In the meantime, yesterday I ran a 5K with Cynthia and Holly. I went to boxing in the morning and then decided to join them in their 5K. The run went around Marblehead neck, but it was a doggy 5K. If you're not sure, that's exactly what it sounds like. You bring your dog and you run a 5K together. Originally I was going to run it solo, because Nala doesn't get along with other dogs (or people really) and I didn't think Stella would be interested in running. She likes to stop and sniff things constantly, so I figured she'd be more interested in the sidelines than the actual running. At the last minute though, I decided to bring Stella along anyways. When we arrived, she was pretty scared. Usually she gets a little nervous in crowds, whining, putting her tail between her legs, regular scared dog behavior. Of course the start of the race was no different. While we were waiting to line up and go, she was trying to get away, all she wanted to do was run back to the car. I managed to keep her in line, but just barely. Then, the race started and she was a totally different dog! She took off, I can only assume to try to keep up with or pass the other dogs, and basically dragged me along with her. Now, I know Stella can run fast, especially off leash, for at least a few minutes. Occasionally when she's off leash, she'll gallop in circles for a good minute or two, and then calm down and continue to trot along for the rest of the walk. I've never seen her run at a consistent gallop for more than 5 minutes tops though. Until yesterday. She took off at a gallop and tried to keep that up for the first 2.5 miles. Basically, Stella was running and I was struggling to keep up. Stella especially sped up whenever another dog got close to passing her. Apparently this is an ingrained trait of being the leader of the pack. In the end, we ran just under 26 minutes. Here's the official time:
Time: 25:56
Pace: 8:20/M
Division: 5K
Remember how I said I wanted to get faster? I found the perfect solution. From now on, I just need to find a pack of dogs and take Stella out for a run with me. I'll have my time back down to 24 minutes in no time! She did kind of taper off at the end, but she pulled through, making it across the finish line, and even speeding up just a little bit again on the last hill. Of course I have some awesome pictures to share in a moment.
Today, Morty ran his first kid's race, so I HAD to go see it. He ran as part of Katie's Race, in Wayland. First, his dad ran the 5K while pushing Mort in his stroller, then Morty got in his gait trainer and ran a lap around the gym. It was super cute. There were a ton of other children there too, and everyone was cheering Morty on. He loved every minute of it, he was laughing and smiling the entire way around. Then there was a longer kid's race that we watched. I'm fairly certain it was a mile run, since the children seem to have lapped 4 times. There was one boy running though who looked like he was in it to win it. He was wearing serious under armor running gear and was really pushing hard the whole race. I'm sure he'll be winning 5Ks and track meets in a few more years. Overall, a fun little weekend, filled with running, even though I said I wasn't going to run anymore.
I love this picture, mostly because of Stella's face. She looks nervous, like she knows it's her first race.
All lined up at the start
Finishers! Holly and Cynthia came in 1st and 3rd in our age group!
Crossing the finish
Stella was walking at this point
Whew, all over!
Running buddies
Morty having a great time running.
Getting his medal
So proud of his medal!
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