The Ideal Training Partner
This article was originally published in Triathlete Magazine, 1999
It’s 6am, the persistent throb of my alarm clock beats down on our heads. I open my eyes, let out an enormous yawn and exhibit my most monumental stretch. It’s not the excitement of swim practice that gets me up, but the smell of my hazelnut coffee brewing up in the kitchen. Before jumping out of bed, I look over at my training partner who seems to have no intention of getting up to join in my morning ritual. If she had her way she would hang a “do not disturb” sign off of her nose every morning. Instead, she pretends to be asleep, breathing deeply and refusing to budge. I lean over and give her a pat, and a big kiss on her nose. She still pretends to sleep. When she finally realizes I am definitely getting up, she rolls over all 4 legs high in the air, spreading out her belly begging me to give her a good ole tummy rub. As I do this, she begins to play her guitar lazily, a natural reaction for her to my tummy rubbing. She looks at me with her big brown eyes, full of love, full of understanding, so deep with emotion. She waits to hear the plan for the day. If I tell her I am going to swim practice, she rolls over, closes her eyes and goes back to sleep again. She knows that when I return at 9am, I will come wake her up. She loves these sleep in days. If , on the other hand I say we are going running, she sits up, cocks her head to the left as if to say, “okay, that’s great, what kind of run?” I tell her the plan and she then follows me up the stairs where I let her outside for her morning release…she then joins me in the kitchen. I sit down for my coffee and English muffin, and she sits down for her kibbles and bits.
My dog Whoopi, a terrier, Labrador, Rottweiler, sheepdog mix is not only my best buddy but has proven herself to be the ideal training partner.
Back to Articles Page
