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)