Dogs

This morning I got in about 2.5 in 17:23. the weather was cool, but not cold--low 40s--and not windy at all. I felt pretty good for a portion of my run. I got caught at the other long traffic light on West Peachtree--10th Street. This one is in the middle of a long downhill, so it wasn't as tough to get started after the light as the one at 14th. It's very long, though. I jogged back up the hill at a slower-than-walking pace twice and was on my back down at that same pace for the second time (third if you count my initial approach) when the light changed. I'd guess that stopping for that light added a good 30-40 seconds to my time. Not significant, but if I get caught at the same street on Peachtree, and get caught at the 14th Street lights both times, the delays can add up.

On top of that, just before the mile point, I passed a person (walking in the opposite direction) who was walking a dog. People with dogs should reel in the leash when they pass other people. I swung wide to go into the street, since otherwise I would have passed between the dog and the walker, and as I was moving out toward the street, I stepped on some uneven pavement near a tree. I twisted my ankle, and took it very easy for the next half mile or so, to let it recover.

If the owner of the dog had just pulled the dog back a little bit, I wouldn't have had to go into the street, and could have avoided a potential injury. My dog, who is now very old and isn't able to run more than about a half mile at at time (still not bad for a ~15 year old dog), used to like to run with me. I always reeled her in when we passed other pedestrians, so they wouldn't have to avoid her.