Beep Beep!

Like every Saturday morning, I woke up early to inflict pain on myself by running a long run. The distances range between 10 and 20 miles, depending on what race I'm training for -- in this case it was the St. George Marathon. I don't have a set route I take and lately I've been driving miles from my house, leaving my car in a parking lot and running back.

Yesterday I parked at Snowbird and then ran to my in-laws, where we would be having breakfast before my brother-in-law's wedding. First off, it was a dumb run because seven of the 14 miles were a steep downhill grade that has brought me to a limp today. About two miles into my run, I passed Tanner's Flat, a popular campsite, and on the other side of the road there was a coyote. I think that was the second time in my life that I've seen a coyote in the wild and thought it was pretty cool to see. It seemed skittish, but accustomed to people.

I rounded the next bend in the road when I heard a sound. I looked behind me to see either the same or another coyote. I didn't think much of it and continued to run. A half mile later my shoelace came untied and I stopped to tie it. As I started to bend down, I looked behind me to find that the coyote was following me.

As I got on one knee to tie my shoe I saw the coyote's pace quicken towards me. I finished tying my shoe, stood up, grabbed a cantaloupe-sized rock and started running again. I figured if he attacked me, I'd bludgeon him. Two hundred meters later I ditched the rock and picked up my pace. A minute later, I think a driver that was coming up the canyon realized what may be happening and passed me and veered off at the coyote and scared him off.

All I could think was that my wife and her family wouldn't be happy if I stole my brother-in-law's thunder by being mauled by a coyote.