You Can't Teach An Old Dog New Tricks...Or Can You?

Today I managed to get a short run in this time with my older sister's yellow lab "Cash." To his (and her) credit he is a MUCH better runner than the puppy was, however, that is likely because those dogs are trained and ruled with an iron fist. The nicest part was that he walks with a "loose leash" meaning he basically stays beside you the whole time. He also sits and stays prior to crossing the street and won't release unless you give him the command. (FYI, my brother-in-law is trained almost as well as their dogs.)

Its a nice run with little traffic around my parents neighborhood in my Small Town, North Carolina. Cash set a good pace for the first 1/2 mile or so. You could tell he was happy to be out in the sun and nice weather. We were making good time, and on this route there is only one hill. (Obviously this route was chosen on purpose). However, this is one heck of a hill. I haven't ran the last two days as I was distracted by my 3-week old nephew who I did not want to put down. Because of this, the 1.5 miles I was running was a bit difficult. Running with Cash was a nice distraction, that is until he decided to stop. 1/2 way up the hill. At that point, Cash decided he was tired of running, and sat down. I'm sure it was quite a sight to see me trying to pull the 80 pound yellow lab the rest of the way up that hill. And once we got to the top, Cash was ready to go again...setting the pace for the rest of the way home. In short, he unknowingly (or knowingly) foiled my plan to have him pull me up the hill. Instead he turned the tables. Out-smarted by a yellow lab. Yep, that's me.

Tomorrow's run will be a family affair. My mom, sisters, nephew, and the 3 dogs are all heading down to the park. My plan, one dog per mile. That is, unless the dogs gang up on me, and out smart me again...

*Belle*

Small Steps

In the training program (that I technically start in December) my long run day will be on Saturday. With that in mind, on my modified training this month I've decided to follow suit. So today I ran 2.5 miles along a route known (in my head at least) as "The Loop." I've lived at my current place for around a year and a half, and have ran The Loop relatively frequently though the frequency varies based on my fitness routine. I've ran it enough, however, that its a pretty good gauge of my fitness level. Sometimes its been easy (yay me!) and sometimes I've not been able to finish. Well, today...it was most certainly not easy. However, I did finish. Right after the 1.5 mile mark, I hit one hell of a wall. Its was quite the reminder that I'm out of shape...despite that I was able to talk myself into finishing the run and it went something like this:

Ok, you are passing the place you usually stop, keep going.
See, now you can see the stoplight, get there.
8/10 of a mile left, make it to the first apartment complex
1/3 of the way there, get to the second fatso...
2/3 of the way there, wow you are out of shape!

So, it might not have been nice, but I pushed myself and finished...and I'll try not to pull a muscle patting myself on the back...

*Belle*

Baby got back

Welp, I did it! After a long day of work, I motivated myself enough to run 1.5 miles on the treadmill. Unlike Belle, I don't have the fortune of running in gorgeous weather year-round. Yes, I am bitter. By the time I got home tonight, it was pitch black out and I really didn't feel like getting hit by a car. Hence the trusty ol' treadmill. Its so sad because we have had unseasonably warm weather for the past 3 days here in Ohio and I couldn't even take advantage of it! I'm talking 70 degree weather in November. What's next? Sasquatch running down my street in a pair of spandex shorts? Ohio never ceases to amaze me.

So I made an embarrassing observation tonight while on my run. I have a case of the ass jiggles. Yes. I said it. ASS JIGGLES. Having not ran for exactly a month, combined with sitting on my tush for 8-10 hours per day really took its toll on my backside. Anyway, my ass jiggles made me laugh because of something my mom told me this past spring. When I told my mom I started running practically everyday, she asked me if I could feel my butt jiggle around. My response? Duh...of course I could! She said when she was training in the Air Force that she had the same problem. Moral of the story? Ass jiggles are genetic.

*Mulan*