Kids and bleeding dogs...

I did a home-made mini triathlon today - it seemed like a fun way to spend Sunday! Half a mile in the pool, 5k on the exercise bike... then a run. I was planning to go on the road (no slippy stuff) as far as the Machen sign (0.8 of a mile) but felt ok when I got there, so then planned to run on to the village school (a mile!) - which is quite a bit downhill. Once I got near the school I decided I didn't fancy the run back up the hill, so I carried on downhill to the library, across the river and then back home by the Forge Trail, which is flat (apart from the two flights of steep steps) but a bit slippy. My running felt much easier, mainly because I realised yesterday I was tense in my back, so was trying really hard to loosen my lower back - think Matt Baker's samba on Strictly! And yes, it does make my bum wiggle more. I do hope there aren't any kids behind me on the Santa run because it could be quite traumatic for them...

The road bit was really quiet, but once I turned off the road I met all sorts of people - first two young lads carrying two plastic sleds laden with tools. As I passed they said hello, so I asked if they were hoping for snow - they said they were building a den in the woods and it was the easiest way to carry the tools. I said 'excellent' and they said 'wow, thanks'. It's probably a measure of just how slow I was running that I was able to have this entire conversation with them without actually stopping.

Then I met a little old lady with a little old dog - she said I looked nice and warm. This must mean that I was red in the face...

Then a bloke on a bike who said a gruff 'hi' as he passed, and then a short gentleman with a cute Jack Russell in a little coat. Jack Russell in little coat, not short man. Although, thinking back, he was wearing a little coat too. I was still doing my 'loose back' samba style running, and as I got near to him he bent over to hold on to the dog's collar. I know he was watching me as I went past as I said 'thanks' and he smiled nicely... but given that he was bending over and watching me pass, he must have had a total eyeful of my 'samba backside'. I do hope it didn't put him off his lunch...

Then I met four people and two dogs walking - the Sheltie rushed up to me barking so I slowed down to pat its head which at least made it stop chasing me... One of the women was very upset - her dog (a spaniel) was spitting blood out of its teeth. Turned out he'd bitten his tongue in his excitement at something or other and was bleeding rather a lot. The two guys mopped it with a tissue and I offered to slosh what was left in my water bottle over it, but really it had stopped by then and the dog was fine...

So what with den building kids, bending gents and bleeding dogs, it was an EVENTFUL run! A bunch of Santas should be a doddle...