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Don't get me wrong. Even though the pace at which I walk has made me the brunt of humorous text messages between my youngest and her friends, I enjoy walking the dog and usually look forward to time outside. But I have neglected my furry friend off and on this winter. I don't enjoy bundling up, getting wind burnt, coming home with icicles in my nose, and waiting 30 minutes for the feeling to return to my feet. But, when conditions are right (read: above freezing), I really do like a good long walk with my yellow dog. Today was just such a day.
You know it is a rare occasion if Pat Monahan (of Train) writes song lyrics referencing it :
In '92, ...
The skies were blue
In Ohio
(This is My Year, California 37)
These are real, un-doctored (straight off my phone) pictures. Maybe you get to see skies like these on a regular basis, but around here, they are rare and reason for celebration!
Our typical dog walk is mainly on sidewalks or paths like this:
There's not a lot to see on our typical neighborhood walk...houses, leafless trees, a park or two; nothing very exciting. At about the halfway point on this 3-ish mile loop, there are some old cement stairs.
This is where the yellow dog gets really confused. I usually take her leash off and sprint up, and jog down the stairs a bunch. The first 3-4 times, she gets all excited and comes along and I am convinced one or the other of us will trip and fall and die, but we never do. Then she catches on to the craziness and pretends she found something really interesting to sniff until I am done with the stair nonsense and we continue on our way.
The pond near my neighborhood is trying really hard to thaw. The yellow dog walked all over the edge. She tried venturing out toward the middle but I wasn't sure it could hold her. Even on this nice blue-sky day, a cold, wet, muddy dog didn't sound like fun at all.
I use the app, Endomondo, on my phone to track my pace and distance when I run. This app has functions for interval and speed training and has a coaching setting where a voice comes on and tells you your pace and total time at mile hacks. You can listen to music and even answer the phone, all while keeping track of how far and how fast (or slow) you are moving. It's also fun to use for walking and hiking.
Here's what today's dog walk looks like on Endomondo:
And here's how the yellow dog looks after a walk:
And minutes later:
Good night.