I think it is fairly safe to say that my runs are rarely boring. I came to this conclusion during my run yesterday evening as I headed to Point Pleasant Park in order to avoid all asphalt and sidewalks - as prescribed by my physiotherapist. I was contemplating how nice it was to be in the park among the walkers, runners and pet owners, when I was rudely awakened from my reverie by two snarling dobermans as they came barreling at me, their owners completely oblivious to my clear discomfort. I do realize that they were playing, albeit roughly, however, when one owns two dogs like that, you should realize that people do not take kindly to teeth-baring animals following closely at their heels, or said animals running past you over and over as they growl. I was not particularly interested in being caught in the middle of a doberman tussle.
I would like to note that I am not a pansy when it comes to dogs; I grew up with a very large golden retriever and a bernese mountain dog - go big or go home, I say!
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| My little Dukey-bear! |
So, with great reservation, I ran straight out of that park and broke golden rule #1 - thou shalt not run on sidewalks. I quickly looped back into the park and onto a different path. As I started to calm down, and my heart palpitations began to subside, I found myself face to face with the sign below.
Possible coyote sighted in the park. And a reminder to keep small children and pets close by. How very comforting. I decided it was time to assess the situation: a) deserted backwoods path b) no bystanders c) possible weapons choices ... an ipod and car keys. Conclusion? I could be coyote meat. Upon completion of this assessment, I decided it was time to run like hell and make for a populated area... where I found myself face to face with those damn dobermans again. Lovely. This called for a third path change where things remained much calmer for the remainder of my 18 minute outing.
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| This is what I came for! |
Despite the short time frame, I can honestly say that this was one of the most adrenaline-filled runs of all time. It was also one of the few times in my life where I did not come close to losing my lunch. Progress? I'll take it.
