ok, so… I just got back from running (no I didn’t go this morning.. we switched our plans to tomorrow morning 7am) and I can’t help but think that my run deserves a blog post.
I got all bundled up in my “winter gear” and headed outside totally in the mood for a great run! It’s the coldest I’ve run in so far but it felt so refreshing!! I was going to take my favorite route and headed down the lane when I saw those 3 dreaded dogs just waiting for me to come by so they could snap at my calves and heels… I immediately turned around and headed the other direction.
“That’s ok” I thought “A few more hills should be fun!” and off I went!
I felt like I was running at a decently fast pace and I was really enjoying my run and battling up those hills was like a game to me… After each hill I conquered, I did a little fist pump at the top before running towards the next one…
childish? maybe.. fun? definitely! ;)
I turned around when I decided it was getting too dark and that’s when it happened… my “perfect run” turned into just a “good run” … I got some side cramps. But they usually go away pretty quickly so I powered through it and decided it wasn’t going to ruin my fun!
Not even a minute after my cramps went away, I started up a hill and halfway up, I passed a line of trees…
OUT OF NOWHERE COMES THIS ST BERNARD… running right towards me, barking so loudly!!! If you’ve been following me for a while now, you know i HATE dogs!!! Right away my vision started getting blurry, the blood drained from my face, and my muscles tensed up, I got an instant headache and kept saying
“go home”
“stay”
“good dog”
“go home”
“stay”
I felt like I was going in slow motion… yes, for all you new followers, I’m deathly afraid of dogs… I try to act like I’m not, but all that flies out the window when you have a huge mass of 200 pounds running AT you!!
That’s when it really started going downhill… literally and figuratively… I made it to the other side of the hill and the dog finally went back home and I tried so hard to relax but I think my fear and adrenaline really did a number on my tummy! I felt terrible! like I was going to throw up or go to the bathroom and I kept telling myself that I really needed a Road ID and to start running with my phone. What if something would’ve happened and that dog KILLED me and mauled my face?! no one would be able to tell who I was or who to call… ugh!! Stupid dogs! ok… maybe that last part… about the mauling… was a bit dramatic…
My tummy problems persisted and I had to run/walk the rest of the way home… I thought I was for sure gonna be a mess by the time I made it back home, but luckily I was not! I made it in one piece and was never so happy to be home!! This is my “I survived” pose:
Don’t mind my crazy hair, I think it has a mind of it’s own. AND Yes, I have a “dog”, but he’s not really a dog… he’s a 7 year old puppy lol ;) Look how cute he is! all 7 lbs of him! I probably wouldn’t mind if all dogs were Gabriel’s size! haha!
So yeah… that was my nice, relaxing, fun run turned stressful, run for my life and survive, run lol… are any of you deathly afraid of dogs? Or am I the only one? How do you deal with dogs while you’re running? Especially BIG dogs!?
