July 19, 2009 Some runs make for really unforgettable memories With the very hot temperatures, it is difficult to run unless you get an early start. Runners adapt to the hot summer months and will get their miles in one way or another. Some of these runs make for memorable runs that will go down in your log book or that you will share with other runners at races. My wife and I were on an early morning walk, when over the hill three runners came running from the other direction. Covered with perspiration and running at a brisk pace were Doug Framke, Ros Hill and Tim Bayliss. All of them are good runners and lately have done very well at area races. As they ran by, Ros yelled out, “I’m telling them about Jupiter.” The “Jupiter” story was part of a memorable run that Ros and I did probably 20 years or more ago. “Jupiter” was a longhorn steer that, at the time, had to be the biggest thing I had ever encountered on a run. We were running on the Freeman Ranch road that leads to Wimberley, and it ran through open range for a herd of longhorns. Jupiter was standing at the edge of the road as we approached, and was not about to move for two mere mortal runners on his range. As we passed by, Jupiter raised his head and looked down on us. Now Ros is a good 6’-4” in height; and at that height, there are not a lot of things that look down on him. Jupiter was one such animal, and the whites of his eyes looked at us very closely. His horns were huge. If he had turned his head, one horn would have reached across the road and we both would have been picked off. I am the shorter of us; and I think maybe the horn would have passed over my head. I had a very heightened awareness of cattle and a somewhat faster heartbeat after passing by Jupiter. I have to admit I was a bit jittery after that experience. A short distance down the road we approached a young steer that did not have the horns of Jupiter, but was a young longhorn eager to challenge these two intruders on his turf. I am aware that when you see a steer start to paw the ground and lower his head, he might charge. I was not about to wait around and see if he was going to; I wanted all the head start I could get. I turned and headed off to the side, away from this young steer that seemed so menacing. Unfortunately my foot caught the edge of a dirt mound at the edge of the road, and I went sprawling into the dirt just off the road. More unfortunately, the dirt had a number of those small cactus plants that have those little stickers on them. I tried to get up and continue running, but my legs would not stop churning, and they kept pushing me forward in a four-point crawl of hands and feet through this dirt and cactus. You might ask what Ros was doing all this time and what his reaction was to my attempt to get away from the danger. The steer was so astounded by my actions that it stopped and - I am sure - was puzzled to see this human crawling through the cactus. Ros noticed that the steer had given up the attempt to run after us and was watching me. This is when you find out who your friends are when you are in trouble. Ros was laughing so long and loud that I quickly recovered my senses and stood up, and we continued the run without further incident. After the run, I tried to pick the needles and thorns out of my knees and hands. This was not a matter of a few minutes, but several weeks trying to find and retrieve all of those thorns out of my skin. I saw Ros at the gym the next day after he mentioned the story he was telling Doug and Tim during the run. I wanted him to see the results of our “Jupiter” run that day. I showed him a small spot on my knee that still itches and is slightly callused from all of those thorns and needles that were planted in there. Looking back on that memorable run I can now laugh, and can only imagine the sight Ros witnessed as I was in a state of panic and crawling through the dirt and cactus. I think I would have laughed just as loud and long, and still chuckle at the thought of my inexperience at dealing with longhorn cattle. I should mention that there was more than one occasion when the steer actually did charge, and we had to head for the barbed-wire fence off to the side. I am still amazed at the speed and ease with which we cleared a barbed-wire fence and later went on with our run. Dr. Maurice Johnson - better known around San Marcos as “Moe” - is a professor in the Department of Health, P.E., Recreation and Dance at Texas State University - San Marcos. Moe has been a fixture in the San Marcos running community - both as a runner and race organizer - since way back when Moby Dick was a minnow. His column on running and fitness appears each Sunday in the Sports section of the San Marcos Daily Record. • Recent “Running With Moe” Columns • Home • About the Club • Current News • Club Runs • Places To Run • TX Running Clubs • Running Links • Useful Stuff Upcoming Races • Race Results • Country Roads 10K & Kids Run • ARA-Moe’s Better Half Marathon • “Running With Moe” Contact Us!