Not The Impression I Hoped To Give

unlost dogs

So on Friday evening I ran a local road race in my little seaside town. Just 150 or so runners, 5k/3.1 mile jaunt from the high school out to the beach, along the shoreline and back to the high school, finishing on the track at the football field.

Every year this is the "thing" I do with my coonhound Sweet Pea, who loves to run. I wasn't sure how she'd do, she's been slowing down a bit recently and by mile 2.5 or so, is _ for the first time since I've known her _ running beside or behind me instead of straight out front, completely fixed on the the road ahead. (She's probably between 11 and 14 years old _ still goes CRAZY at the site of running gear and since she holds a grudge if I go without her, I still take her with me as much as I think is safe for her.)

So we start out fine, she's lunging at the start mainly because of the starter's pistol.

Stops to piddle at mile 2. Runners pass me, laughing.

Eventually I catch up with the laughers.

Sweet Pea then stops to poop. More laughing. I would have caught up, but I had to cross to the other side of the road to find a barrel. (Okay, maybe I wouldn't have caught up... but it would have been close. Closer.)

We get back to the football field just as she's starting to slow her pace. She sees the crowd, is energized, and leads me all the way around the track to the finish. Nice.

We cross the line, walk around to cool down, and then start stretching. She lies down on the middle of the infield grass, rolling on her back, then stops and stays completely still, all four legs in the air, pointing in different directions, head to the side, tongue lolling out. She looked both dead an insane. But she was fine _ I guess it's a hound thing. (She often looks both dead and insane, it's one of the quirks I find so appealing about the breed.)

I'm on my back in the grass, stretching my legs out to the side, and all of a sudden a kid's worried face is leaning over me, blocking my view of the gorgeous evening sky.

"Mom! Come over here! They fainted!" he calls.

Next thing you know, people are gathering and I sit up, reassuring them that I'm fine and the dog is not actually dead. (At this point, Pea is still luxuriating on the grass, the only thing moving are her eyeballs as she takes in the scene.)

The kid's mother hauls him away, mortified, and people laughed and drifted away.

Like the subject line... not quite the impression I had hoped to give. I guess I should be grateful I wasn't the recipient of well-intended but unnecessary CPR.

Dissidentman

unlost dogs wrote:

So on Friday evening I ran a local road race in my little seaside town. Just 150 or so runners, 5k/3.1 mile jaunt from the high school out to the beach, along the shoreline and back to the high school, finishing on the track at the football field.

Every year this is the "thing" I do with my coonhound Sweet Pea, who loves to run. I wasn't sure how she'd do, she's been slowing down a bit recently and by mile 2.5 or so, is _ for the first time since I've known her _ running beside or behind me instead of straight out front, completely fixed on the the road ahead. (She's probably between 11 and 14 years old _ still goes CRAZY at the site of running gear and since she holds a grudge if I go without her, I still take her with me as much as I think is safe for her.)

So we start out fine, she's lunging at the start mainly because of the starter's pistol.

Stops to piddle at mile 2. Runners pass me, laughing.

Eventually I catch up with the laughers.

Sweet Pea then stops to poop. More laughing. I would have caught up, but I had to cross to the other side of the road to find a barrel. (Okay, maybe I wouldn't have caught up... but it would have been close. Closer.)

We get back to the football field just as she's starting to slow her pace. She sees the crowd, is energized, and leads me all the way around the track to the finish. Nice.

We cross the line, walk around to cool down, and then start stretching. She lies down on the middle of the infield grass, rolling on her back, then stops and stays completely still, all four legs in the air, pointing in different directions, head to the side, tongue lolling out. She looked both dead an insane. But she was fine _ I guess it's a hound thing. (She often looks both dead and insane, it's one of the quirks I find so appealing about the breed.)

I'm on my back in the grass, stretching my legs out to the side, and all of a sudden a kid's worried face is leaning over me, blocking my view of the gorgeous evening sky.

"Mom! Come over here! They fainted!" he calls.

Next thing you know, people are gathering and I sit up, reassuring them that I'm fine and the dog is not actually dead. (At this point, Pea is still luxuriating on the grass, the only thing moving are her eyeballs as she takes in the scene.)

The kid's mother hauls him away, mortified, and people laughed and drifted away.

Like the subject line... not quite the impression I had hoped to give. I guess I should be grateful I wasn't the recipient of well-intended but unnecessary CPR.

This is the longest post I have ever read in it's entirety. I'll give you my impression of you when I see you Wednesday.

Poncier

Dissidentman wrote:

This is the longest post I have ever read in it's entirety. I'll give you my impression of you when I see you Wednesday.

Beat the previous record by 169 words.

vduboise

You have very interesting (and laughable) stories.

unlost dogs

Poncier wrote:

Dissidentman wrote:

This is the longest post I have ever read in it's entirety. I'll give you my impression of you when I see you Wednesday.

Beat the previous record by 169 words.

Hey, HEY HEY NOW!!!
You boys are in trouble now.

:evil:

norm

unlost dogs wrote:

looked both dead and insane.

story of my life

81

holy crap mom....

i think i saw some camel toe on that fainted chick laying over by that dead dog

:shock:

norm

The 81 wrote:

holy crap mom....

i think i saw some camel toe on that fainted chick laying over by that dead dog

:shock:

she's never gonna live that one down, huh?

RYEzupSF

norm wrote:

The 81 wrote:

holy crap mom....

i think i saw some camel toe on that fainted chick laying over by that dead dog

:shock:

she's never gonna live that one down, huh?

nope.

...everytime i read an unlost post now, my mind always goes to camel toe.

81

norm wrote:

The 81 wrote:

holy crap mom....

i think i saw some camel toe on that fainted chick laying over by that dead dog

:shock:

she's never gonna live that one down, huh?

holy crap or camel toe

norm

RYEzupSF wrote:

nope.

...everytime i read an unlost post now, my mind always goes to camel toe.

well let's be honest, your mind is already there so it isn't a long trip :P

RYEzupSF

norm wrote:

RYEzupSF wrote:

nope.

...everytime i read an unlost post now, my mind always goes to camel toe.

well let's be honest, your mind is already there so it isn't a long trip :P

Camel What?!? Camel Toe!!!

unlost dogs

RYEzupSF wrote:

norm wrote:

RYEzupSF wrote:

nope.

...everytime i read an unlost post now, my mind always goes to camel toe.

well let's be honest, your mind is already there so it isn't a long trip :P

Camel What?!? Camel Toe!!!

Hey, it was an honest, innocent misunderstanding. I've apparently led a sheltered life, and I am fairly literal about things.

And, for the record, I wear loose running shorts.

:twisted:

81

:P

RYEzupSF

unlost dogs wrote:

And, for the record, I wear loose running shorts.

:twisted:

That was my question.

unlost dogs

The 81 wrote:

:P

I saw what you did there!!!

81

(|)

unlost dogs

Sweet Jesus, even I got that.

norm

The 81 wrote:

(|)

unlost dogs wrote:

Sweet Jesus, even I got that.

Black Diamond

What impression were you hoping to give?

unlost dogs

Black Diamond wrote:

What impression were you hoping to give?

I was aiming for "athletic chick and cool dog who could make the cover of a combined issue of 'Runner's World' and 'BARK'" but what I ended up with was more like a sidebar article buried in "Prevention," and titled "This Is Why You Should Check With Your Doctor and/or Vet Before Starting an Exercise Regimen."