I did my PT exercises BEFORE the run, and they sure woke up my glutes for climbing the hills on the run.
We don’t have a light in our closet, so I’m going to blame that on my mismatched socks;)
Such a gorgeous morning with the crew.
We ended up cutting the run shorter than planned, so I jumped on the Peloton for a 20-minute ride a bit later.
That yellow star means a PR! A pr on the bike hasn’t happened for me in ages… maybe it’s because my glutes were actually working and helping. I’m already feeling such a big difference with the exercises I’m doing.
Just the two of us for a few hours yesterday.
His preferred sitting method in a cart:
Beck napped, and then it was just me and Skye.
The kids got in their running…
And then Brooke had a scrimmage against a boy’s team at the prettiest park ever.
The crockpot will continue to keep us fed this month when the afternoons are too busy to cook. Chicken Cream Cheese Chili and cornbread.
Let’s move on to just a few tangents!
*Back to making this salad again to have in the fridge for the week.
*We went and saw some of the snow melt off coming from the canyon… it has formed a small river in a park, and the kids and Beretta loved playing in it.
*We had a scary experience while we were there. At this particular park, dogs must be on leashes (there are signs everywhere, along with a police # to call if they aren’t). We were walking around it when a group of 5/6 dogs ran straight to the kids. A dog about Beck’s height went right into Beck’s face and started growling and barking at Beck… we ran over to Beck, and he was terrified. The owners did nothing to have their dogs return to them and were giggling over the situation as we were frantic over Beck. We asked them to please put their dogs on leashes, but they refused and then gave us some fingers and words… I told them I was going to have a third party be involved. I got on my phone and called dispatch, and she came right at me with a metal dog bowl swinging for my head with it. It was terrifying. She didn’t hit me, and there were plenty of witnesses but goodness, it was so scary. Luckily, everyone was okay, but I think Beck will be afraid of dogs other than Beretta for a bit.
*If you are having a hard time getting out the door for a run, remind yourself that you are just one run away from a better mood.
Anyone else have a scaryish experience happen to them recently?
Do you tend to eat the same thing for lunch most days or switch it up?
Favorite thing to make in the crockpot?
Anyone have a kid afraid of dogs? What did you do to help them?
43 comments
Allison
Oh my gosh! That sounds like a very scary experience. I’m glad that Beck wasn’t bitten and that everyone is OK. Their behavior was completely inappropriate!
Alyssa
Oh my, the dog incident is terrible in so many ways!! Glad it ended okay.
Sara
Ummmm what did I just read!!!! What is wrong with people!! I’m just so glad beck is ok. You hear these horrifying stories of pit bulls killing kids, I’m sure it’s a result of having owners like this!
Kelly G
Please stop pushing the generalization of pit bulls being the stereotypical aggressive dog. Any breed could have done this.
Melly
Sorry – there is a reason the stereotype exists
Aimee
AMEN
Karen
Very true. My cousin was bitten by an Irish setter, and I have been attacked by all sorts of breeds, from German shepherds to Shi Tzus….it’s the combination of bad owner + poorly trained dog, and honestly, I think too many people have dogs these days.
Laura
Hey Sara, where did Janae say it was a pit? Just curious if we read the same post.
I have spent well over $2000 on training my shelter dog (who is part pitbull), so I am pretty upset by your comment. Some dogs have poor training, were not socialized as puppies, bad owners, or untreated genetic disorders. This does not apply to pits only. I’m not making up excuses for a dog attacking a child EVER, but let’s not point the finger at one breed. I myself have been bit by a German shepherd, shitzu, and a black lab. No pits. That being said, I blame the owners for their lack of responsibility and unhinged behavior.
Sara
She didn’t say it was a pit, I’m just saying I hear so many stories in the news about that. Im not sure why a simple comment needs attacked multiple times. Honestly I have bigger fish to fry just commenting on a running blog here.
Lauren
Wow! I have a fear reactive dog, so I am constantly on alert and can’t stand owners who do not obey leash laws. One incident can undo months of training. I am glad you guys are OK. Some dog people live on another planet!
Molly S
What the faaaaaaaa??? This is one of those moments when I’m later like, do I remember that correctly?!
I’m so sorry that happened to you and the fam. Good for you for taking action despite it setting off crazier actions. WOW!
With all of the peaceful nature pictures I was thinking: Joseph Smith picked a great settlement location. And then the dog story I was thinking: Joseph Smith would NOT approve!
Hope today is a better day!
Karina
I have been bitten by a dog on a run and due to that and more bad experiences I am generally very scared around dogs. I am not ok with dogs coming up to me and asking people to keep their dog away from me I get super hateful responses, people just have no consideration.
I was particularly terrified because the US has so many pitbulls. Most of them not even remotely educated. You can look it up ~30-50 kids die each year in the US due to pitbull bites. They are so scary because when they snap they aren’t just snapping once, they latch on and are ready to rip off a kids face. It’s almost like a sacrilege to say in a dog loving society that not all dogs can be trusted around kids, but its just a fact. Why any parent would subject their kids to this kind of danger (pitbulls specifically) is beyond me.
Anyhow, I am really glad Beck is ok but that must have been really scary. Hope he is doing well after this experience. after such a scary experience it might take a while for him to trust dogs again.
Corry
That must have been a terrifying experience! I’m so glad you are all ok…that could have turned out very differently. Dogs off leash are a pet peeve, no pun intended, of mine. I walk through a park that is clearly marked with signs that it’s an on leash park, but people persist on having their dogs off leash. I have commented to people, after their dog has run up to me a scared me, that it’s an on leash park. Their response is always “Oh its ok, he likes people” or ” I do this all the time” It doesn’t make it right. Dog are unpredictable and scary to some people. I road bike and on multiple occasions have had large dogs run out of farm yards and chase me down the road. This experience has now giving me fear and anxiety over dogs. I find some people to be very rude inconsiderate when I comes to their dogs. And don’t get me started about people not picking up their dog poop in that park, haha.
Donna Mason
Janae I am SO sorry to hear about this terrifying experience you had with those awful people and their dogs. It is unbelievable all of what you described here. I hope someone came out there to take care of this situation and ban these people from ever going there again! Poor Beck….he must have been traumatized. Sending you both love XO
Mollie
Is that for real?? WHO DOES THAT????? Ugh I’m so sorry Janae. Poor Beck. I hope he doesn’t carry that with him. I seriously think people are losing it.
Sending you hugs and I hope you have a better day!
Ps—that park river is kind of awesome though! 😄
Sarah B
OH MY GOSH!!! That really upsets me for you all that you had to go through that whole ordeal with dogs that should have been on a leash! I swear stuff like this happens to me when my husband is not around and he gets so upset that he couldn’t help the situation, but my anxiety would have had me in a panic with this incident. Hope your week gets better!
I’m going to add you on Peloton I’m FullCourtWife and it’s raining today so hopefully I’ll be on my bike. I managed to PR my 5k race this weekend and would you believe I led the race for females for half the race??? I am still tripping out, I finished 3rd overall female and won the masters division for females. Less than 2 years ago I was completely sedentary. I beat my time on that course from the previous year by 8 minutes!!! I am not anywhere near your level, but maybe one day!!! Sorry I overuse the exclamation points lol
John
Unfortunately this is all too common. People have no common courtesy and treat public parks like it’s their own backyards. As long as they have fun they could care less about others. Irresponsible dog owners make me so angry. I am so sorry this happened to you and your family.
You should also post this on your local neighborhood app and see if other people have had issues with the same group. Power in numbers.
For yourself – binge watch some YouTube videos about how to defend yourself against a dog attack. Like this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFlo7fPlAE8 You could also carry pepper spray just in case.
And then for a good laugh check out my favorite self defense video, the end cracks me up every time… https://www.youtube.com/shorts/AUHS8xUJmqw
Ashlea
Oh my gosh! Some people. What a scary experience. I’m so glad everyone is okay. Sending love to you and your family
Chelsea
So scary! When I was four, our neighbors dog ended up attacking me and biting me on the face. I still have a scar above my eyebrow from the experience. But it made me absolutely terrified of dogs my entire life growing up. Now that I am adult, I mostly I’m not scared of them because I’m bigger than the majority of dogs. Ha ha. But I do still get a little bit nervous with dogs that are large and off leash because I just don’t trust them! Our neighbors ended up having to put that dog down because she was showing signs of distemper I believe.
Nadya
I just wanted to write thank you for sharing this story. I hope you all are okay and the folks are reprimanded for it.
I grew up with dogs and love them. Unfortunately, when my daughter Leila was a toddler an unleashed neighbors dog jumped on her and knocked her down in our front yard. She was not bit but roughed up and to this day (age 9) has an actual phobia and deep fear of dogs. She will cry in terror and even she feels ashamed that she is so afraid. I know this sounds silly, but her fear has made going on family trail walks and even playing at playgrounds a real challenge because we have to constantly ask folks to leash their dogs (they are supposed to do it by law in MA). They say, “My dog is friendly and loves kids.” While that may be true that your dog is nice, people, especially kids, should be able to choose for themselves whether or not they must encounter or touch your dog.
Kathy
Nadya- I am the ghost of Christmas Future… same sort of thing happened to me when I was around 4 with a doberman who was pretty cranky. I’m still not a fan of dogs (39 now). Honestly, as an adult, I can pretend I’m comfortable around other people’s dogs, but I’m not. As a kid, I was truly terrified. Kudos for respecting your daughter’s boundaries. I bet she gets better.
Janae- so sorry you had to go through this! You must have been terrified. You handled this well.
Nadya
Thank you so much, Kathy, for sharing your experience. I think those experiences in our childhood’s definitely linger. Your story gives me hope that Leila can find a way to feel okay near dogs as she grows up (though I suspect she won’t ever own one or get too close)!
Wishing you the best day.
Nadya
Kendra
What the heck?!? I cannot believe she tried to assault you! I’m so sorry. I can only imagine how scary that entire experience must have been! And poor Beck! That’s dangerous to begin with but to laugh at a child who is scared is so messed up. I truly despise when people don’t lease their dogs. I love to hike but the amount of unleashed dogs is out of control. I have a sister who is afraid of dogs and will ask people to keep their dog away from her and they will respond “oh he’s so friendly!” And she’s had to say “I don’t care how friendly he is. I don’t want him near me”. I’m not afraid of dogs but the last thing I want when I’m hiking is someone’s dogs getting all up on me. I’ll tell them to lease their dog or leave them at home and they always act so shocked. I hope the police took this matter seriously. I can only imagine how scary this was. You’re one strong momma!
Amy S
Hi Janae! What an awful experience I’m glad you guys are physically unhurt. Those people should not be allowed in public. My parents have a golden who is very sweet and she has helped a few of our neighbors and relatives who were scared of dogs to not be scared of them! I’m sure Beretta is also like that, she seems lovely.
Hope you have a less eventful day!
Liz
I’m so sorry you had that awful experience, but so glad you took it seriously and made the call to dispatch. Some people would’ve walked away and those dogs would continue to terrorize other kids and families – to say nothing of the unhinged dog owners trying to physically assault people?? It’s absolutely wild and I’m glad you’re okay. I hope there will be a speedy resolution from the police.
Rachael
So scary for all of you, I am SO sorry!!! I am still scared of dogs from an incident that happened when I was a kid and I always run with pepper spray now because so many people let their dogs off leash. Not cool!!! I hope the police are able to find the people who were swinging a dog bowl at you (how the heck do people think that’s an appropriate response?!!!).
Kristina C.
As a dog owner, my biggest pet peeve is other dog owners who don’t follow leash laws. It’s so unbelievably frustrating and the owners never seem to care. I have had so many bad experiences. One time I had a dog following and jumping on my dog and I while the owner is paying no attention on the phone. I was literally screaming “please get your dog.” She finally noticed after I screamed several times. She called her dog over and then as soon as I started walking with my dog again, her dog chased after us. It always feels like a helpless and hopeless situation. Also as a runner, the number of times I have been chased by dogs is ridiculous. And I love dogs (my dog is literally my best friend), I just wish owners were more responsible and actually cared about other people and dogs. I’m sorry this happened and I hope Beck has more positive experiences in the future.
Mindy
And people wonder why dogs aren’t allowed in so many places, it is because of owners like that! I am so grateful you are all okay! I hope you filed a report.
We have a food truck parking area outside of my work building and a few weeks ago two dogs got into dog fight, both off leash, in the middle of families, kids, etc. We have a county wide leash law in all areas other than dog parks.
I hate irresponsible pet owners. Also, don’t get me started on bringing pets to public areas where food is being served…
Arianna
I feel so sorry for poor Beck! Off-leash dogs are one of my biggest pet peeves (as a runner too). I got bit when I was little and so I am wary of dogs in general, but here in SD there’s a thing where a lot of the playgrounds at schools are considered “open spaces” after 4pm. The idea is that sports teams can practice there, people can walk, etc. But a LOT of people here just use them as a dog parks (and we have like a ZILLION dog parks in SD). It used to make me so frustrated when I would take my kids over to just throw a ball around in the evening and then have them chased by dogs while someone screams “he’s friendly!”
On a happier note, two crockpot recipes for you to try:
https://www.food.com/recipe/farmhouse-chicken-and-corn-chowder-451178 (this is an America’s Test Kitchen recipe but it’s behind the paywall! We make it a lot when we’re in your neck of the woods skiing… it’s a good winter/rainy day one)
https://pinchofyum.com/instant-pot-korean-beef-tacos (says Instapot and I do this too but it has the slow cooker version below)
Tracy
WHAT?! She sounds crazy! Swinging at you, what in the world.
Oh my gosh, I’m so glad no one was bitten. Being a bad dog owner is awful enough, but then her laughing about a baby being threatened and then swinging the bowl ! I’m glad you filed a report, and hopefully there are repercussions for her abhorrent behavior.
I’m so sorry this happened. Please let us know any updates on this.
Ali
Ugh I am so sorry you had to experience bad dog owners! I had a recent experience that I am still so mad about. I was walking my son in the stroller and my dog on the leash. A neighbor (that I don’t know) had his garage open and went into his house, but left the door open just long enough for his GIANT German Shepherd to run out. The dog ran right into the street and started attacking my dog. It was horrific. I was screaming and trying to get my baby away, but also trying to help my dog, who couldn’t get away because he was leashed and the other dog wasn’t.
I ended up having to drop my dog’s leash because the other dog had him pinned to the ground and he was getting tangled in the leash; I ran to the other side of the sidewalk to make sure my baby was safe and wouldn’t get bitten and the owner finally came out and yelled at me for dropping the leash! We had to take my dog to the vet to be treated for bites (they were really bad) and my husband went over to the neighbor’s later to ask them to pay for the medical bill. They said they would only pay half! The owner said that it was my fault because I dropped my dog’s leash during the attack and ‘that provoked’ his dog. UNREAL.
Jen
Oh my goodness how scary! What is wrong with people? So glad you are all okay. We are presently only able to go down about 2miles on our city’s rails to trails because there are so many loose dogs that will chase you. I’m a dog lover, and–like you, we have a dog that is a member of our family, so we keep him on a leash when we are out because we do love him enough to want to keep him safe(and avoid any unexpected behaviors because they are animals that can’t communicate well with us). It’s not safe for the dog or for anyone else to have them off the leash.
I do change up lunch–and since I’ve retired I’m kind of all over the place with what it is. When I was working it was usually an apple with peanut butter. Now it just depends on what I had for breakfast and how long ago that was(sometimes breakfast doesn’t happen until lunch)
My and my kids favorite crockpot dish: Take a pack of chicken(breasts, tenderloins, whatever) and put in a crockpot(I usually spray it first with olive oil spray), sprinkle a packet of taco seasoning and a packet of ranch seasoning over the top and pour in enough chicken broth to just cover them. Cook for 4-6 hours, then shred and use for nachos or tacos. We love it!
Cynthia
Yikes!!! We have a friendly dog but he is ALWAYS leashed even in our own yard as we have a busy neighborhood full of walkers and other dogs. Even having my own dog…I’m always scared when I run by other people’s dogs, no matter the breed or size, even when they are leashed. You just never know. I’m glad you all are OK, and also glad you said something even though you were threatened with a dog food bowl!!?
Kristine
Oh that is so scary and so sorry that happened to Beck and your family. River is super friendly but I would never let her go at a toddler. Even if we were in an off leash area which I know you werent. We are so mindful of our surroundings. We are dog owners and given what the dog owners did we would have called too. Hopefully those owners are fined .
When we introduced River to our young nieces we had her on a short not tighgt leash gave our nieces treats and told them how to approach her and let them say hi from afar or let River come to the kids if she wants. We never force an interaction. And if we ever notice unattended toddlwrs wandering towards her we just let the parents know that sometimes River gets afraid too lol.
Angie
That’s is terrible and you did the right thing! I have really found dog owners here in Utah to be awful. Not putting them on leashes, bringing them to parks where it’s not allowed or watershed areas, and leaving dogs outside 24/7 no matter the weather conditions and no place for them to cool off or stay warm. It’s so frustrating.
RunEatRepeat
What the f. This makes me mad.
About kids scared of dogs…
my neighbor’s son was super scared of dogs, but he wanted him to get comfortable with them. When they moved in he told us this after realizing Diego is very friendly.
He’d make it a point to say hi and pet Diego in front of his lil boy (but never forced him to). It took a while, but the kid started to say hi directly to D, then pet him. They even bought dog treats and eventually his son felt comfortable enough to give them to D.
Basically, find 1 super chill, friendly dog and slowly let the kid get comfortable with it.
Wendell
That dog “story” is truly one of a kind🤣. Looks like you were smiling afterwards so all good.
I am so lucky that I have zero fear of dogs. Perhaps seek out a counsellor for both of you.
Abbey Payne
Janae that is so awful! I’m sorry that happened. People like that definitely should not have dogs.
When I was about 6 I was bitten by a dog. I was very scared of dogs for years afterwards. Also my parents were never really dog people so I think my fear was reinforced. But now I have my own German Shepherd that I adore and I have loved dogs for a long time.
One tip I can give you that WORKS if you are ever in an uncertain situation with a dog: turn your body away from the dog, cross your arms over your chest (like a sleeping vampire), close your eyes, and stand perfectly still. I’ve taught this to my kids and ot even works if there is a dog that is overexcited and jumping on them. I even did it when I was a kid! I think it just perplexes the dog and they think maybe you died or just are no fun.
Carrie
Our neighbors dog is resource protective of their other dog and we have had several incidents in which the dog has attacked other dogs. The last time was awful. They are very reactive and are certain the neighborhood antagonizes the dog. Luckily during the last incident the police and SPCA really must have drove it home that things needed to change. They have an electric fence now, the dog still growls and comes to the edge when anyone walks by. We are 6 months in to owning a dog and have to be so careful he doesn’t get off his leash and go into our neighbors yard. The whole neighborhood is on edge. At one point the dog came out of its yard, grabbed a puppy away from a teen walking it and drug it to the back yard.
Warren Footz
both my kids….my autistic daughter seems more terrified of smaller, and Jim, just never seems comfortable…I love dog, but well, allergies…I’ve thought of a labra-doodle maybe….but, well, life’s crazy enough without, and we’re never home..I hate seeing dog in a back yard or worse tied up for hours….and I hate a lot of owners more than dogs….people have to train their puppies…
I love meeting friends for lunch or just going out for lunch……at home it’s everything that’s in the fridge is fair game
Christina
What in the world!?! Not okay!!! I’m so sorry your sweet boy and you went through this and the rest of the fam. People can be awful. It’s sad but pack and carry pepper spray and taser at all times now. Ughhh glad you’re physically okay. But I’m sure PTSD
Irene
I’m so so sorry Janae. My son is nervous around dogs and people will let their leashes dogs jump all over him while he’s clearly uncomfortable and trying to back away. It makes me so mad. You can think your dogs are great but that doesn’t mean they are entitled to jump on other people who hate it!
It sounds like a group of bad people not just bad pet owners. Im really sorry you went through that. So glad you are ok.
karen
OMG…its sooooo sad people have to act like this. I don’t understand our world. I am so so sorry this happened and very happy your angles were there protecting you.