Running with the Cows

I love running through farms. Perhaps the smell of farms is not always appealing, but the sights and sounds make up for it. This past weekend on my twenty mile run I ran around quite a few farms. How do you know when a farm is coming up? You realize, oh this is not mud I am running on...it's manure. It is not the most graceful running epiphany, but when calves, goats and a plethora of animals follow shortly it makes up for any misstep into manure.

I have discovered that cows, while normally sedentary, love to run. Last year was the first time I ran past a pasture of cows and noticed how they all ran with me, galloping along with my pace. Over the summer as I cycled across the country I noticed cows running alongside my bike. This past long run I stopped and filmed two calves running with me. They popped out of their barn and came and ran the length of their (somewhat small) enclosure.

Of course, I also stopped to pet these cute animals.

Seeing stuff such as that is one of the reasons I enjoy running so much. Driving in a car you wouldn't experience this. Hardly anyone would get out of their car to go pet calves.

The view from the tops of hills are beautiful. I have begun adding in more elevation to my running. This past long run I added about 1000+ feet of vertical elevation in. I love hills. Perhaps that is a little masochistic to say, but I love them. They give you feeling of satisfaction at the top to go along with the view. Being strong going up a hill can be an amazing feeling, while feeling weak can kill morale. My theory is that I enjoy running hills because of my quad muscles I developed through biking. 

I have begun practicing running downhill as well. The key I have found is that one must lean way forward and  just make sure you and planting you feet directly under your hips. I bring my arms up in an angle less than ninety degrees. In addition, I make sure my shoes are nice and tight so I don't get any wobbling in the ankles or sliding of the toes. It can be hard on the knees, but with my bosu ball stands I feel my legs strengthening. 

New York has been hit by snow and it is only the beginning. Running through snow, especially wet snow, puts a lot stress on the Achilles tendon. Snow runs are some of my toughest. I believe that a snow run can effectively double the effort required for a normal run. It is a whole body workout. I feel my body twisting and turning. I feel my core being worked. When I finish I feel exhausted, and I quickly hit the foam roller to roll out my calves to avoid future pain. This weekend we are getting a foot of snow, I am ready with my micro-spikes and hopefully the roads will be cleared. 

Anyone have any funny or charming animal stories they obtained while running?