My Marathon PB

So, I finally have a 'Personal Best' time for the marathon . . . . 5 days! yes, I know, but it's a start, something to work on.  Over the last 5 days I have done just over 27 miles the climax of which was 12 and 1/2 yesterday morning.  It was not in the least bit fun, when we left I had no idea there was even a slight breeze blowing but as we reached the highest point it became apparent that we were cycling and jogging into a small hurricane.  There were times when I was doing jogging motions and Andrew was doing cycling motions but neither of us were going anywhere.  I tried the 'Oh hello wind, come join me on my run' but ended up yelling at it '**** off' surely the wind has to be worth a couple of extra miles?.

As Andrew left me 'to put the kettle on' for my last three miles it began to rain too, the soles of my feet were throbbing, the rain was like ice and as I ran up the main road the wind was in my face.  I didn't think it could get much worse but it could . . .

First let me say that I really have nothing against dogs, in fact, if I had the time and the money I would quite like one but, having not grown up with them I am a little wary of them - I don't really understand the signs you see.  It was one of my biggest worries when I started this - that I would become lunch to Roydon's canine community but I must say I have been very impressed by the dogs of Roydon and their very friendly owner's.  Some of them are way beyond well behaved and I have at times been fascinated by just how much control some owner's have over their pets.

I had a little incident about a week ago with an elderly gentleman, a boxer dog and one of those extending leads but he was trying and I really don't think he meant to let the lead slide as I went by and I will be eternally grateful that he found the right button just as the dogs jaws got to within 2 inches from my face!.  Last Sunday though, whilst in the last mile of 11 I met a couple and their rather excited, leadless dog on an icy road.  I stopped ('but it didn't matter') in the hope that they might come across and control it - I was having trouble putting one foot in front of the other, tripping around their dog was way, way beyond me - but no, they just stood and watched as it spun round me.  Eventually they correctly translated my glare and the man strolled over and attempted to get hold of it.

This Saturday I met an elderly lady with one dog on an extending lead that she had absolutely no control over whatsoever - the dog was leading her! and another dog, not on a lead that again, she had no control over, again these were on a road, that cars drive down, again I stopped ('but it didn't matter') in the hope she would see that I wasn't exactly comfortable with the situation, but she stopped too and just shouted at the loose dog who took no notice of her at all, it came over to me and started running around me doing that sniffing thing they do, then I saw her being dragged towards me behind the other one that started leaping at me.  I am really not troubling anyone when I lope/jog/run down the road, I practically run in the ditch to get out of everyone else's way, I go from side to side to get out of the way of people, cars, bikes, dogs and horses, I give way to everything on the road, so why can't people accept that we are not all as happy around their dogs and keep them on a lead unless they are completely in control of them, it's just so selfish - I thought it was the law anyway??.

Rant over . . . .