This morning I learned a new method to keep a dog from biting you while you run.

About a mile and a half into my 12 miler, a bulldog came running out of a driveway at me. I shined my headlamp (which was on bright) directly into its eyes, which didn’t shut it up at all but did slow it down. Thankfully the owner had come out and gotten it under control by the time I ran by its yard again.

I had another run in with some dogs later in the run – twice, actually, though they were the same dogs. In one of the side neighborhoods, I looked up and saw a man walking his 2 big mean dogs that don’t like runners and go after me any time they see me, plus I noticed he now has a 3rd dog. He always keeps them (mostly) under control, but I don’t like risking running near them and especially have no interest now that he has another dog to try to control.

Once I saw them, I just turned around and went back the way I came. The neighborhood has a few cross streets and I was looking to add distance anyway. A little while later, I saw them turn onto and start walking up the street I was then heading down, so I turned around again. No need to risk anything right now.

It’s too bad I didn’t carry my cell phone with me so that I could get a photo of the sunrise this morning. It was the first clear day this week and the colors were fantastic.

I ran 3 easy miles on the road outside work at lunch time just to make it easier to get the mileage done tonight while I was coaching.

This evening I did 6 hill repeats with the folks I coach at Maine Running Company. I was able to get my 6 miles that were left to run for the day in pretty easily with just a tiny bit of an extended cool down, so I didn’t have to go out and run again after I finished the workout and everybody had left.

If you take the last 7 days, they add up to a new PR in terms of maximum weekly mileage that I have ever run in my life. The most I had run previously was about 124 miles (give or take) and I am now just shy of 127 miles. Every day going forward is going to pad that number by another 7 miles.

Here are today’s numbers:

Miles Projected: 21 Miles (231 Miles Total)
Miles Run: 12.01 & 3.1 & 6.1 Miles for 21.21 Miles Today (239.6 Miles Total)
Duration: 1:41:41 & 25:44 & 57:42 for 3:05:07 Today (38:06:16 Total)
Net Weight Change: -½ Pound (+2½ Pounds Total)