Six Miles with One Dog and Fifteen Deer

Mira impatiently digs at her mat while I change shoes and get ready for our run

 

We did the six mile loop from the Illinois Monument at Chetham Hill, to Kolb Farm this morning.  The weather was perfect, with enough bite in the air to keep my dog comfortable and on task, but not so much so that I was chilled in the heavily forested areas of the trail.

At a large meadow before we reached Kolb Farm, where the grass was tall and the sun was shining brightly through the trees, I paused to look for deer and catch my breath.  There were none, so we plunged back into the woods and began climbing toward the din of traffic on Powder Springs Road.  The three miles on the West trail from the monument to the farm was hard for me today, very hard.  It is obvious I have not been cross training as my hamstrings and quads were crazy tight before we finished the first mile and that wasn't a very difficult stretch.  Then the bunion on my right foot began to burn and sting.  It felt like something had sliced the tender skin under the callous.  I pushed through and slowed to accommodate my short breath more than the foot, but continued to drive on as soon as I thought I could.   I discovered much later, at the end of the run a large, ugly, blister between the callous and bunion.  All in all, we made the three mile mark in thirty-seven minutes.  That is my new personal best for the distance; road or trail. 

Not long after we left Kolb Farm for the return to the Illinois Monument via the East Trail, Mira stopped dead in front of me.  To our side, barely visible through the sun streaked forest stood two deer.  Beautiful, silent with ears flicking this way and that listening in all directions; all the while staring us into submission and breathlessness.




The first of fifteen deer seen on the trail this morning

We were separated by small creek from this one who decided to join our run for a very short distance

And so it continued for the next mile and a half, we'd jog a bit and then come upon more deer, usually spotting two at a time.  Once we came across a foursome.  We saw fifteen deer at final count today.  Interestingly, Mira never made an effort to pull or take on a "chase" attitude.  She has a funny habit of watching them for a moment, but as soon as they turn and leap deeper into the forest out of view, she lunges forward down the trail.  It's at these moments I have come to appreciate the drive of a working dog who has learned well what her job is and gives great commitment to the task!

Mira watching deer, note the slack in the lead - she never pulls to chase a deer

There's no slack in the lead now, the deer has turned to disappear into the forest and she's intent on getting back on the trail and back to work.

The second three miles took forty two minutes, but there were many pauses for deer watching, so it may have been another personal best for three miles without all the stops.  Overall, the run was my best time for a three mile split, and also the six miles total.  Regardless of time, today was a definite personal best in the wildlife category.