My Version of the Goose Attack

Yes, I finally used my mace. I have had many a close call with the dogs on my running routes, but they usually respond to the usual trying-to-hide-my-panic strong yell of "GO HOME" or occasionally I have had to throw a rock or stick at the more persistent barkers. I have only been bit once and it was by one of those "ankle-biter" type breeds and I think it barely broke the skin. That said, I am afraid of dogs on my route. No former papergirl isn't afraid, let me tell you. I was definitely traumatized while delivering the paper to my neighbors when I was growing up. I can't really blame those dogs for barking at me like I was the enemy, I was delivering their owners' favorite discipline weapon.

And anyone that has been reading my blog for awhile knows that I am afraid of farm birds as well. Yes I have been traumatized by poultry as well! When I was about four years old, my sister and I were visiting one of my dad's friends that lived on a farm. My father was a no-nonsense type of guy and he sort of expected us to take care of ourselves right from the get-go... anyway my two year old sister and I were trying to make it into this friend's front door and these freakin' poultry birds were making a huge racket about us coming in the gate to the front door. My hard-ass father yelled from the truck, "Just walk right in there, let em know you're not afraid and they won't bother you." One problem, we were afraid, very, very afraid. I guess we did not show them that we weren't afraid very well, because the next thing I know one those pieces of shit was pecking at my baby sister's eyes!!! Everything after that is a blur. The next thing I remember we were in the emergency room with my mother screaming at my father and my sister with stitches! I have no idea how we got there or how the killer chicken was handled or what. I guess that would be considered a trauma.

So to make a long story longer, when Tommy and I came upon this crazy-ass goose, I was quite nervous. We had just started running on roads after completing about three miles of trails. We were cruising along pretty fast and Tommy was up ahead because he is faster than I am now. There were actually two geese honking at cars as they drove by. One goose smartened up and went honking home, while the other kept chasing the cars. As we approached, the goose was eyeing Tommy up. And then he started to put his head and neck down and twisty and as Tommy put it, "in attack mode". So my maternal instincts kicked in and I started to reach for my mace which I hook onto my pants. Well of course, it had somehow worked itself off my pants and was all tangled up in one of my shirts. So after I wrestled it out, I was trying to figure out which way to point and press. I realized that mace is easy enough to use, but to actually use it effectively takes some skill. The first few squirts ended up on the road and they did not deter mr. goose. I finally hit the little craphead in one of his eyes and ran away really pissed off. We could hear him honking at us for a long time after that. It was scary. Tommy was afraid of where the goose might actually connect his beak/bill. It seemed to be at a rather precarious height, if you know what I mean!
Well, that's all the excitment for this week!

It's A Family Affair

this is a temporary blogger for the vacationing beth (im her son)
i have recently starting running with my mother and what a great mother she is we run trails and streets so its fun (i always have to cirle around for her but itss some good mother son time you know) well today on our run we ran some trail and road it was a bout 4 miles the trail was the Pigeon Swamp Reserve and it was quite fun but while we were on the road we say 2 stray duck or whatefer they were well one was in attack possition and it was running toward us mostly toward me and my mother with her motherly instincts takes out the mace and well we'll say this that poor duck was crying and he honked very loud in ANGER!!!! me and my mom have been running somewhat a lot together only about 2 times to tell the truth but its only the start i am really good at trails so all the saturday people i think i maybe joining you sometime well when im not asleep i hope you enjoyed the story as much as i had fun making it happen
tom

Loving the trails

My new running friends are very informed about the trails in Connecticut and they are exposing me to a whole new running world. At first I was apprehensive about the whole trail thing, but I am a convert. I love the cushy feeling under my feet and the beautiful scenery, although I only get to see the scenery in a two feet radius around myself because I am so scared about falling. My friends tell me the person with the most blood at the end wins, but I haven't bought into that sentiment yet! I plan on racing a half marathon on Soapstone Mountain in Stafford, CT. in early spring. I am so excited, it so fun. I love getting so dirty! It reminds me of when I was a kid and playing out in the rain.

Happy running everyone!

Enjoying the New Year

Here is a photo of our New Year's Day run. We had a lot of fun, ran about seven miles and then toasted the New Year with champagne at 10:00am!! I have never drank alcohol that early in my life. I am not much of a drinker and it was pretty funny. We met at the high school, so we were actually drinking on school grounds. First time for that too. I really was quite a nerd/goody-goody or maybe I was just a scardy-scardy of getting caughty-caughty!

On January 8th, three of our running crazies ran in a 5K road race. It was a beautiful day, about 35-40 degrees with bright sunshine and lots of good runners. One of my resolutions is to enjoy my racing, regardless of my time or place. I approached this race with those two pieces in mind. I only paid attention to my race performance. I did not look at the women passing me trying to decide if they were in their thirties. I did not care about where I was in relation to other people at all. I ran to my potential and focused on my form and breathing. I was thinking about the time a little, c'mon it's not called a race for nothing, people!! I finished feeling very strong and happy. My time was average for me; 24:40. I did not place in my age group, but that was okay with me, because I felt so great about my performance. I stretched and warmed up and down which also felt really good. So for January, I am still on par as far as resolutions are concerned!

I did not run as many miles this week as I would like though. I only ran 14 miles this week. My excuses are being lazy and it was freezing rain and snow this morning therefore I couldn't run the six I would need to fulfill the twenty miles I want to run weekly! I guess another excuse would be procrastination too. While I am complaining and whining, I could also blame my kids because I had to bring them to a puppet ministry performance today at 8:00am and I was the chaperone, so that pretty blew half the day. I have to do laundry the other half of the day! Another person I could blame other than myself is my husband because he keeps my up too late talking to me about his day. I wouldn't mind being kept up for other more fun reasons, but for blabbing, no. Let's see anyone else I could blame? No, I think that is good.

I am reading a very insightful and entertaining book entitled Dry, it's an autobiography about a man who had a crazy childhood and how he is trying take control over his adulthood, in particular his alcoholism. I was raised up with AA as part of my family, so reading his account of getting sober brings me back to my own childhood. The book evokes a lot of emotions for me. The first being gratitude that I am not an alcoholic. I do not struggle with substances, but have had my fair share of issues around food. I guess eating disorders are the good-girls' substance abuse. My issues about food have gotten a lot better with maturity and an increasing self-awareness about what I think is important. My relationship with a higher power or God or whatever you want to call it has helped to heal and grow up as well. The other emotion the book brings up for me is happiness which probably seems weird. But the author, Augusten Burroughs, has done such a great job spinning his tale. He tells about his crazy life with such brutal honesty and responsibility that it actually refreshing. I reccommend this book and his first book, Running With Scissors to anyone. (I know you are supposed to underline book titles, but I can't figure out how to underline in this blog thing, I only see bold and italic. Sorry! Now I can't get the freakin' italic to get off. Aww, just Great!) All for now, see on the roads!