By Sarah Feldberg
For people who run with their dogs, hitting the trail or road as a pack is a key part of their connection, a shared experience that makes the miles tick by a little quicker.
Running is potent medicine. A leg-pumping workout that torches calories, lowers anxiety, and strengthens the heart, running is beneficial for both humans and their canie companions.
For people who run with their dogs, hitting the trail or road as a pack is a key part of their connection, a shared experience that makes the miles tick by a little quicker. Running with a dog is distraction, companionship, hard work and playtime, a reason to lace up sneakers when you'd rather stay in bed and to charge up a hill when you'd rather walk. Dogs not only get us out the door, they keep us engaged and excited, seeing the world through the eyes of a four-legged creature who's thrilled by every squirrel and stick.
Even when we haven't hit our splits, dogs remind us that running is more than a workout. It's a chance to open our lungs, stretch our legs and marvel at the goodness of being outside and on the move together. We spoke to seven runners about the sense of connection that comes from working out with their dogs. In turn, they shared stories of pack mentality, adventure and forging a bond with the furry companion sprinting by their side.
"Trail running is always special—it's a time to relax, be present, release the stress of the day, and enjoy being in nature. I love having someone to share these moments with, even if we experience them differently. If we see a coyote, hear owls, or pause to take in the sunrise, it's more meaningful to have someone else there. I often kick pine cones for Riggs while we run or stop to pick up sticks to throw for him. We take breaks at stream crossings so he can grab a drink of water. All of this keeps me more present than if I were just running on my own, caught up in my own thoughts."
"It's nice to be in tune with each other. I can tell when she's tired, or wants to chase something, or needs a drink. It's a simple relationship–very few complexities. For all the messiness in life, our hour together each day on the trails is anything but. I treasure that part of it. Bea would run to the end of the world with me, without a doubt. She's stubbornly loyal."
At 13 years old, "he's slower, of course. He was never one of those dogs who dragged me,but his energy was ridiculous. I loved letting him off the leash so he could fly through the park or over logs next to a forest trail. He had the strongest heart. It's still strong. My vet recently told me that as a 13-year-old, Spoon has the best blood work he's ever seen. That made me so happy, knowing that being my running buddy might have bought my pup a couple extra years."
"Running is something that we can share together. There's a pack adventuring mentality that goes with it, a trust that gets built up. The kind of running that I tend to do is more adventurous. Depending on the style of run, I'll put a harness on him and he trusts me to help him get up and over something or get down from a ledge. It pretty quickly builds a bond between us as human and dog."
"I've been dreaming of having a dog as my adventure partner for as long as I can remember. I love all dogs, but Matilda is a dream come true: She's super adventurous, comes when she's called, and is pretty low maintenance while we're outside. Having a tight bond with Matilda feels great. It's always unconditional love and adventure with her."
"I would compare [running alone versus running with a dog] to going to the zoo by yourself and going to the zoo with a small child. When you see the world through the eyes of a simpler being, [everything is more exciting.] ... I do the same trail every day, and every day he's seeing new things and smelling new things. There's this one point that he turns back and looks at me. It's our halfway point and he turns back and licks me. I don't know how he knows."
"Normally, she's just behind my right hip, barely in my peripheral view. I don't run with music anymore, I don't run with headphones, because I want to make sure she's there. I absolutely love the prrrup, prrrup, prrrup of her feet next to me. The pitter patter of her little paws makes me proud she is crushing [the workout] and pleased she is happy. That sound is the thing that makes me most happy now."
