I started to notice that when I am running barefoot, I am much more aware of my surroundings.
I don't mean the path in front of me, but the peripheral recognition of things is just going crazy on me.
So, I am up at 4am, getting ready to run the trails. I am at the trailhead around 5am and start running.
I notice a couple of deers, about 30 feet off the trail, standing in the woods and they are eyeballing me, I looked into their direction since I had the feeling that I was being watched. Whoa. Really?! Two deer?
While I am digesting this experience and not paying too much attention to the trail ahead of me (mind you, it's still dark-ish) all of the sudden I made a leap forward; over a snake. If I hadn't leapt, I had stepped on it, dead smack center. It wasn't even moving, but it was enough for my subconcious to correct my step, so it seems. Weird stuff.
The same way I notice squirrels, rabbits, lizards, frogs, you name it.
These things are somewhat pleasant to notice, but I do believe there is much more to it.
Recently, I have been in Utah for my Ultra Marathon and as an acclimatization exercise I ran/hiked/huffed and puffed over a mountain with 11,000 ft elevation. During this adventure I did notice that there was the smell of fresh poop mixed with berries. Weird. Makes me gag, even right now, just thinking about it. I recalled that the area was a bear visited region, so I started to make noises to scare away what might be interested in taking a chunk out of me. I did hear some rustling in the woods when I banged my walking stick against the trees around me, but I am sure it wasn't a bear. :)
What I am looking for is anyone who might have had or has similar weird experiences like me. If there is such a thing.
I have several uncles that go hunting frequently and they have gained a certain "feeling" when they go out there in the woods. They can sense animals nearby and can feel danger. I remember my Uncle Chato screaming at us to go running into the truck for safety. My cousins and I ran to the truck as fast as we could. As I was catching by breath and waiting in the camper, I was wondering what we running away from. He felt a pack of javelinas headed our direction. My cousins and I didn't hear or feel a thing, but about 7 minutes later we were surrounded by six mean and ugly beasts. He was right.
ReplyDeleteI was born blind in my left eye, and I developed higher senses of taste, smell, and feel. I haven't developed what my Uncle Chato has, and I think it is from the lack of natural stimulus and the countless hours I spend in front of a computer.
I think you are gaining your primal instincts by being closer to nature, kotedo.
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