35 min jog in the morning, 80 min run in the evening.
Let's get the dumb dog owner rant out of the way now, and quickly: I almost got hit by the handle of one of those flexi-leashes I'm always frothing about. Karma? The dog was attached to the leash, which was not attached to the owner; the dog bolted to my dog, then stopped suddenly, and the leash whipped about. I felt the handle whisk past my arm. Sounds implausible, but I was also hit by a golf ball once and a bird twice (not the same bird as far as I know but both times it was a starling, I think)...my luck isn't the greatest sometimes.
I feel like this bad karma is unwarranted because I was really polite and calm about a minor dog incident this morning, and what could have been a major one yesterday morning--some lady let her dog loose and it was tearing around, but fortunately this was a few hundred meters away and I was SO grateful that she collected the dog before we got near, especially since it was wearing a prong collar. A prong collar usually isn't a good sign when the animal is loose!
Anyway, the jog this morning was pretty much uneventful and relaxing. This afternoon, we ran 4 miles with my husband who is trying to shake a knot in his ankle. Then I started my intervals.
Run club was 2X 3K, which didn't really appeal to me. I decided to attempt VO2max intervals, seeing as my goal races (yes, with 5Ks, I can have two!) are 5-8 weeks away. This will give me four weeks of VO2, and then maybe another workout or two to sharpen up in between the races. So, today was a very modest 6X 2min hard/2 min easy. I was tired (I've been doing a lot of scrubbing in the house this week, grout, etc), so I didn't feel quite at the VO2max effort, but maybe that's because the intervals were so short! Not really sure. No lactic acid. My form felt good on some, not so good on others. I just tried to keep pushing myself without getting into a more sprinting kind of thing.
Anyway, I covered 0.29 miles, 0.29, 0.29, 0.29, 0.29, and then 0.28 (sucks that I couldn't go faster). The distances are rounded by Garmin, and I was sometimes a second off in hitting the lap button, so the paces I got ranged from 6:48/mile to 7:02/mile (the saggy last one). I'm going to program the workout next time so I don't have to fuss with the lap button. First I have to decide how much to increase the intervals.
Week 1: 2 min
week 2: 2.5 min
week 3: 3 min
week 4: 3.5 min
Something like that! Move up to 4 after the first race for a couple of weeks, and then a week off before the 2nd. hmmm.
After the workout, I did two 100 meter strides and then resistance exercises, including 80 sit ups. They're starting to get a little monotonous. Yeah, they start to hurt near the end (ok, today, the last forty or fifty hurt!), so I know they're useful, just boring to count that much. Maybe I need to integrate a medicine ball somehow.
Showing posts with label dumb dog owner. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dumb dog owner. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Day 58
Once again, my run was marred by a dumb dog owner. Hence the label---this has inspired me to start labeling posts. I might even do it retroactively. I'm going to see how many I can collect!
Anyway, the dog and I were on the rec path again this morning, and after a while, I saw a black lab ahead of its owner coming towards us. That's the usual modus operandi for labs and their owners, btw: most owners think these dogs are harmless and will train themselves. Another glance tells me that the dog isn't on a leash. A third glance tells me that the dog is accelerating towards us in a probably harmless but totally not cool way. So I yell to the owner "your dog should be on a leash." I should have plainly said "put your dog on a leash" but I had hopes that she'd get the hint or that her dog would prove well behaved at the end, I guess, even though she was already calling for it and it was well ahead and ignoring her. Anyway, the dog ran up to us; I was closer because my dog was on my other side, close to me and slightly behind me.
And I growled.
LOL, I've never growled at someone else's dog before, just my own when he's being a butt. I've developed a pretty convincing growl, that's often the third warning after 'ah-ah' and a louder 'ah-ah' or 'no' LOL. Usually I tell other dogs no, but I had to think fast. I didn't want the thing darting to my dog. Yes, it looked harmless, but this was our run, my dog's time to focus. It's not fair for him to have other dogs running up to him when I'm making him "work". We weren't in a dog park, we were on a rec path that many other people use as well.
When I growled, the dog stopped in its tracks and stared at me--I had its full attention. I should have used it better! Maybe I could have made it sit! lol. Anyway, the owner was still umpteen yards away--I'd hoped that she'd be able to grab her dog then, oh, well. I started moving forward, in hopes that the dog would let us go, but it went around behind me to get at my dog. The owner was nearby at this point and maybe she was saying something--I vaguely remember an apology--but I was focused on the dogs. She still hadn't grabbed hers! My dog was standing there while hers sniffed his butt. Finally, I noticed her dog backing off--maybe she grabbed it, I dunno--and so I start running again.
This probably happened in the space of a few seconds, but it seemed to go by so slowly!
I regret that I hadn't explained gently that a loose (untrained, but don't want to get her on the defensive) dog could be dangerous on these paths because cyclists use it too, and the road and cars is pretty close to it. Plus, it's illegal to have a dog running loose in the city except in designated dog parks or on private property. The popo don't cruise much along the rec paths, but I've seen them now and then; you can't predict when it's going to be their time to shine.
But, as is always the case with me when my run is interrupted by someone's untrained dog, I didn't say anything, didn't look at the owner, just left as soon as I could. oh, well. Hopefully she'll rethink things before she unclips her dog next time.
We jogged for 30 minutes but it was all a blur because I was irked.
Evening: so I decided to rejoin run club tonight--I would have last week but for St. Patty's day. I felt a bit nervous about going back, would I be too slow, would I have to explain my unglamorous reasons for being away for a few months, etc...but it was fine. I was really glad to see my friends again, and gosh, it was good to be pushed. I'm much better than I was, but I still have a long way to go. We did 2000M repeats, I did two: 9:50 and 9:48. Supposedly 15K pace so I just picked my usual tempo pace--I thought I was lagging on the 2nd one because I was on my own, but it was ok. The heavy legs/light breathing syndrome was present, but I'm assuming that things will gradually get better. Perhaps my iron levels are still low--I was at 11 or 12 in January, and though I have been taking supplements and feel better, I just recently found out that dairy products impede Fe absorption. So what had I been washing my pills down with? Milk. LOL
Anyway, the last time I did 2 X 2000M, it was 9:36ish and easy/relaxing...this was a few days before I got my PB in the 1/2 marathon, 1:41, so I guess I was in pretty good shape then! Still, 9:50 isn't too far off, even if the effort was greater--I was on a hillier loop this time, too. Just gotta keep positive!
Then I did 6 hill sprints and my resistance exercises. Total ran this evening: 1:15. Last week I ran for almost 380 minutes, and this week I'm already at 340. whoa! but my body is really liking the doubles: coast in the morning, speedwork in the evening (instead of in the morning--that was a bit rough. yeah, most races are in the morning....oh, well)
Anyway, the dog and I were on the rec path again this morning, and after a while, I saw a black lab ahead of its owner coming towards us. That's the usual modus operandi for labs and their owners, btw: most owners think these dogs are harmless and will train themselves. Another glance tells me that the dog isn't on a leash. A third glance tells me that the dog is accelerating towards us in a probably harmless but totally not cool way. So I yell to the owner "your dog should be on a leash." I should have plainly said "put your dog on a leash" but I had hopes that she'd get the hint or that her dog would prove well behaved at the end, I guess, even though she was already calling for it and it was well ahead and ignoring her. Anyway, the dog ran up to us; I was closer because my dog was on my other side, close to me and slightly behind me.
And I growled.
LOL, I've never growled at someone else's dog before, just my own when he's being a butt. I've developed a pretty convincing growl, that's often the third warning after 'ah-ah' and a louder 'ah-ah' or 'no' LOL. Usually I tell other dogs no, but I had to think fast. I didn't want the thing darting to my dog. Yes, it looked harmless, but this was our run, my dog's time to focus. It's not fair for him to have other dogs running up to him when I'm making him "work". We weren't in a dog park, we were on a rec path that many other people use as well.
When I growled, the dog stopped in its tracks and stared at me--I had its full attention. I should have used it better! Maybe I could have made it sit! lol. Anyway, the owner was still umpteen yards away--I'd hoped that she'd be able to grab her dog then, oh, well. I started moving forward, in hopes that the dog would let us go, but it went around behind me to get at my dog. The owner was nearby at this point and maybe she was saying something--I vaguely remember an apology--but I was focused on the dogs. She still hadn't grabbed hers! My dog was standing there while hers sniffed his butt. Finally, I noticed her dog backing off--maybe she grabbed it, I dunno--and so I start running again.
This probably happened in the space of a few seconds, but it seemed to go by so slowly!
I regret that I hadn't explained gently that a loose (untrained, but don't want to get her on the defensive) dog could be dangerous on these paths because cyclists use it too, and the road and cars is pretty close to it. Plus, it's illegal to have a dog running loose in the city except in designated dog parks or on private property. The popo don't cruise much along the rec paths, but I've seen them now and then; you can't predict when it's going to be their time to shine.
But, as is always the case with me when my run is interrupted by someone's untrained dog, I didn't say anything, didn't look at the owner, just left as soon as I could. oh, well. Hopefully she'll rethink things before she unclips her dog next time.
We jogged for 30 minutes but it was all a blur because I was irked.
Evening: so I decided to rejoin run club tonight--I would have last week but for St. Patty's day. I felt a bit nervous about going back, would I be too slow, would I have to explain my unglamorous reasons for being away for a few months, etc...but it was fine. I was really glad to see my friends again, and gosh, it was good to be pushed. I'm much better than I was, but I still have a long way to go. We did 2000M repeats, I did two: 9:50 and 9:48. Supposedly 15K pace so I just picked my usual tempo pace--I thought I was lagging on the 2nd one because I was on my own, but it was ok. The heavy legs/light breathing syndrome was present, but I'm assuming that things will gradually get better. Perhaps my iron levels are still low--I was at 11 or 12 in January, and though I have been taking supplements and feel better, I just recently found out that dairy products impede Fe absorption. So what had I been washing my pills down with? Milk. LOL
Anyway, the last time I did 2 X 2000M, it was 9:36ish and easy/relaxing...this was a few days before I got my PB in the 1/2 marathon, 1:41, so I guess I was in pretty good shape then! Still, 9:50 isn't too far off, even if the effort was greater--I was on a hillier loop this time, too. Just gotta keep positive!
Then I did 6 hill sprints and my resistance exercises. Total ran this evening: 1:15. Last week I ran for almost 380 minutes, and this week I'm already at 340. whoa! but my body is really liking the doubles: coast in the morning, speedwork in the evening (instead of in the morning--that was a bit rough. yeah, most races are in the morning....oh, well)
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
day 44
I was going to try a short recovery jog yesterday, but we walked for an hour instead.
Today we walked with my husband for about 20 min, then ran for 24 and then ran 2 miles tempo*, then a short cool down jog bringing the total run time to almost 50 minutes, and then we did 4 hill sprints**, and then I did resistance exercises.
*the pace was slower than last week: 8:15/mile. It was a surprisingly enjoyable run, possibly because it maybe wasn't quite tempo pace. How do I put this without sounding like a jerk?: my dog was lagging. of course, when we were running towards a dog that was happily cavorting at the end of its flexi-leash, my dog magically found a reserve of energy. anyway, we're both getting used to moving faster, so it's all good.
Speaking of flexi-leashes, yet another moron using one gave a dog too much rein shortly after. It's a 'recreational path', not a dog park! I had to speak (politely and cheerfully, of course) to a lady last week who was this close to letting her dog trip me, I should have spoken to this guy too but I was near the end of my run and didn't want to stop or explain. He let his dog, who of course was on the side next to me, get within inches of me. Not bad, except that this was well in front of him and there is a little matter of geometry that seems to be escaping these folks. If the oncoming dog draws a lot of leash out forward to meet me, as I get closer, it can, and usually does, use the slack to get directly in front of me and, if all goes well, to the far side of me to meet my dog, thereby stretching this sometimes-hard-to-see cable in front of me. Picture an arc, a compass--if a dog is eight feet to the front, it can swing to eight feet to the side, and the path's not that wide. Oh, my God, do they not see it? Yes, those leashes are supposed to retract, but most owners don't react in time.
So I picked up the pace and veered and blocked a bit with my leg closest to the dog, and we had enough room to get by before it got in front of us. Meanwhile, the owner made no effort to haul it in.
I think these people actually think that it's a good thing that their dog stops us to socialize. I am all for socialization, but IT CANNOT REPLACE ADEQUATE EXERCISE, either mental or physical. Sorry for the caps, I wish I had the chance to see how much these people actually take these dogs out, and to tell them how much more they need to. People get these medium and large dogs and think that if they let them pull and wander all over the place, that'll make up for walking only a few miles a week. People don't realize how much most dogs will trot. I've seen little lap dogs running alongside joggers quite effectively. I've seen my own dog tear around a beach for at least two hours and a half without stopping--we were jogging, and he was off leash and sprinting back and forth. It was February on a boat-only accessible island on the Outer Banks (North Carolina)--there was nobody there. It was an incredible opportunity. He covered perhaps thrice the distance we did. It makes someone who thinks sufficient exercise is letting their dog pull them around for twenty minutes seem quite pathetic. And here's the other thing--dogs need a mental challenge too. They want to get what they want like us all, but they like 'working', they like learning and knowing exactly what they have to do and that they're doing it well. My dog loves to chase things and smell things just as much as any other dog, but when I ask him to, he stays by my side and becomes very focused on the run.
Ah, I just have to get used to calling out more--"Hey, please keep your dog closer, thanks!" And keep the anger level down low. LOL The not-so-surprising thing about these people letting their dogs all over the path is that I don't see the same ones again. I can think of only one exception, actually: a golden retriever that was on the wrong side of the path and it started to bound towards us but I told it no and it stopped. It was fine. The owner complained but I told her that I've had dogs jump on me and mine before. Usually it's harmless, but we've experienced the exception, but not badly, thank goodness. Fortunately, this lady seems to take her dog out often, on the proper side of the path since, and it's getting better. It's not mere coincidence: I see more repeatedly those dogs who run and heel properly. We passed a few of those today, including a couple of shepherd-type mutts that I've seen before.
The other thing is, spring is in the air. It could still snow, but it's been mild and sunny for the last week, birds are singing, the snow has melted off the sidewalks, etc. This is when ignorance comes out of hibernation. This is when all those dogs who are usually cooped up come out, sometimes accompanied, sometimes not, by people who comment that my dog is scary and glare at us and so forth. We experienced this last spring and the spring before. The weather turned nice and all these people and dogs emerged and got into our biz and it got kind of annoying. But after a few weeks, things quieted down. I'm not making this up. The novelty wore off, and/or people got tired of exercising, or they settled into some other rhythm, I suppose. I guess it'll be the same this year because it's starting up again.
**sprints--were supposed to be three, but my dog is still getting used to them and kind of bungled one. He's doing better than he was--at first, he would get terribly excited and dance around in front of me, but he's gauging my pace better and staying by my side. Mostly. He doesn't have a lot of time to figure things out, I'm going for only 8-10 seconds. anyway, on the third and supposed-to-be last sprint, he veered to the side and that slowed things down, so I did a fourth. It helps that I've found a good place to do them, the same place, from a certain railing to a certain garbage can. He's getting used to the drill. He seems to enjoy it.
Today we walked with my husband for about 20 min, then ran for 24 and then ran 2 miles tempo*, then a short cool down jog bringing the total run time to almost 50 minutes, and then we did 4 hill sprints**, and then I did resistance exercises.
*the pace was slower than last week: 8:15/mile. It was a surprisingly enjoyable run, possibly because it maybe wasn't quite tempo pace. How do I put this without sounding like a jerk?: my dog was lagging. of course, when we were running towards a dog that was happily cavorting at the end of its flexi-leash, my dog magically found a reserve of energy. anyway, we're both getting used to moving faster, so it's all good.
Speaking of flexi-leashes, yet another moron using one gave a dog too much rein shortly after. It's a 'recreational path', not a dog park! I had to speak (politely and cheerfully, of course) to a lady last week who was this close to letting her dog trip me, I should have spoken to this guy too but I was near the end of my run and didn't want to stop or explain. He let his dog, who of course was on the side next to me, get within inches of me. Not bad, except that this was well in front of him and there is a little matter of geometry that seems to be escaping these folks. If the oncoming dog draws a lot of leash out forward to meet me, as I get closer, it can, and usually does, use the slack to get directly in front of me and, if all goes well, to the far side of me to meet my dog, thereby stretching this sometimes-hard-to-see cable in front of me. Picture an arc, a compass--if a dog is eight feet to the front, it can swing to eight feet to the side, and the path's not that wide. Oh, my God, do they not see it? Yes, those leashes are supposed to retract, but most owners don't react in time.
So I picked up the pace and veered and blocked a bit with my leg closest to the dog, and we had enough room to get by before it got in front of us. Meanwhile, the owner made no effort to haul it in.
I think these people actually think that it's a good thing that their dog stops us to socialize. I am all for socialization, but IT CANNOT REPLACE ADEQUATE EXERCISE, either mental or physical. Sorry for the caps, I wish I had the chance to see how much these people actually take these dogs out, and to tell them how much more they need to. People get these medium and large dogs and think that if they let them pull and wander all over the place, that'll make up for walking only a few miles a week. People don't realize how much most dogs will trot. I've seen little lap dogs running alongside joggers quite effectively. I've seen my own dog tear around a beach for at least two hours and a half without stopping--we were jogging, and he was off leash and sprinting back and forth. It was February on a boat-only accessible island on the Outer Banks (North Carolina)--there was nobody there. It was an incredible opportunity. He covered perhaps thrice the distance we did. It makes someone who thinks sufficient exercise is letting their dog pull them around for twenty minutes seem quite pathetic. And here's the other thing--dogs need a mental challenge too. They want to get what they want like us all, but they like 'working', they like learning and knowing exactly what they have to do and that they're doing it well. My dog loves to chase things and smell things just as much as any other dog, but when I ask him to, he stays by my side and becomes very focused on the run.
Ah, I just have to get used to calling out more--"Hey, please keep your dog closer, thanks!" And keep the anger level down low. LOL The not-so-surprising thing about these people letting their dogs all over the path is that I don't see the same ones again. I can think of only one exception, actually: a golden retriever that was on the wrong side of the path and it started to bound towards us but I told it no and it stopped. It was fine. The owner complained but I told her that I've had dogs jump on me and mine before. Usually it's harmless, but we've experienced the exception, but not badly, thank goodness. Fortunately, this lady seems to take her dog out often, on the proper side of the path since, and it's getting better. It's not mere coincidence: I see more repeatedly those dogs who run and heel properly. We passed a few of those today, including a couple of shepherd-type mutts that I've seen before.
The other thing is, spring is in the air. It could still snow, but it's been mild and sunny for the last week, birds are singing, the snow has melted off the sidewalks, etc. This is when ignorance comes out of hibernation. This is when all those dogs who are usually cooped up come out, sometimes accompanied, sometimes not, by people who comment that my dog is scary and glare at us and so forth. We experienced this last spring and the spring before. The weather turned nice and all these people and dogs emerged and got into our biz and it got kind of annoying. But after a few weeks, things quieted down. I'm not making this up. The novelty wore off, and/or people got tired of exercising, or they settled into some other rhythm, I suppose. I guess it'll be the same this year because it's starting up again.
**sprints--were supposed to be three, but my dog is still getting used to them and kind of bungled one. He's doing better than he was--at first, he would get terribly excited and dance around in front of me, but he's gauging my pace better and staying by my side. Mostly. He doesn't have a lot of time to figure things out, I'm going for only 8-10 seconds. anyway, on the third and supposed-to-be last sprint, he veered to the side and that slowed things down, so I did a fourth. It helps that I've found a good place to do them, the same place, from a certain railing to a certain garbage can. He's getting used to the drill. He seems to enjoy it.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Thurs-Fri-and another dog-related rant
Thurs, recovery day, bunch of little runs/jogs/walks. 2ish miles to volunteer job, mostly jogging (was late), then 2ish miles back, then 3ish miles jogging to dragonboating and 3ish miles jogging back. Total 10.89 miles. Plus dragonboating, which was a lot of fun! My legs were a little dead, but I still had a bit of a cold so I wasn't too concerned. It was good to get an artificial fever jacked up.
Fri, 2.5 miles in the morning, 8.44 in the evening. Amazing how crappy I felt in the morning and how much differently, how much better I felt in the evening.
Except at one point. We ran by the Arboretum (not really through, just on the bike path beside the Canal) and, yep, someone's unleashed dog ran up to mine growling. I realize that mine probably stares down most other dogs, but he stays by my side and doesn't go up to them and/or growl. I tugged him ahead as the other dog went behind him for whatever reason, and then I stuck my leg between it and I/my dog and told it to "Go!" Meanwhile, the owners were pathetically mewing 'come, come, come'. It stayed away. The owners said 'sorry about that' as they went to collect it. I was too annoyed to meet their gaze, just said 'ok' and ran on.
Yeah, some dogs just run up to others growling and will simmer down. Whatever.
But this was on a REC/RUNNING/BIKE PATH!! There is plenty of space for ill-trained dogs to run off leash, why right on the path? morons.
I wished I had the guts to say 'oh, you dropped a chromosome.'
However, that wouldn't be constructive, nor within the limited reach of my impaired wit at times like these, when the curtain of red descends and I have a split second to mutter 'ok' and get out of there before I get all too nasty.
I talked with my mom about this, and she thinks that I might have a good idea: carry copies of a dog trainer's business card and hand them out whenever someone's dog is being a butt. I had a trainer come over once to help with my dog and she really helped; unfortunately, I've run out of the cards she left behind but maybe I can get her to send me more.
At any rate, it took me a few miles to cool down and then the endorphins kicked in and I was in the zone. So it ended up being a nice run after all. Then we walked for a bit and my dog had a nice sniff with another dog whose owner held it back at first. It was yipping and standing on its hind feet. I talked with the owner a bit as she calmed it down and then we let the dogs sniff each other. That's how it should be.
Fri, 2.5 miles in the morning, 8.44 in the evening. Amazing how crappy I felt in the morning and how much differently, how much better I felt in the evening.
Except at one point. We ran by the Arboretum (not really through, just on the bike path beside the Canal) and, yep, someone's unleashed dog ran up to mine growling. I realize that mine probably stares down most other dogs, but he stays by my side and doesn't go up to them and/or growl. I tugged him ahead as the other dog went behind him for whatever reason, and then I stuck my leg between it and I/my dog and told it to "Go!" Meanwhile, the owners were pathetically mewing 'come, come, come'. It stayed away. The owners said 'sorry about that' as they went to collect it. I was too annoyed to meet their gaze, just said 'ok' and ran on.
Yeah, some dogs just run up to others growling and will simmer down. Whatever.
But this was on a REC/RUNNING/BIKE PATH!! There is plenty of space for ill-trained dogs to run off leash, why right on the path? morons.
I wished I had the guts to say 'oh, you dropped a chromosome.'
However, that wouldn't be constructive, nor within the limited reach of my impaired wit at times like these, when the curtain of red descends and I have a split second to mutter 'ok' and get out of there before I get all too nasty.
I talked with my mom about this, and she thinks that I might have a good idea: carry copies of a dog trainer's business card and hand them out whenever someone's dog is being a butt. I had a trainer come over once to help with my dog and she really helped; unfortunately, I've run out of the cards she left behind but maybe I can get her to send me more.
At any rate, it took me a few miles to cool down and then the endorphins kicked in and I was in the zone. So it ended up being a nice run after all. Then we walked for a bit and my dog had a nice sniff with another dog whose owner held it back at first. It was yipping and standing on its hind feet. I talked with the owner a bit as she calmed it down and then we let the dogs sniff each other. That's how it should be.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Mon-Tues, GREAT Wed
Mon: 3 miles, no resistance exercises because I had to work--I was going to do them after work, but it turned out to be a heavy shift lifting-wise. So I guess I got a good workout in anyway, but not the same range of muscles that I usually tackle.
Tues: 1.5 miles Such an easy, lazy day!
Wed: 15.16 miles.
This has been one of the best days I've had recently. I didn't have to work, but I woke up at about 6:22 am. Way too early. I fell asleep and woke up again at 6:38. Way too early, but it was almost as if there was a voice in my head saying that I should get up and out, it would be worth it, and I'd regret missing it. Whatever it was. So, I pulled on some running clothes and grabbed the dog and headed out.
I don't usually get out that early; I'd assumed that it would be crowded with pre-work runners, but it was surprisingly clear. And lovely. I don't know what the temp was, but it was comfortable and there was plenty of shade. The dog and I just loped along for a while. We got to the point where I would have turned, for an easy loop, but I wanted to go further. It was so invigorating.
On our way home, I considered stopping by at a dog park--I don't usually take my dog to these things, but he was good and tired and if there's just one or two other nice dogs, he enjoys it. However, as we walked by the fence, a big dog came up growling. At first, I thought to hustle my dog along because I don't want him to think he has to handle that, but the growling didn't seem too aggressive (some dogs just don't know better) and my dog was calm with the fence between them, and so we just stood there and listened to this dog growl and so forth, with the pathetic 'come' cries of the jerk owner sitting on her butt on the other side of the park. LOL. And then my dog peed in the direction of the other dog. He sometimes does this (or tries to do) when confronted with some other dog trying to be dominant. I guess it's a dominant issue. Usually I don't allow it, but this dog really asked for it. It shut the other dog up and they sniffed each other through the fence for a bit and then its owner's cries got through and it loped back.
Well, I met another dog owner on her way to the park, and I told her about that dog. She knew it and said that the owner can't control it. Meanwhile, our dogs were going through the greetings and they decided they wanted to play, and, dang it, if that dumb dog/owner hadn't been in there, they could have had a nice session tearing around the yard. I wish I could have taken my dog in there. He likes playing, but he doesn't appreciate pushy dogs, either, and unfortunately, most people bring their dogs to the dog park way too wound up. So we rarely go.
But, still, it was a really nice outing. And I had loads of energy the rest of the day--I'd forgotten how invigorating an early-morning run can be. I did a bunch of yardwork and school work, plus errands, and it seemed that I was working faster than usual. I'd look at my watch, expecting a 1/2 hour or whatever later, and it was only ten minutes or whatever later.
This also meant that I was totally fried by five, so I had a nap, and slept a bit too late for run club. Fortunately, there are only so many good routes, so I headed straight for the Canal and joined up with them there. Someone mentioned that they were warming up...this month is supposed to be easy, so I was surprised. Turned out they were planning a 30-min tempo at 5:00-5:15, so that seemed manageable. It's not quite tempo pace for me, but considering my lack of speed training these days, plus the hot weather, maybe it is! And it was hot, but the run went well. We picked it up a bit near the end. I am so used to going faster at the end of runs, especially when they're out and backs, so I just let it out the last 1/2 mile--not pushing, just opening up. It's kind of a reward :) I hope nobody minded.
And, THEN, resistance exercises.
Now I'm feeling worn out, but in a good way!
Tomorrow will be an easy day running-wise, although another double, probably 3 and 3 miles. I'm going to a dragonboating practice too. Should be fun!
Tues: 1.5 miles Such an easy, lazy day!
Wed: 15.16 miles.
This has been one of the best days I've had recently. I didn't have to work, but I woke up at about 6:22 am. Way too early. I fell asleep and woke up again at 6:38. Way too early, but it was almost as if there was a voice in my head saying that I should get up and out, it would be worth it, and I'd regret missing it. Whatever it was. So, I pulled on some running clothes and grabbed the dog and headed out.
I don't usually get out that early; I'd assumed that it would be crowded with pre-work runners, but it was surprisingly clear. And lovely. I don't know what the temp was, but it was comfortable and there was plenty of shade. The dog and I just loped along for a while. We got to the point where I would have turned, for an easy loop, but I wanted to go further. It was so invigorating.
On our way home, I considered stopping by at a dog park--I don't usually take my dog to these things, but he was good and tired and if there's just one or two other nice dogs, he enjoys it. However, as we walked by the fence, a big dog came up growling. At first, I thought to hustle my dog along because I don't want him to think he has to handle that, but the growling didn't seem too aggressive (some dogs just don't know better) and my dog was calm with the fence between them, and so we just stood there and listened to this dog growl and so forth, with the pathetic 'come' cries of the jerk owner sitting on her butt on the other side of the park. LOL. And then my dog peed in the direction of the other dog. He sometimes does this (or tries to do) when confronted with some other dog trying to be dominant. I guess it's a dominant issue. Usually I don't allow it, but this dog really asked for it. It shut the other dog up and they sniffed each other through the fence for a bit and then its owner's cries got through and it loped back.
Well, I met another dog owner on her way to the park, and I told her about that dog. She knew it and said that the owner can't control it. Meanwhile, our dogs were going through the greetings and they decided they wanted to play, and, dang it, if that dumb dog/owner hadn't been in there, they could have had a nice session tearing around the yard. I wish I could have taken my dog in there. He likes playing, but he doesn't appreciate pushy dogs, either, and unfortunately, most people bring their dogs to the dog park way too wound up. So we rarely go.
But, still, it was a really nice outing. And I had loads of energy the rest of the day--I'd forgotten how invigorating an early-morning run can be. I did a bunch of yardwork and school work, plus errands, and it seemed that I was working faster than usual. I'd look at my watch, expecting a 1/2 hour or whatever later, and it was only ten minutes or whatever later.
This also meant that I was totally fried by five, so I had a nap, and slept a bit too late for run club. Fortunately, there are only so many good routes, so I headed straight for the Canal and joined up with them there. Someone mentioned that they were warming up...this month is supposed to be easy, so I was surprised. Turned out they were planning a 30-min tempo at 5:00-5:15, so that seemed manageable. It's not quite tempo pace for me, but considering my lack of speed training these days, plus the hot weather, maybe it is! And it was hot, but the run went well. We picked it up a bit near the end. I am so used to going faster at the end of runs, especially when they're out and backs, so I just let it out the last 1/2 mile--not pushing, just opening up. It's kind of a reward :) I hope nobody minded.
And, THEN, resistance exercises.
Now I'm feeling worn out, but in a good way!
Tomorrow will be an easy day running-wise, although another double, probably 3 and 3 miles. I'm going to a dragonboating practice too. Should be fun!
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Sunday
There is a lot to talk about in this post.
1. the capriciousness of Mother Nature. I ran today in about 8C, overcast, drizzly. Two weeks ago, I ran in about 4C, overcast, windy. Good running weather, both days. But, of course, the Ottawa race weekend was a week ago, and 18ishC, and sunny. WHAAAAA?
2. Yesterday: 3.5 miles with the dog, and 1.5 miles to work. Then at work I was exposed to some new contagion or whatever, and started sneezing a lot.
3. Got up this morning for run club, but it wasn't feeling right, so I conked out and slept in until ten. Then I felt ok, just a bit tired, and I headed out to meet run club at the end of their run. Jogged back, so 2ish miles total there, albeit with a brownie and chat interjection.
4. Grabbed the dog and, considering the nice weather, decided to run ten miles. Yes, run. WEll, jog. No walk breaks. So we did that and it was nice, except
5. FOLKS, this whole coming out of winter hibernation to cast the evil eye at my dog isn't cool. I try to look pleasant and my dog heels well, better than 95% of the dogs I see, but people have been kind of pissy about my dog lately. Yeah, he looks evil but we made it through the winter without anyone getting mauled and he's been very easy-going about sharing the paths we held down in -20C and below. Bikes, trikes, Hummer baby strollers, blades, other dogs, etc, he just jogs by. Yet people glare. Not everyone, but enough to harsh our buzz. We get into a groove, maybe get a nice compliment, we smile, we keep running, and then someone punctures that with a glare. The same thing happened last year, too: we ran through slush, whatever, no worries, just smiles from the other people crazy enough to be out there too, and then it gets nice out and suddenly we're running into folks who look like they've been sucking lemons. People haul out their toys and weekend warrior attitude and squirrely little kids and ill-trained designer dogs pulling the whole family along and it beomes How Dare You Run with Your Mean Dog in Public. But very few people confront me directly, which makes me even more annoyed because I think I'm itching for a fight, although I get a kick out of people who get hauled towards my dog by their golden or labradoodle or whatever and then mutter that my dog is vicious. (my 2nd favourite is when we're running along and someone's loose dog runs up to mine and they mutter that my dog is vicious). So, whenever I see someone glaring at me-at my dog-at me (it's becoming quite distinctive), I try to smile angelically. Next step is to match their passive-aggressive bullcrap with a good ole 'How you doin'? Gotta problem?'
Or maybe I should just quit running through the Glebe. LOL. Oh, it's too easy to knock the Glebe. I should quit that. It's very convenient and calming to run through, and it's not like we don't get issues elsewhere.
And, if last year is any indication, this sort of thing will die down as the spring of spring wears off and people venture less outdoors again.
And some people compliment my dog; a few people, including two dog trainers, have commented that he heels really well. And there are people who are all over him...he is something of a man magnet, lol. He has his fans. He's the type of dog that most people have a strong opinion about, good or ill. More importantly, though, he is well behaved in public. I take him out with the attitude that when he's out, he's 'working'. He has to behave. He has to stay close beside me unless I tell him 'ok'. We're still fine tuning things such as when he crosses the street--he tends to drift away a bit--but he's never pulling ahead of me. I don't accept that. "Who's the human here? Who created fire?" If he starts tuning me out, on goes the halti--how he hates that! He can still enjoy sights and smells, but on my terms. I'm the leader. Sounds harsh, but it's a lot safer for everyone than the all-too prevaling attitude that going out in public is a good time for a dog to play and go crazy. My dog has his crazy play moments too, but not in public. People are afraid of dogs. Everyone deserves to have a nice calm outing.
Anyway, he 'worked' for ten+ miles today. :)
And the real main issue is that my blog title is misleading--it's not 3XX days to go. It's maybe not even 3X days to go. I'm excited that it's so soon and annoyed that it's been so long. It's high time that my husband got back so that we as a cohesive family unit can cast judgemental glares with impunity (although that's not really on my homecoming list, lol).
1. the capriciousness of Mother Nature. I ran today in about 8C, overcast, drizzly. Two weeks ago, I ran in about 4C, overcast, windy. Good running weather, both days. But, of course, the Ottawa race weekend was a week ago, and 18ishC, and sunny. WHAAAAA?
2. Yesterday: 3.5 miles with the dog, and 1.5 miles to work. Then at work I was exposed to some new contagion or whatever, and started sneezing a lot.
3. Got up this morning for run club, but it wasn't feeling right, so I conked out and slept in until ten. Then I felt ok, just a bit tired, and I headed out to meet run club at the end of their run. Jogged back, so 2ish miles total there, albeit with a brownie and chat interjection.
4. Grabbed the dog and, considering the nice weather, decided to run ten miles. Yes, run. WEll, jog. No walk breaks. So we did that and it was nice, except
5. FOLKS, this whole coming out of winter hibernation to cast the evil eye at my dog isn't cool. I try to look pleasant and my dog heels well, better than 95% of the dogs I see, but people have been kind of pissy about my dog lately. Yeah, he looks evil but we made it through the winter without anyone getting mauled and he's been very easy-going about sharing the paths we held down in -20C and below. Bikes, trikes, Hummer baby strollers, blades, other dogs, etc, he just jogs by. Yet people glare. Not everyone, but enough to harsh our buzz. We get into a groove, maybe get a nice compliment, we smile, we keep running, and then someone punctures that with a glare. The same thing happened last year, too: we ran through slush, whatever, no worries, just smiles from the other people crazy enough to be out there too, and then it gets nice out and suddenly we're running into folks who look like they've been sucking lemons. People haul out their toys and weekend warrior attitude and squirrely little kids and ill-trained designer dogs pulling the whole family along and it beomes How Dare You Run with Your Mean Dog in Public. But very few people confront me directly, which makes me even more annoyed because I think I'm itching for a fight, although I get a kick out of people who get hauled towards my dog by their golden or labradoodle or whatever and then mutter that my dog is vicious. (my 2nd favourite is when we're running along and someone's loose dog runs up to mine and they mutter that my dog is vicious). So, whenever I see someone glaring at me-at my dog-at me (it's becoming quite distinctive), I try to smile angelically. Next step is to match their passive-aggressive bullcrap with a good ole 'How you doin'? Gotta problem?'
Or maybe I should just quit running through the Glebe. LOL. Oh, it's too easy to knock the Glebe. I should quit that. It's very convenient and calming to run through, and it's not like we don't get issues elsewhere.
And, if last year is any indication, this sort of thing will die down as the spring of spring wears off and people venture less outdoors again.
And some people compliment my dog; a few people, including two dog trainers, have commented that he heels really well. And there are people who are all over him...he is something of a man magnet, lol. He has his fans. He's the type of dog that most people have a strong opinion about, good or ill. More importantly, though, he is well behaved in public. I take him out with the attitude that when he's out, he's 'working'. He has to behave. He has to stay close beside me unless I tell him 'ok'. We're still fine tuning things such as when he crosses the street--he tends to drift away a bit--but he's never pulling ahead of me. I don't accept that. "Who's the human here? Who created fire?" If he starts tuning me out, on goes the halti--how he hates that! He can still enjoy sights and smells, but on my terms. I'm the leader. Sounds harsh, but it's a lot safer for everyone than the all-too prevaling attitude that going out in public is a good time for a dog to play and go crazy. My dog has his crazy play moments too, but not in public. People are afraid of dogs. Everyone deserves to have a nice calm outing.
Anyway, he 'worked' for ten+ miles today. :)
And the real main issue is that my blog title is misleading--it's not 3XX days to go. It's maybe not even 3X days to go. I'm excited that it's so soon and annoyed that it's been so long. It's high time that my husband got back so that we as a cohesive family unit can cast judgemental glares with impunity (although that's not really on my homecoming list, lol).
Monday, May 25, 2009
recovery Monday
3.5 miles with the dog, then some light exercises, a few squats, clamshells, etc.
My legs are a little stiff, but not bad.
I had to tell some woman that I don't let my dog near other dogs that are "pulling like that"--meaning, pulling their owners towards us. I've been mulling this issue over for ages, how to politely tell people that if their dog hauls them to my dog, we're not interested in 'socializing'. And then this dog hauled its owner to my dog, but I veered off in the road, and it just spilled out:
"I'm sorry, I don't let my dog near dogs that are pulling like that."
It just came out! there it is. I'll try to be apologetic rather than accusatory or righteous about it. I don't think she took it well, but she appeared all too eager to let her dog pull itself towards mine so she earned whatever I had to say. It could have been a lot worse.
My legs are a little stiff, but not bad.
I had to tell some woman that I don't let my dog near other dogs that are "pulling like that"--meaning, pulling their owners towards us. I've been mulling this issue over for ages, how to politely tell people that if their dog hauls them to my dog, we're not interested in 'socializing'. And then this dog hauled its owner to my dog, but I veered off in the road, and it just spilled out:
"I'm sorry, I don't let my dog near dogs that are pulling like that."
It just came out! there it is. I'll try to be apologetic rather than accusatory or righteous about it. I don't think she took it well, but she appeared all too eager to let her dog pull itself towards mine so she earned whatever I had to say. It could have been a lot worse.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Dog on the loose
Not mine! Someone was biking along the river and had their large dog running free. I didn't see it in time to get away, so I figured I'd just keep running and hope that it wouldn't run in front of us or trip us up. It bolted right up to my dog and after a brief growl, it ran off. The owner apologized and biked on. I was too steamed. I waited a few seconds. Too steamed still. I yelled "Not good enough."
We caught up to them a minute later. She was on the side of the path clipping a leash onto her dog. She apologized again. I was still steamed, but I smiled and shrugged and said, "Ah," and ran on. I was not going to say that it was ok, because it wasn't. There are umpteen dog parks in the city. The bike path is not one of them. Nice that she was exercising her dog, but it did not have a good recall--she had been yelling at it to come and it didn't until it ran away from my dog. Still, I felt like a butt later on...I could have thanked her for apologizing.
I also thought about going back and explaining that there were leashes designed for dogs and bicyclists but, eh, I was too steamed. Mainly on my dog's behalf.
I think he was the one who growled. He definitely lunged at it, not enough to pull on the leash, but he got out of its way and behind it and then lunged. Usually I'd give him a correction for this, I guess--it's never happened before--but this dog bolted straight at him/us. We have had loose dogs run alongside and past us without incident, but this dog was moving faster and perhaps was going to stop us, I dunno what my dog read from it, but it was a large dog that came suddenly at us. So he warned it off. That disappointed me in a way because he trusts me not to let that sort of thing happen. That's part of the deal. He doesn't pull towards other dogs, and I don't let anything weird happen.
The thing is, my dog looks mean to most people. I think he's cute--he kind of chose us, rather than the other way around, but I thought he looked sort of goofy and my husband liked him too so we took him home. But he's definitely not cute and fluffy, if that makes sense; his appearance is incriminating. Some cute and fluffy dog could run up to him and start something (and it has happened), and my dog would be at fault no matter what. So I really don't want things to go that route.
Well, anyway, we ran on past them, and my dog didn't give her dog a glance this time. It seemed like a nice enough dog, just untrained. The next dog we saw was a big German Shepherd straining at the leash, but at least the guy had a firm grip on it. My dog just ran by it. THat's what he does. Running with me is his job. Runs are not for socializing. He'll play with other dogs--most of them he's not much interested in, but there are a few he wants to play with--but they go through prelude of circles and butt-sniffing first.
We ran/walked just under 5 miles. My legs are still heavy. Hopefully that will go away in time for the marathon.
We caught up to them a minute later. She was on the side of the path clipping a leash onto her dog. She apologized again. I was still steamed, but I smiled and shrugged and said, "Ah," and ran on. I was not going to say that it was ok, because it wasn't. There are umpteen dog parks in the city. The bike path is not one of them. Nice that she was exercising her dog, but it did not have a good recall--she had been yelling at it to come and it didn't until it ran away from my dog. Still, I felt like a butt later on...I could have thanked her for apologizing.
I also thought about going back and explaining that there were leashes designed for dogs and bicyclists but, eh, I was too steamed. Mainly on my dog's behalf.
I think he was the one who growled. He definitely lunged at it, not enough to pull on the leash, but he got out of its way and behind it and then lunged. Usually I'd give him a correction for this, I guess--it's never happened before--but this dog bolted straight at him/us. We have had loose dogs run alongside and past us without incident, but this dog was moving faster and perhaps was going to stop us, I dunno what my dog read from it, but it was a large dog that came suddenly at us. So he warned it off. That disappointed me in a way because he trusts me not to let that sort of thing happen. That's part of the deal. He doesn't pull towards other dogs, and I don't let anything weird happen.
The thing is, my dog looks mean to most people. I think he's cute--he kind of chose us, rather than the other way around, but I thought he looked sort of goofy and my husband liked him too so we took him home. But he's definitely not cute and fluffy, if that makes sense; his appearance is incriminating. Some cute and fluffy dog could run up to him and start something (and it has happened), and my dog would be at fault no matter what. So I really don't want things to go that route.
Well, anyway, we ran on past them, and my dog didn't give her dog a glance this time. It seemed like a nice enough dog, just untrained. The next dog we saw was a big German Shepherd straining at the leash, but at least the guy had a firm grip on it. My dog just ran by it. THat's what he does. Running with me is his job. Runs are not for socializing. He'll play with other dogs--most of them he's not much interested in, but there are a few he wants to play with--but they go through prelude of circles and butt-sniffing first.
We ran/walked just under 5 miles. My legs are still heavy. Hopefully that will go away in time for the marathon.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Arboreteum
Dog drama! some dog ran up to my dog while we were in the Arboreteum. My dog was leashed (apparently the only one in there that was) and the other dog was loose. It dashed right up to my dog and I didn't quite see what was going on because my dog was slightly behind me, but I think the other dog snapped at him. I wasn't sure, though, so we just kept going. Other than that, it was a nice relaxing jaunt.
We jogged 5 miles very slowly (like in 53 min) and that was enough, so we walked a slightly hilly loop 6-7 times and then went home. If I feel better, I'll likely go back to that portion later in the week.
The good news is that my foot seems to be getting better, and I feel a little less sick, and my thyroid is normal. I have some nodules in my parotid glands which are probably harmless--will get them checked again in the fall.
The bad news is that my legs still weigh a ton and I'm tired and I will have to see a cardiologist. The stats from my 48 hr heart monitoring were interesting:
min beats per minute: 41
max beats per minute: 202
max beats per minute w/ tachycardia: 228.
apparently, the electrical impulses of my heart are funky, so we'll see what I find out about managing this.
I forgot to ask my doctor about running the ultramarathon, lol. She's supportive of running, but she did say to take it easy. The thing is, the ultra would be a very easy effort, just for a long while. However, this fatigue I'm feeling in general is pretty discouraging. I shouldn't feel like crap moving 10:30-11 min/mile for just a few.
I'm going to try to be more consistent with taking iron pills. Another factor might be the Pill...I've been on a new kind for the past 3 months and it has not agreed with me at all. Just a few more days to finish the present cycle, and that will be that. I will switch to another kind but I don't want to start a new cycle just yet--two weeks without extra synthesized hormones will hopefully help me recover for the ultra.
So, I feel a little more relieved, but still in limbo and still logey.
We did 10.25 miles today.
We jogged 5 miles very slowly (like in 53 min) and that was enough, so we walked a slightly hilly loop 6-7 times and then went home. If I feel better, I'll likely go back to that portion later in the week.
The good news is that my foot seems to be getting better, and I feel a little less sick, and my thyroid is normal. I have some nodules in my parotid glands which are probably harmless--will get them checked again in the fall.
The bad news is that my legs still weigh a ton and I'm tired and I will have to see a cardiologist. The stats from my 48 hr heart monitoring were interesting:
min beats per minute: 41
max beats per minute: 202
max beats per minute w/ tachycardia: 228.
apparently, the electrical impulses of my heart are funky, so we'll see what I find out about managing this.
I forgot to ask my doctor about running the ultramarathon, lol. She's supportive of running, but she did say to take it easy. The thing is, the ultra would be a very easy effort, just for a long while. However, this fatigue I'm feeling in general is pretty discouraging. I shouldn't feel like crap moving 10:30-11 min/mile for just a few.
I'm going to try to be more consistent with taking iron pills. Another factor might be the Pill...I've been on a new kind for the past 3 months and it has not agreed with me at all. Just a few more days to finish the present cycle, and that will be that. I will switch to another kind but I don't want to start a new cycle just yet--two weeks without extra synthesized hormones will hopefully help me recover for the ultra.
So, I feel a little more relieved, but still in limbo and still logey.
We did 10.25 miles today.
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