Maybe my dog reads my blog

I wrote earlier this week about how I don't like running with him because we're often not on the same wavelength, as much as he tries....well, today, we were. I was a bit stiff from yesterday's 5K time trial, so I wanted to go slowly, and he stuck by my side, slowed down when I did, etc, etc...he really did well. And it was pleasantly cool-ish, and overcast, and a bit rainy. We ran along the river, him mostly on grass, for over an hour. The run ended up being 8.3 miles long and it was very relaxing.

Apart from a few other dogs--a habitual gripe of mine. I have just come from an excellent yin yoga class so don't want to bust the mellowness so soon....but it would be ever so nice if people who can't control their dogs with voice commands don't let them loose near a bike/running path. We were nearly stopped because someone's dog barged in our way--I tried to veer, but it was ahead of us and there was only so much room, and it blocked my dog. There are places where dogs can run free (even if not officially sanctioned) and I'll take my dog there sometimes so that he can socialize, sniff butts, etc, though I keep him on leash. And I expect to stop. This wasn't such a place. Oh, well. We also watched a few other dogs hauling their owners towards us, and being hauled out of the way in return....but there was also a cute terrier type dog who was loose, who stayed by his master, and the dogs looked at each other as we passed, and that was it. A nice change from having some oaf edge us off the path, and the owner greet us with that certain dog-owner brand of oblivious gaiety: "oh, hi, don't worry, he's friendly..." Trouble is, I'm not always!! and my dog seems to think that trotting is his job, so he's usually aloof with other dogs when in that mode. There have been times where he's taken one look or one sniff, and then sharply turned his head away and kept going. It cracks me up. One dog owner actually huffed about it, which was even funnier. Anyway, this time, I just shrugged and ran away before I said something stupid.

And that ruined the mellowness of the run, but we kept going, smelling the damp veg and ozone and all, and I started tapping into a better vibe after a while. This is what I'm aiming for this year: zen. Or whatever it's called. Laissez-faire? I used to be so easy-going, and then I got a bit wound up while in Korea for whatever reason, and then Colorado was ok, but the greencard complications weren't, and then we moved South and the tude really got bad. I was totally unprepared for feeling so angry. I'd run it off, and then would cross paths with someone stewing dark grey turmoil or whatever, and so then I would have to run some more... LOL. Work was especially tough, having to care for all those poor kids with broken families, various disorders, etc, and all that drama! That ship sure never had an even keel. I apparently lost my smile after a while, someone told me. Not completely true, but, yes, I stopped smiling as much because maybe, subconciously, it was a magnet for emotional vampirism. And I started watching a LOT of tv.

I decided that I sure as heck couldn't stay there any longer, especially not while my husband was away, and I guess my drifting back here was fulfilling a need to recenter myself. I do feel better. Getting miffed over someone's dog is a small blip to what I used to feel.

Anyway, I'm not sure that recovery runs should be eight miles, and sometimes I'm content with 3 or 4 miles, but sometimes, I just keep loosening up and it feels right to keep going.