Accountable

Next to Monday morning, the Friday morning runs are the second most important runs of my week as far as maintaining focus and momentum. And I wouldn't ever make it if it weren't for my darling wife.

Friday has also become the day on which I run with the pup, and my wife won't let me forget it. When I want to sleep in a little later on Friday mornings, she reminds me that I have made a promise to our dog about going for a run, and I really don't have a choice. I get up, put her on the leash, and we're out the door.

This particular Friday, one little boxer had no interest in going for a run. For the most part, she's great when we run. She'll run right beside me, and if she needs to stop, she'll take a few steps into the grass, and that's my cue to stop so that she can take care of business. On this run, she didn't have any business to do. She'd stop, look at me, and then drop in the grass to roll around.

She did this a couple times, and I was getting a little frustrated, because (obviously) it was keeping me from having any sort of pace. I considered turning around at the 1-mile mark and returning her home in order to complete the second half by myself. About 3/4 of a mile in, though, she dropped into her pace just like she normally does. I think the issue was that it was cold, and she just needed to get warmed up. Once we'd made the mile marker, she was better for the rest of the run. Still not up to our normal pace, but better than mile one.

We had a slightly scary moment when her leash released for no apparent reason. She was a step behind me, so all of a sudden, the leash swung forward. I panicked a bit, and spun around, but she was happily jogging behind me, oblivious to the change. I hooked her back up, and off we went.

Sometimes I've really got to have someone there to push me. It's great that my wife is one of those people. Maintaining a training schedule is about accountability, and being accountable to someone else helps make that happen. Fridays will happen because I'm accountable to my dog, and my wife won't let me forget that.

Whatever it takes.

Today's Run:
43 Degrees / Rain
4.12 Miles
34 Minutes, 21 Seconds