Today was the run day; 4 easy miles.  I’ve done all my running training either down the street leaving from the house or on the Greenway.  I have a little 5k loop on our farm, but I don’t usually use that when I’m preparing for a race because it’s a trail run, which is a lot different that a street run.  I use different shoes, the terrain is completely different, I have no gauge of the distance other than timing, and I do some calisthenics leaping over branches and avoiding cowpies.  But today was clear and cold and pretty and not too muddy, so off I went with iPod and dogs in tow. 

For those of you who know my dogs, you know Boo the golden retriever runs each and every mile with me, and then some.  She runs up and back and up and back again.  Uga, however, my magnificent English bulldog, has absolutely stepped up and gotten into the fitness groove.  I know, I know, I have to watch her breathing and the heat and all that, but in spite of their genetic issues with that, she has really taken to the jogging.  She stays in sight of me, and doesn’t do all the extra jogging that Boo does, but she seems to just love it…she wants to come every time.  Now she most certainly naps a lot of the day after that, but I think it’s good for her.

It was good for me too…don’t know the distance, but since I usually run about an 11 minute mile, I ran for 46 minutes and then headed back into the house.  It was so cold my iPod quit working until I put it under my shirt and warmed it back up, but it wasn’t breezy, so it was just about perfect.  It’s harder to run the trail, what with the extra balance and obstacle course, but it was a nice change of pace from the usual out and back.

Favorite shuffle tune:  Parliament – P Funk

Thanks for reading.