running with jane

I'm grooming Jane to be my running partner.

Jane isn't the most attentive runner.  I should clarify - she's not attentive to the running aspect of our runs.  She likes to stop A LOT to investigate items she comes across on our runs, and I'm pretty sure one of these times she's going to rip my arm out of it's socket.  So she's attentive to what she deems important.  And I guess we do come across some pretty interesting things: geese, rabbits, SQUIRREL!!, deer, garbage, the occasional sock or shoe, discarded food containers, and a plethora of animal crap from dogs and other creatures.   I suppose if I were her I'd want to check stuff out too.  I'd draw the line at literally sampling crap that we come across on the run, however.  That's just gross.  But then, I'm not a dog, so it's really not my thing.

Anyway, she's fairly young (not quite 8 months) so I don't like to push her too much.  She needs to finish growing and I don't want to be responsible for wrecking her joints.  One of us with bad hips is enough.  So far we just walk/run around the lake by our house - the distance is an almost perfect 5K.  On the up side, Jane's always ready and willing to go out for a run, and she never complains that it's too hot/cold/late/early/windy/rainy, or how her shoes don't fit exactly right, or the fact that running tights emphasize her cellulite and do nothing for her butt....that would be me doing that.  Not out loud, usually.  It's more like a thought scroll under all the other stuff I think about (Did I turn off the coffeemaker? What time is that meeting today?  Do I have time to take a real shower or do I have to settle for a baby wipe cleanup?, etc....)

After I run with Jane, I still feel like I need to do a "real" run, one where I'm not walking half the time.  I can usually talk myself out of it though. Guess I don't like to push myself too much, either.

My next race is the Monster Dash 10 mile which will be on October 30.  I'm going for a run this morning (sans Jane - we have a date at the State Park later today) after I have my coffee.  Gotta fuel the machine first!