Saturday, January 1, 2011

First Run of 2011

First run of the year today - it's in the 50's here, and raining, but the rain slacked off enough to let me get five miles in.  I was wearing capris - capris, people!  That's how warm it was!  It felt fantastic out there - just a light drizzle.  Funny, a rainy 50-degree day in the fall feels unpleasantly chilly, but a rainy, 50-degree day in January is a nice respite from the cold. It's all about perspective, I guess!

I was on the last mile, when I heard someone shouting and I felt something cold on the back of my left calf.  I jumped, and looked around -  it was just my buddy, Chief, coming up and putting his cold little nose on my leg. Chief really wants to be a runner. I feel Chief's pain, because I really want to be a runner, too, but if you look at me you can tell I am entirely unsuited to it.  Chief has a similar problem. You see, Chief is a Basset Hound. 

Chief looks exactly like this - image courtesy of Google.
And every time I run past Chief's house, he tries to join me on the run.  The dog loves me, what can I say? He's always so incredibly happy to see me and to run with me!  One day I was running with my iPod and poor Chief followed me for an entire mile before I realized what he was doing.  And I had to turn around and take him home, and he really didn't find the second mile nearly as much fun as the first had been!

Luckily, today Chief's dad noticed him and tried to head him off at the pass.  It didn't work, of course - Chief still came and played with me for a couple of minutes before I convinced him to go home.  So, my run time was two or three minutes longer than the actual run, because I didn't pause the Garmin.  But it's impossible to get upset with Chief, even if he interrupts a particularly good run.  Tell me, could you be angry with this face?

Look at those eyes!
This is one of the hazards of running in the country, I guess.  At least we don't have any aggressive dogs in the area.  And, being a dog person, I really don't mind a dog coming to say hello.  I'll just do my best to avoid running off with him!

8 comments:

  1. Wishing the weather could stay just like this all winter.

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  2. It was 50degrees here, as well and it felt wonderful! So ready for summer!!! Congrats on the great first run of the year!

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  3. I could never get angry at Chief :) About a year ago, my husband and I were running together, when a goat ran along with us. It was the craziest thing ever. We happened to run through a group home that has some farm animals, and one of the goats had gotten loose. I'm glad that we had him, and not angry, vicious dogs!

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  4. oh my goodness! those big floppy ears! I have a 1.5yr old cocker spaniel and he has the same eyes.... adorable :)

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  5. Great post over at Run Courtney Run! Thanks for sharing that side of your past.

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  6. i finished my run in my sports bra yesterday it was so warm! i could get used to it.

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  7. What a cutie! I had my first run of the year (and since September...yikes!), yesterday. Although, our weather in Michigan was a little cooler. My Lab/Chow/Mutt ran with me for a good mile and would have kept going but my arm was starting to ache from him pulling me along. Plus side? I was running nearly 10min/Mile. LOL

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  8. Thanks, everyone! The weather was great, and the dog was so cute that I couldn't get mad!

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