Our dogs love running. They never, ever make excuses to stay on the couch (except maybe Livingstone when there is a storm within a 100 mile radius). Each run is a fabulous new adventure for them. I wish I could run with that same abandon, relishing every moment, never worrying about a poor performance.
The dog will never think “Oh my gosh, another hill, I can’t stand it”. The dog will think “What an awesome looking hill – check out that bush over there – I can pee on it!” And he will gallop up the hill to check out the bush. I am not suggesting that we pee on bushes (well not all of us), but maybe the view from the top is really worth seeing. And maybe charging up the hill as hard as possible could be fun?
The dog will never stress about paces and races. He will lope along slowly when he feels like it, stop and smell the roses when he feels like it, or go hell for leather after what he thinks may be dinner, but only if he feels like it.
I have also noticed that the dog is extremely good at rest and recovery. He can quite happily sleep all day without one iota of guilty conscience – definitely no overtraining grumpiness for him.
So what can we learn from our four-legged friends? Treat every run as a gift. Always be positive. Always be present in the moment. Never judge yourself against others. Always be keen to try something new and NEVER skimp on rest and recovery!