I first saw him at the traffic junction, tail tugged behind, looking me over. An Alsatian. I approached him cautiously and our eyes met. I sensed no hostility and resumed my run.
He followed. Hhmmm... coming too close. Was he going to be a problem? When he was about a foot away, i started thinking of ways to defend myself if attacked. The best I could think of was my water bottle.
I was just paranoid. After 200m, it was clear that he just wanted company. So we jogged on for the next two km. At times he went ahead but mostly we jogged side by side. Every now and then, he would do his business by a tree or a bush. In the early hours of this Thu morning along the remote PCN, it felt like Will Smith and his dog in "I am Legend".
Perhaps he was hungry. Was he lost? Abandoned? Unfortunately I just ate the last of my chocolate covered expresso beans. And I didn't think he would appreciate gel.
I couldn't see a dog tag. So he perhaps he was a stray. That made me think about road IDs, which are essentially dog tags for runners. You know how it works. In emergency situations when we are unable to speak, unconscious, or worse, the information on the road ID - blood type, allergies, contact numbers - maybe a life saver. In the worst case, a form of closure for our loved ones and in most cases, an accessory for runners.
Just before NSRCC, my companion took one last look at me and trotted off. I was probably too slow for him. And I had no food to offer. Thanks all the same. I couldn't have made that last 2 km without my canine pacer.
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