Today is a gorgeous day to get outside, so this morning I took the dogs out to Anne Springs Close Greenway to wander around some more trails. We started on the Haigler Loop around the Lake, then took the Kimbrell Loop to Timberline, then followed the Blue Star Trail back to the Lake and took the long way around the Wagon Loop to get back to the car. We probably covered about 5.5 miles total and took lots of pictures!
I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!
The cold is finally leaving us and it was so nice this evening (50 degrees!) that I had to get out for a run. The dogs have been cooped up in the house for most of the last two days too, so I decided to take them with me on my run tonight. Cricket doesn’t have the same stamina as Casey, so I did two laps from the house so that I could drop him off after the first lap. I did 3 minutes running followed by 1 minute of walking for this run since it was still on the cooler side and I knew the dogs would be ready to run as soon as we started.
Mile 1 – 10:43
Mile 2 – 13:55 <– doggie pit stop
Mile 3 – 9:51 <– about half of this was just with Casey, I dropped Cricket off after 2.4 miles
Mile 4 – 10:55
Mile 5 – 11:20
Last .1 – 9:40
It was a terribly inconsistent pace, but it was nice to run with the dogs for a change and it’s something I want to do more of this year. Plus, as an added benefit, the dogs are now both passed out and probably will be for the rest of the night! Casey did indulge me for a quick picture at the end of our run, though she was not interested in looking at the camera.
Did the warmer weather convince you to head outside for a run?
Honestly, probably not, but I did figure out a way to better track my escape artist, Casey. Casey has a habit of finding new ways to get out of the fenced yard and after several weeks of blissful ignorance on my part thinking that I had finally patched all of the holes in the fence, she promptly took a one hour jaunt around the neighborhood on New Years Day. I don’t know how she got out or where she went, but she came back soaked, scratched and limping. Luckily after a couple days of rest, the limp is gone and she’s back to her playful self. But, she is now officially not allowed outside without supervision! At least until I can add
an extra layer of protection with an invisible fence on top of the wooden fence that’s currently there. One of the biggest challenges I have is letting the dogs out at night since I have a fairly large yard and my deck lights don’t extend far enough to actually see into the yard. Last night I came up with a solution though – I took one of the lights I usually clip on my running vest and hooked it onto her collar! This is not a completely full-proof plan because if she shakes her head too much, she bumps the button that turns the light off, but when it was on, I could see where she went by standing on the deck. This allows her to have freedom to roam around the yard and still gives me some peace of mind that she’s not off escaping. I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before she figures out my new system and comes up with a new plan to outwit me, but for now, I’m calling this one a win!
Are your pets smarter than you? Share your struggles!
