Here's what she had to say ...
When I was little, I only got to do her 1 mile warm up a few days a week, but now I get to run longer! We trained for the NYC marathon this fall, and I did 3-4 miles with her at a time. I don’t know how she races so fast when all our runs are so slow. Sometimes I get bored and try to chase leaves, or say hi to other runners, or push the pace a little. Even though I run much faster and for much longer at the dog park, I love running with my mom.
Every time she gets my running leash out, I know what’s coming and I get so excited! The Iron Doggy™ leash is what I was trained with from the time I was very little. I learned that when it is on, it means we focus on the task and it’s not a time to stop and smell all the bunny trails. Mom clicks it around her waist, and we are off! I always stay on the left side and can never put tension in the leash. If I start to get too antsy and push the pace, mom pulls the leash until I am back by her side. I used to get too excited, but now I follow the rules most of the time. I also learned what left and right means so that when we run, mom doesn’t trip over me when we turn! I go left when she says so, and then she acts happy and I feel good knowing I did it right.
I don’t like to be left at home, and now that it’s cooler, I get to go running more often. Extra cookies after the run, a big drink of water, and then I curl up in my new bed while mom works. When dad gets home, we go to the dog park and I get to have a real workout! My favorite game is “catch me if you can." I always win.
Until next time,
-Strider Gracey
