Today I did the second 12-mile run in the training plan. It went off without a hitch. Part of me wanted to be frustrated with myself for having to walk so much and for not being faster. But another part of me thought about my foster dog. Remember that he is 3-legged, although I'm not sure that he got the memo on that. When we go for walks, he is a very excited guy. Most people don't even realize that he has three legs until they see him up close.
Like many dogs, he likes to chase squirrels. Naturally, he doesn't catch the squirrels. This has almost nothing to do with his 3-legged status and much more to do with the fact that he is held back by me on his leash. He would be perfectly happy to run after them and catch them--although I'm not sure if he would know what to do with one if he did catch one! So overall, it is a wholly futile situation. But it still brings the foster dog great joy. And trust me, he can run. It's pretty amazing to see.
This is a bit like how I run. I am chasing squirrels. I will never be great, I will never be fast. I will never catch my squirrel. But that's okay. Maybe it isn't about catching the squirrel so much as it is about enjoying the chase.
I also made a new rule: if the temperature is over 80Fwhen I start my run, then walking breaks are mandatory. Seems reasonable.
Showing posts with label Foster Dog. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Foster Dog. Show all posts
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Thwarted again by the first 12-mile run
The last time that I was training for a marathon in 2010, I was nearly thwarted during my first 12-mile run. Basically, everything that could go wrong did go wrong. Bad navigation, changed ferry schedule, Fleet Week, route change, crowds, and no sourdough chowder (for more, read here). It was annoying, although I was pleased that despite all of these annoyances, I finished the run. And I got a fishwich.
Today, I didn't quite have that, although it is the first 12-mile run and things did not go as planned. As you may recall, I have an awesome foster dog that I am hosting for the Humane Society of Tampa Bay. However, the foster dog and I disagree on the relative merits of me running on the treadmill. He is not in favor of it. For the past couple of runs, I have come up with an ingenious plan of blocking the treadmill with furniture, thereby blocking his route so that he cannot leap onto it in dramatic fashion (and fly off of it in even more dramatic fashion. I should probably add here that the foster dog is 3-legged and recovering from his amputation surgery). I tried crating him while I did this, but he was genuinely not in favor of being crated when I was in the house (he is crated when I go out. I have no idea what his views on this are, but if he feels like barking for hours on end, more power to him. I don't think that he does, though, because he is never barking when I get home). For the past two times I have been on the treadmill, he has sat on the couch, at first with annoyance (and some whining), but then reconciling with his fate and taking a nap. The plan worked well for everyone.
Tonight, I got through 70% of my run before the dog had had enough of this nonsense. He started whining and I got concerned that he needed to go out--smart dog! So we went out for a bit which I was hoping would wear him out for the nap. Yes, that is how slow I am during long runs: so slow that you need to take the dog out for a walk during them. Anyway, my brilliant plan in no way worked because then he decided not only that he had had enough of this nonsense, but that he would leap off the couch and start becoming very curious about the treadmill. Blerg.
I figured that I had two choices: risk him leaping on the treadmill or crate him (I tried tempting him with rawhide and a plastic Nylabone: no dice). I could also have run outside, but it is 75F with 87% humidity and intermittent showers. Plan 1 was to go run outside in the first place, but there was a serious storm earlier tonight which put the kibosh on that idea. I opted to crate him. Bad plan. He barked. And barked. And barked. And while I know that I am not supposed to give in to him barking on the grounds that he will continue to do so next time since he knows it works, I was concerned that my neighbors in the next unit of my detached building would come and kill me since it was getting late.
I caved. I gave up at 10.4 of the 12-mile run. This is super annoying, although I do feel from a physical standpoint that I was capable of running it--it is even more super annoying because I had to end Tuesday's run early due to fatigue (at least I finished Thursday's run without incident!). However, things are not totally grim. Next week is another 12-mile run, so I don't feel like this distance is totally out of reach or that I am necessarily missing a key component of training. I have no idea why me and the 12-mile run have such issues. Perhaps this will be the motivation I need to get up early and get the long run over with in the great outdoors, thereby ensuring that nary a dog can jump on the treadmill deck.
[I would just get a dog gate--and yes, there are dog gates--except that I think I'll wait to see how long the dog is going to be here before making that investment. Or scope Craigslist for one.]
Today, I didn't quite have that, although it is the first 12-mile run and things did not go as planned. As you may recall, I have an awesome foster dog that I am hosting for the Humane Society of Tampa Bay. However, the foster dog and I disagree on the relative merits of me running on the treadmill. He is not in favor of it. For the past couple of runs, I have come up with an ingenious plan of blocking the treadmill with furniture, thereby blocking his route so that he cannot leap onto it in dramatic fashion (and fly off of it in even more dramatic fashion. I should probably add here that the foster dog is 3-legged and recovering from his amputation surgery). I tried crating him while I did this, but he was genuinely not in favor of being crated when I was in the house (he is crated when I go out. I have no idea what his views on this are, but if he feels like barking for hours on end, more power to him. I don't think that he does, though, because he is never barking when I get home). For the past two times I have been on the treadmill, he has sat on the couch, at first with annoyance (and some whining), but then reconciling with his fate and taking a nap. The plan worked well for everyone.
Tonight, I got through 70% of my run before the dog had had enough of this nonsense. He started whining and I got concerned that he needed to go out--smart dog! So we went out for a bit which I was hoping would wear him out for the nap. Yes, that is how slow I am during long runs: so slow that you need to take the dog out for a walk during them. Anyway, my brilliant plan in no way worked because then he decided not only that he had had enough of this nonsense, but that he would leap off the couch and start becoming very curious about the treadmill. Blerg.
I figured that I had two choices: risk him leaping on the treadmill or crate him (I tried tempting him with rawhide and a plastic Nylabone: no dice). I could also have run outside, but it is 75F with 87% humidity and intermittent showers. Plan 1 was to go run outside in the first place, but there was a serious storm earlier tonight which put the kibosh on that idea. I opted to crate him. Bad plan. He barked. And barked. And barked. And while I know that I am not supposed to give in to him barking on the grounds that he will continue to do so next time since he knows it works, I was concerned that my neighbors in the next unit of my detached building would come and kill me since it was getting late.
I caved. I gave up at 10.4 of the 12-mile run. This is super annoying, although I do feel from a physical standpoint that I was capable of running it--it is even more super annoying because I had to end Tuesday's run early due to fatigue (at least I finished Thursday's run without incident!). However, things are not totally grim. Next week is another 12-mile run, so I don't feel like this distance is totally out of reach or that I am necessarily missing a key component of training. I have no idea why me and the 12-mile run have such issues. Perhaps this will be the motivation I need to get up early and get the long run over with in the great outdoors, thereby ensuring that nary a dog can jump on the treadmill deck.
[I would just get a dog gate--and yes, there are dog gates--except that I think I'll wait to see how long the dog is going to be here before making that investment. Or scope Craigslist for one.]
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Huh
It would appear that things are getting better all around. Today was 10 miles. I had these grandiose plans to get up bright and early to run outside, but that didn't happen.
As an aside, I am currently taking care of a wonderful foster dog from the Humane Society of Tampa Bay. So I need to be up bright and early regardless. The problem is turning that into actually getting out and running after taking care of the dog, which didn't happen today.
After putting off the treadmill pretty much all day, I finally got around to it. And you know what? It wasn't so bad. In fact, it was remarkably not bad at all--this is not to say that it was easy, I still walked duirng parts of it and had the speed super low (and was super sweaty). I can think of a few reasons why today was better though:
1) I have been running consistently and competently lately. Nope. That's not it.
2) I have finally, finally, finally adapted to the heat (probably).
3) I'm finally over the heat exhaustion from a few weeks ago (also probably a bit).
4) The CrossFit is really paying off (maybe).
I do have to say that I'm really glad the treadmill was not hell. It will make it much easier the next time I need to use it.
I tried to run on the treadmill on Thursday, but I was worried that the foster dog was going to leap on it. He is currently recovering from surgery, so I don't want him near the moving parts of machinery. Today, I put together a nifty fort of furniture around the treadmill so that he couldn't get to it. Instead, he barked at it during my first interval, then settled down and slept. Good solution.
Do you know what else is fun? This was the long run for this week, meaning that I get two whole guilt-free days off. Yay!
As an aside, I am currently taking care of a wonderful foster dog from the Humane Society of Tampa Bay. So I need to be up bright and early regardless. The problem is turning that into actually getting out and running after taking care of the dog, which didn't happen today.
After putting off the treadmill pretty much all day, I finally got around to it. And you know what? It wasn't so bad. In fact, it was remarkably not bad at all--this is not to say that it was easy, I still walked duirng parts of it and had the speed super low (and was super sweaty). I can think of a few reasons why today was better though:
1) I have been running consistently and competently lately. Nope. That's not it.
2) I have finally, finally, finally adapted to the heat (probably).
3) I'm finally over the heat exhaustion from a few weeks ago (also probably a bit).
4) The CrossFit is really paying off (maybe).
I do have to say that I'm really glad the treadmill was not hell. It will make it much easier the next time I need to use it.
I tried to run on the treadmill on Thursday, but I was worried that the foster dog was going to leap on it. He is currently recovering from surgery, so I don't want him near the moving parts of machinery. Today, I put together a nifty fort of furniture around the treadmill so that he couldn't get to it. Instead, he barked at it during my first interval, then settled down and slept. Good solution.
Do you know what else is fun? This was the long run for this week, meaning that I get two whole guilt-free days off. Yay!
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