Run Like A Nut

Crazy is probably the one thing I'm actually really good at. I'm a mediocre runner. I'm pretty average when it comes to just about anything in daily life. But dare me to do something that sounds batshit crazy and I'm all in. That said, the price of insanity can be quite high.

For the last four weeks I haven't done anything. Since the marathon, but especially after my surgical debacle, I have become deeply involved with my couch (and maybe mint chocolate chip ice cream). I haven't been allowed to do anything at work so I've spent my days staring at paper work and computers. I finally finished Breaking Bad and caught up on The Walking Dead. I also scheduled a trip to see Sean in South Carolina to brighten up my days a bit.

Which leads to our shining moment of brilliant insanity. Sean's close friend was registered for the Run Like A Nut Half Marathon in Florence, SC. Of course misery loves company, so he volunteered us as running buddies. Next thing I know I'm registered for 13.1 miles of pavement pounding.

The days leading up to the race were our normal ritual of bar food and beer, video games and television, spicy things, and CrossFit (which in a moment of clarity I decided to sit out). We also added a new little fur baby to the family, Jake. Much time was spent cuddling and spoiling him (and the other furry monsters, too). I worried a little about my stitches and lingering pain. Mostly I fretted about what to wear. Halloween races are so hard!

Cool kids teach their dogs to play video games

Saturday morning we woke early and met Sean's friend and his coworker at the military base. We piled into one vehicle and headed for Florence around 6:30am. Once we located the parking and start line we went into the Fitness Forum and picked up our bibs, shirts, and swag. We took everything back to the car just in time for the rain to start so I threw my Garmin back in the car along with my phone (sorry, no mid-race pics or splits!).

Swag

I was freezing in my INKnBURN skeleton shirt and denim shorts. I hadn't expected it to be colder in South Carolina than Pennsylvania and I really wasn't prepared to be wet on top of it. Thankfully a kind woman handed me a single use poncho as we huddled near the starting line.

Pre-race

We were sent off shortly after with very little fuss. Sean, our companions, and I set off conservatively. We ran and chatted and laughed but I could already feel my insides twisting and spasming. I tried to ignore it and focus on enjoying the company. I thought to myself, "We have to be at least 5k in by now. It's only single digit miles now." Then I saw the 1 mile marker and knew it was going to be a long day. I'm pretty sure I even cursed out loud.

From there things continued to go downhill. I checked out mentally. If someone asked me a direct question, I would respond. If our whole group laughed, I would too (even though I had no idea what was being said). I was already deep in the pain cave and we weren't even 5 miles in yet. The only upside was that I was mostly warm and dry in my poncho unlike the rest of my group.

Around mile 7 or 8 Sean's friend said something about my breathing sounding labored. Sean started to explain that I always sound like I'm dying but the conversation was just enough to pull me out of my own head. I suddenly realized I was being stupid and slowed to a walk. Sean dropped back and joined me and we told our companions to go on without us. We walked hand in hand for awhile, just talking, but it was too cold to stay slow for long. Sean mentioned that I could quit any time but I quickly dismissed that idea. If I had made it almost 9 miles then I could finish.

We picked up the pace again and passed the 9 and 10 mile markers. The rest of our group was long out of sight and the back of the pack was passing us with every walk break. We even saw the sweep vehicle on an out and back at one point. That was enough to put some pep in my step and we started running more than walking again. A friendly stray cat joined us for a couple blocks, running to catch us and then winding around my ankles until I started moving again. It was the best mood boost I could have asked for at that point.

Sean was once again the voice of reason, forcing me to walk when I looked or sounded as if I was in too much pain. Finally, I told him that we just needed to finish. Nothing was going to make me feel better until I could quit running. So he took the lead and said, "Just focus on staying on my heels." I put my head down, pushed back into my own head, and off we went. It was exactly what I needed until I got a foot cramp around mile 11 or 12. Forced to walk again, I couldn't escape the pain. Finally, the cramp subsided and Sean took the lead again, slowly picking off a few of the runners who had passed us during my walk breaks.

At one point, Sean started trying to encourage me. "Just a little more baby." "You can do this." Being pulled out of my mental fog brought all the pain front and center again. I snapped, "Shut the (expletive) up and run!" Thankfully Sean wasn't upset by my outburst. Instead, he took my advice and poured on a little more speed.

A volunteer at a turn told us, "Five more blocks." and I about died with happiness. It was the longest five blocks of my life but we finally turned the last bend and I saw the line. Sean and I crossed together and grabbed our medals. Then it was back into the warm building to find our friends and get dried off and fed.

Much happier (and apparently forgiven) after we finished

Our official finish time was 2:21:54. We were 78th and 79th overall. I was 4th in my age group and Sean was 5th in his. While our results are not at all impressive ordinarily, this time I am more than happy with my performance. I proved to myself that I haven't lost all of my fitness and mentally I can still push through even the toughest runs. I got to spend a few miles with my favorite person on earth and a couple really good friends. I didn't die and I don't think I caused any permanent damage. Overall, it was a great day!

Even Jake says it was just what we needed

Hey Dog Owners!

I have two dogs if you didn't already know that. I love our two mutts and because I love them I take care of them. One of our two is a rescue. She appears to be mixed with beagle and she will run like one if she gets away. One time she went to chase a rabbit, tangled my legs in the leash knocking me to the ground, and ran nose-to-ground for over a mile before I caught her. It was one of the scariest moments of my life.

Our Scoops

Our second dog is a purebred miniature dachshund. She is the sweetest, funniest, most cuddly dog I've ever met. She sleeps with me every night and she's always either with my kids, my husband, or myself. I couldn't imagine life without her now.

Lily

And that's what makes what happened today so horrific to me. I will start at the beginning and see if I can write this without being a total bitch. (Yes, I'm swearing today. I am that upset.)

This morning Shane asked if I'd like to do my run before he went to bed. This meant two things: 1) I would be able to run outside. 2) I would actually run while it was still daylight. I, of course, said yes and ate breakfast quickly before donning my warm gear to brave the 20-ish degree temps.

I headed out the door and down to the recreational trail. I did everything right. I had only one earbud in and my music was turned down so low that I had no problem hearing everything around me. I eased into my first mile at about a 10 minute pace. My plan was to use 9:1 run/walks to reach 7-8 miles at an easy pace today. I hit the 1 mile mark at 10:36 after my first walk break and was feeling good. I was just settling into my second run interval when I heard it.

A terrifying snarl which was coming from directly behind my right shoulder. I barely had time to turn my head before the dog plowed into my back at full speed. Only my momentum from running kept me on my feet as I hurtled forward struggling desperately to turn towards the dog so I could defend myself. The dog ricocheted off my back and to my right landing on his feet and taking off through a yard beside the trail. I struggled to catch my breath, worrying the dog was going to return at any second, and decided that I would follow his tracks in the snow to see where he went so I could give the owner a piece of my quaking mind.

This is the dog that attacked me.

I followed the dog through one yard before losing sight of him but I did get a good look at him. Brown and brindle with a bandana on his neck.... NOT a stray! The woman who's yard I was walking through had heard me scream and let me inside quickly after I explained what had happened. She told me the dog had been walking around her house all day and she was afraid to let her own dog out because of it. We discussed it and decided the police needed to intervene.

A few minutes later two officers arrived on scene. They tucked me into a cruiser and we went in search of the dog. It only took a minute to find him a few houses over. The officers knocked on several doors but no one claimed the dog. Animal Control arrived but the dog wouldn't let them get close enough to catch him. They finally had to give up and an officer drove me home since I was now too afraid to run back.

When I got home I posted on my Facebook page about the incident and a description of the dog. It turns out the dog had been lost just a week or two ago and the picture above had been circulating until he was found and returned to the owner. A friend suggested it was the same dog and I identified it easily as the one that had ruined my run and taken the feeling of safety I have on my home trail. 

Shortly after that someone commented on my post that the dog is a 'sweetheart' and just likes to run with people. And this is where I get PISSED! A dog is a responsibility like a child or a weapon. It is the owner's responsibility to take care of the dog and protect other people from said dog. There are leash laws and control laws that this owner has broken, at least twice now since the dog was already running loose just a few weeks ago. 

I have NO WAY of knowing that the dog did not intend to hurt me. Had I been elderly or had my children with me or one of my own dogs along someone could have been hurt! The trail is covered in a thin layer of snow and ice packed hard from repeated trampling. Being hit behind by a 40-50 pound dog could seriously harm a young child, elderly adult, or cyclist. And no matter the dog's intention the owner was nowhere to be found to call it off or control it. 

The dog is obviously not friendly enough to allow police officers or animal control officers to approach it. It did not try to run with me or 'play' with me after it struck me. If this is the owner or dog's idea of playfulness they are WAY off base. This dog ATTACKED. It saw a moving target and went after it. 

So the moral of the story is that I will be carrying a weapon from now on. I will be carrying pepper spray and an emergency whistle as well. And should I encounter another loose dog (or human attacker, God forbid) I will not hesitate to use force. The owners of this dog should know that the next time I encounter this dog off of a leash it won't come home in one piece and I will press charges.

To all other dog owners out there: Be responsible for your pet. Just because they have never hurt anyone or 'just want to play' doesn't mean that they won't accidentally (or purposely) hurt someone if you aren't in control of them. If you let your dog off leash in areas where it is illegal or if your dog continually escapes your home/yard and you are not correcting the problem then YOU are the problem. You should give your dog to a home that will keep them safe and protect the general public as well. To the responsible dog owners, thank you for setting a good example!

Have you had an encounter with a dog? What was your reaction and was the owner there?

Holiday Party

The holidays are past and we're 'celebrating' my birthday as I type. By celebrating I mean Shane and Ash are out cold and Gem and I are trying to be quiet!

Christmas is all about family and friends and too much food. We definitely did it right this year! The girls and I spent Saturday before Christmas with my side of the family. It was great to see my mom, her husband, my aunt and uncle, and my grandmother (plus all four dogs!) and catch up on what has been going on in our lives.

Christmas morning we opened gifts at home, just the four of us. There were a lot of presents under the tree but some of them stood out more than others. Here's a sampling of what Santa left for the Brunazzi clan:

Shane got an INKnBURN handheld

 

 

 The girls got all of the My Little Ponys they were missing from their collection.

 

 

Gem was really excited about Princess Cadence

 

 I got custom drop bags plus new INKnBURN gear!

 

 

 Close up of my new drop bag!

 

 Lily got a new ball, which she promptly destroyed, and a new sweater.

 

 And our little tree peaked in from the porch (to protect it from the ferocious dachshund above)

 

In the early afternoon Shane's parents came over for Christmas dinner and we ate more ham, lasagna, veggies, and rolls than anyone has a right to. After that it was presents with Shane's side and once again we were overwhelmed with wonderful and thoughtful gifts. A new purse for me, pajamas for Ash, a sweater and a robe for Gem, new clothes for Shane. Plus a gift card for Red Lobster.

 

Being that today is my 28th (WOAH!) birthday we put that card to good use. We each ordered our fill of seafood delights and desserts and left stuffed to the brim. Hence, the sleeping half of the family! One day I'd really love to run to celebrate my birthday, e.g. 28 miles for 28 years, but this year my birthday fell on a cutback week so I only got 7 miles for my birthday this year. Maybe next year...

 

What did you get for Christmas? What was your favorite running or fitness related gift? Do you have any special traditions?