Running with Bears

For the past thirteen years I have had a love-hate relationship with running. I love the satisfaction that it brings me when I accomplish milestones (quite literally sometimes) and when I feel completely worn out, both physically and mentally. I love that it is time for me to think, not think, or a perfect combination of the two. I hate the pain in the moments where my muscles feel like they are about to burst through my skin, but then again I enjoy pushing myself to that point. I hate getting lost frequently when trying a new route, but sometimes getting lost is just what I need to meet interesting people or find secret places. I hate getting covered in dirt and mud, but I love taking a good shower afterwards. I hate the injuries, but love the renewed passion I have for running when I am healed. The list of things that I love and hate about the sport that has become such a prominent part of my goes on and on.

Since I have arrived in Viscri, Romania I have spent a good portion of my time outdoors, which is natural when you are living in an area that is as close as I have come to unspoiled nature. I am lucky to be minutes away from the forest which is filled with kilometers of mountain biking trails that I use for my running pleasure. There are also the dirt roads that run through the rolling hills if I am in the mood for a more relaxed run. It really is the perfect place for a former cross country runner to spend her time training. Many days I don’t get a chance to run until around noon, so I opt for the shade of the forest. Running in the forest comes with many challenges: the steep inclines and declines, sharp twists and turns in the trail, debris on the trail after afternoon thunderstorms, and wildlife. The first three obstacles I am very accustom to navigating; however, the last one I am not. I was actually terrified at the idea of running in the forest by myself when I heard that brown bears and wolves live within them and that the shepherd dogs are almost as bad as either of the previously mentioned animals that might come across my path. I had heard that the main thing you should avoid doing was startling a big predator and you do this by announcing yourself before they or you see one another…how do I do that?! Well I started listening to my music out loud as I run, and when I get to darker regions of the forest where my footfall is muffled by the soft earth I even begin to sing along with the music. Belting out a little Brandi Carlile’s “Raise Hell” or humming along to John Anderson’s “Seminole Wind”; I am bringing a little bit of the South to Eastern Europe.

This technique had been working really well at preventing any bear sighting for me until last Friday, June 19^th when even Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.” failed me. I know how ironic the song is, but how can you forget which song is playing when you see a bear run right in front of you? I stopped immediately as the brown fluff ball bounded past me on the trail and headed further into the forest, and I focused on its rather voluptuous rear end which bounced up and down as it ran away. I was in shock. I had seen a bear. I quickly turned around and sprinted as fast as I could in the other direction, desperately wanting to evacuate that section of the forest. I could feel my heart beating against my ribs and felt every fiber of muscle in my calves as I ran past a group of older hikers who were taking a break looking at the plants. “Did you see a bear?” One of the men asked me as I ran past. I just nodded in response and kept going, while they turned in excitement in the direction I had just come from.  

Ironically, I had gone bear watching the evening before and didn’t encounter any bears…

View of Viscri's Fortified Church from the hills surrounding it. Another selfie taken while running of course!

The canopy of the forest is so dense and green that it is actually quite dark the further you get in. 

Where I went bear watching. No bears were encountered that time...but it was beautiful to be there!