November 17, 2009
Run: Union Reservoir (8.68 mi @ 07:21)
I am stuck in a loop! Ran the reservoir again today. Its only super muddy in a couple of spots. My shoes get all full of mud but then it falls off over the next mile. Didn’t get out till late today because I got busy. That’s why you run early — before you get busy!
Went counter-clockwise today since I thought I might be returning in the dark. Gets me closer to home as darkness sets in. So as I turn down WCR 28 and make my way past the horse farm — here come the dogs! These 2 dogs run all the way out to meet me at the road every few days over the last month. They are about knee high and medium fierce. They show teeth and bark their heads off. They come right out in the street within inches of me. I either try to sprint off ahead of them or my new trick is to pick up a hand full of pebbles/rocks and throw them (poorly) at the dogs. I never have really hit them but the motion of throwing stuff at them startles them just enough so they back down. Anyway, today they are in full force and I have the rocks but a big white suburban drives down the road and I flank it so I get distance from the dogs. The truck pulls into the driveway and drives about 50 feet towards the house and then stops, rolls down the window, and a lady seems to try and call the dogs. Thanks, but why not stop the car in the street and stop the mauling and apologize, etc. The dogs aren’t listening so she seems to drive on and up to the house. About this time, I hear a man start yelling. These houses are set way back off the county road — 200 feet or so. I can’t really here him clearly. But I can tell he is yelling — at me.
I calmly but loudly yell back something to the effect of “Please control your dogs”. If there is one thing I have learned about dog owners (Disclaimer: I am one), they usually don’t like being told how to handle their dogs. I suppose it is some indirect(?) reflection on them and they immediately throw up a front. He starts telling me to “run along”. Cute. I kept loudly yelling and telling him to come down here to discuss this. Meanwhile, the dogs are sort of making their way back to the house. He never comes down. I said something about “public roads” and he went on to explain that he owns part of the road — further clarifying that he is a taxpayer. Apparently, that gives you the right to have your dogs maul strangers on your road. Um, I am a taxpayer too — live just down the street. I waited a few more minutes and I think his wife pulled him into the garage and they closed the door and went inside.
Part of me is glad that some type of confrontation happened because I get so sick of having routes go to unusable because of dogs. I have another street that it is much worse on just adjacent to here. I feel like I do better than I used to at calmly confronting the situation vs. just cursing them out. I will be back tomorrow — rocks in hand. Any dog suggestions? I have reported other people to animal control before but they never respond. Feel like I should call them again and ask them EXACTLY what they want done when a dog confrontation happens like this.
I got back at it and felt a great pace tonight. After getting moving, I found myself cruising at 1/2 marathon pace with little effort. I did get a side stitch/cramp at the mid-point but I think it was because I ate lunch too late. Worked it off in a 1/2 block and then got back to that pace again.
On the final leg, which is normally a pretty lightly traveled dirt road, there were 100s of cars. Lines of them. What the hell? This sucks because the first few cars in a line always see you but as you get to the back of the pack they have no clue and you get tons of late swerves. Turns out there was an accident at rush hour on the adjacent highway and traffic was being diverted. Great! This segment is usually at the start of my run — which would have been an hour ago with no traffic.
If only I wouldn’t have run counter-clockwise today, it would have been perfect! Fate?
I went 8.68 miles with an elevation gain of 191 feet in 01:03:55, which is an average pace of 07:21. View my GPS data.
