Weirdest Things Seen While Running

One Sunday morning, I was looking for something interesting to blog about. I sent a message out to runners on Twitter, Daily Mile, Facebook, etc... I asked everyone to share something 'weird' they saw on a run.  In response, I received some of the strangest true stories ever... I asked my 5 year old son, Jalen, to illustrate some of the stories so we could all enjoy what it must have truly been like. Thank you to all the runners who submitted stories and pictures! I laughed for several hours while editing this for you. 

Run long!

-Jerry 

"Mr. Awesome"
Contract artist
All illustrations hastily designed by Mr. Awesome.
Copyright 2012; all rights reserved

Question: Please share the weirdest thing you have ever seen while running!

Responses:

Andrew Brinley: "Road Kill Raccoon with one leg stripped to the bone and everything else intact."

Jerry Armstrong: "A suicidal guy who stabbed himself in the neck with a pocket knife."

 "Saw a bunch of dead goats hanging from trees...
at all stages of decomposition
 Frigging weirded me out."
- Mike O'Melia

Jerry Armstrong: "A nude female photo shoot."

"Two illegal aliens hiding from Border Patrol." -Jerry Armstrong

Dan Cartwright: "A man with a crossbow, spent the next 2 minutes weaving my way down the hill to avoid getting hit!"

Karen McGinn: "Pair of women's lace panties."

"Dead racoon with a beer bottle in his arms passed out in the middle of the road."
- Karen McGinn





 "Saw a guy running the California International Marathon in a trash bag."
-Gordon

 "Guy wearing clown pants."
- Karen McGinn

Steph Robinson:  "On the beach, I saw a nearly naked guy wearing only a silver thong and body-painted from head to toe with matching silver paint.  Occasionally, around the time of the 4th of July, he'd switch out the silver thong for an stars and stripes thong.  Just lovely."

Justin: "Camel spider comes to mind. I'm usually oblivious to my surroundings which is probably why I manage to find myself tripping over everything. "

 "I saw a snail larger than my water bottle during the Brazil 135"
-Jarom Thurston

Daniel Prevett: "Headless rabbit in the middle of the trail."
Anonymous: "A half-naked couple being arrested on what appeared to be an early morning drunken domestic."

 "Ran by a porn shoot way out in the desert. Awkward."
 -Kevin Taddonio
*Note: To avoid any further ridulous emails from people, Mr. Awesome was asked to
illustrate people "hugging" and place hearts above their heads. It kills to me to
have to place a disclaimer under this joke but the lack of critical thinking skills is obvioulsly
worse than I thought. Run long....have a sense of humor. -jerry

Sam Bosworth:  Accidentally ran into San Diego's Blacks Beach, a nude stretch of sand. "I think I must be the only person in San Diego that didn't know what goes on at Blacks Beach. Knocked out a couple sub-4 miles on the sand."



 "Got chased down by three dogs, talking on my phone, and eating a granola bar."
-Jarom Thurston


Blaine Moore: "As I was running over a frozen swamp, a hawk jumped out of a tree from just above my head (maybe a foot?) and then circled over me about 10 feet until I was through the clearing.  No aggressive motions or presents left for me, it was just circling and watching."

Melanie Fryar: "Someone eating food from out of there running shorts...in a 100 mile run...oh goodness."

Steph Robinson: "I used to live in a very urban part of San Diego, and would do these crazy "journey" runs on the road of 35 miles or more, going from my house up the coast.  One time, as I was running north on the Pacific Coast Highway at about 6 am or so, I passed a beach bar where a guy was passed out in his car in the parking lot right on the road...presumably he'd spent the night in his car after drinking too much.  He opened the door and projectile vomited on me as I was running past him."


Paul Tidmore: "A woman in an alley wearing panties."


Randy Shoemaker: "It was a dark winter morning and I looked across the street. Ahead was a bright light coming from a window with a couple having sex. So, I stopped and watched for just a minute of course!"


Suann: "Opposums, Coyotes, and Bobcats", oh my!


Michelle Roy: "A dead wolf in a tree."


Leslie: "Armadillos and Copperheads."



"Sushi" the Armadillo
Update:  Leslie told Suann about the armadillo. Suann felt
compelled to rescue him and bring him home.  "Sushi", the
armadillo lives happily at home living on a nutritious diet
of Lucky Charms and Dr. Pepper.

  "An old rusted out truck bed that had to have been sitting there for
 several decades. It appeared to be from the mid 50s."
- Chase Williams

Jess Sheppard: "I once saw a donkey that had escaped from its pen and was hanging out on the side of the highway. At first I thought it was a cow moose, but then I noticed its bridle, and the fact that a car had stopped and someone got out and grabbed onto it. They asked me if I knew who it belonged to as I ran by, but I was a varsity track and XC runner at the time, and doing a timed workout, so I just shouted, ""I think it came from that farm. Sorry - can't stop!"" as I blew by them. I think they got it home...

Jarom Thurston: "Ran into the back of a large moose once."


Chase Williams: "A few meth labs."

I'm already planning for the sequel to 'Weirdest Things Seen While Running" Send your submission to garmstro@me.com