The curious incident of the pigeon

September 5mile handicap hare and hounds race. I've made slight improvements to my time every month for the last three shaving 20-30 seconds of the previous time each month, but still I am about 1min 45 sec off my PB, set way back in 2007 at the height of fitness and marathon training. This explains why I'm third last hound. One block in and the 2nd last guy flys past, 1 mile in and the hound over takes me, I decide to try and not lose sight of him and try not to let the gap grow. Coming along bird cage he pulls away and as I turn into St. James park I was looking up to the Mall hoping to see him stuck at the traffic, when suddenly a noise underneath me screeches out like a teradactyl going for a kill. Then I feel scratching and flapping feathers whack into one leg then the other as the dumb pigeon trys to escape from my leg prison. Finally it shoots straight up and nearly knocks me over - now I'm sure if he was more scared or me. I keep my balance but burst out laughing. Oddly enough started running better after that and came in with a hard last two miles, nothing spectacular, 4 seconds off last month's time and edging closer to that past peak performance. Oh yeah, I won excuse of the day......