Every time I let the dogs off to have a romp, I always feel sorry for Monty who has to stay on his lead. It doesn’t matter how much work I’ve done on his recall, once he’s off, he’s off and totally heedless to anyone or anything. He’s had so many close calls already that I can’t bear to think of something awful happening to him so I keep him close by my side. It doesn’t seem to bother him that much but I know he’d like to exercise his long legs a bit more than he does – what greyhound wouldn’t? Thus I have been pondering how to let him run but run safely. As a fan of Cesar Millan the Dog Whisperer, I have obviously given consideration to rollerblading or cycling but abandoned them both quite quickly as I thought there was every chance that I’d end up in casualty while Monty ended up somewhere west of Cambridge. I thought about a treadmill but realized that that was just lazy and sad, and I ruled out swimming because while there are adult and child prices at the local baths, there’s no dog tariff – curious that.
Then I remembered – in my halcyon days, I used to run…well, jog. As part of a former weight loss regime, I decided I’d get fit by jogging and I built up from a ’20-yard-stagger-and-where’s-the oxygen’ first attempt to a ‘this is a breeze 5km’ on a regular basis. But that was then and this is now. I’m still horribly overweight and having broken my leg five years ago, the old left pin is not as cooperative as it once was. However, on a positive note, I am getting lighter and if I don’t overdo it, there’s no reason why my leg shouldn’t stand up to a bit of moderate impact. And best of all, I’ll have a running mate this time round – what better incentive do I need to get back on the road than knowing Monty’s benefitting from it as much as I am? And one thing’s for sure: no-one’s going to shout abusive names as my wobbling bum recedes into the distance with him by my side. Do you want to say that again, sonny? Monty didn’t hear you…
I probably won’t start until the New Year now…I’d like to lose a few more pounds first and then I can enjoy a bit of retail sales therapy and choose some ridiculous looking trainers. I’ll have to help him with the laces though.
Young Geoff on Seyella, do you have any training tips?
10 December 2008
On the run
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4 comments:
Add to Xmas shopping list the stick on smiles/grins needed by 'fun runners' - these are to disguise the grimace that all joggers seem to have.
And is jogging going to STRETCH a Greyhound? How about a Cesar Milan bicycle pulled by a Greyhound?
Best of luck!!!
He'll jog and he'll like it as that's my best offer! Perhaps I could ask Usain Bolt if he'd like to swap Jamaica for England and take my greyhound running?
Eh up, Lesley K!
Us runners may wear a grimace, but it's not half as bad as that on the fizzog of most of the anglers that I pass in the morning!
Greygal, get stuck in, but whatever you do don't use one of those stretchy recoil leads, or you WILL end up in casualty!
Start slow, build up gradually, no more than a 10% increase in distance each week. You never know, we may meet up at the Great North Run next year....
Of course, true followers of Cesar would be off buying rollerblades!
I often wish that someone could set up a secure greyhound walking park with lots of open space, secure fences and no sharp garbage to cut their paws. Aha, so that's what I'll do when I win the Euromillions gazillion rollover lottery (would go better if I bought a ticket now and then!).
Sue, Indigo Dream
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