You may ask, 'why is it a 5K9'? That's because this is a special 5K for runners to have a family member along. Namely, your dog. It should be a blast for me and my whippet, Pont. The Well Kept Wife™, the Boy®, and retired racing whippet Glynis will be watching.
I did this once before. On May 8th, 1993 I competed in a 5K9 with our Dalmatian, Olivia. Olivia passed a few years ago and we miss her dearly. She was also a fantastic running partner. Dalmatian's are breed to trot all day next to horses. That was their original role as a coach or carriage dog, so called because they were formerly used to run in attendance of a coach. To this day, Dalmatians retain a strong affinity for horses, often naturally falling in behind a horse and cart in perfect position.
And Olivia's endurance surpassed my own. She could keep pace with me during any running workout. As she did on this day. In fact, it was nothing more than a lazy jog for her.
I didn't keep the time, but we were good enough for 3rd place overall. A nice finish.
If I had Olivia tomorrow, I'd dare say we could be favored. Instead, I have this:
Not to say Pont is not athletic. He can hunt down a gazelle in seconds flat....as long as he catches the prey inside 300-yards. After that, a whippet is done. All fast twitch fibers. No reserve fuel. So it will be interesting to see exactly how we do. I'm guessing we may even need to walk a bit. I'm secretly hoping we can come in under 24-minutes. Keep in mind I ran a 19:31 5K just a bit over a month ago.
The weather looks to be at least sunny, with the temps in the upper 30's. It will be gusty, though. Thankfully, no bike.
1 comment:
My K9 is good for about half a mile. Big galumph he is. :-)
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