I'm a small brown seal!

Hiya Doggers,

Betcha been wondering what I've been up to this summer. Well aside from the usual sunning myself, sniffing things and eating raspberries from the bush, I've been training.

Not training as in obedience school, that is so 90's. I'm training to be a triathlete, but without the bike. There is no way I'd survive biking. I can just see it, I get tired start panting and my tongue hangs down into the spokes. Yikes! That's a nasty image.

So I'm training for run-swim events.

The Aquathon. Sounds like a super hero or a toothpaste.

Seems perfect for me! I love the beach, I love the water and best of all I love a good challenge. For the past few weeks I've been hitting the beach and doing some swimming intervals after sticks, balls and the occasional dog. As you'd expect there are some good swimmers out there (i.e. Labradors) and some not so good swimmers (maybe Daschunds and Chihuahuas?). me, I'd like to think I am one of the better swimmers.

Not to brag but I swim like an otter, or a beaver, I'm a small brown seal!

So this past Sunday I was at Buntzen Lake with the Leading Edge Triathlon Club for their run-swim workout around the lake. I was so excited, but I am often excited. Especially in the morning, or when my monkey comes home, or when Karen comes home, or when the door opens, or dinner time, lunch time, breakfast time, snack time...

I warmed up on the dog beach against some overweight OCD pooches. The we hit the trails and I started out slow and steady with my monkey, Mary and Alison. We ran over this long bridge after a few minutes and normally it is pretty stable, but today the water was higher and it was floating! Unstable, maximum dogger traction in 4 x 4 was needed to stay up.

A short stint on a big wide trail that smelled like horses, then we were back in the forest and stopped for swim #1. I was so excited! Did I mention that I am often excited? Especially in the morning, or when my monkey comes home, or when Karen comes home, or when the door opens, or dinner time, lunch time, breakfast time, snack time...

So my monkey goes in first and swims away.

Away from me.

Me.

Instead of my normal slow testing of the water and, if cold delaying contact with my crotch, I had to dash so as to not not get too far back. I was so focused I became "Seal-dog" and sped after him like, like,... a brown dog furiously dog paddling. We swam almost 400 m around a raft-like thing and back in. Believe it or not I was first back to the beach! Admittedly, my monkey kept stopping and cheering me on, but he's the coach, so he doesn't count. He's also lower than me in the pack order, so again, he doesn't count.

So we ran down to the far end of the lake and swam again, but I was getting tired and Stephanie beat me in this time. I think she drafted off me before sprinting past at the end. I also jumped off the dock, well half jumped half pushed. Not my favorite thing to do again.

And I saw fishes swimming around the dock. I could have sat there all day, but we still had another run to do.

And the pace quickened! Charge! Run faster, who knows why! Run faster! Run!

Back to the dog beach for another leisurely dip. And just then Karen showed up. I was so excited. Did I mention that I am often excited? Especially in the morning, or...

Then I went to the beach in the afternoon!

The Gaffer