Katrina's Running Adventures

Well today I have two stories to share with you about my running. My running is going well. I'm trying to get my mileage back up to where it was last September. Slowly but surely it is coming back. The best part so far is that I have lost 11 pounds this year so far!!! Only 13 more pounds to go till I get to the weight I set for myself!!! HOORAY!!!! So let's get into the stories already.

Thursday: Angie, Kera and I had our runs mapped out for that day. Kera and I would run first, and Angie would watch the kids, and then I would watch Ella for Angie while she ran. Kera and I got back it was a great run. Angie informs me that she wanted to run 4 miles. I get the girls situated with breakfast and lock the door, and I hurry and jump in the shower. I hear a knock at the door and I'm blown away that that she ran that fast. She informs me that a dog bit her. I call David he informs me that if the dog has rabies, that she will have to get 17 shots in her stomach. I go next door to see if my neighbor is home, and he won't answer the door. Then I notice that our other neighbor is home, and run to talk to him. As I'm halfway to his door. I see the Pitbull and his owner putting him on his leash. I yell across to him that his dog bit my friend, and the man doesn't care, and continues walking away from me. I yell at him again, and he ignores me. I run to Brent's door, and tell him I need his help. He is in his PJ's and has no shoes on. I inform him of what happened, and that the man totally ignored me. Brent runs across the street trying to stop the man. Brent was nervous that the man was going to let his dog loose on Brent, and told the man to stay where he was. The man told Brent he didn't speak English. Then Brent yelled back at me to call the police. I start running back to my house yelling for Angie and for her to bring me the phone, and right then Brent runs back to his house to get clothes, shoes, and his gun in case that guy let's his dog loose. As Angie rounds the corner of my garage The man is running down the street with his dog, and into a house. Brent and I run down the street to make sure he doesn't hop his fence and try to get away. We call the Police and inform them of what is happening. If you know where I live the Police are not fast to calls 45 minutes to an hour later they will usually show up. This time they showed up in less than 5 minutes. We explained what happened, and the Police Officer when and knocked on the door of the house. The man comes out to talk to the Police Officer, he states he doesn't speak English. Another Cop shows up to translate. Then Animal Control come to get a report from us and to look at the dog. (SIDE NOTE: why would you run away? Is he illegal? does the dog not have tags? Is the dog's shots not up to date? ) The Animal Control Officer explains to us that if the dog has rabies then Angie will have to get 30 shots in her stomach, not 17 HOLY COW!!!! He also informs us that the dog will be contained for 10 days either on the man's property or they will take it to the shelter, depending if the man is nice or not to him. One of the Police office drives up and states that the man says his dog didn't bite Angie. We all laughed and then she pointed to hand and said, "how did I get this then?" We were done giving our side of the report. Angie was afraid the man was going to egg my house, but he should not have let his dog run our development for 45 minutes without being on a leash and having its owner. (I will update this story when I get more on it) Angie said we should get Pepperspray for when we run.

Now let's forward to Saturday: Angie and I needed to get 4 miles in. We usually run the aqueduct towards my house, but that day we decided to head towards The Stengel's. People have told me NEVER to run it alone, and I always see people up there walking their dog or running themselves. The side we usually run follows the street so you are visible the whole time. On the other side you are not. It is not close to the road, and it is pretty deserted. When we cross Main Street I told Angie I had to pee really bad we had just left her house, and I had to pee so we ran across the bridge and I used her Mom's potty. 1 Mile is done! Then a half mile back to the aqueduct entrance. As we are leaving her parents house she informs me that one of her earbuds is out. We always listen to music while we run. It helps keep my mind off everything! Well we got back to the entrance and started down the aquaduct. We needed to go 1 mile down , and then 1 mile back , and then 1/2 mile back to Angie's house. As you head down the aquaduct we had to pass a development that a contractor walked away from when the economy turned bad. The houses weren't fiinshed, but from the outside they are nice. It looks like a ghost town since all the house have broken windows and doors. (thinking to myself--> If I was homeless I would totally live here. It is off the road and pretty exclusive.) We continue down the aqueduct till the pavement runs out, and then we turn around. NORMAL run day... Then we head 1 mile back. As we start to pass the housing development again, I have this urgency to turn to my left. I saw a little twinkle out of the side of my eye. (REMEMBER IT IS 10 AM) I look down and there is a man on a bike. He came out of nowhere.I smiled thinking he was just another person outside enjoying the sunlight, but no smile back. He is kinda creepy. He notices that I see him and he comes around the fence and heads back to opposite direction. At this point I'm kinda freaked out. I turn back around and he is up on top of the aqueduct catching up to me. Now I'm REALLY freaking out. Angie is pretty far ahead of me, and the only thing I can think to do is scream "ANGIE!" Thank goodness her ear bud went dead, or she wouldn't have head me. The guy noticed that I screamed out her name and disappeared. I run faster and catch up to her and pointing behind me and tell her ,"A guy on a bike is following us!" She looks at me crazy since no one was behind me , but then she see a man down in the bushes. There are 2 men following us. We start sprinting down the aqueduct and keep checking behind us. They have disappeared again. We get to the entrance and run back to Main Street. I call David and tell him what is going on, and tell him to call Elliott to come get us since they are still chasing us, but now they are both on bikes. David can't find the number he calls me back Angie screams his number to David and we continue running faster. We get to the light, and we can't cross there is too much traffic and the light isn't turning , and they are catching up to us. There is a cyclist riding and I inform him of what is happening, and he tells me that he doesn't have an extra seat on his bike. I tell him I just want him to be a witness. The light turns green and off we go again. Our legs are burning. Where is Elliott? We are almost to Angie's house and here come Elliott in the car. We hop in and go back to where we were. The men were gone and they disappeared again. We patrol the area, but no luck. We head back to the house, and David meets us there. I'm grateful for amazing husbands that come to the rescue. Now I have pepper spray, and I'm a little nervous to get back out there again. The treadmill is killing my legs, and my shin splints are torture, but what do I do?