5:40am Alarm. Dark outside. Dead of winter. COLD! 20 degrees outside with some flurries. The warm bed calls me to stay as the desire to run tugs on me to lace up the shoes. The bed is winning until I think about my running partners–especially my new one.
Over the years my favorite times as a runner have come when I’ve had other runners in my life to pound the pavement with each day. There is just something powerful about meeting up with others and lacing up the shoes and hitting the roads or trails for a few miles. Running partners are a built in accountability that has often times over the years given that extra tug on the rope to get me out of bed–especially on dark, cold mornings. Not wanting to let your running friends down can be powerful motivation. And…the jokes, the camaraderie and conversations–sometimes deep ones are well worth getting up for. Running is just better when you share it with others and makes it easier when you battle the cold, rain, snow, sleet, heat, hills, and all life throws at you.
Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to run with so many people. I could write a book and have a chapter dedicated to all of them. My high school cross country team, the guys at Campbellsivlle, Rob at Georgia, the Walk/Jog/Run Club at Sonoma, the Empire Runners Club of Santa Rosa, and the #SkillmanPack, of course. I could fill every chapter with humorous stories and wild tales. And…definitely I’ve changed over the years and a great deal of what has made me a better person has come from advice and tips I’ve learned from everyone I’ve run with–especially my kids.
With all that said, my newest running partner is unlike ANY of the runners that came before her–mainly because she has four legs and speaks dog instead of human. Also, she has revived my running career and ushered in a new era that promises to continue for many years to come.
You see, when Luna came into our lives as a puppy in the summer of 2023 I was a bit broken–physically. My right achilles was still sore and had been since 2021. My left hip, which had given me problems since 2022, was also causing me issues when I ran. Honestly, I was frustrated and at the time believed my running days were OVER. I needed a hard reset and the arrival of Luna as a puppy provided just that.
I traded in runs for early morning potty breaks and teaching Luna how to walk on a leash. We were crate training her at night, mainly so she would not get into anything she was no supposed to, and I slept on the floor next to her crate every night for about the first two months she was with us. I know people thought I was crazy, but she really would stay in that crate and sleep if I was right next to her on the floor. Slowly, I moved to the couch and then eventually back to the bed. However…after a few months our girl Luna was a champ in her crate, was potty trained, and we were sleeping through the night! Also, through training and training school at the Holiday Barn, Luna (and our family) were all trained on how to best walk her and use commands to manage her behavior. She’s so smart–smartest dog I’ve known–and she caught on quick.
One of the reasons we wanted Luna was because her breed, the Portuguese Water Dogs, are active. Sure, they love to swim and she’s great at it, but they also love to be active and to run. About the time she turned a year old (June 2024), my body was feeling pretty good after a year off of running and I thought “hey, maybe now that Luna is a year old she can run with me.” We went out and tested her for a mile or so and went really slow. She responded well. Then…we built up to 2 miles and then to 3 and before I knew it she wanted to go all the time. I even bought a special leash that clips around my waist and has some give to it so she can run right beside me and have a couple feel of clearance. If you see us in the neighborhood running, I think we’re a hoot!
Fast forward to April 2025 and my new running partner Luna is the best. We run three miles or so a day around 6am, every day of the week for the most part. We’ve run 84+ miles six months in a row and our goal is to hit 1000 miles this year by being consistent. What has been different about me being able to run consistently now versus the time between 2021 and 2024? It’s her. Luna was the perfect partner at the right time for me. I was worried about running her too fast and too far, and so that caused me to start slow and build miles slowly. Also…I had to train her to run without pulling and tugging, and that took some intentional coaching and being slow and patient. Finally, we’ve found a nice groove and pace and because I went almost three years without being able to consistently train, I am not at all worried about pace or distance. It’s 3 miles/day, everyday, at a 8:45-9:15/mile pace. That’s it. No more trying to run marathons under 3 hours or trying to train at a 7:00/mile pace. My body cannot hold up to that anymore, but my mind and body still crave that runners high and the three miles/day does it for me.
On the second mile of every run (and we run the same path everyday), I sing a little song to her that is set to the sone “Just The Two of Us” by Bill Withers and Grover Washington Jr. and I added a little remix to it. And…if I don’t start singing at the exact same point in our run everyday she starts whining at me. Maybe I’ll record it one day and play it. After all, I once won a one person singing contest where I was the judge–it was big time.
Well…those are my thoughts for today and my first blog post in several years. As the world around us spins a little differently these days, I thought a return to blogging may provide a little normalcy and comfort in the spin. Enjoy your day, lace up those shoes, don’t let your running partners down, and SING!
“Just the two of us. We can make it if we try. Just the two of us. Luna and I. Just the two of us. Running miles to get that high. Just the two of us. Luna and I…”
What I Learned While Running 