How a run almost turned me into dog food

I thought I looked like a runner on my morning run today, but maybe I looked more like a bag of Alpo in running shoes. I was about 10 minutes into my run, when I suddenly realized that 3 very large dogs were running right towards me with no owner in sight. These dogs were pretty scary, and my first instinct was to pull my arms into my chest. But, I immediately thought of Cesar Millan and his advice about being an assertive pack leader. So, instead of cowering, I continued running and confidently put my arm out, while saying in a firm voice, “Get back! Get back!” It worked. The dogs stopped chasing me. I felt relieved. (And also vindicated that all my hours of watching the Dog Whisperer finally paid off!) I continued on my run, and I didn’t think much of the incident until on the way back. I passed a lady (also in running gear) and a man talking to a police car. They motioned to me to come over. “You might not want to run up that way,” the lady said, pointing to the area where I passed earlier in my run. “There’s a pack of stray pit bulls, and they look dangerous. The police are looking into it.” I gulped. They were pit bulls?? Thank goodness I wasn’t smart enough to realize that when I saw them. I would have been anything but “calm and assertive,” and I would have braced myself for the bites. (Because let’s face it, marathon training or not, I’m not going to outrun a pack of pit bulls.) Once we found out the street was clear, the lady and I walked back together, and it turns out that she’s a neighbor on our street. I enjoyed our conversation, and it was nice to make a new friend. I’m grateful that everything turned out ok. But, I’m not taking any chances next time. I’m going to start running with tranquilizer - not for the dogs, but for me.