Kiss and Make Up

Today did not start out so well for Henri and I. Henri and the neighbor dog got in a fight through the fence. It's not really much of a fight because they cannot get to each other through the small cracks in the fence, but it's a lot of noise, which is really not cool at 6am. I'm already disappointed that I have to go outside and break up this fight, but in doing this, Henri inadvertently bites me. He didn't mean to of course and it didn't really break skin, but it hurt, A LOT! I don't know why it hurt as much as it did, he must have hit it just right because I'm starting to do my thing where I pass out from pain. Again, not cool. 

I am supposed to be getting ready for work and even though I'm laying down on the couch, I can not get this to go away, which is also abnormal. Maybe I shouldn't have fought it and just let myself pass out, but I don't know that Henri would have let me pass out anyway as he was all up in my face apologizing. Thank you, Henri, but I do not want your apology right now. I've got a cold sweat going on and fuzzy vision, please, just go away. He reluctantly did retreat to upstairs for a short time. When all this passed and I was finally able to continue getting ready for work, he came back down, but watched me from the hallway, knowing I was upset with him.

So, now my body is all wonky and off-kilter because of the near passing out and the only real way to reset it is to take a nap. I have no time for a nap. I have work to do and I was planning on taking Henri for a run this afternoon since it was cooler and a heat up is coming this weekend. This is not how I wanted my day to go! I go to get my shoes, walking by Henri in the hallway. He wags his tail and it's really hard to stay mad at him, though my finger still hurts and a little swollen. I still give him his goodbye treat as I walk out the door, patting him on the head, though I only gave him kibble because I just couldn't give him good stuff after all that.

This afternoon, my finger is fine. The swelling is mostly gone and I seem to be feeling better. Henri has apparently taken out some of his feelings on his favorite monkey which now has his arm removed and stuffing is EVERYWHERE. Seriously, I don't know how that much stuffing came out of that one toy. It looked like multiple toys had exploded all over the living room. He was also ready for a run.

You know that feeling when you're running and you just feel good? That's the kind of run Henri and I had today. I never thought I would even have runs like this, but here we were, keeping at a good pace (one that actually gave Henri a little workout), breathing easy and not having to fight to lift my legs to take the next step. We were good again and all was right with the world. 

I do remember being in the ER once after passing out and the nurse said I had the vitals of a runner. I was not a runner. I didn't even run in gym class. I walked with my friend who had asthma, but I looked like a runner on paper, despite the fact that I had just blacked out in a parking lot from bumping my knee, falling forward, hitting the side view mirror of a van with my head, rebounding off that to land on my back, my eyes rolling up in my head, causing witnessed to fear I had died. I probably had a concussion, but I looked like I was ready to run a marathon. Maybe that's what happened today, with today's run, or maybe it was just Henri and I getting back in sync after a trying morning.

Needless to say, we had our post run cuddles and kissed and made up. We're all good now, though I fear Monkey might not ever be the same.

It's Getting About That Time

I should have taken a picture of Henri during our run today. It's warmer and his tongue is hanging out of the side of his mouth, flapping in the breeze and it is Tongue Out Tuesday. I always think of these things after the fact.

We will soon have to switch to morning runs. It's only sixty degrees and it's almost always windy, but it will soon be too warm to be running in the afternoon. I'm not exactly looking forward to that. I wouldn't have to get up so early if it wasn't for the whole showering, washing and drying my hair. That's the worst part.

Our runs are the only source of exercise for Henri right now. I don't know that he'd be doing that much at the park anyway, but the Canine Flu did reach us from Chicago. So far there has only been one dog diagnosed with it, but this is a highly transient community and we share a lot of inhabitants with Chicago. He'll probably end up getting it from the neighbor dog, but we have limited his trips to the park and other highly trafficked by dog areas to limit his exposure. I have a feeling that Henri would be a big baby if he was sick. Hopefully, we will not have to find out.

{52 Snapshots of Life} Week 17: Earth

It took a few days for the wind to die down, but it finally happened. While the sun was warm, there was ice on my windshield this morning. All of that considered, it was kind of perfect spring running weather. Then I forgot to secure my hair better after work so all my hair was down and blowing in the breeze. So thankful it wasn't warmer or windier! 

Then a lawnmower was chasing us. No, really! They were mowing the park we run around and that guy was driving his ride-on behind us for longer than I felt comfortable with! Henri didn't like it much either, so we were running faster than normal for awhile. There is no grass on the sidewalk. Why are you on the sidewalk!?

Sometimes it can be much easier to cool off outside, especially this time of year. Seeing as we had to run away from a lawnmower and it was Earth Day yesterday, it was time to celebrate the "Earth" underneath us with a little falling out!

National Run With Your Dog Day Virtual 5k (Pre-Registration)

Yes, you read that right! There is a National Run With Your Dog Day! Okay, it's because fellow dog running blogger, Running With Ollie, and myself decided that there should be one and so, now there is. We also decided that there should be a Virtual 5k to celebrate such a holiday and so, now there is. Boom!

Here's how this is going to go. Starting May 5th and running through May 12th, you run with your dog. Then you get online and you share your pictures and stories (because we all want to see your dog!) using the hashtag #runwithyourdogvirtual5k and you can win some awesome dog running themed prizes! Yep, prizes! Dog themed! Best week ever!

You get to do all of this from wherever you are! That's the virtual part. You can run in your neighborhood, a park or some trails. You can run fast. You can run slow. You can split the run and do a little bit each day. You run your 5k (That's 3.1 miles) however you and your pup want to run it (or walk it if that's what you can do). The point is to get out and do this with your dog. Too bad I don't have a dog. What? You don't have a dog? That's okay! You probably know someone that does (Please ask to borrow their dog. Stealing is frowned upon.) and there are always dogs in shelters that need to get outside for a little exercise (You might even fall in love with one and give it a home - Can this week get any better!?)

Oh yeah! Back to the prizes! All of our prize sponsors are small businesses that offer dog themed products. We were able to line up some really cool and unique prizes this way. We're still gathering prizes and sponsers, but here is a taste of what's to come!

Doesn't this all sound fantastic? Yeah, we know! We don't want you to forget about this very important holiday, so you can pre-register and we can keep you in the loop! Oh, I won't forget. Okay, but if you pre-register, you get the extra opportunity to win one of Running With Ollie's "My Running Partner Has Four Legs" tank! Yep! You can win a prize just for pre-registration. On May 5th, one winner will be randomly selected from those that pre-registered for the event. This is a separate giveaway before the official giveaway, open only to those that pre-registered. 

So, you pre-register, you get entered into this giveaway, we'll keep you up to date and filled in on everything National Run With Your Dog Day, you get to spend time running with your dog, you can win other prizes and all of this is fun, free and stress free! What are you waiting for?

PRE-REGISTER HERE

We encourage you to visit our sponsor pages and like their shops. Your support of sponsors makes these types of events and giveaways possible!

Ember Skye Designs
Gone For A Run

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Roxy's Creations

Seven Miles Per Second

Shine Athletica

Silent Miladas

SPIBelt
Tagline Sports

Vivid Dog Studios

Stay tuned for more details! Don't forget to follow us on Twitter @6legsarebetter and @GeaLenders and check out runningwithollie.com

Barking Mad About Warren 5K for Muscular Dystrophy

Today we ran as part of Barking Mad About Running's 'Barking Mad About Warren 5K for Muscular Dystrophy,' obviously to support and raise money for the MDA.  It was raining yesterday and even raining this morning, but we were finally able to get out and run this afternoon, though we were running in some high winds. We made it though! Henri did not become a kite, nor did I, which is probably more likely as I may weigh more, but Henri is more aerodynamic and just cuts through the wind.

We even got our first running medal! Thanks for letting us be a part of the mission to fight muscle disease, Kim!

{52 Snapshots of Life} Week 16: Quizzical

I will begin this post the same as Christina from The Lazy Pit Bull did, with the definition of quizzical. Quizzical is defined as "showing that you do not understand something or that you find something strange or amusing". 

Ah, the adorable head tilt! The one Henri does when I play YouTube videos of husky's talking and when my husband gets raisins out of the container. The one that he refused to do this week because I was trying to take a picture of it! I believe that Webster further defines quizzical as "mildly teasing or mocking". Well played, Henri. Well played.

Seeing as how I had attempted to recreate situations that he normally tilts his head with no reaction, I decided to try to create a new one. I asked my husband if I could use his iphone to download the Barkcam app (because I have an Android phone and it is not available for Android). If you are not familiar with Barkcam, it's similar to instagram with filters and such, but it plays sounds that catch your pups attention and gets them to look at the camera. Of course, my hope was that with the sounds, I could confuse Henri enough to be "quizzical". The word 'quizzical' is actually in one of the reviews!

"the sounds the app makes just ahead of firing the shutter actually do work to get your dog looking straight into the frame, possibly with a quizzical inclination of their canine head."

I do love how Barkcam gets Henri to look at the camera. Obviously, if you use the sounds too much, your dog will probably realize where the sounds are coming from and stop looking, but other than that, it definitely works. Well, except for getting Henri to do that head tilt. That still didn't work. Yeah, but, um, there is another feature of Barkcam. Stickers!

I find this amusing. And Henri has a slight head tilt. We'll call that a win. Barkcam can really come out for Android now.

To Run or Not To Run

I couldn't decide. It was 70 degrees and Henri refused to run last week, but it didn't feel too warm. It actually felt pretty good. It may or may not rain tomorrow. I had a cardio workout to do so I knew a run would be a lot to combine with that. I kept trying to talk myself out of it, but I just couldn't! So, we ran!

It was a beautiful day, despite the rain that started the day out. There were a lot of people out running, though Henri and I were the only 6 legged team today. I'm glad I pushed myself (and that Henri went along with it today).

{52 Snapshots of Life} Week 15: Blessings

While this week's Snapshot theme is a no brainer to most of us who love and blog about our pets, the picture I had in mind did not come about. Maybe the picture I have is more of a blessing than my original idea.

This past weekend was Easter and we had plans. We had plans that all fell through. We were going to go up to Chicago and spend time with some family and take Henri to the dog beach. He hasn't been to the beach and I really want to take him, especially one where I can let him off leash and just see what he naturally wants to do. Well, in preparation for this trip we found out about the canine flu outbreak. I know that there is a lot of buzz around people making too big of a deal out of this. When there are notices to take your dog public places at their own risk and they release things that say that if your dog is not vaccinated for it and comes in contact with it, they WILL get it, no thanks. I checked with my vet and they didn't have the vaccination. They recommended we not go. 

I am not a germaphobe. I do not worry about being around people that are sick. I don't get a flu shot. I eat food off the floor (five second rule!). Sometimes we get sick and we just can't help it. Maybe I'm going to be different when I'm a mom, because I do not want Henri getting sick, not flu sick (not any sick, but for some reason flu sick sounds worse). I completely understand that this might have been blown up to boost flu vaccination sales, but in this case, it wasn't worth the risk. We probably still could have gone to Chicago and just foregone the dog beach, but the trouble of a car ride and keeping Henri in an unfamiliar place with little exercise with the possibility of him catching the flu...not worth it.

So, my plan for a picturesque image of Henri playing on a beach didn't happen, but he is not sick and he's alive and that's more of a blessing than I could imagine. So, here are my blessings, my little family, taken on Easter (also our wedding anniversary this year), all healthy, well and alive, and that's the biggest blessing I can imagine.

Rain, Rain, Go Away

This week has been rain, rain, rain! April showers, I suppose. The good news is that there have oddly enough been breaks in the rain right when I get off work so a run has been possible. The bad news, today Henri refused to go on a run. He lay down on the living room floor and would not budge. 

I can't really blame him. It was almost 80 degrees outside. Supposedly a huge storm was coming, which has still yet to arrive, so I'm not sure if he could sense it that far out, but he was not going. Of course, as soon as I took the harness off of him, he ran to his spot on the stairs and stared at me like we were supposed to go somewhere. I'm confused, Henri. You are sending me mixed messages. I offer the harness to him again, he turns away and moves from the stairs. Okay. I'm not making him go on a run if he doesn't want to. 

Now, as it approaches 8pm, he's driving me crazy! I would take him now, but that storm is still supposed to be coming and there's tornado watches attached to it. I can't risk it. Ugh, I might be moving our runs to early morning sooner than I thought, though a cold front is coming in, hence the tornado watches. Maybe it will cool down just enough that Henri will be willing to venture out in the afternoons and let me sleep in the mornings. Also, it's been raining every morning, with storms actually waking me up early. We wouldn't have been running in the morning this week anyway.

{52 Snapshots of Life} Week 14: Foolish

Henri's been cooped up for two days with rain and threatening rain clouds. I could tell by his behavior last night that it was not going to be an easy morning. I was right.

He doesn't usually bother me too much in the mornings. He certainly doesn't seem to care if I get up till much later on. This morning he was on the bed, in my face, pawing at me, desperate for some interaction. Finally, I had enough and asked him, "Do we need to go to the park right now?" He hardly moved. His ear gave a little twitch, but he didn't look at me. "Do we need to go on a run?" He was on his feet, jumped across the bed towards the bedroom door, jumped back to be sure I was following him and he was down the stairs. I guess we were going on a run.

I started to get ready, but I wasn't in quite the hurry Henri was. I was not moving at the pace he was wanting me to move at. He kept running back to me to make sure I was doing something productive.

Henri must have decided to take matters into his own paws. I finally came downstairs and he seemed to have gotten himself ready on his own.

Okay, so maybe the second part of the story isn't true. I mean, he can't wear my shoes! What will I run in? And those are my good headphones! Maybe he was going to go without me. I think the other dogs might have thought he looked a little "Foolish" in that getup. 

The Heat is Back

It's official. I do in fact have to re-learn how to run in the heat. Boo. Where did this 70 degree weather come from? The 50's and 60's are really okay for a little longer! 

Today wasn't really that bad. We did spend probably one mile running into the wind. Henri was even struggling against it a little. My head hurts from running in the heat though. 

It's a lot harder to motivate Henri to run in the heat when I'm not feeling it either. How am I going to convince myself to wake up super early in the morning? I have a feeling that time is fast approaching and I'm not ready for it.

It seems like Henri dislikes the heat more and more each year. He's already poo-pooing playing at the park. He seemed to be happy about the run today though. He sat on the stairs and waited for me to get my stuff together and hook him up, even whining when he deciding I was taking too long. He had fun and enjoyed himself on the run, which always makes it easier for me to enjoy as well. He went straight for the water as soon as we walked back in the door, but I always tell him to do that anyway. Now I don't know if I should bother taking him to the park tomorrow to play or save myself the drive. I can't run him every day just yet.