my other running buddy

This past weekend was rain fest 2009 in San Francisco, so I opted out of doing the Saturday morning run with my training group (I know, I am a wimp). However, I really did not want to go and run in the cold hard rain (again) and risk getting sick before the holidays. Anyway, I put off doing my weekly long run until Sunday night after napping a couple hours, cleaning the bathroom, doing other chores, and being warm and cozy on the couch with my husband and dogs. Not really the best plan, but I was dedicated enough to get my butt off the couch and onto the cold wet pavement.

 As I was putting on my running gear and getting ready to head outside, my husband was closing his eyes for a brief nap and had a dog snuggled up on his lap. My other dog, Doc Ellis, despite being cozy and warm just minutes before I began the pre-run process jumped up and was eager to head outside into the cold dark night with me. My dedicated running partner!

I put Doc’s safety light on, got his running treats ready, secured his leash and off we went. About 4 miles into the run, when I was getting a bit bored, I looked down to see Doc running straight ahead with full on determination. His ears were pressed against his head, his nose was pointing forward, and he was a movin’. I then smiled and realized how lucky I was to have such a devoted and inspiring running partner, such as Doc. No complaints, just a joy for running in the rain, dark, or whatever situation he enters into. He keeps me moving, smiling, and causes people to smile at us as we pass them by on the sidewalk.


Doc and I completed 6-miles last night and both ended up doing it with a smile on our faces, because we had each other! I could not ask for a better running partner than my buddy, Doc Ellis.

just minutes before our run.

post run with his safety light on and a smile on his face

me and my buddy