When Laika was walking, she would either be fully set on sniffing or the treats I had or she would be on alert for something to freak out about. About 10 years ago, I started running by myself. I graduated from the couch to 5k program as a means to both become more physically fit and find a workout that started and ended at my apartment. Since I was becoming a "runner," I would sometimes do shorter block-long runs with Laika to break-up our walking routines. She really seemed to love them and I noticed that she would be a lot less distracted during our short sprints. Certainly, she would sometimes stop cold and make me lose my balance, but it was interesting to see the difference in her focus and demeanor. She was no longer puffing the stress-ball of fur on her tail and she was always happy and super energetic after we would sprint.
So, I started building her up to run short distances with me. Laika learned really quickly to be a relatively good running partner. After previously seeing her play at the dog park, I knew two things for sure: 1. she was extremely fast (could pace the greyhounds) and she was usually a complete wrecking ball when she ran! Laika was smart, though, and within a few weeks of shorter runs she started to pacing herself very well and did not pull too hard or run too fast. Granted, she would sometimes stop to smell the smells or want to pee or would pull at little bit when she saw other animals, but she was becoming a true running champ. Gradually, we built up to 2 mile runs about 5 days per week. Noticing the decrease in our combined anxiety together outside as a result of this new exercise routine was truly amazing!
Laika was still very young at this point. She was a ball of energy, even after we would return from the shorter runs. As both of our bodies adjusted to running together, we built up the distances to make sure that we could both do it. It got to the point that we would do 3-ish miles 4 days a week and then (in cool weather) one epic 7 mile run that involved a steep hill in the middle and a water stop at my friend John's store a bit after the mid-point. Laika LOVED these runs and it was fun for both of us, as we could run through the park and in areas that she wouldn't have been able to handle the anxiety of walking. Luckily, we would usually see squirrels on the steep hills, so I got an extra boost of "pittbull-power" to help me up the inclines. (Even if there were no squirrels, I could simply ask Laika, "Where's Mr. Squirrel?" to achieve the same results!) One time, a fellow runner who crossed our path near the end of the 7 miles laughed at Laika's pulling-strength and told me I was "cheating" because I had some help on the hills. I completely agreed and mentioned that he should add some "dog-power" to his run!
As Laika got a bit older and had the first surgery on her back, we scaled down the running. In the new neighborhood there were plenty of good routes, so we would do around 1.5 miles 4 days a week and then right around 4 miles once a week, usually running hills past the zoo and through the large park near our house. It was good to keep her fit and happy outside, but not too much to overdo it and result in potential hip problems. Even in the winter, Laika loved to run in the snow (thanks to Musher's Secret to protect her paws). We would both suit-up in several layers and run about a mile together. Due to the slower pace, Laika's mile-a-minute nose (no pun intended) would sometimes enjoy the buried smells, resulting in a cute little snow-beard on her icy whiskers!
We would run together in all seasons (except extreme hot and cold). Running was always supplemented by walks, on which Laika started to behave much better. Her anxiety level would sometimes peak, resulting in vocalization or barking, but for about 95% of the time she was chill and walked with an (almost) loose leash. Running had not only kept her strong, happy and energetic, but clearly affected her mentally as well. I was so proud of her!
Sadly, during the 3rd surgery of the tumor area on her back, they had to remove a bit of muscle on her shoulder to get better margins. After her recovery, I decided that her days of running were over. Since she obviously had an ongoing battle with cancer and sporadic surgeries to remove errant (usually benign tumors), I thought it best to stick to lower-impact exercises that wouldn't tax her body as much. This was ok, because she had improved so much on leash that she was able to go on longer walks than before and was able to leisurely enjoy the smells without the mental stress (as long as we didn't stop).
Laika's last month was kind of thin on walks because of her tumor's bleeding and managing her reaction to the chemotherapy. However, even our last day together, we went for a short walk and saw a cat AND a deer. She freaked-out like when she was a pup (but fell over!), but it was nice to see that she still had it in her! I feel that if she was not on leash, she certainly would have sprinted toward the cat with the reckless abandon from the dog park days of her youth. I knew for a fact that she wanted to continue running until the end, because each night she would kick her legs with a peaceful grin on her mouth as if she were running in her sleep!
After her passing, though, it is weird because each time that I go running, I feel that I can take her spirit with me instead of physically leaving her at home like when her body was continually fighting for survival. It is both sad and liberating, especially in the beautiful Fall weather that we are having now. It was our favorite time to run together. All the miles that we ran increased our health and strengthened our bond. When I run up steep hills, I constantly think of her and it motivates the final push to "catch the squirrel." I know for a fact that my legs (and heart) are still partially "pitbull-powered"! Physically, I am running alone now, but spiritually, I still have Laika as my inspiration.
A dreaming, running Laika.
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