Dog chases and birthday races

This morning was one of those runs... The kind that should be excellent (62 degrees! Sunny!) but just wasn't. I ran last night and generally don't do two runs in 12 hours, but my schedule for the rest of this week is a mess, I needed to get a run in, and it was just so gorgeous outside!

I slogged through my planned 3.7 miles. Why 3.7 miles? Because Jess, over at Run With Jess, is having a virtual race, "The Cupcake Classic," to celebrate her 37th birthday. In honor of this event, I did two 3.7 mile runs in the past 24 hours, including last night's run club birthday bash (a regular 5k to which I added a 0.6 mile warmup).

Cupcakes to celebrate the Cupcake Classic

So... two days, two runs, to celebrate two birthdays!

This should be cake, right?
(Sorry... bad pun.)

Unfortunately this morning's run was not nearly as much fun as a birthday party should be. It was more like: keep putting left foot in front of right. Switch. Repeat. Try not to think about running. Watch the pelicans.

And in the last mile, I started thinking "I'll be home in just a few more minutes!"
And then...
I was chased by a dog!

I only wish the dog-chasing had been in this direction!

I'd like to say this was a first-time occurrence for being chased by a canine, but northwest Florida has the most relaxed dog-leash culture of anywhere I've ever lived or traveled. This was, however, the first time I was chased by a dog at least as big as me. Not fun!

Fortunately, dog-on-the-loose did (sort of) listen when I stopped and shouted at him to "go home!" But, as with all dog-chasing cases, as soon as you start moving away they think "game on!" (Oh... if I could only find his owners and give them a piece of my mind!)

Don't get me wrong, I love our furry friends. And it is exactly because I love pets that this situation makes me angry. Dog owners: your pooch is not safe running in the street, chasing cars (and runners)! I have to wonder: Do you really want your dog getting hit by a car? Or pepper sprayed by a more anxious runner? Probably not. So, for the love of Pete, keep Fido at home!!!

Bad dog!

Ever been chased by a dog?
What did you do?

Photos courtesy of the State Library and Archives of Florida, and the State Library of New South Wales.