Day 55: Country Roads

It's Christmas Day and, as planned, I was up with the roosters and running. I'm not sure exactly how far I went but later I'm going to take the car out and drive my route to find out. I listened to Vivaldi's Violin in A Minor for the first half of the run, and then had to switch out to a more contemporary play list to get through the up-hills on my return. Vivaldi didn't know nothing about fighting the fray... Prodigy, much better for shutting the yard down.

I ran for exactly an hour with walk breaks after the most brutal up-hills. It was alternatively misting and then threatening to snow, and balls of ice formed on my eyelashes - kind of fun to look through - like wearing big white fake eyelashes. I felt very transvestite. I passed quaint homes with wood burning fire smoke coiling out of brick chimneys, run-down shacks with front lawns littered with cars, sheep huddled in corrals, and barns adorned with Christmas wreaths.

Outside of one house, I was nearly attacked by a doberman pincher that liked the idea of chasing me, barking viciously, jaw hanging open, white teeth barred. I stopped in my tracks when I saw it, trying to figure out if you're supposed to stand still in a situation like this (same as with bears?), run, or fight back. I was too tired to run faster than the dog because I was heading up-hill and at the end of my run, so it was either stand still, or fight. Standing still felt like certain demise. I contemplated fighting. I adore dogs; how could I kick one, even one who clearly was fixated on making me its breakfast!

I imagined what my leg would look like if it got caught in the dog's angry choppers... training derailed... big scars detracting from pretty sun dresses in the summer... (Yes, all this went through my head in an instant!) Oh gosh! Bloody pulp! No! I decided to fight back. When the dog was an arm's length away, I took on an aggressive posture and exploded, "No! No! Bad dog! Go home!" and pointed violently at the house it had come from. It looked surprised and insulted! It paused for a second - locking eyes with me - I didn't back down - and then it turned and trotted back to where it had come from. Pepper mace. I'm going to get some.

After running I made a fabulous brunch for six; and now we're all just hanging out, drinking prosecco and doing our thing. There's a goose in the oven, roasting - yet another low-fat dinner to support my training! Oh well... It is the holidays, after all! Cheers, everyone.