I’m convinced that I’m a magnet for dogs. For some reason they’ve always been attracted to me, ever since I was a little girl. But not in the way you think. There’s something about me that makes dogs want to chase me. Maybe I give off a special scent that draws them in. I have no idea what it is, but it’s gone on pretty much my entire life. Now with marathon training, I’m still haunted by a pit bull attack that happened when I was 19-years-old.
Marathon Training: Still Haunted By Pit Bull Attack Share on X
But my dog encounters has been happening long before the horrifying pit bull attack. From the time my brother’s dogs use to chase me around the yard back in Jamaica, to the time two huge Rottweilers chased me in the hallway of a building at Bayview Projects in Brooklyn. There were many more in between, but I can never forget the pit bull attack.
It was a rainy summer day. I decided to head to the track, despite my mother’s disapproval. I assured her that I wouldn’t be long. “I should be back before dark,” I said. I wish I would have listened to her that day and stayed home.
By the time I parked the car in my high school parking lot, the rain had tapered off to a light mist. It was a very muggy day. I was wearing my blue spandex with one of my old high school t-shirts. I got out of the car, closed the door, tightened my shoe laces, and began a light jog onto the field.
I had decided to do laps around the entire field instead of just running around the track. I figured that I’d get more of an intense workout, since I scarfed down a brownie sunday the day before.
Anyway, it didn’t take long because within seconds of hitting the field I saw a pit bull, without a leash, running in the distance. He was probably about a quarter of a mile away at the time. But, in the blink of an eye he was within inches from me. I will never forget the look in his eyes, as if I were his next meal.
He didn’t waste any time charging after me. His brown, solid frame wasn’t the least bit fazed by me pounding away at his head. In fact, it must have made him more angry.
I still have no idea how I survived that pit bull attack and I still think about it, especially on those rare occasions when I run outdoors.
I can’t lie, I try to avoid running outside like the plague. But since I signed up for the half marathon this spring, I realize that I have to get over my fear. So I decided to begin training outside.
However, it didn’t take long for the dog curse to work its magic. I completed my first mile and a half and snapped this breathtaking view of the Atlantic before heading back home.
I only had a tenth of a mile left to reach my 3 mile goal when a dog came out of nowhere and began chasing me from behind.
I darted out in the middle of the road to avoid the dog. Fortunately, there weren’t any cars insight, otherwise I probably wouldn’t have been so lucky. The dog eventually gave up chasing me and I was left breathless and shaken up.
After stopping to take a few minutes to catch my breath and regain my composure, I continued running a little while longer before completing my 3 mile run on my treadmill at home.
Paranoia had set in and I just couldn’t finish out of fear that the dog would come after me again. It’s kinda of interesting because just as my mom warned me against running right after it rained, my husband recommended that I go to the park for a jog. When I told him about what happened, he was shocked. Then chuckled and said, “Don’t tell me you were chased by a pocket dog.”
Okay, I’ll admit it. This dog was no match for a pit bull. It was pretty small and couldn’t really do much damage. But it came out of nowhere and startled me. “I could’ve gotten hit by a car,” I said.
I’m still a bit freaked out, but I can’t let my fear stop me. With the half marathon about a couple of months away, I just have to find a safer route to train. Even though I’m sick of running in circles, I just may have to suck it up and run around a track.
How do you marathon train? Do you run outdoors? Have you ever dealt with a dog attack?
