Running Intimacy

Wow, it has been quite a while since I last posted. Funny how life gets in the way. I was also determined to have more pictures, but haven't convinced Justin to come take pictures of us all running...



I read a quote that I loved and it made me think of the early mornings spent running with my dogs.

"Do not underestimate the intimacy of running, and the people [dogs] with whom you share your miles." - Kristin Armstrong, Mile Markers Blog on Runner's World

So true. We rarely think of the way that running together bonds us to those around us, be they dogs or people. Those miles spent together most mornings are so special to each of us and it forms the basis of the wonderful bond I have with Penelope and Lela. There's something about running that allows us to communicate without talking, both dogs and humans, and as we sweat and/or pant side by side we feel united.

On the best morning runs, ones that aren't full of pulling on the leash or chasing squirrels, the three of us find our pace and settle in. Obviously, we aren't talking. Although I have found, that like a crazy person, I do talk to them through most of the run and let them now when they are doing well. But somehow we feel connected.

As the Frederick Half Marathon was fast approaching and sadly, I'd need to leave my training partners behind, I realized that maybe I needed to run without them. That's when I remembered this quote. I'd never really realized the role their simple presence played in my running. I couldn't remember NOT running with these two and was a little scared to try....

Running is solitary, but it is also communal, in those footsteps and paw steps, we find our balance and our connection and no one has to say a word....

Thanks puppy dogs for being my faithful companions!