If not for you, do it for the dog.

I have had the idea to run with my dog for a few months now, but today was the day we finally ventured out to see how he would fare.  I am a fairly consistent runner.  I log between 5 to 10 miles a week, but I would be hard pressed to say I enjoy running.  I enjoy the effects I get from running; increased cardiovascular endurance, a leaner figure, lower blood pressure, and a lower resting heart rate, but I do not jump out of bed with shoes on rearing to go.

I had a dog years ago who I would take running with me and she was amazing.  No leash, no problems, she would stay within a 10 foot radius around me and keep pace for as long as I ran.  Don't worry, she is still alive, she was dog napped by my Mother. 

Today I took my white boxer, yes I said white, on a run.  It went exactly how I expected it to go.  He is built for sprinting.  He is less than a year old and almost weighs 80 pounds; pure muscle.  So we get to the street and I can tell he is ready to go.  He sets a fierce pace right from the start.  Silently I chuckle to myself.  Sure enough, less then a mile into the run he is beginning to suck some air.  I don't think he was prepared for the distance I planned; he didn't stretch much and probably had it in his mind we were going on a leisurely walk. 

NOT THE CASE!

So I had to alter my approach.  Instead of running at my usual 7 1/2 minute mile pace, we switched to doing 60 120's.  For those of you who are not familiar with these, they will drastically improve your run time and endurance.  I will speak of interval training more on a another post, so for the sake of this one, 60 120's are sprints.  You run as fast as you can, I mean balls out, for 60 seconds and then walk for 120 seconds.  You repeat this until you throw up.  Too easy.

So we do this for the remaining 2 miles and finally make it home. Needless to say as I am writing this he is passed out on the couch.  I had to get up a few minutes ago to see if he was still breathing.  So now I know if I want to run at a steady pace, I will need to do it alone, but he is now my permanent sprint partner from here on out.

It is nice to learn that we can make exercise fun if we really try.  I read this article Animal Obesity and it made me sad to realize that for whatever reason as we are getting fatter so are our pets.  I understand a person's right to choose how they live their own life, but your pet it not so lucky.  Yes, a dog will eat itself stupid if given the chance because they are hard wired for survival, but to create an obese environment for your pet just because you are over-weight is a little too much for me to grasp. 

If you find yourself in this particular situation, do not shy away from it or be embarrassed by it, or feel ashamed by it.  

USE IT!

Human beings were meant to run, that is why we stand upright! And if you have never had the chance to witness the pure exhilaration a dog feels while running at top speed, then you are missing out.  Make a choice for you and your pet.  Start slow with daily walks and then progress to light jogging and then hard running. 

MAKE A DECISION, COMMIT TO IT, AND THEN SUCCEED!  TOO EASY!

Winter is coming, so for some of you in colder climates, head on over to HighOctaneHealth.com for some incredible indoor training programs.  SNOW is not a viable excuse for not getting healthy!