Forums >General Running>One of my "Ruff" morning runs
Run for your life
I woke up at 5:30am, drank my coffee and out I go for a 3 mile run. Mind you, its still dark out. There is only moonlight, buzzing street lights and a breezy 47 degrees Fahrenheit. Being a Texan, I'm not use to this cold weather so I have my beanie, gloves, gray sweater hoodie and tight black leggings with reflective strip on the side of each leg. Traditionally, to keep me focused on my run, I have my music blaring in my over-the-ear headphones, which I will soon find out having headphones covering your ears completely is a disadvantage.
I'm .75 mile into my run, the same route I always take for the last few months. This route only consists of sidewalk coming from the residential area then eventually along the main road. I come across this house I always pass every run. There is no front fence with a 20 foot tree rooted in its front yard. No moonlight or street light penetrates through the mammoth sized tree's showering leaves and branches. As I was nearly passing that house, surprisingly, a dog comes rushing at me from the darkness ferociously barking. It took me a second and 10 feet distance between me and the dog to realize that this damn dog has no leash! Almost turning into a chew toy, my adrenaline started pumping immediately. Not noticing my surroundings with grave focus on running away from this dog, I accidentally knock over the home owner's recycle-only trash bin spilling out the content all over the sidewalk. Fortunately for me, the sound of the trash bin hitting the concrete scared the dog away. Who the hell leaves their dog in front of their house not leashed this early?! I did a U-turn going back to complete my route, but this time across the street from the house. I honestly wanted to pick up the recycled items and put the recycle-only trash bin where it was, however, that dog was still there so the hell with it. So now I can concentrate on completing my morning run as planned. I survived that...and so I thought it was over.
Getting into my 2nd mile back to my block, a neighbor a few houses down from my house, opened the door letting his dog out, and guess what...without a leash. Of course, I imagine there was no ill intent, I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Apparently, Pee-Pee time for Mr. Dog is no good time for me. So now I'm getting chased by this dog with the neighbor yelling at him to come back into the house, while I was jumping/running from the sidewalk onto the street without giving proper lookout for any oncoming vehicles. Luckily for me, it was a little too early for normal traffic in the residential street. I could've been bitten twice and run over by a vehicle! Whew!
After surviving two potential dog bites and 1.86 miles into my run, I said screw this. I'm walking the rest of the way back to my house. When I got home, wiping the sweat from my forehead, I laughed it off. Now, I have to plan another route avoiding those hell hounds.
Anyone have any stories to share?
Be blessed, be adventurous!
Sounds pretty damn scary, nothing like that for me. I did however need to sneak out of a girlfriends house one time, her oldman came home early. He was a pretty big dude too, prolly woulda killed me.
Was doing some hill repeats one time in a neighborhood—rare as I usually stuck to the bike trail. Off to my right I hear a door open and the sound of a low-growling dog coming at me. I ran to my left immediately and jumped over a chain-link fence into someone's yard. I had about a second to spare as I turned and saw it was a pit bull. It circled the fence looking for a way in. Finally the kids who had opened the door came over and grabbed the dog and got it inside. Luckily, I don't run with headphones, because I reacted solely on hearing, and it gave me the edge I needed to avoid a mauling. As far as such dogs that behave this way toward people walking or running by, I consider them wild animals, and their owners uncivilized and irresponsible for unleashing them on society.
That's why I always carry pepper spray on my runs. Where I live now it's not as much of a problem, but when I lived in Montana, I went through a canister every year. I don't like spraying dogs; I know with their sensitive noses it must really hurt. But I care about my skin, muscles, and tendons more. If people really cared about their animals or neighbors, they would ALWAYS have them leashed.
About 10 years ago I was on an early morning run about a mile from my house. I've run this route a thousand times but that morning a jack russell terrier came out of nowhere and came right at my feet barking its head off. Scared the crap out of me. There was also a second jack russell closer to the house and it was also barking like crazy but it was on a leash. After gathering my wits and determining that the dogs were just going to bark I realized that holding the leash to the second jack russell was a young woman wearing absolutely nothing but a pair of panties and smoking a cigarette. She came running out to grab the loose dog, who was conveniently running around me right under a street light.
I'll never forget watching her boobs bouncing around while she was rounding up the dogs. It was like watching a Felini film. She never said a word.
not bad for mile 25
About 10 years ago I was on an early morning run about a mile from my house. I've run this route a thousand times but that morning a jack russell terrier came out of nowhere and came right at my feet barking its head off. Scared the crap out of me. There was also a second jack russell closer to the house and it was also barking like crazy but it was on a leash. After gathering my wits and determining that the dogs were just going to bark I realized that holding the leash to the second jack russell was a young woman wearing absolutely nothing but a pair of panties and smoking a cigarette. She came running out to grab the loose dog, who was conveniently running around me right under a street light. I'll never forget watching her boobs bouncing around while she was rounding up the dogs. It was like watching a Felini film. She never said a word.
Well, at least retrieving her dog took priority over her modesty.
So this morning I was subjected to a dog attack. I was approaching a woman who had her bulldog on a short leash and was keeping the apparently controlled dog to the side of the trail as I approached. I said hello as I passed, the dog lunged at me and grabbed my heavy mitten, she said sorry to me and no to the dog. Had it not been 10F this morning, I wouldn't have been wearing the mittens, and there would have been blood.
Well, at least retrieving her dog took priority over her modesty. So this morning I was subjected to a dog attack. I was approaching a woman who had her bulldog on a short leash and was keeping the apparently controlled dog to the side of the trail as I approached. I said hello as I passed, the dog lunged at me and grabbed my heavy mitten, she said sorry to me and no to the dog. Had it not been 10F this morning, I wouldn't have been wearing the mittens, and there would have been blood.
You're running in the wrong neighborhood in Lincoln. In my neighborhood the puppies don't bite, they bounce.
This has got to be the best story ever on RA.
Those puppies are cute now, but just wait...
Sounds like the beginning of a Runner's World "Penthouse Forum edition" story...
English Villain
Lol. Not quite sure about the validity of the story...
LOL I got that!
so someone needs to tell Hobie so I guess I will. Just like stories about bear encounters while hiking or the size of that big fish that got away, there needs to be photos or videos (preferably slow motion) for validity purposes.
LOL I got that! so someone needs to tell Hobie so I guess I will. Just like stories about bear encounters while hiking or the size of that big fish that got away, there needs to be photos or videos (preferably slow motion) for validity purposes.
The only video available is playing on a loop in my head.
So not a video and not available.
Meh.