Lesson 2 - Equilibrium

Lesson 2 is at the heart of why I've chosen to start this blog. It came out of a conversation with a co-worker about dogs and the idea of introducing a new dog into the house. In that conversation, he said something that really struck me and has stuck with me. I was saying I was concerned that Penelope would be a little upset with having a new dog to share the attention with.

And he said, "They will adjust, dogs just have this great sense of equilibrium. She'll know how to bounce back."

Wow. Equilibrium. For some reason that struck me. He was so right, but it was so much more than that. Dogs provide us with equilibrium. I realized that Penelope has become a source of equilibrium, a sort of steady eddy, my rock. No matter how up or down I am, she is my steadfast companion. His comment about dogs' ability to adjust to the world around them and regain their balance made me think - my daily runs with Penelope has helped me to find balance.

There's something about tip-toeing out of the house each morning (my not so quiet friend in tow) to get outside as the sun is just coming up, the two of us (now 3 of us as Lela has become a fixture in our morning runs) heading out into those serene early morning hours before life gets busy and complicated that gets me centered. Those runs, no matter how much they drag me or how many squirrels they chase, help me find my equilibrium.

Those moments I spend running with them by my side are bliss. Because they hold me accountable, I get up each morning no matter my mood and I run. And because I run, the problems seem to melt away. With each deep breath, life gets a little less complicated. It all comes together and each run I return to our front stoop relaxed, happy and.... balanced.

Maybe it's the exercise itself, the endorphin release, and it certainly is that, but I think there's more. A morning run is nice. A morning run with Penny or Lela or both is something more. We connect and move together. The pure enjoyment they show as their tongues hang out, lips curled up in a smile, tails gently wagging amplifies my own enjoyment and gives meaning to our routine. These runs keep me grounded and they keep me sane. They add balance to life even at its craziest.

Equilbrium. Balance. Penelope and Lela provide us that. Each day no matter what happened, no matter how bad traffic was or how bad our mood is, they are there. They are there with tails wagging, awaiting our arrival. They are happy to see us and as our constant companions and friends, they bring us back to center. They celebrate our joys with us, but lessen our sadness with a chin rested on your knee. They are there. They are present. And whether we realize it our not, they keep us in equilibrium.

I'm not sure I can thank them enough.

Lesson 1 - Accountability

Whatever my excuse is, Penelope doesn't care. She doesn't care if it's raining or snowing, she doesn't care if it's pitch black out, she doesn't care if I had one too many glasses of wine last night, when the alarm goes off each morning she is ready to run. And because she doesn't care, neither do I.

Granted Penny (and now our new addition Lela) grant me one, maybe two, taps of the snooze button, but if I even begin to reach for the third time, I have a snout in my face and kisses hitting my cheeks. Penny and Lela have learned quickly what the alarm clock means and they hold me accountable. On the pre-Lela days that I have shrugged Penny off and continued to snooze forgoing our morning jog, I feel guilty all day. I feel guilty when she leaps down the stairs and sits patiently staring at her leash. I feel guilty when I leave her behind to go to work or wherever, knowing that because I didn't feel like waking up, she didn't get to do the thing she loves most. She holds me accountable and I love her for it.

Just for the record, Penelope isn't some slave driver and can be quite compassionate. On a day where I am sick or on (rare) occasion brutally hungover, Penny can be equally as willing to jump up into my bed, quickly taking the spot Justin just vacated, to spoon for hours. However, if I'm second guessing my run because it's rainy or windy, well she lets me know it's time to suck it up. I'm sorry, call me crazy, but that dog understands me.

People often say dogs aren't particularly smart or don't truly understand human words, but try coming into my house and saying the word "RUN" or the word "WALK". Sure you can argue they simply recognize the command, but even said in a conversational way, you will watch Penny (and I'm sure Lela will soon join her) whip into a frenzy and run/leap to where we hang her leash and harness.

But I digress... Penelope has held me accountable in the way no other running partner ever has, teammate, friend, boyfriend or otherwise. All humans are prone to falling victim to the myriad excuses one can devise to NOT do something. Well not dogs. Here's my favorite.

It was a Saturday morning and Justin had left at 7:40 for work. It was a nasty March day when the weather is seemingly conflicted between the chill of winter and the rains of spring. One of those mornings when you can hear the wind howling and the rain pelting your windows and there's no need to look at your window to know that it is terrible out and don't need to go outside to know you'll freeze your ass off. The type of day that is best observed snuggled tight under blankets. My alarm went off and I did just that.... hit the snooze and tried to hunker down. Penny gave me one snooze cycle. Then as I went to hit the button again, a whimper and an eager face attached to a wagging tail was at my bedside.

The day, being particularly inhospitable, caused me to be particularly stubborn. To Penny's dismay, I hit the snooze again. She plopped down next to the bed with a sigh and waited it out. The next 10 minute interval passed and when the radio clicked on again she was up. While I contemplated a 3rd snooze, I rolled over to discover that in her mouth, Penelope was tenderly holding one Asic running shoe. While I snoozed she retrieved my running shoe from my closet as if to remind me that I promised we'd go for a run. How can you say no to that!?!?

Victory, Penelope. I got up, layered up and we headed out. The weather was terrible, but as is often the case- the run was not nearly as bad as I'd made it to be in my head. In fact, I rediscovered that I actually love running in the rain. Makes you feel pretty hardcore. My shoes were soaked and her paws and belly were covered in mud, but we had a blast. She yipped in the face of the wind and defiantly picked up her pace....I dutifully followed.

At the end of the day, it may be my favorite run with Penelope thus far. She refused to let me let her or myself down. She held me accountable and somehow with that cute face and wagging tail convinced me to do something I could have easily done without, but was so much better for doing. Gotta love running with Penelope!!

Turns out, I'm not the only person who has learned this lesson and reaped the benefits from our canine friends.... see this New York Times article where when elderly nursing home residents were asked to choose between another resident and a dog as a walking partner, those who chose dogs had dramatically better outcomes. Despite the fact that they had to board a bus and leave the premise to get to their dog partners, they showed up and walked with greater regularity and improved their strength, stability and stamina far more than those who chose human partners.

Read the full article here.... http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/14/the-best-walking-partner-man-vs-dog/

More pictures to come in the upcoming posts!!