Funny Elderly Man
As I made my way down to the river, I saw several people out and about, going for walks and also enjoying the spring weather preview. I turned right on the road that paralleled the river, and saw an elderly couple up ahead. The man was hunched over and used a cane to help him walk. As I got closer, he lifted his cane and shook it at me.
"How about that crazy runner fellah' who runs barefoot through the snow?!", he yelled in a thick Maine accent. Good, I thought I had done something wrong. He was referring to this guy. I laughed and agreed that the guy was indeed crazy. The image of this friendly old man waving his cane at me kept me laughing for the next few miles.
The Bad Dog
I moseyed along and started getting a bit tired and hungry when I was a few miles from home, but received a big shot of adrenaline as a very large dog started charging at me. For a second, I didn't think much of it. Dogs bark at me all the time. But it became very clear this dog was different. It's teeth were bared, the hair on it's back was straight up, it's bark was sinister, and it was running full speed at me and not slowing down. Crap.
I stood my ground and raised my arms to make myself look bigger, yelling repeatedly "GET BACK!" in a loud, deep voice. This froze the dog about six feet from me, but the teeth were still bared and the dog was still barking ferociously and non-stop. It would try to inch closer, and I would raise my arms higher and yell louder to get it to back down momentarily, and then it'd try again. Where the f%$& was the owner?! I was hoping someone would come out of the house the dog ran from and call the dog off, but no car was in the driveway.
I quickly formulated a two-part plan: First, reach down and grab a handful of icy snow and squeeze it into a hard-packed ball. Second, begin circling the dog to get between it and it's house. I've heard this puts dogs on the defensive and they get stressed when you get between them and their property. Now was a good time to find out.
I reached down and grabbed some icy snow, and cocked my arm back. The dog then backed down and took off back towards the house. I didn't have to circle. Whew.
I ran the last few miles home on sheer adrenaline. As soon as I got home, I got in my car and drove back to the dog's house, got the address, and reported the incident to the Sheriff's office. I must say they were great and they took my report seriously, even though I wasn't attacked physically. They promised to come out that day and talk to the owner. I think I'll run with my pepper spray for a little while for added piece of mind.
That aside, a great run. Finished the week with 49.5 miles.
Ran 15.3 miles @ 8:56/mile pace.
AHR/MHR - 141/161
Paved roads.
Very hilly.
Lower 40s to lower 50s, partly cloudy.
Shorts, short sleeved shirt, Moeben sleeves.
