Running, throwing “the stick”, and climbing hills…..sounds like a triathlon to me!
This morning, I took Bella out for a run. She is not a fan of running on the street; so many cars and so little freedom (leash). But when we leave the roads……watch out! She’s in her element.
The run:
We decided to do “trail repeats”. What that means for me is absolute insurance that I won’t get lost. If you’ve been reading my blog long enough, you know I was born sans internal compass. There’s no use fighting it. I use a Garmin for driving and I stick with out&back routines like this morning. We completed 3 out&backs to total 3.44 miles. That might be a new running mileage record for Bella. She’s much more of a sprinter.
The throw:
To keep it fun and interesting for her, I threw “the stick” a number of times. She lives to fetch and epitomizes the essence of the Labrador Retriever. Occasionally, she’ll get cozy with the stick and gnaw on it, ripping it apart. She has particular types of sticks that are her favorite. C’mon, doesn't everyone have a favorite stick? So my dog might have OCD. Don’t judge.
The climb:
The trail is flanked by large hills with boulders and forest. Here is where she has her most fun. She fetches the stick, runs down the hill, drops it for me, and climbs back up again – waiting for the next throw. We could do this all day and she’d never get bored. If I wait too long to throw it, she’ll let me know. That particular bark has almost a “cry” to it. She gets so damn excited (and impatient).
What a fun way to get my run in, to start getting my footing on off-road surfaces, and to tucker my dog out. I just wish I had a medal for Bella’s stellar triathlon performance!
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| Well deserved rest! |
The little darlin' needs a medal. I'll see what I can do! Reading about it was even more fun than hearing about it!
ReplyDeleteYay, you were able to post :)
DeleteReba loves to go and throw the tennis ball. She is crazy. She must carry the ball in her mouth as we walk to the park. She can't breathe well but she doesn't care!
ReplyDeleteDogs are so much fun!
Bella's the same! She could be panting like crazy, but will NOT give up the stick, or kong, or whatever!
DeleteThe outing sounds great, but the nap in the sun looks even better.
ReplyDeleteShe knows all the best spots in the yard where the sun acts like a heater :)
DeleteAwe, she is so cute napping after her very busy day. How fun! :)
ReplyDeleteThat's awesome! I need to do this with Cassie!
ReplyDeleteCassie does more than insist on a certain type of stick...and has to actually be the EXACT stick that you threw the first time. If that stick gets lost, she will endlessly hunt for it unless you take a break and start over much later. HA!