This is a follow up to: Part 1 Three runs down, Sparkle is taking to the jogging business quite well. I updated in the comments of Part 1 that our biggest issue has been her reluctance to de-bowel upon command. The result of that is she goes out full and the impulse to clean and purge half-way through our run is almost too much for her little brain to handle. That’s just fine though, and it emphasizes the need to be more flexible with the old girl when were training. Our schedule for week two is about pumping things up a little more, trying to get to where my clinic is training. (That, and I’m signed up to do a five kilometer race in just less than two weeks and I need to up my own ante before then, too.) I mentioned in the comments of the last post that I switched up yesterday’s run, and we did 2 sets of 8+1s. Our pace was fairly quick, though pulling out that extra walking minute tends to give a small leg-up to the overall speed calculations. The Plan for Week Two Run 2.1: Wednesday Morning, 2 sets of 9+1s, Estimated: 3.0 km New Considerations Wildlife: Our route is around and through a nearby green space that is (at least at six in the morning) chock full of various critters who (for a sight-hound like Sparkle) are significant distractions. Bunnies and birds are milling about the park — and who are we to complain? They live there, right? But as we run it is a significant challenge and training issue to keep the mutt focused on the run at hand. The job is easier later in the run when she is tired, but for the first lap or so it is both a tripping and a pulling issue. I’m not sure what is going through her mind — if she is hunting or trying to protect me — but in a running situation, it’s not a good thing. |
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Running With Your Dog - Part 5 >> This is a follow up to: Parts 1, 2, 3 & 4 The last week has shown a marked improvement in both my times and Sparkle's attitude. Would you believe that she nudged me out the door on Monday, pulled all the
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