Last updated: 2006-06-18 12:00 AM
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00:34:58
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03.11 miles |
11m 14s min/mile
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171/287
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340/
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Good
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This is the second time we've done the Furry 5k. It's a race to raise money for the Seattle Humane Society. Runners bring their dogs of all shapes and sizes. The course is a beautiful course along Lake Washington.
Got up bright and early and had a pre-race scone and some coffee. We loaded the mengarie into the back of the car and headed into Seattle.
The Players:
Madison: "I'm beautiful so I don't have to run."
Madison is a three year old sable collie who looks like Lassie's hot younger sister. Madison ran two miles last year then looked up and me and said "Okay, this was fun and all but I don't run." and stopped. Today she's running with my friend, Beth, who is preggers and can't run as hard as usual.
Murphy: "Run? What'll ya give me for it?"
Murphy is a cocker spaniel, or that's what his papers say. "He was the only one who didn't look like the others", stated my husband when he brought him home and told his confused wife that he was a cocker spaniel. Murphy is about 12 years old, stubborn, opinionated, and ask him to do something and like or not, he'll show you the paw (or the finger). He got to run with Roy. Murphy also likes to "talk" on the run. Imagine a monkey that looks like a dog chimping the entire route.
This is why ROY ran with Murphy.
Dash: "Run? Well if I must...but I'm not really too sure about this yet."
Dash is just 6 months old and this was his first race. He's a lab/pit mix who loves nothing more than to crawl into my lap to cuddle. I've had my doubts about him being the running partner I was hoping for since sometimes taking the dog for a run turns into taking the dog for a drag.
Dash got to run with me!
We met Kellie and Bullwinkle (black miniature poodle sporting a hat and sunglasses) and her husband Al and Molly (old lady pointer) before the race and got to know each other in person. (She is the daughter of an online weight watchers friend, so it was way cool to put a face with a name! She just moved to Seattle and is a runner! Yay!)
The race started and somehow we got stuck behind the walkers, which was frustrating. Bullwinkle was a tiger! He channeled his inner Prefontaine and they took off. Dash was all over the place. He'd run ahead and look back like "Are you sure I should be doing this?" then he'd weave from one side to the other. We'll have to work on that. At least he was undergoing forward momentum. This is a very good thing.
Mile one came up, water stop! A golden retreiver we'd been pacing with took a soak in one of the kiddie pools while Dash looked on in amazement. Since I wasn't planning any personal bests I encouraged Dash to drink, but he was too busy looking around at all the other dogs. We took off again.
You know just a week before I'd run 26 miles. I think that was an easier race.
Mile two saw the HILL! "Buns of Steel Dash! Buns of steel! Hills build buns of steel, and girl dogs LOVE a guy with nicely hammered gluts!" Dash pranced a little higher and took on that hill with me right beside him!
Fortunately what goes up must come down. I tried to school Dash in the dangers of taking a downhill too fast, and the impact on the knees...but he explained that his knees were backwards anyhow, so I didn't know what I was talking about. Basically I held on and yelled "Don't pull, Buddy! Don't pull!" while praying that I would NOT go tumbling a over teakettle down the hill!
Potty break! (For him, not for me.)
There is nothing more gratifying than running along with a bag o poo. Fortunately we saw a garbage can within a quarter mile. I think Dash was laughing at me.
All along the route I talked to Dash and clicked him when he was doing what he was supposed to do. He knows that click is a "good boy" so he caught on very quickly just what I wanted him to do.
Mile three saw Dash starting to tire a bit. I told him that there were lots of butts to sniff and hot girl dogs at the end and he quickened his step. I explained that this is where we do our "kick" and told him to find HIS inner Prefontaine. We came around the corner booking it and...
::::::::::::::::::screeeeeech:::::::::::::::::::
On one side of the trail...mama and papa duck. On the other side of the trail, new baby ducklings. Well one must always make way for ducklings, even mid race! Literally EVERYONE and their dogs stopped, waited, while one lady and her aussie herded the babies back to Mom and Pop! How freaking CUTE is that!?
We continued on and crossed the finish line. They called out our names, just like in the big races. Since I *always* beat my husband, we pulled off to the side of the chute to wait for him. I crouched down beside Dash to tell him what a good boy he'd been and he snuggled tight into me (he is a BIG snuggler). I swear I almost cried...it was like he finally "got" what being a running dog was all about. I kissed his head, he licked my nose and we had a moment. I'm still a little verklempt over it. I love that dog!
(Oh, and I didn't beat my husband. Him and Murphy came in a minute ahead of us! Must've been that potty stop and the liesurely water stops.)
Dog tiredThe rest of the afternoon was spent sniffing butts and wagging tails. Since it was the dog's day, we took them to the Dog Park (said in heightened excited tones). It was Dash' first time at the Dog Park (always capitalized) and wow! He was in doggy HEAVEN! More butts! More wags! We went out to the lake even and I got in the lake, which really REALLY concerned both Dash and Maddie (Murphy could have cared less). They kept swimming out to me whining. Finally Dash wouldn't leave my side and insisted on swimming in circles around me until I came in. I figured the little guy was tired enough, he didn't need me to wear him out more.
We got home and the dogs all slept for seven hours, barely moving an inch even when dinner was served. I think we done tuckered 'em! In fact, this was one position I caught him in. He woke up just as I snapped the photo. Isn't he a love?
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2006-06-18 1:34 PM
410
The Great Pacific Northwest
Subject: Furry 5k
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70F / 21C
Sunny
Overall Rank = 340/
Age Group = 40-45
Age Group Rank = 171/287
We parked about a mile away so that the dogs could get their wiggles out. Ran to the race area. Allowed time for butt sniffing and stretching.