Tilda Tuesday: Matilda the Vizsla's Best (or Worst) Running Experiences

Last week, I shared my “Best (or Worst) of My Racing Experiences” (<--have you linked up yet? Please do!)

 Matilda my vizsla pup felt a little left out, as she has only done one official race (the Fast & Furry 8k). But even so, she wanted to share some of her own Best (or Worst) Running Experiences.

Hottest Run: 
Tilda has run in temperatures in the 90's, but always nice and easy with lots of water breaks and multiple cool-downs in the lake.

Coldest Run: 
She has definitely run in single digits, but always with a jacket. Vizslas are not cold weather dogs!

Longest Run: 
I think 10 miles is her longest run. I mean, I know we have done 10 mile multiple times, but I can't remember a particular time that she went longer than that, though I feel like she has gone at least 13.1 with me....let's just go with 10 miles though since I'm sure that's happened.

Scariest Run: 
Last week, she was super freaked out by a woman who was sort of hovering by the trees when we were running together in the dark. She got so spooked she actually pulled out of her collar, which caused me to freak out because she was running free! What if she got hit by a car??? I did get her to come back to me, but it was definitely a scare…We decided we need to buy a harness for running with her so she can’t pull out when she’s spooked. Vizslas are easily spooked, that's for sure!

FYI, we ended up buying THIS Ruffware Front Range Harness, as well as THIS new Stunt Puppy leash with reflective trim to make her more visible when we run in the dark!

Update- unfortunately this new harness chafed her under her arm on an easy 7 mile run. Even dogs get chafing issues when running. We had to return it. Does anyone have another suggestion for a better harness option? Help!

Hilliest Run: 
Probably the 10k loop that we do at the cabin. Those country roads are hilly!

Favorite Place to Run:  
She always prefers to run off leash...I mean, you can't beat the pure happiness of running off-leash!

...but when running with us onleash, she loves all the trails around the lakes. She probably knows Calhoun/Isles/Harriet the best, but she doesn't discriminate against Nokomis, Cedar, Brownie, Hiawatha or any other trails.

Things Tilda Hates to Encounter on a Run:
German Shepherds. We’re not sure why, but she hates German Shepherds.

Things Tilda LOVES to Encounter on a Run: 
Of course, there's her bff  Tin Fish lady. 

She also enjoys goose poop, bunnies, squirrels, and anyone who wants to pet her.

Strangest Behavior She Does on a Run: 
If you start the run with another person, you must end with that person. She leaves no man behind. She gets pretty upset if one person turns around and will keep turning back looking for that person.

Another funny thing she does is assume that every blond with a ponytail is me. When she runs with Dustin, she gets excited every time a girl runs by that maybe just might be me. She gets super excited and then she figures out that it's not me and gets disappointed. 

She knows how to make me feel loved.

Favorite Running Tradition:  
A Christmas Day run! The past several years, we have gone for an easy run before opening presents and eating an indulgent breakfast. It's a great way to start the holiday on a healthy note!

Favorite Time of Year to go Running: 
FALL! Tilda loves the fall weather. It's the perfect temperature for her to run- not too hot, not too cold.

I also love running with her in the fall the best because it's not as wet and muddy as the spring, so she doesn’t have to get a bath after each run. Let me tell you, she kicks up a lot of mud and dirt on her belly in the spring!

Highest Mileage Week: 
I haven’t really tracked this before, but I know that during this round of marathon training for the Outer Banks marathon, she has run at least 30 miles in a week with me.

Favorite Post-Run Recovery: 
A cozy nap under her favorite green blanket. 

Those are some of Matilda's Best (or Worst) Running Experiences. Be sure to check out THIS POST and link-up with some of YOUR best (or worst) racing experiences. Can't wait to read them!

Weekly Recap: A Romantic Date at the Track and a Lunar Eclipse

Happy October! I love this time of year for so many reasons, but the excitement of the marathon is definitely a big one. Congratulations to my friends who completed the Chicago Marathon today. So many strong races out there!

Here's a quick recap of what happened during the first week of October in Fitness and Fitness Fashion!

First, here's my fitness recap:
Monday: 1 hour barre class at The Barre in the morning, and then in the evening, it was off to the track! I had mile repeats on the OBX marathon training schedule. Workout: 2 mile warm-up, and then five 1600's (4 laps) with 1 recovery lap in between for 9 miles total. This was a really tough workout for me. I tried to stay somewhere between my 5k and 10k pace for the miles. By the fifth one, I was definitely struggling.

It's supposed to be hard! It was only Dustin and me at the track...what a romantic date, right? Nothing says true love like running in the dark at a deserted track until you feel close to puking.

To be honest, it was "fun" when we were done to look back on how this is how we spent our evening together.

Tuesday: I often struggle with a short turnaround between a workout the night before and getting up the next morning, so I knew a Tuesday morning run was not going to happen. But I had to stay late at work Tuesday. Tuesday ended up being a complete rest day. C'est la vie.

Wednesday: 7.5 miles with Matilda. We were up early to catch the lunar eclipse.

Matilda was not impressed...

It was much prettier in real life than what I captured on my iPhone, I swear! There were tons of people out around the lakes with telescopes and cameras as well.

Thursday: Another morning run- just about 8 miles with some faster miles thrown in the middle for good measure.

Friday: Night light trail run 10k. There was a 5k and half marathon option at this race as well. It was SO much fun. I had never run a trail race in the dark before. Everyone was required to wear a head lamp or knuckle lights. The 10k/5k started at 7 pm at Battle Creek Regional Park in St. Paul. I highly recommend it! I'm hoping to have a guest post this week from my friend who made this year's race extra super special, so I'll save some of the details for that one.

at the start of the race

Saturday:  I am not used to running the Friday before a long run (#worthit !)  so my body was especially tired Saturday morning. I ended up missing run club, but I had 20 miles on my schedule, I had to get it done. I decided to bring Matilda for the first 10, come home to fuel up and drop her off, and then do the second 10 with music. Breaking the 20 miles up into two runs really helped me mentally. I don't usually listen to music either so it was a welcome change for the second 10 miles.

Sunday: Another easy run (5.5 miles) with Matilda.

(Um..I guess Matilda's mileage this week was pretty high too!)

Summary: About 56 miles of running, 1 barre class, and 1 complete rest day.

It was another week with a lot of running and not so much cross training. As I approach the final week of hard training before the taper, running is truly the only thing I have time for it seems! I didn't have time for much else in the evenings for exercise, as I had dinner plans with girlfriends both Wednesday night (Trattoria Tosca!) and Thursday night (Bachelor Farmer). It was worth it though- I hadn't seen my college roommate in about 4 years. She's living in Munich now. It was so great to see her and catch up on her exciting European adventures!

What's happening in fitness fashion?
In fitness fashion, I ordered myself another pair of the Oiselle roga shorts in "fast red" with plans to test these out for the marathon. I went with a size medium, but they were much too big! I am so confused, as mentioned in this THIS POST my orange pair is a size medium but when I checked, it turns out my navy pair is a small.

Alas, the "fast red" mediums are just too big. I have to return them. Sad. I had really hoped to have them in time for my 22 miler next week to try them out for race day!

Nonetheless, these are still some of my favorite shorts currently, its just hard to know what size I will be going forward!  If you haven't tried them yet, I highly recommend them. You can often find them on Amazon to avoid shipping (Oiselle's shipping is $5 flat rate).

Well, that's from the Right Fits in Fitness and Fashion this week! Next week will be tough as I enter into my final hard week of training for the OBX marathon, I plan to focus on sleeping enough, stretching, and eating well. Soon it will be taper time!

Tilda Tuesday: Training Your Dog to be a Great Running Partner.

Last week, I went to see Dr. Crabtree at Uptown Natural Care Center for some A.R.T. (active release technique) and Graston (read more about those two things here) for some various aches and pains I have been having.

While at my appointment, we got to talking about his new golden retriever puppy. He asked me how we trained Matilda to run with us. I couldn't remember much advice to share with him on the spot, but afterwards I took some time to think about it and put together some key pieces of advice for running with your dog that I thought I would share with you here for Tilda Tuesday.

Dogs really do make the best running partners. It seems that this training season for the Outer Banks marathon, I have been running quite a bit more than ever before with Matilda, and honestly she makes a great training partner!  In fact, just the other morning, I felt pretty unmotivated to get up and run.  I was laying there coming up with reasons in my head not to run but managed to get up.  When I grabbed Matilda's running leash she got super excited, started doing her vizsla crazy spins and I just couldn't let her down. That's the thing about dogs as running partners- their joy and exuberance instantly lifts your spirits.

I definitely do not have any running friends who jump around in circles at the opportunity to go running with me...

So, how did we get her to the point where she enjoys running so much?

Leash Behavior.
In order for Tilda to enjoy running with me, I had to enjoy running with her; by this I mean she needed to learn some basic leash skills. Leash behavior is important for running with your dog. A dog that pulls a lot could do physical damage to itself, so its important to work on walking well on a leash before you progress to running on a leash.  It's also important to teach your dog to stay close to you. When I run with Matilda on the trails around the lakes, it could be very dangerous if she veered out in front of other runners or bikers- dangerous for her and dangerous for those people. I try my best to keep her close to me.

It's time to RUN- not play/sniff, etc.
I think one of the biggest challenges for training your dog to run with you is teaching it that running time is not play time. The thing that has worked the best for me is using a different leash for running versus walking. Tilda knows the difference- when I grab her Stunt Puppy leash, she knows we're going for a RUN. When I grab her other leash, she knows it's walk time or dog park time.

"OMG, Tilda- running is SO much fun!!!!"
Even though running is not play time, it's still FUN. A good way to get your dog to love running is to surround it with excitement and praise and treats and all the good things in a dog's life! Tilda almost always gets a treat after she goes for a run and I always try to talk about GOING FOR A RUN in a very excited voice. I guess running is mental for dogs too, right? But seriously, I try to praise her during and after a run as much as possible.

Three's a crowd.
Tilda never joins me when I run with my running club but I do occasionally bring her along when running with a friend or two. I won't bring her on a run if the group is bigger than that though, as I think it can be annoying to the other runners and maybe to Matilda too.

So those are my basic tips for "training" your dog to run with you, but here are a few other factors to consider:

Consider the breed.
Not all dogs are created equal when it comes to running. Runner's World published this awesome list of breeds and the distance/speed they are best for running. If you want a running partner, consider a breed that has a genetic predisposition to run. That was definitely one of many reasons we selected a vizsla.

Physical Fitness

Make sure your dog is healthy and physically fit and get your vet's clearance when beginning to run with your dog.   On that same note, wait until the dog is old enough to run. Our vet recommended that we wait until Matilda was a year old before we started running with her. This age could vary by breed, so be sure to ask your vet.

Have a training plan
Dogs need to build mileage and train just like humans. You can't expect your dog to get out there and run 5 miles right away. We started with a "run/walk" program with Matilda, building up over a few months. I have read about other runners who would do their own workout and then come back to grab the dog for the cool down miles until it was "in shape" enough to join for a longer or faster run.

..And a few other basic reminders:

Stay hydrated.
I talked about this is my post about tips for running in the heat with your dog but it's definitely something to keep in mind. Your dog is running in a fur coat, so even if you're not feeling hot, he/she might be. Be sure to stop for water or bring it with you.

Clean up after your dog
This seems like a given, but not everyone does this. Bring your plastic waste baggies along for every run.

Also, those race day jitters aren't just for humans....Katie, a fellow vizsla owner who blogs at Prairie Ponderings said it's important for her to do a warmup with her dog to make sure he does his business before a race vs. during it, which would definitely be a huge hassle!

I have to admit one downside of running with Matilda is those days when I feel like I'm really busting my butt, but she's barely breathing! But that's just her pushing me to get closer to my goals, right?

Any other tips to share for running with your dog? Please let me know in the comments!

Tilda Tuesdays: Tips for Running in the Heat With Your Dog

It's Tuesday, which means it's time for another installment of Tilda Tuesdays!

Today, I am sharing a few tips for running in the heat with your dog.

Part of why we selected the vizsla breed for our first dog because we knew they are supposed to be great running companions. It's true- Matilda loves to run, and she's a great running companion. However, in the heat of summer, I do have to be careful not to push her too hard. 

Running in the high temps is hard enough on humans. I know that I really struggle on the hot and humid days.

But can you imagine running in that same heat, while wearing a fur coat? What if you were unable to sweat, but only able to cool off through panting? What if you loved to run, but didn't understand the concept of slowing down in the heat??

Heat stroke is a real risk for dogs, and as the mercury rises, we should be on the look-out for any of these symptoms:

• Heavy panting
• Dark red gums
• Tacky or dry mucus membranes (specifically the gums)
• Lying down and unwilling or unable to get up
• Thick saliva
• Dizziness or disorientation

If you do suspect heat stroke, follow these tips:

• Move your dog to a cool or shaded area and place cool, wet rags around the head and feet
• Don't spray your dog with a hose or pour ice water on it as the extremes in temperature can cause additional problems with hypothermia.
• Try to get your dog to drink water but don't force it to drink.
• Get your dog to a veterinarian right away. Even if your dog seems better there could be internal damage that isn't visible

Here are some of my tips for preventing heat issues with your dog, based on my experience with Matilda:

1. Cut back on the distance/time in the heat.When the temperatures are chilly, Matilda could run 8-10 miles and still have the energy to head to the dog park. But on really hot days, she'll wear out a lot faster and it's just too risky to take her on too long of runs. I cut back on the distance with her and I try to pay close attention to how she's doing. Is she dragging behind? Appearing to pull towards the water or shade? I take plenty of walk breaks if she seems to want them.
2. Access to water: I always run on trails that have access to water. Fortunately, running around the Chain of Lakes offers us several water fountains and easy access to the lakes for a quick swim to cool down.  But if you don't have access to water, I recommend bringing it along with you.
3. Adjust the time of day of your run: Run your dogs early in the morning before the sun gets high in the sky and the temperatures begin to rise. Early morning is preferable to evening as the asphalt and sidewalks won't be as hot.
4. Summer hairstyle: If your dog has a thick coat or longer hair, consider shaving its coat once cooler night time temperatures have passed. Matilda is a vizsla, which is a very short haired breed, so we don't have to worry about this, but I'm sure it could help with other breeds.

Running with your dog can be a year round enjoyable experience, as long as you're careful.

(Stay tuned for another post when it gets colder about running with your dog in the COLD!)

Do you run with your dog? Any other tips for running in the heat? 

Previous Tilda Tuesdays:
Tilda Tuesdays: Grooming Your Vizsla

Tilda Tuesdays: Training Your Vizsla

Tilda Tuesdays: Flashback to the Early Days

Fits Do Race Reviews: The Fast and Furry 8k

This past week was just packed full of races! The pub run, the Brian Kraft 5k, the French 5k Trail Run, and then we finished with the Fast and Furry 8k!

2014 marked the third year of the Fast and Furry 8k and 5k, the Twin Cities premier outdoor pet-friendly event. Runners, walkers and their pups can participate in a 5k run/walk or an 8k run. Both distances are open to participating with your canine companion. The races are a fundraiser for several charities:

CAN DO CANINES - Current Raised Amount: $3,346.00
HOMEWARD BOUND RESCUE - Current Raised Amount: $1,705.00
MN PAWS - Current Raised Amount: $2,875.00
SAVED BY A WHISKER RESCUE - Current Raised Amount: $3,080.00
THE PET PROJECT - Current Raised Amount: $3,229.00

The race takes place at Harriet Island in St. Paul. I am not sure that I had ever been to this park, but it is quite nice!

After the races, there was also a "pet expo" with vendors and festivities for the whole family (particularly catered to the furry members of the family.)

The 8k event was pretty small, with only 53 runners. The 5k attracts are bigger crowd (and a more diverse set of dogs). Over 200 people finished the 5k.  It was a hot and humid morning, and five miles (an 8k) is a little long for some dogs, whereas a 5k is a little more manageable.

There are restrictions for the 8k that you can't carry or push your dog in a stroller, whereas the 5k is definitely a little more accessible for more dogs, and you can carry your dog however you want to.

I know that I was pretty darn hot running and I'm not wearing a fur coat, right? So it had to have been hot for the dogs too! Dustin ran with Matilda, and I ran by myself. He was definitely careful with her, letting her set the pace. The great thing about the 8k is that it was an out-and-back and there were water stops every mile. The race organizers definitely put a high priority on the safety of the dogs. They reminded participants multiple times not to push their dogs past their limits. They warned runners that if they were seen pulling their dogs along, they will be immediately disqualified.

Fortunately, all the participants seemed to put their dog's safety first- it was a fun event for all participants, including the dogs. For example, I saw one woman in the 8k who turned around at the 5k point instead because she said her dog just wasn't ready for the 8k after all in that heat.

Dustin and I were a little concerned about how Matilda would behave in her first sanctioned race. She's generally a very sweet dog and also generally submissive to other dogs, but every once in awhile, she can get a little feisty on leash towards other dogs (though never towards people). However, she really surprised us. She was extremely calm before the race, not paying much attention to the other dogs at all! Maybe she in the zone, and doing some self-talk to pump herself up!

The race was supposed to start at 8 am, but it was delayed because someone actually STOLE the cups and water from one of the support stops. The organizers had to re-distribute supplies from other stops.

Can you believe that? Who steals water from a support stop? Ridiculous....

The start was delayed by close to a half an hour, but it was not the race organizers' fault, though they were very apologetic. I totally respect that it was delayed, as they wanted to sort things out to ensure that there was enough water for all the dogs and runners. (SERIOUSLY- who steals water from a race??)

Again, Tilda didn't seem to mind waiting...she was super calm before the start, while several of the other dogs were starting to whine and bark.

When it was time to start, we made our way to the front. There was a countdown, and then the air horn went off. Just like that, Tilda was OFF like lightning! Dustin said she was gunning it at the start- their first mile was 6:30! Their overall pace was 7:12. Dustin said Tilda definitely could have gone faster, but he wanted to be careful. He took the time to stop at each of the water stops to let her drink and chill for a bit before they'd take off again.

Since the course was an out-and-back, I was also concerned about what Tilda would do when she saw me on her way back. We often joke that she has a motto "No man left behind!" because she gets upset when one of us doesn't stick with the pack when we're running together. She'll whine and keep looking back to find the man left behind. However, when she passed me at the race with Dustin, she barely gave me a glance as she pushed to finish in 4th place- 2nd place in the dog category :-)

= ==== ======================= === === ============================== ======= ===== 
    1  126 Dan Laplante             30 M   Britney Laplante                 32:16  6:30 
    2  162 Phillip Lafriniere       32 M                                    32:29  6:32 
    3  116 Craig Hagensick          50 M                                    32:58  6:38 
    4  108 Dustin Benson            37 M   Matilda                          35:48  7:12 
    5  375 Brian Meadows            27 M   Komo                             37:54  7:38 

I actually came in 4th place for women (keep in mind, there were only 53 runners in the 8k). If I had only pushed myself as hard as I had at the Irish Run 8k in March, I would have placed and received a prize! I guess there's always next year...

I didn't take the race that seriously, since it had been a full week of racing. I was also really sore from a tough kettle bells workout the Thursday before (We did a version of the Filthy Fifty Crossfit workout explained HERE) Excuses, excuses! But really, even though I wish I would have pushed a little harder, it was still a really fun event in which we will definitely participate next year.

I loved seeing all the different dog breeds that came out for the races. Of course, there were a lot of vizslas there- there are such a great running breed. But there were also a lot of BIG dogs- great Danes, sheepdogs, English Mastiffs (like the one pictured below) at the 5k, which was cool to see.

All the dog owners were so friendly. We ended up chatting with a lot of nice people. It was easy to have something to talk about, since we all obviously love our dogs and love running!

Race SWAG!
All canine participants received a bandana. There were a variety of colors available, but Dustin never picks the "girlie" colors like pink or purple for Matilda...so she got a yellow one.

Here she is modeling her commerative bandana. You can contact her agent if you want to book her modeling services in the future... :-)

The humans received a short-sleeved dri-fit shirt..(person hiding behind the shirt is not included!)

Sponsors of the Fast and Furry!
The race was sponsored by Pampered Pooch Playground, which is where Matilda goes for daycare and boarding.  The people there are so great- I feel like they really care about Matilda, and she is 100% comfortable there. During the day at Pampered Pooch, the dogs are not in kennels, but are free to play all day with the other dogs, and they get a lot of love and attention from the staff. We can always check in to see her on the webcams on their custom iPhone app. I highly recommend Pampered Pooch for your furry family member!

The Fast and Furry was also sponsored by Bubbly Paws, a local dog-wash and groomer. Vizslas don't need a ton of grooming, but we have still taken Tilda there a few times when she was super muddy from the dog park. Their facility is great, and Matilda leaves there super clean!

Check out THIS LINK for a full list of the rest of the sponsors.

If you have a dog, I definitely recommend participating in this race next year. I know that we will be there!

Functional Fit: A Creative Solution for Your Key on a Run

By Cool J in Minneapolis

One of my favorite running companions is this pretty lady, Ms. Matilda Sloan!
(Read a few previous posts about running with your pup HERE and HERE)

More recently, I have posted about the puzzle of what to do with your key when out for a run.
(Read those posts HERE and HERE)

My hairstylist/facebook friend/occasional blog commenter (thanks Kol!) saw my post, and sent me the BEST solution. Her solution for my key conundrum just happened to also include running with my favorite running pal.

And the solution is...a fanny pack for your pup!

  Doesn't her dog look pleased?

Your pup won't even notice the fanny pack, but you know who will notice?

All the neighbors.

They'll be jealous of how fly your doggy looks.

You think your dog is too stylish for a fanny pack?

Even Rihanna wears a fanny pack.

This neon dog fanny pack was found at a vintage sale in Minneapolis, but I found similar ones HERE and HERE and might have to order one for Ms. Matilda. I was told they most definitely carry old school fanny packs at Rewind if you're shopping locally.

Have you been to Rewind, Minneapolis people? Two convenient locations:
Northeast Minneapolis: 2829 Johnson Street NE Mpls
Uptown: 2207 Lyndale Ave S Mpls
Monday- Saturday 11-7, Sunday 11-5

Thanks for the awesome suggestion Kol!

Side note: 

Looking for a new stylist? Go visit Kol (who is also the owner of the adorable pup with the fanny pack) at Salon Stella in northeast Minneapolis. I have been going to her for seven years. Yes, seven years! She was doing my hair even before my wedding.

In fact, let's reminisce with a few pictures from my wedding. 

She did my hair (and makeup) for that special day:

But I digress.

The purpose of this post was to inform you of a possible solution for your key on a run. Utilize your dog! Functional Fit folks.

Favorite Fit: Running with Your Dog in the Summer

By Cool J

A few months ago, I posted about one of my favorite fits: running with Matilda. (Fit Fanatic: Running with man's best friend)

She's still my running pal during the summer months; in fact, the two of us went for a nice run this morning.

However, I am always a little concerned about pushing her too hard in the heat of summer. Running in the high temps is hard enough on humans; (trust me, I know- I just ran a painful marathon in the heat of Iowa! Read about it here) But can you imagine running in that same heat, while wearing a fur coat?What if you were unable to sweat, but only able to cool off through panting? Sounds rough.

Heat stroke is a real risk for dogs, and as the mercury rises, we should be on the look-out for any of these symptoms:

• Heavy panting
• Dark red gums
• Tacky or dry mucus membranes (specifically the gums)
• Lying down and unwilling or unable to get up
• Thick saliva
• Dizziness or disorientation

If you do suspect heat stroke, follow these tips:

• Move your dog to a cool or shaded area and place cool, wet rags around the head and feet
• Don't spray your dog with a hose or pour ice water on it as the extremes in temperature can cause additional problems with hypothermia.
• Try to get your dog to drink water but don't force it to drink.
• Get your dog to a veterinarian right away. Even if your dog seems better there could be internal damage that isn't visible

Here are some of my personal tips for preventing heat issues with your dog, based on my experience with Matilda:

1. Cut back on the distance/time in the heat.When the temperatures are chilly, Matilda could probably run 8-10 miles and still have the energy to head to the dog park. But in the summer, it's just too risky. I only run 4-5 miles with her, and I'm sure to take it easy, and try to always pay attention to how she's doing. 
2. Access to water: I always run on trails that have access to water. Fortunately, running around the Chain of Lakes offers us several water fountains and easy access to the lakes for a quick swim to cool down.  But if you don't have access to water, I recommend bringing it along with you.
3. Adjust the time of day of your run: Run your dogs early in the morning before the sun gets high in the sky and the temperatures begin to rise. Early morning is preferable to evening as the asphalt and sidewalks won't be as hot.
4. Summer hairstyle: If your dog has a thick coat or longer hair, consider shaving its coat once cooler night time temperatures have passed. Matilda is a vizsla, which is a very short haired breed, so we don't have to worry about this, but I'm sure it could help!

Running with your dog can be a year round enjoyable experience, as long as you're careful!

Do you run with your dog? Any other tips for running in the heat? 

Fit Fanatic: Running with man's best friend

By: Cool J
Even before we were married, my husband and I both knew we wanted to get a dog. We did our research on different breeds, and decided that the Hungarian Vizsla was the "Right Fit" for us. They are very smart and easy to train. They also do not shed much. They are clean, low-maintenance pets in terms of grooming. But one of the biggest reasons we wanted a Vizsla...

(other than their good looks and cuddliness)

...is that Vizslas are GREAT running companions. 

Ms. Matilda could probably outrun anyone in my run club. Hands down.

At the time that we were looking to get a dog, I was running alone a lot, in the dark. Usually I would bring one of these hand-held Mace canisters, just in case. 

I thought the added security of a dog would be even more of a deterrent for any potential creepers along my running route. 

So, we met with a breeder, and went to his place to pick out a puppy from a recent litter...and we were sold. 

How could we ever resist this face?

Before we knew it, we were the proud owners of a puppy, whom we named Matilda Sloan.

The vet recommended that we wait to run with Matilda until she was at least a year old. Even though she would run (and run and run) off-leash on her own, we wanted to make sure she was physically ready to go for structured runs. We took several obedience classes, as well as additional "Leash Behavior" classes. 

But even after she was old enough, just like with humans, we had to ease her into running. We built up slowly- first just a mile or two. Then, perhaps we would do four or five miles. Before we knew it, she was showing us that she was a natural runner, easily joining us for eight to nine mile runs.

She gladly joined us for multiple 5k's.

She took first place in the family Turkey Trot 5k last year:

Matilda is a FIT FANATIC- she loves to run!

As mentioned here, I normally run with the Calhoun Beach Run Club. However, on the days that I don't make it there, Matilda is my running buddy.

I highly recommend a hands-free running leash for your dog, like the one shown in the above picture.

This one is "Stunt Puppy" brand, and we picked it up at our local "Chuck & Don's Pet Food Warehouse". It works very well, as it doesn't interfere with your regular running form.

Just like humans, Matilda needs some cold weather gear to run through the winter: a performance fleece, some booties, or a high-tech jacket.

With proper training and a little equipment, your dog can become one of your best running buddies!

From Runner's World: 5 Reasons your dog is your best running buddy....


1) People don't have tails that wag... On days you're dragging, Matilda can remind you that running should be joyful. Her relaxed stride and frisky vigor are contagious. Dogs even look like they're smiling when they run.

2). It's better than bonding over a bowl of kibble... You like to run. And dogs are natural runners. You might be surprised how much you get out of sharing this common interest. It's even better if you both take a nap afterwards.

3) They don't worry about negative splits... Human partners can get caught up in how many calories they've burned and their GPS stats, but a dog will remind you that the best workouts are the ones where you run free.

4). They won't accept your excuses. When that tail starts wagging, it's hard to say no. A University of Missouri study showed that people who exercised with a dog were more likely to stick with it than those who go it alone or with a human partner.

5) A tired dog is a good dog. Get Matilda sufficiently tired, and when you get home, she's more apt to snooze at your feet than chew up your new Nikes.

So lace up your shoes, grab Fido's leash, and head out the door for a run with man's best (running) friend!