My new friends name is Chocolate and he is a 6 month old chocolate lab/ golden retriever X. He is super cute and as of 2 weeks ago is my new child. He is also my new running partner which, I am finding quite enjoyable.

Mister Chocolate

However, he is still a puppy and is learning to walk on the leash nicely and not get so distracted. We are only running between 4-5km together right now until he builds up to running further.

10 steps of our runs

1. Start running
2. 2 minutes later poop
3. I have to pick up poop and re-direct route to find garbage can (running with dog poo is hard)
4. Keep running and he pulls for 500M or so
5. Stops to pee
6. Then we run again
7. After about 1km things settle down and he gets in to the groove (stops pulling)
8. At about 4km he gets tired -I tell him we are almost home – he speeds up
9. We arrive home at either 4-5km
10. If I am not done training I drop him off and keep going – if I am done we drink water together and lay around

It has been quite the enjoyable experience, not so easy to train puppies but rewarding! Right now he is on running lock down because he got neutered for his 6 month birthday so I am running solo until he can run again in 9 days! As consolation he does have a snazzy soft cone that makes him look like a flower.

Mr.Daisy

In other news I was deadly sore from the blackfoot ultra a few weeks ago but am now back in the normal training groove. This Saturday I race the Fast Trax Ultra 30km the race course is BRUTAL 3 – 10km loops. Lots and lots of ups. Minor positive I have run portions of this course many times over because it is the ACAC Edmonton cross country track so it won’t be a surprise. It might have been better if it were a surprise so I wouldn’t know going in to it how hard it will be.

Then the Tuesday after the race I am off to Vegas where it will be HAWT HAWT HAWT and I will tan,run,tan,gamble,tan,snooze.

HAWT