Wednesday, June 21, 2006

Running: Coyote Hills with a Bad Dog!

So last night Tina, Bam and I decided to hit the Coyote Hills trail. It is a bit more scenic than some trails, with some small hills that are confidence building. We park outside the gate and run in to get some extra distance.

Now, I like this trail, and I like my dog. I do not necessarily like the combination of my dog and this trail. It's not off leash, so she tends to pull. And it's littered with critters, so frequently she is REALLY pulling. Last night she was exceptionally....well, let's say enthusiastic to catch something. The result is I have to be the breaks of the operation and my knees end up taking a beating. Not to mention that it's tough to get into the running groove when your pace can change at the drop of the hat. Twice I dropped the leash. It was either that or get pulled over onto my face. Luckily she's pretty good about coming back once the critter disappears down a hole. The sad part is that even when she is misbehaving, she's soo cute! So, I end up laughing at her more than scolding her. No wonder she has no manners...not enough discipline! Maybe it should be bad dog mom and not bad dog??

Somewhere around 4 miles we stopped to give Bam a drink and she just plopped down and stretched out. She'd had enough. Unfortunately we still had to get back to the car! So we gave her some more water and patted some water on her belly and head. I dipped her hot little paws into her bowl and that seemed to revive her a little bit.

The general feel of the run was HOT. At least we had a bay breeze for most sections, and on a particularly long up hill we were in the shade, so that was nice. Bam and I were both beat by the time we got home. Just wanted to eat and go to bed...yep, both of us. I think the heat is partly to blame...it just saps the energy right out of ya'.

Anyway, we did just over 5-1/2 miles in just under an hour. Not too shabby.

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