Running Together

You may recall that I purchased new running shoes with the idea that Luna and I would get in shape together.  For the past month I have been using the "Couch to 5K" program which has been great.  The program has you alternate running and walking so your body can take a break.  I am taking it very slowly to ensure that I feel comfortable at each level before progressing.  So far, I have left Luna at home when I run because I wasn't sure if she was ready.  Since the therapist said she was looking really good (despite that back left leg) I decided today was a good day to give running together a shot.

I was surprised at how well Luna listened to me and stayed on my left side despite some tempting squirrels on my right.  She did very well with the program and together we completed almost two miles.  However, it was very obvious that this was a hard work out for her because she started lagging on our third run (out of six).  By the sixth run she was barely able to keep up and I was having to drag her along.  Remember, she has not had this much exercise since the accident.

While pulling my dog along while trying to focus on running was difficult, I really enjoyed having her company.  Rather than focusing on myself and on how tired/sore I was while running, my attention was on Luna and encouraging her to keep going.  I kept cheering "Come on Luna!  Let's go! Good girl!  You got it!"  Cheering like this not only made a difference in Luna's performance, but it really made me feel good about our run.  I'll have to keep these chants in mind when I run solo in the future.

So I'd consider our first run a success.  We definitely need more work, but I think this is going to be a great way for us to encourage each other to do better.