Well, this weekend played its usual tricks. Saturday and Sunday were both in the 70s and 80s.
However, I decided I wouldn’t let that stop us. It was a bit breezy and cloudy on Saturday afternoon, so I figured it would be safe for a quick bikejor.
Running with the bike is a lot less work for the dogs, since it’s lighter and I can pedal along. It doesn’t really build their muscles too much, but it definitely helps with their running and command training.
I only took Knox and Denali, since I can only safely bikejor with two at a time. Running all three dogs requires more weight to stop.
I ran them on my usual route, but we missed out on the quarter-mile wooded loop we normally do. For some reason, the gate to that area was locked up. I really hope that isn’t the case going forward, as I rely on that spot for day to day training.
I was really impressed – they ran flawlessly, which is amazing for their very first run. They didn’t get distracted by the kids soccer game or the busy parking lot we had to navigate through.
The most impressive part of the run was towards the end. We usually navigate through a small memorial park and run behind my town’s rescue squad. However, since it was the weekend, there was a tent set up and some men were selling potted plants. They were in the exact spot the dogs have been trained to run through – so they did just that. Somehow, they didn’t disturb a single plant pot. And somehow, my bike didn’t destroy anything as it followed behind them.
By the time we got back, the temperature was creeping up, so I didn’t want to risk running Denali again with Dexter. Instead, he got a hike around the local woods – mostly to see if those trails were safe to run. Right now, they’re full of sawgrass and downed trees, so that will have to wait until later in the fall.