Pooch to 5k

So, you want to run with your dog. Where do you start? I don't think there is a right or wrong answer here. There are a lot of online resources and tips for running with your dog and training your dog. Some people might like to start with training. Some people might like to feel like they can handle running themselves first. 

I didn't really think about all of these things when Henri and I started. I just grabbed a leash and went out the door. It had been a rainy day or a few rainy days. I knew the park would be muddy and it didn't really sound that fun to give Henri a bath or slosh through the mud myself. 

I wasn't much of a runner. I'd been running a little on the treadmill at the gym before we got Henri. I was attempting to do the Couch to 5k training plan, but it seemed to be taking me awhile to build up the way I was supposed to be able to. I never could figure out the breathing thing. I still don't know if I've got the breathing thing figured out.

So, what did I do? We started walking and I picked a point on the walk that I would start running by, knowing that I usually started running on the treadmill after two minutes. I focused on trying to keep a steady pace and picked another spot where I could stop running and walk again. Sometimes I made it. Sometimes I did not. I did this over and over until we got back home. The thing was that Henri didn't care about all that. He was outside, running, working his brain. He had to focus on me to know when we were slowing down and speeding up again. This was probably the best thing for us because we learned together. It worked him physically and mentally.

Since it worked out so well the first time, I started taking him more, on days that I couldn't take him to the park because it was too muddy or it was getting too late. I would try to go farther than the previous run before slowing to a walk. Our schedule was sporadic, but eventually I was about to run the whole time. So, it was similar to the Couch to 5k plan, I just went by landmarks for distance instead of time, and I had an extremely motivating running partner.

The good news is that you can make your own path. You and your dog are a team and can work together to make it all happen. You don't have to run fast. You don't have to run far. You decide together what is going to work for the two of you.

More good news is that there is actually a "Pooch to 5k" training program! Can you believe it? It's at, you guessed it, Poochto5k.com. This is a great website I found while fishing around for other people who run with their dogs. It has the training program, which is very similar to the Couch to 5k plan, as well as other health and fitness tips for your dogs. This is a great way to start running with your dog, especially if you are not a runner yourself. You can do learn together!

Henri is a good dog. He's never been to obedience class. He still doesn't know "heel" very well, but he has never tripped me. He just seems to get it. Not every dog is going to be like that and that's okay. I'm not saying it's nothing to be concerned about, I just want you to know that it's possible to run with a dog that doesn't get it all yet. Again, you know you and your dog best. Be safe. Be smart. Have fun!