Scenes from my runs this week. Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!

This week my total mileage was 15.25 miles.  It wasn't easy.  Every morning I'd wake up a little after 5am.  I'd get changed into my running clothes, strap on my heart rate monitor and drink a glass of water.  My dog followed me around as usual, eagerly waiting for us to go for our run.  Its been cloudy in the mornings and sometimes really kind of dark.

 

Normally this wouldn't bother me. But there is a bear living in the woods by my house.  I see the evidence (skat) and some people can tell by the mess in their yard that a bear has come through.  My dog smells it.  I know he does.  He's a Rhodesian Ridgeback (a hound) so he loves to smell everything!  But lately he is intensely smelling and tracking.  Rhodesian Ridgebacks were originally used to hunt lions but there aren't any lions in Upstate, NY.  But bear, we've got!

 

I'm determined to train for this half marathon and running on my treadmill just won't cut it so as I run, I have one ear listening to my book on tape (just finished Harvesting the Heat by Jodi Picoult and recommend it -- great book), one ear listening for traffic, and both eyes looking out for the bear!

 

Here are some photos from my runs.

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, that is the bear that Murphy has been trying to track!