9 miles around Countryside at 7:41 pace. I had my closest encounter with a coyote this morning. Well it wasn't really an encounter because we didn't speak to each other or attack each other. We just gave each other the evil eye as if to say "Stay out of my open space!" Usually I see coyotes off in the distance prancing away. Or they just sit and stare at me as I run by and if I clap or yell they run off. Once I saw a few of them barking at me from about 100 meters away and I avoided them, assuming they were protecting young or fresh meat. Today I didn't even see this coyote as I approached but then as I passed him he ran across the trail just 10-15 feet behind me and then stopped to stare at me. It kinda startled me but he looked more threatened then I was. I've often review in my head what I would do if a coyote were to approach me. I'd probably just wind up and kick it as hard as I could in the face and then bolt away as fast as possible. I highly doubt it will ever happen though because I've seen over 30 coyotes in the 4 years that I've lived here in CO and not once have they approached me. They are always shorter than waist height to me and obviously don't think they could take me. They're right. They couldn't. | 