Week 2 Run 1, encountering dogs

[SHF99]

I’m re-attempting C25K yet again. This time I have been walking to the park and then doing the walk/runs in the park and I’ve really enjoyed them.

However, yesterday 2 dogs seemed to want to add an extra challenge for me. The first ran towards me barking and was about to jump up when his owner called him back and was very apologetic. Later on the second dog hurtled at me at a pace I can only dream of before veering off in a different direction but not before I tripped. Fortunately neither the dog or I were injured.

What’s the best way to deal with these interruptions? Stopping when dogs approach or ignore them and try to keep going?

Currently I’m considering just avoiding the park and sticking to the roads.

[UnfitNoMore Graduate]

Well done... glad you’re ok and you got the job done.

I mainly run in parks and I’m used to dogs in front and to the sides of me, if they’re coming up behind you never really know what’s going to happen, so I always tend to turn and run side on to them if I know they’re there. I put trust in owners not to allow a dog off the lead unless it’s safe, and so far so good. I think dogs just love to run with someone when they see us. I don’t see a problem slowing to a walk as they get close, saying hello and then back up to run.

I do find dogs in the park less of a pain than cyclists on the pavement though.

[emily-m Graduate in reply to UnfitNoMore]

Yep. A lot of the pavements near us are shared use cycle ways: it can be difficult to hear them coming up behind you. Was very glad that both of them this morning had bells!

I'm quite scared of dogs, especially the little yappy ones, but I find that if you carry on and ignore them they lose interest.

[SHF99 Graduate in reply to emily-m]

Thanks for the advice. Cyclists on the pavement can feel threatening, so maybe learning to deal with yappy dogs in the park is the better option

[emily-m Graduate in reply to SHF99]

Yeah. I don't blame the cyclists. I wish they could be provided with proper cycling paths rather than shared use pavements. I might even join them then. Shared use is a lazy solution which doesn't really work for anyone.

I started out running almost exclusively in the park but found that doing laps doesn't motivate me very much, so as I've gone on I've had to extend my route out into the street. I'm lucky that here in Newcastle there are a series of almost interlinked parks, but using them does involve a bit of street running and crossing main roads, which is actually the biggest obstacle I've come across. Good luck with tackling yours! 😎

[SHF99 Graduate in reply to UnfitNoMore]

Thank you, I will remember to slow down to a walk (not that I 'run' that fast anyway!) but I have this mindset that if I slow to a walk then I'm not completing the session correctly. I'll just have to change my thinking and not stick so slavishly to the directions in my ear piece.

[UnfitNoMore Graduate in reply to SHF99]

Well, you’re not gonna have a line of dogs to greet, just the odd one... couple of seconds down... if I fell in the middle of a run I’d get up and go rather than restart it.

[SHF99 Graduate in reply to UnfitNoMore]

Words of wisdom-thank you

[Medusa2506]

Dogs are bloody annoying well more so the owners, if you see them in the distance try and avoid, I stick to roads

[SHF99 Graduate in reply to Medusa2506]

Thanks. Sticking to roads was my initial plan, but all my other past attempts at completing C25K have been on the roads so I was hoping switching to a park may give me a better chance of completing C25K and actually reaching that magic 30mins of non stop running. Being in the park seems to be more enjoyable than on the road-at least it was until the dogs wanted to join in with me yesterday.