Noting the unusual...

If there's one thing I can say most people know about me, it's that I'm a runner. I'm not really sure what constitutes labeling oneself as a runner, but considering I'm 4 half marathons and several other races in (and run a minimum of four days a week), I think it's safe to say I fit under the label of "runner". If there is an additional thing that people know about me, it's that I have a very adorable dog furry child by the name of Alfredo. When most people find out these two qualities, they often ask if Alfredo runs with me. While I certainly wish we could increase our milage together, this is anything but the case. Does Alfredo love to run? Yes! In fact, I'm quite lucky that even when off the leash, he knows better than to run away. Unless he spots a cat, bird, or another dog, there is no doubt that he stays right by my side. Here he is taking a quick break from a game of fetch in the grass, one of his favorite activities which requires tons of running.

  
So why doesn't he run with me? It's certainly not that he can't keep up. In fact, he's definitely much faster than I will ever be. Rather, Alfredo has a problem running in a straight line. As you can imagine, this makes running quite difficult when trying to maintain a consistent pace. Therefore, my runs are always without the dog.

Is running without Alfredo unusual? I'd say not. I'm sure there are several other runners in the world who don't bring along their four legged friends. What is unusual, however, is that Alfredo doesn't really enjoy walking. I've tried endless amounts of time taking him on walks, and it never really works out in my favor. He'll usually walk for a good hundred feet and then plops down in the grass. When this happens, he literally refuses to budge...that's the thing about Boston Terriers, though. They can be ridiculously stubborn.

Now, what does this picture tell you?

I'll tell you what it says to me. It says, "Mom...do you want to take me for a walk?" I guess Alf is a little trickster, because this really isn't the case. For some reason, he likes walking around with the leash in his mouth every once in awhile...just because.

        
  And when things like this happen, I always think to myself..."if only he could speak..."