ until it stays for real – usually October or November. I left my garden in too – there wasn’t much left but it killed my squash plant good.
September 11, 2014 at 7:45 pm
Ran as soon as I got home from work. Didn’t run across any bears. I did see a few people the size of a bear, however.
September 11, 2014 at 7:50 pm
My “kittens” keep walking on my keyboard and at least just the like button was hit. You may end up with a garbled reply one day that makes no sense. It will be from the cats. Back to the real reply…I’m happy to hear you had no “real” bear sightings.
September 11, 2014 at 7:53 pm
Speaking of garbled replies.. I once texted my gf to pick me up from the bar. Needless to say I was in absolutely no shape to drive, or really walk. It’s amazing I even was able to shoot her a text. It basically amounted to this: mmmmhggggtttggg. Somehow she found me.
September 11, 2014 at 7:55 pm
That’s kind of funny. My kittens would likely have figured your text out too.
September 12, 2014 at 9:16 am
The cutest pictures EVER!!! I love them ALL and WOW, SNOW!!! It’s so pretty!! XOXO!!!
September 12, 2014 at 9:35 am
Aww, thanks! The snow was pretty except when it melted everything was very muddy. It pressed a lot of trees over too because the leaves are still on everything.
September 12, 2014 at 10:04 am
I’m kind of jealous you get to see bears on your adventures, if I’m honest. 🙂
September 12, 2014 at 10:11 am
It is kind of cool. I often have to remind myself not to take all this wilderness for granted as I see things most people never get to see. That being said, getting charged by a bear is not fun. I prefer we see each other at a safe distance and then leave in opposite directions.
September 12, 2014 at 10:18 am
Yeah, getting charged might not be so nice. I’d probably jog with a bottle of pepper spray/a tazer/a .45 if I were in the neighborhood.
September 12, 2014 at 11:10 am
I carry bear spray. The other stuff is a bit too heavy.
September 12, 2014 at 10:17 pm
Carl and Eugene look like pretty friendly guys! 😉 I didn’t know you had snow up there already! I knew there was some over in Alberta but I didn’t hear about it up north in BC. Apparently I live under a rock 😉 Do you have any more races on your radar?
September 12, 2014 at 10:43 pm
They do look friendly don’t they? We had snow a few days before Alberta got it but not as much. I have two more races – the Victoria half and the Fall Classic in November at UBC. That’s it!!
September 15, 2014 at 7:13 am
Awesome! I have a friend running the Victoria half. Good luck!!
September 15, 2014 at 6:24 pm
Thanks!!
September 27, 2014 at 4:10 pm
This is so crazy! Be careful out there…or should I say ‘be bearful’? Ya know, running in fear should make you go faster. We dont’ have bears here, but whenever I see any wildlife, it always picks up my pace. I’ve read that Matthew McConnaghay (sp?) runs in ‘dangerous’ places just for that reason. And no, I am NOT jealous of the snow 😉
September 27, 2014 at 6:15 pm
Ha ha! Good one!! Fearful running is a total training method. I know I run way faster as a result. I won’t send any snow your way, not yet anyway.