Running With the Dog

Garmin Data

I have to run in the evenings now because it takes a good 30 minutes of stretching to get my lower legs to not hurt. I had to make dinner last night so I came up with the ingenious plan of doing a roasted vegetable pan in the oven and starting the charcoal for steaks right before I left so that when I returned the charcoal is ready to dump and the veggies need 20 more minutes. As I was leaving the dog started trotting along with me and wound up following me the entire run. He belongs to Tina's brother who is staying with us and is mostly mentally retarded (the dog not brother but....). Shady (the dog again, not the brother...do try to pay attention) has been an apartment dog nearly its whole life and living outdoors now is blowing his mind. He has even become a bit of a pack rat hunter which we totally need. I think he is an Aussie sheperad mix or something.

Anyway, we had a nice 2.5 mile run and he spent the first 1/2 running way ahead, side to side etc. The last mile or so he was beat and lagged way behind. I brought a plastic bag to scoop poop but when he finally decided to drop the load it was off in the desert and about 1/4 mile behind me so I didn't bother. We saw a pile of 4-5 big and dead packrats by the side of the road. I hope they were there as a warning to others.

This was one of the easiest runs I've had. I ran slowly and was barely out of breath. I hope to do 2 of these per week in very slowly increasing distances and a long run on the weekend opposite days of the bike workout. I think Hal would have me run 3 today and 5 this weekend to be on the novice marathon training pace.