you must be joking...

Hiya Doggers,

So Sundays are my long run day. Every week I get a long run on the trails around Vancouver, the North Shore or sometimes even a snowshoe in the mountains.

This weekend it was colder than usual. Not as cold as snow up to your tummy cold, but a crisp windy cold. All the puddles were frozen and icy, frost everywhere, even a little snow early in the morning.

It was sunny for the run though, so I decided to go au naturel; that's right- no jacket or vest. As REM would say "totally naked baby, totally nude..."

Ahem.

So we started running at around 10:30, we being me, my monkey, my Aunty Martina and my #4... I mean Uncle Rob. Uncle Rob was lazy and bailed out after 40 minutes or so, some excuse about it being a recovery week.

Like, waht-evah...

The run was pretty good, despite a few times when my pack wasn't there to get my back in the 2 on 1 situations. Don't they know that when I stop, the pack stops. What is so hard to understand? I lead you follow. I drop back, you drop back. I need protection, you protect. I need hugs and scratches, you hug and scratch. Simple right?

So, we had a great run in and around the trials from Jericho to UBC to Marine Drive and back to Jericho. Then things got weird.

Instead of rabbiting, my monkey and aunty pulled towels from the car, headed to the beach, then waded into the water.

Let me remind you; January. Ice. Snow. Cold.

I was freaking out! I tried putting my foot in the water but it was cold! And they were right in there up to their belly buttons. It certainly looked cold from where I was on the beach... So I walked out onto the rocks making the breakwater, but it wasn't the same! Back on the beach I gathered all my courage and waded in. When the water reached crotch height, for once I was glad I was neutered...

I swam out, circled around them and scooted straight in. Shook off then jumped around and ran in circles like a crazy dog to warm up. Oh yeah, with a few brief period of sitting on the beach or barking at them to come in already!

Eventually we were all back in the car, shivering and giddy.

Apparently the cold water is cryotherapeutic- makes you cry but good therapy. Therapy for what I can't imagine!

I'll take therapy on my sofa any day, thank you very much


The Gaffer