Run and Jump . . .
on tricky canine encounters
I've never been attacked
or chased by a dog while I'm running. A few times, some small yapper has yapped in my general direction, but always while on its leash. That mountainous white labrador has never appeared on my runs either.
In fact, the only problems I’ve had are not with dogs but with their owners. A typical one is the person who blithely lets their small terrier run off on a long leash, tripping up anyone in their path. A few months ago, while barrelling down my local hill, I almost got tangled up in such a trap. “Hey, the streets aren’t for runners!” said the dog owner, clearly not understanding the natural order of things.
That said, people will walk their dogs in the parks and streets where you run. You just have to be aware and civic-minded, and not get stressed or huffy about it. All we runners need now is for owners to make sure they don’t let their dogs go to the toilet on our running routes.
What should you do if a dog threatens you on your run? Run to Win has a few good tips that I've heard in a non-running context too: move slowly out of its territory, maintain eye contact, keep your arms and legs close to your body, and don't just run away.
runandjumpblog.wordpress.com
Diary of a Rubbish Marathon Runner on baring the legs
I did a dumb thing by wearing my shorts this morning. The bright sunshine had fooled me into thinking that it was much warmer than it really was and it wasn't until after coming home that I realised that the temperatures were a chilly -3C/26F, and my legs displayed some big bright red blotches in the shower.
Thankfully, a run of little more than half an hour does not cause any lasting damage. I still prefer icy cold but dry mornings to the freezing cold rain, so there won't be any complaints coming from here
rubbishrunner.blogspot.ie
