True Life: Thoughts While Running With Your Dog

Running with your dog is a win-win situation, right? It’s a triple whammy when you can 1) exercise yourself, 2) exercise your pet, and 3) enjoy some bonding time all at once. I know I ♥LOVE♥ spending time out in nature with my sweet Pippa, but sometimes it isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Some days, the internal monologue goes a little more like this…

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.01 miles: Oh, heck yes. Let’s get this run done. She is going to be so tired for the rest of the day–she’ll love me.

.04 miles: Seriously? You can’t wait until we’ve at least rounded the corner to stop and pee?!

.10 miles: Ok, we’re starting to hit a groove. If only she would slow down and stop trying to rip my shoulder out of the socket.

.15 miles: *SQUIRREL!* No! Get out of that yard and away from that tree. It’s a squirrel, Pippa, you aren’t going to catch it!

.20 miles: *Stops to pee on a bush*

.25 miles: *Neighborhood dogs barking* *Runs faster as if saying, “Ha! I’m free, y’all!”*

.30 miles: *Stops to pee on a telephone pole*

.50 miles: Ok, NOW we’re hitting a groove. Maybe I can keep my heart rate steady and quit all this starting and stopping.

.75 miles: Pippa, you do NOT have to run between the telephone poles and corners of the fences. Mom is bigger than you and doesn’t fit as well. *Tries to wrap me around a telephone pole*

1.0 miles: All right, a mile in. We’re going to walk to that tree and back before turning around. She just needs a minute to chill out.

 1.01 miles: *SQUIRREL!*

1.10 miles: Let’s GO! It’s your pee! You just peed there! It’s your pee you’re smelling! *Pees again*

1.25 miles: *Hears dog barking in a fence, cuts across me as hard and fast as she can as I roll my ankle on the curb*

1.30 miles: Walk it off. Walk it off. Walk it off.

1.4 miles: *SQUIRREL!*

1.5 miles: *Runs back up our sidewalk as I throw open the front door* TAKE HER LEASH OFF! SHE CAN’T HANDLE IT TODAY! (to my husband with fire in my eyes and frustration in my voice as I charge off to finish the last half mile of my run ALONE)

In case you’re curious, this was the scenario on Monday. Normally, Pippa is the best running partner, but for some reason she was just way to spastic this time. In her defense, it WAS the day after Easter when I’d had ham like three meals in a row, plus banana pudding for breakfast. I don’t think she could tell the difference though. My husband said she was still panting and out of breath as she stretched herself out on the tile to cool off.

Does your dog pull these kinds of shenanigans when you run together?

Linking up with Annemarie, Nicole, and Jen for Wild Workout Wednesday!