Dog...Jogger's Best Friend???

Many fitness magazines will tell the beginning exerciser that a great way to get started would be to walk your dog.  Apparently those so called experts have never tried to walk a lumbering, 8 year old, 90 pound golden retriever!  Because, let me tell you, this adventure would scare off any novice exerciser for life. 

Allow me to explain my morning....For the past couple of weeks I have been nursing a knee injury and have been unable to do any kind of cardio workouts.  That has been killing me!  Today was the first day that I had planned on working out on my knee, and I wanted to ease into it with a light jog/brisk walk, depending on how my knee felt.  I decided to kill 2 birds with one stone and bring the dog along so he could get some exercise as well.  What followed was less of a leisurely walk, and more like a Spartan Race obstacle course! 

I should have known that I was in trouble when Kramer (the adorable menace pictured above) attacked me and knocked me down while trying to put his leash on.  We started out working pretty well together.  However, that changed quickly.  I was trying to alternate between jogging and walking every couple of minute, and apparently Kramer decided it was his job to add some resistance training to my cardio workout.  It seemed as though every time I would run, he would walk, this requiring me to pull his lazy butt along.  Then as I slowed down to a brisk walk, he decided we weren't moving fast enough, and started running and nearly pulled my shoulder out.  There was a brief detour when he thought it would be fun to chase a lizard into a bush.  And, my favorite moment of the morning, as we were preparing to step down off the curb and cross the street, Kramer decides to cut me off, mid-step, at the exact moment I left the curb.  I recovered quickly with a smooth duck and roll move and prevented scraped hands and a rolled ankle.  About 40 minutes into our adventure, Kramer decided that he'd had enough fun, and just about stopped dead in his tracks.  Mind you, we were still a mile from home!  I really thought I would have to fireman carry him back to the house.  But, alas, we made it home safely. 

In the end, we all survived, and I got a funny story out of the ordeal.   If you are wondering what became of the dog who pushed, and pulled, and tripped his way through a 4 mile journey, well, he got what every dog loves......a nice, long nap!