Written by Indu
and Caleb
The day before “Running of the Bulls” is opening day. On this day, there is no running. Instead, people dress up in white & red, and rejoice in the streets to celebrate the event to come.
We arrived in improper attire so after a brief stop at a shopping mall, we rolled into opening day sporting our finest Pamplonaian gear. Despite this being the uniform of the reckless men that would be running with the bulls, something about Caleb’s outfit just looked so freaking adorable to me. Too adorable to risk his life to run with the bulls.
We had a good time: eating, drinking & dancing with everyone in the streets. I thought, if all of these people showed up and are partying so hard the day before such a scary event, maybe it’s not that bad.
Was I right? This is where our experiences differ. In fact, Running of the Bulls is one of the only times that Caleb and I have had dramatically different perceptions of an adventure. And we’ve decided to share both with you below 🙂
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The Night Before the Run
Caleb’s Account
—
Opening day and night of the Saint Fermin festival was good fun. Thousands of people dressed mainly in white, accented in red, dancing and singing in the streets…wine everywhere! Unfortunately, there was–wine EVERYWHERE. Not only does wine sting when thrown into the eye, but it also-very evidently-stains mainly white clothes.
Laundry would have to be done before Brian, myself, and hopefully Deepu would run with the bulls the next morning. If my fresh, mainly white clothes were to be stained red, it was going to be a beast with horns’s doing…not some drunks, wildly throwing perfectly good wine into the air.
After a few drinks and some technical difficulties (dryer wiring was jacked, dispersing 110 volts freely through the clothes and water…and perhaps more dangerous than beasts with horns), I laid down for some Zzz’s. It was 1am.
Indu’s Account
—
After a few hours of celebrating, we decided not to push our luck…we headed home. The boys had to be back by 6am the next day and needed all the rest they could get.
Once we got home, I took a shower and headed to bed. As I laid there, waiting for Caleb to join me, I made the mistake of Googling “Running of the Bulls.” I had done this a few times in the past, but managed to X out of the search results before I could really register any of the information.
Not tonight.
I sifted through the articles hoping to find assurances from past runners saying “it’s really not that dangerous” and “only the really big assholes get attacked.”
Not the case.
As I read on and on, I grew more and more anxious about what 6am would bring. “Deathwish as a lifestyle: why people run with the bulls” “Why running with the bulls is more than a deathwish” Resounding, unsettling themes.
At that moment, I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep. I grabbed my laptop and went out to the living room where Jamie was working. She too was planning to stay up all night, but for more admirable reasons. She had to finish an assignment for her MBA program. We talked for the rest of the night, getting a little more delirious as the hours passed, but enjoying our time. That is, until 4am hit.
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The Morning of the Run
Indu woke me up at 4am. As with anything that early in the morning, I must consider the worth of what lay ahead. Almost any personal goal or exciting endeavor justifies the sacrifice of a couple hours of sleep…until, of course, the exact moment that sleep is to be sacrificed. After a short mental debate, I supposed the Running of the Bulls must be worth it.
Indu and Jamie were carrying on in the living room; they had been up all night. Brian and Deepu both made their appearances, groggily getting ready. At this point, Deepu had yet fully committed to participating. Brian and I were both fully committed to the run and peer-pressuring my brother-in-law into putting his life in danger as well. The mere fact that Deepu was up and getting ready suggested he was already at the ledge, waiting to be pushed.
At 4am, I went to go wake up Caleb. He was sound asleep in bed and I was a little bewildered. How could he sleep so well the night before something like this? He is always bizarrely calm in these types of situations.
We got ready and started filing into the living room one by one. My brother Deepu was supposed to join us as well. He wasn’t running, but said he would be a part of the festivities. He initially wanted to run, but after numerous threats from our mother, he decided not to. I was happy to hear that…because my mother also threatened that she would kill me if I let Deepu run. Even though he said he would be joining, I didn’t really believe it. I was surprised to see him pop into the living room a few minutes later. No one seemed really stoked about getting up at 4am except those who were running (Brian and Caleb), those who were obligated to go (me, wife of Caleb), and those who were already up anyway (Jamie). Everyone else was sound asleep but Deepu somehow had the willpower to wake up.
I hoped he wasn’t changing his mind about running.
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The Trip to Pamplona
I don’t too much remember the drive to Pamplona from our villa, but we arrived with about an hour and a half to spare. We found parking with little effort, only a couple of blocks of uphill walking to go. There were plenty of people making their way towards the main area…a good number of them clearly had foregone sleep and, instead, partied all night.
Brian and I used the short hike to finish convincing Deepu that running away from/with a herd of stampeding, 2,000-pound beasts with horns was—the right thing to do. I’m glad one of us was on the fence…because each step closer to the staging area required a bit more personal affirmation. Deepu allowed Brian and I to re-convince ourselves out loud.
We piled into the car and drove to Pamplona, arriving extremely early. There were a ton of people already roaming the streets dressed in their white getups & red bandanas. I heard Brian and Caleb talking to Deepu and rolled my eyes, knowing this was coming. “I’m going to do it,” he said with determination. Moms going to kill us, I thought.
…
Scoping the Grounds at Pamplona
All 5 of us arrived on the actual street. There were a lot more people than I expected. We walked up and down scoping out a good vantage point for the girls—we found one. We walked up and down scoping out places to bail, should we need to—we marked a couple.
We noticed near the beginning of the run, where the road was slightly uphill, fewer people staged. Fewer people = fewer obstacles, right? This is where the 3 of us decided to make our stand…until we, uhm well, ran for our lives.
Maybe 20 minutes prior to the police sealing off the street, Indu and Jamie left us to the vantage point. We three went over strategy, joked, and people watched. No one was clearing out. The street was far-too crowded. With this many people, it would be physically impossible for everyone to avoid being trampled by both fellow humans and beasts with horns. But how dangerous could it be? I mean, there were young women, boys, and old men throughout the street. Hell, there was even a drunk laid out…everyone walking over and around him like he belonged.
With 10 minutes to spare, the police came through. The drunk was escorted away. Women, boys, and the elderly disappeared. Convictions were lost and the crowd that remained seemed manageable and competent.
Three men who overheard us discussing strategy came over and asked if we were American…they were as well. I felt somewhat better about we three’s impromptu plans, as the other 3 amigos had yet even scouted an exit strategy. We all remarked that those who remained near us looked capable, some even pro’s. I believe it was at this point that we received some gameplan altering information…The reason those near us looked ready and competent is because our location at the beginning of the run is the most dangerous—The bulls are stronger, full of energy, and hellbent on going through us.
As we walked through the actual pathway that the running would be happening on, I couldn’t help but get a little freaked out.
How do we know when the running is supposed to start? Will they signal us? Why are those people running? Oh god, what if it has already started and I’ve inadvertently put myself on the pathway? I don’t want to die!I was collected on the outside, but oozing with anxiety on the inside. I saw some kids and younger women on the street, waiting around. I flip flopped between thoughts. Are those young ladies running? Are those kids running!? Well, maybe it’s not that dangerous then. Or… wait. Am I just a wuss? Should I be running? Am I being sexist?
5:30am + no sleep + uncertainty about my husband’s lifespan had me going crazy.
The boys started to scope out the grounds before the running started. They found a section far enough into the race they liked (the standards they judged this on, I don’t know). “We will jump out here if this ends up being too much and meet here afterwards regardless.”
We had our marching orders and they had theirs. Jamie and I hopped behind the designated area and looked for higher ground to take videos from. We finally found a spot and stood there, prepping the GoPro and camera phone to tape. We were both sleepy, anxious and a little uncomfortable. I looked up above us and saw people standing on balconies with their phones out. They had the right idea.
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The Final Moments Before "Go" Time
5 minutes to go. Our American comrades left. That gameplan altering information altered their plans, and they relocated. We three…we said screw it—we already made a plan, might as well ride it out. We started stretching.
Almost go time. Helicopters fly overhead. A song is played a few times: a benediction to Saint Fermin. Deepu, Brian and I all shake hands, wish each other luck, and vow to meet on the other side.
The entire crowd and all of the runners go deathly quiet. Everyone is now on their own. I look around and every single person has the exact same look on their face…the look that can best be described as “Oh Shit.” Faces of dread. Heavy breaths. Prayers silently muttered. I have always reacted oddly to fear, crappy situations or imminent danger. For some reason, I most often laugh. That was me, alone in a sea of dread…jumping up and down…swinging my arms back and forth…regretting not getting a couple extra hours of sleep—laughing.
A little before 8am, we saw police walk through the streets and clear people out. The swarms of people we had seen earlier cleared out and now the only people who were left were men of all ages, ready to gamble with their lives. I said a quick prayer under my breath as I readied myself for what was about to happen.
What if something happens? What if he gets gored? What the f%^& is the equivalent of 911 in Spain?! Is Deepu fast enough to outrun BULLS? God, if this ends badly, Mom will probably kill us. I hope they picked a good place to run.
Things were quiet as Jamie and I waited there. I was nervous and you could cut my nervous tension with a knife. At one point, Jamie assured me that Caleb has been in much more life threatening situations in an attempt to comfort me.
It was true. Caleb jokes about having 9 lives because he has had so many near death situations. Suddenly, I found my self trying to recount those situations. Wait, is he on life 9? Is this it?! I was back to panic mode.
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The Main Event
A rocket goes off (the first bull is out of the corral). A cheer erupts and people start movin’. I do one last jump and start moving in the same direction as everyone else. A second rocket goes off (all bulls are on the loose). I threw both fists in the air, let out my best rendition of a Rick Flair “Woooooo!” and take off.
I almost get taken out by some dude who steps on my ankle. I can hear the bulls coming. I look back and see them—my God, they are fast. A full-grown man who looked to be in his 40’s was running about 10 feet in front of me. He looked back over his shoulders past me and then completely collapsed. This man collapsed and cowered into a ball, arms up over his face. I felt bad for the man as it hit me like it probably hit him—he was 40-something-years old and probably just faced true danger for the first time in his life, and his mind betrayed him. They say in deadly situations, a person’s fight or flight will kick in. No sane person would choose to fight a 2,000-pound beast with horns…which is precisely why the rest of us chose flight. However, if you have ever experienced a rather crappy situation, you know there is a third option some people choose: fright. This man chose fright, and as bad as I felt for him, I was more concerned with my own choice, flight, which he was now obstructing. Two options: hurdle or move out into the middle of the street to get around him. I’m no hurdler.
As quick as possible, I juked into the middle and sprinted past him. In one motion, I juked back right and turned to gauge how much time I had before the first bull caught me. My head had made half a swivel when I noticed the horns about 10 inches from my head. I stumbled back until I hit the wall and watched in awe as the beasts with horns stampeded past me. That was close.
A few minutes later, we heard what sounded like a gunshot go off. Was the race starting?
The area we were in had started to fill up and my 4’10 self was having a hard time seeing over everyone in front of me. Were people running? Where is Caleb?
I could barely see over the crowd, but I knew how important this moment was to Caleb. I took the camera and stuck my hands in the air over the crowd and started recording. Jamie did the same with my phone, even though neither of us could really see what was happening.
We saw people running and then all of a sudden…. 10 or 12 bulls barreled through. Wow, I thought. They are way bigger than I imagined. As the bulls ran though, we could just see a sea of white and red parting. I couldn’t identify any of the people though.
As a round of bulls were about to pass through, a guy jump over the fence to the area the boys had discussed exiting to. Soon after, Deepu followed, but I didn’t notice until Jamie pointed him out, sitting in the front row. I still didn’t see Caleb or Brian. Instead, a drunk homeless guy teetered behind us, saying bizarre things to the crowd and stroking a woman’s face. I wanted this to be over for so many reasons.
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Reconvening After the Run
I ran after the herd while also looking for my boys. I stopped, caught my breath, watched the second herd go by, then continued my search. After no-such-luck, I decided to return to the rally/vantage point. On my way I ran into the second part of our group who had arrived later in a separate vehicle. Back at the rally point I found Deepu. We had stories to exchange, but one person was missing—Brian. We looked everywhere. We found a couple large pools of blood, and learned from various sources that 3 people had been gored…including two Americans.
As worry began to grow, Brian showed up…unharmed.
We did it! The danger was real. We three shared our stories and discussed what we chose not to before it began…running with the bulls was truly dangerous. Though fortune was with us, we could have just as easily been one of the unlucky. Brian told us of a guy right next to him being thrown like a ragdoll. There is video evidence of this. Wild.
The last of the people passed our section, though the running went on a while beyond our area. Finally, it finished and we eagerly rushed to our meeting spot. We saw Deepu right away and soon enough we were joined by the other half of the group…who had driven separately to the event.
Where is Caleb? Is the run over? I was freaking out. Then, fortunately, there Caleb emerged and I let out the biggest sigh of relief I can ever remember sighing. He was safe.
Brian, on the other hand, was missing for a LONG time. Caleb seemed a little worried, but I had a feeling Brian was just being Brian…somewhere, somehow managing to skate by danger nonchalantly, smiling. I think you’d have to meet him, but he just seems like the kind of person who doesn’t take things too seriously & it always just works out for the best.
Sure enough, Brian finally showed up. He ran all the way to the stadium with the bulls. He, like Deepu and Caleb, was smiling from ear-to-ear with a nice adrenaline rush.
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A Few Afterthoughts
Later in the day, on the front page of the paper was an image of a man being gored. I believe I recognize him as one of the 3 amigos we were speaking to prior to the run…though I cannot be certain.
The Running of the Bulls has always been at the top of my bucket list. It was thrilling! Would I do it again? Perhaps. Would Indu let me do it again? Unlikely.
After all of the chaos, I looked through some of the pictures and videos we captured to see if any turned out. To my surprise, we caught a video of Deepu in action. After a man suavely escaped the bulls and jumped over the fence seamlessly, there came Deepu a few minutes later…jumping and falling flat on his ass. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then this, my friend, is worth a novel.
I’ve been asked: Why on Earth would you run with the bulls?!? Wellll, at the time, it made a hell of a lot more sense than standing still!
Jokes aside, the Running of the Bulls has always been at the top of my bucket list. It was thrilling! Would I do it again? Perhaps. Would Indu let me do it again? Unlikely.
I watched the video maybe 10 times that day, every time laughing incredibly hard. I was happy that after all of the stress, everyone was safe & we even left with some funny memories. That being said, would I let Caleb do it again? Over my dead body. Oh god, I am turning into my mother…
Awesome writeup !
Great story…smiled from ear to ear the whole time!