Sunday on the Path with Dog

This afternoon the weather was too nice not to go running, so T-Dog and I decided we'd gear up and get out there. We invited a Darling Daughter to ride her bike with us, and DD accepted, so we had the pleasure of her company as well. The route we chose was Wood Street out to the end and back. It's a beautiful road with plenty of roller coaster-like rises and dips and a well-maintained sidewalk. Some of the trees are in their full autumn glory, although I don't think we've reached peak yet. I took this picture when we got back. It looks like Tasha is admiring the tree, although in actuality she's either avoiding the camera or trying to spot something she's caught a whiff of.

Got your ears on?

I never use an MP3 player when I run ... or when I walk for that matter. I know some people who can't run without one, but I like to be unencumbered by cords and headphones or earbuds. I don't really need an external source of music anyway, since there is always something playing in my head. Today it was the Mexican Hat Dance. On other days I've had the theme from "Felix the Cat," "I Love the Nightlife," or the jingle from the Magic 106.7 ad on a continuous loop. No, it doesn't drive me crazy, and whenever one tune loses its appeal I just think of something else until it takes over. Some songs get played more than others. For example, "Running up that Hill" by Kate Bush is often the soundtrack when I'm, oh, running up a hill.

The other reason I don't use an MP3 player is that I like to use all my senses (the useful ones anyway) when running with a greyhound in a busy environment. It's hard enough keeping us both out of traffic and trouble without being unable to hear cars, mean dogs, kids on bikes, and all that. But I do get a kick out of surprising people (mostly walkers) who are electronically deaf to the world and can't hear us approach. This morning, we came upon just such a person as we crossed the Mass Ave bridge over 128. We weren't trying to be sneaky, and goodness knows between Tasha's jingling tags and my heavy footfall and breathing we're hard to ignore. But this woman had an MP3 player on and thus nearly had a heart attack as we glided by her on the narrow sidewalk. Heads up everyone! Pay attention!

Today we ran through the Minute Man park. Such a lovely route! I took a picture of Tasha after her bio-break near the pond at the visitors' center. You can see the reflection of the beautiful orange tree in the water behind T-Dog. I wish the colorful leaves didn't have to be followed by biting cold, but we will enjoy the fall while it lasts!

The duo becomes a trio again

Today Miss Dog and I were honored with the presence of our Gentleman Friend (aka my darling husband). His calf had been bothering him recently, but he's been diligently stretching it -- and that apparently paid off because he was able to run our entire route. Hooray! It was great to have him along for the extra company and because he's great at helping fend off mean dogs and carrying the poop bag.

The route we picked out happens to be one of our few options without a massive hill somewhere along the way. In fact, it seemed like this particular route was more downhill than uphill. (OK, I know that's not possible!) So it may become my favorite route. But it involves running along Marrett Road where they're currently doing sidewalk construction, so we'll probably wait a few days and hope they'll finish that up soon.

T-Diggy and I also ran on Monday and put in a lackluster performance. My fault -- I was coming down with something and actually had to take half a sick day later in order to take a nap. When I am feeling draggy, I try not to let that stop me from exercising because sometimes that draggy feeling goes away during the workout. But that was not the case on Monday, alas. But by Tuesday all was fine. Phew!

There and back again

I hadn't realized it has been more than 3 weeks since my last post. The first week I had a business trip to Dusseldorf, the second week I had a lot of catching up to do after being away from home, and third week I was just lazy, I guess! But I have been running all this time and so has my dog (except for the Dusseldorf week of course).

One of the advantages of being a runner is that you can exercise almost anywhere you travel, no special equipment or facilities needed. And I find that running is a nice way of exploring and getting to know a new place. My hotel in Dusseldorf was just a few blocks away from the Rhine which has a great foot path running along it. So on a couple of the mornings I was there, I took advantage of the mild weather and saw a few miles worth of the city.


Here are some pictures I took while out jogging -- one is of the Rhine Tower (768 feet tall), and the other is of some Frank Gehry buildings with their curvy slanty walls.

There are plenty of barges on the Rhine, one of which I picked out to race. I won! It must not have been in much of a hurry. :-)

T-Dog was happy to see me when I got back, and we've resumed our regular journeys about town. Fall is a beautiful time to be a runner, and I look forward to describing our outings over the next few weeks.

Back to school and the weather's cool

Big day today -- it's the first day of school for Lexington. Well, for kids returning to the same school anyway. Those beginning a new school got to go a day early to get used to the place before the marauding hordes arrived. But today was the first day back for most kids. Tasha and I both like and dislike running on school mornings. On the plus side, there is a very nice crossing guard on Mass Ave. near Route 128 that stops the cars for us even when there aren't any kids in the vicinity. On the minus side, there is more traffic on the sidewalks including occasional squadrons of kids, parents, and dogs. Once last year a dog got so excited about seeing and sniffing Tasha that it jumped and knocked down a little boy who started crying. We weren't responsible but I still felt bad.

To reduce the possibility of chaos, T-Dog and I tend to avoid running directly by the elementary schools around opening time. Running by the high school is OK though -- there are no parents with dogs accompanying easily-tipped children, only sleepy teenagers wearing headphones and carrying coffee cups.

Today we ran into Minuteman National Park and around the visitor center. It was delightfully cool, right below 60 in the shade. We were able to run up the back side of the big hill without stopping once, although my heart nearly pounded itself out of my chest when we reached the top. The other good thing about today's run was that something in the woods or meadows was giving off this really wonderful aroma. I can't describe it other than it was kind of sweet and definitely botanical. Since I'm cooped up in an office all day, I particularly appreciate the chance to breathe some authentic fresh air. I hope the kids appreciated their fresh air too when they were let out for recess today!

Just shoe me

Isn't it fun to get new running shoes? They sure help put an extra spring in your step. My left knee had been a little sore lately, which is a sure sign that it's time to get new shoes. So this weekend we went to the Greater Boston Running Company for some new gear. They're right in Lexington Center -- very convenient. I got new shoes, socks, and shirts, and my husband also got new shoes and a shirt. His calves are still giving him problems, but he's being diligent about stretching so hopefully he'll be running-ready again before long.

But this morning it was just me and my trusty hound, tackling the Lerner Loop. My shoes felt really good, and if it hadn't been a tad warm out, we probably could have taken that second hill without stopping. Next time!

As you can guess, Tasha runs barefoot which suits her just fine. In the winter we sometimes have to put booties on her to protect her paws from the snow, ice and salt. After a few winters in New England, she's learned to put up with them, but she still doesn't like them. I don't blame her, they are really unstylish (like baggy balloons) and probably uncomfortable too. If only Saucony would make doggy running shoes, with extra cushioning, real laces, and some flashy details ... well, I'm positive she'd ask me to put them on her so we could match!

I am getting giddy just thinking about how cute that would be! :-)

Tips for running with a dog (part 1)

Today brought a change for the better in the weather (cooler, drier, breezier). Tasha and I were so excited! We set out for Lexington Center with a bit more energy and faster pace than our usual summer trot. We went around the Battle Green, admired the very nice tush of the Minuteman on display in statue form, and finished at a steady clip up Lincoln. One of my daughters was at the soccer try-outs at Lincoln Field so we mentally wished her luck as we cruised on by.

What a pleasure it was to just run without excessively sweating and panting, going slow to keep the heart rate down, and stopping every few minutes to catch our breath. I wonder if the heat and humidity are really behind us, or whether we'll get hit again in September? Never mind, I'll follow Tasha's example and just enjoy what today brings.

Here are a few tips for anyone thinking they might like to run with their dog: (1) Be prepared to stop on a dime when your dog decides she absolutely, positively must take a bathroom break right on this spot. It helps to have a little slack in the leash that you can pay out as you slow down and stop. (2) Speaking of bathroom breaks, always bring one more bag than you think you will need. (3) Try not to get annoyed if your dog attempts to wrap you like a maypole by running to the left/back/front/right of you. Just pay attention and maneuver the leash as necessary to keep from getting tripped up. (By the way, my husband refers to getting wrapped up like this as being turned into a "dumb-pole." I'm not sure if the "dumb" part refers to the person or the dog! I think I'd better not ask....)