Better than a treadmill

Walking dogs is pretty darn awesome. It looked enough like rain that were it just me going out for my run, I surely would have stayed home and caught up on some Judge Judy. But Charley apparently loves walking in the rain, so off I went.

The good news is, it didn't rain. The bad news is, it snowed. Hard. Today we went to the park, and we were just in the midst of heading up the Harlem Hills when the snow started filling. When we hit the top of the hill, the wind picked up and the snow did too, turning the left side of my face into an icicle. But Charley? He was thrilled, dancing around me and frolicking so much that I had to be careful not to trip on him as I ran.

When you walk a dog, you don't have to keep up a conversation. You can say whatever crazy thoughts come into your head, and people just think you're talking to your dog (because clearly that is much less crazy than talking to yourself). Or you can say nothing at all and save your breath; the dog doesn't care.

When you walk a dog, you will not get to slow down out of laziness. That dog will keep going. And I mean going. Charley was happily bounding along at a 7:39 pace until I made him stop and walk for a while. Talk about speedwork! Interestingly, Charley wanted to run on the uphills and walk on the downhills. Thanks, boy!

6.5 miles today, of which 5 were with the dog and about 3 were running. Perhaps unemployment will agree with me!