Running buddy

I live my life by numbers. Scales. Calories. Miles. Minutes and seconds per mile. (And more but that's just my OCD having to count letters etc) until the moment they don't matter at all! The poodle, J and were recently on vacation in Maine. It's a very hilly area and I'm training for my two halfs so I had a short run one day and a slightly longer the next (3 and 5). 

I took my favorite 4-legged running partner with me both days, and the first day we did well (9.48 miles  a chunk slower than average for me but please remember the hills) my goal for the 5 miler was to meet or beat that average... No big deal, right? I'm a numbers girl I'll pay attention non stop ;-)

Well we were just under a mile in .95 to be exact when the poodle pulled up (mr. Man NEVER stops he's usually raring to go long after I'm done). I checked him all over and he seemed okay but didn't want to run. I turned back to the house we were staying at and he didn't want that either he wanted (no he needed) a nice relaxing walk so that's what we did. We walked another 2 miles (half mile further out and then back) and J met us on the return trip for family walk. 

I kept an eye on the poodle and called the vet for a well visit just in case (he's fine - had a little ear infection probably from swimming so much, and as always his allergies were rip raging --- I actually think they're worse in Maine; mine are so that's my guess on why he stopped) 

The moral of this story is that no matter what I had on plan the health and well being of a dog who gives me 100% of his love 100% of the time is obviously of a far greater concern. 

I'd started this post while we were in Maine (labor day weekend) and gave it up (I'd gotten through the first 2 paragraphs) - I wasn't sure why I was writing it. Then yesterday I saw this ad:

And I remembered this post... Is there any sense to it? Notsomuch 

But is there any sense to that despicable (thanks spellcheck) ad... Absolutely not. Other than I guess this if you have a dog and he's your running buddy, remember first that he's your buddy and to take care of him. There isn't one single run (or a million of them) that's  worth the health and well being of the poodle.

Do you run with a four legged friend?