a harnass for the younger one, and waist-leashes for both, and extra bags, and my keys, and did i forget anything? i don't think so. it rained last night, and everything's saturated. yesterday's hard and unyielding ground's become soft and soggy. we stick to the sidewalks. no dirt paths today.
just the loop around the school, only 15 minutes or so. watching my older dog: doing well for a 13 year old, but still, well, exactly that age. he keeps pace alongside me. i could probably push him. i won't push him, and we'll all get the day off tomorrow.
my one and only race of the year still many months away. i signed up in the middle of winter, having missed the early bird deadline last year. i saved $15. i gave myself a few extra months of dread. a fair trade.
over the coming months i'll ramp it up. do two circuits of my usual route, one with both dogs, then drop the older at home, finish it with the younger. deal with the death-glares from the older when i get home. hard to tell a dog you're doing something in their best interests. impossible to tell him why, so you tell him you love him, and give him a treat after you get in. crunch crunch, all forgiven.