A new record of 2.5 miles in 45 minutes! What? That’s not impressive? Well it is for Willow. I’ve been warned by vets, trainers and breeders not to run my little lab until she’s 18 months. If she has hip displaysia, then it will only exacerbate the condition. So I’ve been very cautious about the length and intensity of activity.
This week we’ve been on several walks, but yesterday was by far the best. After 20 minutes I decided to try out some intervals. I haven’t worked on running with her much, so I usually try to do it at the end of our walks, when she’s good and tired and doesn’t feel like mouthing her leash and darting off after squirrels. The first interval was slow and calm. I found that I was giving her little correction and plenty of praise for following directions. By the third interval she had the hang of it, even though she needed a little encouragement to pick up the speed.
We faced the real test at the end of our walk. My neighbor’s children visit every so often and they bring Mikey, their beautiful golden lab. He’s never on leash but responds to all their commands. My concern wasn’t focused on Mikey dashing up to us for a visit, it was Willow’s inability to greet another dog calmly. I didn’t want to ruin the first 44 minutes of our work. I just kept talking to her to keep her attention. I even had a conversation with the neighbors while Willow calmly (or perhaps because she expended all her energy) stayed by my side. Mikey stayed in their yard, and there was no barking. SUCCESS.
I learned so much from Willow in those 45 minutes. I learned what she could handle, and that I need to show I trust her more. And the biggest discovery was that having a running buddy made me work harder. I’ve been afraid to run since I found out I was pregnant, but having my buddy with me to push and work with actually motivated me to do better. I think I’ll give her the night off, but we’re heading out tomorrow morning for more fun running.
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