Forget getting chicked, last night I got fawned...

So, I live in suburban MD, roughly between DC and Baltimore.  Last night on my run I truly had a new running experience...

I'm at about mile 3 of my 10 mile run, and I hear this "eehehehehehe" noise, sort of like a quacking or a goat.  It kind of startled me, and I thought "what the heck was that?!?"  I looked over my shoulder for a car or bike, but didn't see anything.  I run a few more yards and hear it again, except it's closer.  "Oh, crap, what is that?!?"  I look over my shoulder again and don't see anything, but then I look down a little.  All of a sudden I see I'm being chased by this mid size dog.  No, wait, that's a deer.  A little fawn was running with me, about 3 to 5 feet behind me.  It was shorter than my Labrador, and probably weighed no more than 30 lbs.  I didn't want the little guy to get lost or hit by a car, so I tried to outrun it.  That didn't work at all.  He chased me for about half a mile or so, staying right on my heels.  Eventually, a car came (I was running against traffic and the car came the same direction I was running on the opposite side of the road).  The lady trailed us for a little while, but the deer wouldn't stop following me, so I finally stopped.  The lady pulled over, rolled down her window, and thanked me for "the funniest thing I've ever seen."  Since I was stopped, I tried all of the "get" "shooh" getouttahere" commands I knew, but Bambi just stared at me all doe eyed.  Eventually, I escalated, so gently kicked it in the butt.  Bambi seemed to be amused by that, and didn't move.  After about a min or so, it wandered over to the grass for a bite, the lady drove off, and I started running again hoping it was too distracted to follow.  Nope.  This time it's running through people's yards, following me.  After another quarter mile or so of this, it finally stopped and just looked at me like I was the worst mother ever.  I'm not sure if I have more endurance than a fawn, or it just got bored.

I occasionally read the book "Are you my mother?" to my daughter, and the whole time I was thinking "I am not your mother, I am a runner." 

I object to term, "fawned" .

I object to term, "object".

So, I live in suburban MD, roughly between DC and Baltimore.  Last night on my run I truly had a new running experience...

I'm at about mile 3 of my 10 mile run, and I hear this "eehehehehehe" noise, sort of like a quacking or a goat.  It kind of startled me, and I thought "what the heck was that?!?"  I looked over my shoulder for a car or bike, but didn't see anything.  I run a few more yards and hear it again, except it's closer.  "Oh, crap, what is that?!?"  I look over my shoulder again and don't see anything, but then I look down a little.  All of a sudden I see I'm being chased by this mid size dog.  No, wait, that's a deer.  A little fawn was running with me, about 3 to 5 feet behind me.  It was shorter than my Labrador, and probably weighed no more than 30 lbs.  I didn't want the little guy to get lost or hit by a car, so I tried to outrun it.  That didn't work at all.  He chased me for about half a mile or so, staying right on my heels.  Eventually, a car came (I was running against traffic and the car came the same direction I was running on the opposite side of the road).  The lady trailed us for a little while, but the deer wouldn't stop following me, so I finally stopped.  The lady pulled over, rolled down her window, and thanked me for "the funniest thing I've ever seen."  Since I was stopped, I tried all of the "get" "shooh" getouttahere" commands I knew, but Bambi just stared at me all doe eyed.  Eventually, I escalated, so gently kicked it in the butt.  Bambi seemed to be amused by that, and didn't move.  After about a min or so, it wandered over to the grass for a bite, the lady drove off, and I started running again hoping it was too distracted to follow.  Nope.  This time it's running through people's yards, following me.  After another quarter mile or so of this, it finally stopped and just looked at me like I was the worst mother ever.  I'm not sure if I have more endurance than a fawn, or it just got bored.

I occasionally read the book "Are you my mother?" to my daughter, and the whole time I was thinking "I am not your mother, I am a runner." 

For those worried about, Bambi, I too felt pretty bad.  It was clear that the little guy (girl?  I didn't check under its legs) was seperated from it's Momma.  At first, I was a bit worried that Mom was going to come out of the wooded area on my left side and turn me into one of those "when animals attack" videos.  But it became clear that wasn't going to happen after a while.  Unfortunately, I was 3-4 miles from home, with no phone, and no way to make sure Bambi by got safe.  I certainly couldn't take it home with me, even if it had made along some of the busier roads, I live in a town home so my back yard is about 20' by 20'. 

I'm not sure what the game and wildlife here in MD would have done.  It was clearly seperated from Momma, but there are no shortage of deer around here. 

The good news, is that I ran the route today and didn't see Bambi.

For those worried about, Bambi, I too felt pretty bad.  It was clear that the little guy (girl?  I didn't check under its legs) was seperated from it's Momma.  At first, I was a bit worried that Mom was going to come out of the wooded area on my left side and turn me into one of those "when animals attack" videos.  But it became clear that wasn't going to happen after a while.  Unfortunately, I was 3-4 miles from home, with no phone, and no way to make sure Bambi by got safe.  I certainly couldn't take it home with me, even if it had made along some of the busier roads, I live in a town home so my back yard is about 20' by 20'. 

I'm not sure what the game and wildlife here in MD would have done.  It was clearly seperated from Momma, but there are no shortage of deer around here. 

The good news, is that I ran the route today and didn't see Bambi.