Distance: 10 miles
Time: 83:19 minutes
Pace: 8:20/mi
Comments: A nice run that included a rather unpleasant incident.
I got going pretty slow today and skipped the stretch with the intention of going slow to warm up. I wanted to get a solid effort since I have taken it easy this week and the distance was somewhat less than my regular long runs.
About a mile in a heard the footfalls of a dog coming at me. I turned and there was a short white dog coming full speed from an empty field where some kids were playing. The dog didn't bark once and he had that triangular shaped head that suggests a bit of pit bull in him.
I turned to face him and prepared to throw my water bottle - the only weapon I had - and the dog got nailed by a car coming down the road. The car stopped and the dog limped out from under the chassis and then sprinted off across the park. The kids in the field - one of them wailing loudly - took off after it.
I stood there and the man and the woman from the car, which had stopped, came up to me. The woman said she never saw the dog and I didn't doubt it. I told them it wasn't their fault since the animal was clearly heading full speed at me and didn't pay any attention to the traffic.
We both left since there was nothing we could do and, clearly, the incident wasn't our fault. I certainly don't take any pleasure in seeing an animal injured but I consider myself lucky that car hit that dog because I have no doubt the animal was determined to attack me.
Needless to say, my time was off a bit for the run and my mental focus for the rest of the effort was not as sharp as I would have liked.
Conditions
Hour: noon
Surface: concrete/asphalt
Weather: sunny
Temperature: 63 degrees
Humidity: 33 percent
Wind: 4 mph
Location: Chandler, Arizona
Shoes: Brooks
Sin Musica
Injury update: The outside of my right knee was achy as I got started and the achilles/shin ache showed up after.