Speedwork and Nine Kms

This week was a pretty eventful week. Wasn't exactly how I thought it would go.

Tuesday a.m. Blue and I did a regular little run. Our 3 km walk route only we ran it instead. I have no stories - it was uneventful.

"Little D" and I made plans to run together both Thursday night and Saturday a.m. (Little D - wink, wink - remember Nigel! This was a nickname given to D last year during our marathon training clinic.)

Thursday night being our regular "speedwork" night at the track after work. Saturday would be a "long run" - really long for her and not so much for me. Little D is training for a half marathon. I am not - I am running for "fun". So I asked D if I could bring Blue along for our long run. She gladly agreed. I reminded her that he was doing a lot of stopping and starting and if it was a problem, we wouldn't take him next time.

Anyway . . . along comes Thursday . . . D has to cancel or make it later. Later wasn't really good for me so I told her to go during the day without me and we wouldn't get together this time. So while sitting at work pondering what to do, I realize that I can just go home, get the dog and do the speedwork at the high school track nearby. Then we will both benefit. So off we go. It's early  . . . 5:30 p.m. I know  we are going to meet quite a few people along the paths at this time but whatever . . . Blue needs to learn to adjust.

We meet up with a few "off leash" dogs in a little clearing about 200 metres from our house. That's fine. We stop and play for a couple minutes and then head off.  We meet up with a couple people and dogs but it's the squirrels that seem to be capturing his attention.

There are quite a few out there. Running around, jumping branches, fences. Once again I tell Blue "NO, leave it, leave it."  Blue whines at me and pulls the other way. Good boy I tell him. We continue and we eventually make it to the track. WELL . . . what I see is not what I want to run in! The track is mostly lakes - not puddles but lakes! and there are mounds of dirt and grass all over. I'm not sure if they are going to fill this in or why all that dirt and grass is there. Doesn't really matter anyway because there is no way I am running on that  track!

So I decide that I will just do hill training instead. Similar function in the end - Building leg strength. So we continue for a few minutes to the "hill". We end up doing 4 repeats - AWESOME! I'm proud of myself and proud of Blue. He actually did really well with me on the hills. He seemed to "like" them. It's probably the extra exertion he liked! So off we go home. This is where the trouble starts . . .

We meet up with two dogs along the way. Blue seems a little more strung out than usual after running past them. To make matters worse there are a lot of squirrels. They are driving him crazy - think about Bob Murray and the groundhog in Caddy Shack . . . Blue is trying to run after all of them. Doesn't really matter what I am saying at this point - he's yanking my arm off! We get 1/2 km from home when up ahead are two older ladies and their three little fluffy dogs. Ok no problem.  I try to talk Blue through it to keep running . . . Nope, he drops. Heavily. Not moving. He's waiting for the other dogs to get into range. I look up at the ladies - they aren't walking they are CRAWLING!! Oh no, this is going to take forever! They take a few steps, pause, take a few more steps, pause. OMG I think I'm going to die. I feel like picking Blue up in my arms and walking past them that way! I wait patiently - YES I'm saying patiently. Finally they make it close . . . well I guess the build up was more than Blue could handle - he LOSES IT! SNAPS! Barks like a crazy dog, lunging, not listening to me at all. I struggle with him on the ground trying to keep him from jumping. The ladies look at us in shock. I'm a terrible owner and Blue is a vicious dog. Yup, I'm sure I heard them say that. I kknow  that's what they were thinking.

So I pick Blue up - he continues to bark! What!! He always goes calm when you pick him up?? I get away from the ladies and their foofoo dogs and put him down. I am SO mad and frustrated. That seemed to come out of the blue (no pun intended). I just never expected that! So I walk instead. We are done and I am not running the rest of the way home. I walk him, in the heel position, the rest of the way home. I don't let him roam at all. I am seething from that episode. I feel bad but so frustrated! lol.

All I can think is . . . running is supposed to relieve my stress NOT PRODUCE IT!!  What a day!

Well . . . that post was WAAAYYYY longer than I thought so I'll have to leave the "Nine Kms" part of this for another post.