Either Dogs Are Getting Stronger or I'm Getting Older!

 I find this terribly ironic. I'm actually healthier now than I was 13 years ago. My diet is much cleaner, as are our household products. My endocrine system is in a much better place and I'm physically stronger than I was!

And yet here I sit with shin splints and KT tape on my right arm. You know why? 

Hawk. 

That snuggly-as-can-be, stares into your soul with his human-like eyes, lovable border collie. Who--when I take him outside this out--turns into 50 lbs of muscle that rivals Roy's pulls when he weighed almost twice as much! Yep, that dog has done wore me out! 

He's literally laying on my feet as I type this--the quintessential picture of devoted loyalty. But outside? That stinker becomes a speedster I can hardly control!

So I had a plan.

I would take him to the dog park and wear him out...and THEN take him on his first trail run around Roxy Ann Peak.

Genius, I thought.

Well he ran, and lay in the shade panting by the time we left. He was still worked up in the car (actually pulled the seatbelt latch out with his dog seatbelt loop!) but I thought once we started out he'd wind down.

Wrong.

We started running and it was clear I was just being drug as well. I quickly gave up trying to keep him by my side as he likes to run right in front of my feet, and just let him run while I tried to keep up...hoping he'd wear out soon!

Wrong.

After a mile my feet and shins were feeling like they were being subjected to torture so I had to reign him in! 

This is just after I gave up running...notice I'm still smiling...

He was pulling so hard I was almost walking sideways trying to keep him close to me! I looped the leash around my back like a human pulley to get some grip on this pup! 

When I realized that running 3-4 miles was out of the question, I decided to summit the peak. Doing this you summit over 700 feet in a relatively short amount of distance...your legs will burn for sure!

I'll admit I didn't mind Hawk pulling as much on the ascent! We got to the lookout and I just wanted to sit and cool off and catch my breath! Hawk was looking for the next summit...

Going back down the steep eastern side of the hill was a different story. The road is gravel and I knew if Hawk pulled just the slightest amount too much I'd be drug face first down the hill. So we would walk three steps and I'd say "stop" to arrest his momentum. 

Three steps, stop, three steps, stop...allllll...the...way...down...that...stinkin'...hill.

By the time we neared the bottom my legs were quivering! But surely all of that would mean an easier walk back on the fairly level trail back to the car, right?

Wrong.

He pulled harder than before, if it can be believed!

After 4 miles and the equivalent of climbing 77 flights of stairs my patience was beginning to run thin...trying to be consistent in his training was proving very difficult! He was so distracted he wouldn't even take treats!

Getting back in the car after he had a long drink I thought...dang...WHAT can I do to wear this dog out??? 

So I took him back to the dog park...and that furry being of boundless energy bolted away like it was first thing in the morning!

See his torn right ear? I'd love to know the story of how that happened!

Good grief. 

And so here I sit with tennis elbow that got aggravated even more from that dad-gum "trail run," and on Monday I tried to do a solo run to get some exercise in but after a mile my shins and feet were hurting too much to continue. So either dogs are getting exponentially stronger, or I'm getting older...

I'll go with the former excuse...

Now excuse me while I go take a detox bath and some Agilease!