Allow me to Introduce my Running Partner

A running partner can make or break your runs.  He/she can be a great listening ear or can be the mouth that never quiets.  This person will keep you committed to your running appointment and support you through the toughest of running days.  My running partner never complains, is ready to run whenever I am, let’s me think quietly when I want to, or listens when I need to talk something out.  He never asks me to go faster and, although sometimes he asks me to go slower, he is always willing to do the route that I choose.

Allow me to introduce to you, Hendrix- my dog. He is responsible for the creation of the name of the company, R-U-N?, as he would become ultra-hyper every time I said the word “run.”  But no one can introduce you to Hendrix better than he can.  So, please, sit back and allow him to tell you a little about my running partner.

“Hey there!  I am feeling very honored to guest blog this week.  But between you and me, I think that Rhielle is just trying to make up for the last week that I spent with the dog sitter while she was out of town running without me.  I am just over four years old but started running after Rhielle picked me up from the shelter last May.

Hah!  That’s actually a funny story.  At the shelter, she put the leash on me and took me out to the park in the front and I trotted alongside her, sat, heeled, and did everything that she asked me to do.  But you see, I am a great actor.  The second she took me home and got me out on my first run, I was so excited that I pulled her all up and down the streets of the neighborhood.  She ended up walking home and now I am stuck wearing this horrible, itchy thing on my nose called “the gentle leader” while I run my first mile and get all my excitement out. But I try hard on every run to be good and now, she doesn’t make me wear that stupid thing so often.

My favorite place to run is on the trails because after the first mile Rhielle takes my leash off and I get to run all over, chasing little critters into the bushes.  I am actually very familiar with all the routes of the PC MTS.  Yesterday, we went to finalize the 15k course and ran into a pack of Coyotes!  Now don’t get me wrong.  I like to chase critters and have even chased big animals like deer (I am actually really fast!) but I DO NOT want to get tangled up with these folks!  These dogs are not included in my list of fellow friends.  Once we heard the pack howling just up the trail, Rhielle called me so we could go the other way.  Those coyotes howled and barked for a long time after we left them and then we heard them warning us not to come back over a mile later.  So you will have to stay tuned for the official 15k route as I do not want to go back there anytime soon!

Before I say goodbye, I was hoping that you all could do me a favor.  You see, I am a very attractive dog.  In fact, I am such a good looker that people stop Rhielle on the trails all the time to tell her how beautiful I am.  But there is one problem, Rhielle always take me in the heat of the day and the only way I can cool myself is through panting heavily and my long (very long) tongue hangs out leaving me looking desperate and tired (even though Rhielle thinks it is kinda cute and even posted a picture of my ugly tongue on this blog).  So, if you could all chip in and explain to Rhielle that she needs to get up earlier in the summer so that I am not so hot and ugly, I would really appreciate it!

Well, so long for now and happy trails! ~Hendrix”