Never Cry Moose

Wednesday, July 16, 2008 at 10:41pm | Edit Note | Delete
Here I am, down and out in Grande Prairie.
I'm here doing some management training for my new chef job, and I'll be here for the next 3 weeks or so.

Folks, there is not a lot to do in Grande Prairie when you don't have a car or a bike and your married(ish) and you don't drink. To make matters worse I only have internet sporadically.

So tonight while the internet was down I decided I would go out for a run. It was about 10:00 at night, and the sun was still shining and the temperature was just right, so I threw on the old Sauconys and out the door I went.
I'd read on the internet about Bear Creek Park and decided to head down there.

It was a really beautiful trail, and once I cleared the main park into the more natural areas I really started to get my running groove on. Self dissolved, breathing and footfalls found their harmonious rythm and my mind completely cleared.

It was then that I saw the sign. "Caution; Bear and Moose inhabit this area!"
I'm a city boy people. My idea of camping is renting a campsite with all the amenities and adequate security. To be honest, wild animals scare the living bejeezus out of me (remind me to tell you the raccoon story sometime).

Long story short I felt a little too primal, and the adrenaline was pumping and my heart was racing a bit, and I really began to see myself in Darwinian terms; a little past my prime, panting heavily...I was sure any predators watching would see me as an easy mark.

So I turned around, and for once I ran faster on the way back than I did on the way out.
But I think I'm going to do it again tomorrow. Adrenalin is a good motivator to pick up the pace