22/11/15 – Beware of the Dog

Sue and I have decided to keep to two or three 5K’s each week, with the longer run on Sunday until the New Year, when we will switch onto following a recognised Marathon Training plan.

As previously mentioned my midweek 5Ks have coincided with Swimming with Jim. On the occasions that he can’t make it, I try to go out local to the house. I have two or three favourite routes – if I could figure out how to post them on here I would, but for now, you’ll have to settle for a description.

The first one, known as the classic, was the very first one I came up with when I took up running away from a treadmill. It loops around the suburban roads, close to our house. Even at it’s furthest point it is only 1k away from the front door (in case I needed to stop!). It starts with a mild pull uphill for 0.5K, a short sharp downhill, then alternates between gentle inclines and descents for the next 1k. A steeper up and then equal down for the next 1k and then the final 2k is reasonably flat and allow you to build up to a fast finish for the last 200m (I stop short of calling it a sprint, although, in truth, I can’t go any faster by that point).

The second one, developed more recently, is a two lap local route intended to mirror the elevation profile of Lloyd parkrun. The theory being it would help us improve our parkrun times by being able to try out different tactics and pacing. The reality has been somewhat different. It’s proved to be a bit more challenging that I thought with times, at best, a couple of minutes off usual parkrun times. Neither has it had any noticeable impact on those times either.

This week’s runs followed a fairly normal pattern. Sunday’s 10K around the usual course was almost 2 minutes quicker (1:06:33) than I managed it a fortnight ago, so I was very pleased with that in blustery conditions.

On Tuesday I went for the home ‘parkrun’ course and did one of my best times for that route (32.40). However, I was less-than-happy with this, as there was a case of Runnus Interruptus in the form of a small, disobedient dog. Midway through each lap comes the big pull up through Crease Park. It was a miserable, windy day and the park was empty, save the dog and it’s lady owner playing fetch. The first time around, the dog lost interest in its ball and it’s owners frantic entreaties, deciding my ankles looked a more appealing moving target. As mentioned I’m not blessed with much of a burst speed, but I managed to halt the dogs intentions with a firm shout. A proper Barbara Woodhouse, me!

Or not, as it turned out… the trouble started on the second lap. Despite having sight of me for a long way, the owner decided not to do the sensible thing and leash the dog for the minute or so it would have taken me to pass by, thus the mutt was free to go into full attack mode.

I tried gamely to carry on, but the frenzied canine wasn’t having any of it – attempting to dash between my legs, it became a mobile trip hazard. I had to stop and thus ensued a standoff with the dog. No amount of shouting at the dog would work, but still the owner wouldn’t come and get the lead out, instead muttering those words every runner loves to hear: ‘He’s only playing… he thinks it’s a game’.

Hmm, perhaps if my 15 stone landed on him as a result of his antics, you might reconsider that view. After what seemed like an age, but only 30 seconds according my watch, I decided to walk rather than run away from the dog whilst tossing a stick back down the hill. The dog was unimpressed by the stick, but did let me walk away backwards whilst making it quite clear running was not going to be an option. Once through the park gate, I resumed running, but rather pissed off that what a very good time (possibly a PB for that route) had been lost.

Thursday was a swim day, so back to the usual 5K route home. Filthy weather, the pack and a deliberately easy pace contributed to a 35:13. Slow, yes, but not unhappy with that all things considered.

Onto Saturday and with a week of atrocious weather, it was inevitable that the mud was back at Lloyd parkrun. That’s pretty much it now for the winter at Lloyd, save the odd rare, frosty morning. The mud usually puts an absolute minimum of two minutes on times and so it proved today. 33:03 wasn’t too bad, although I was really kicking myself at not getting under the 33 minute mark. Ah well, something to aim for next week.