magazine monday: running with Orvis

You should have seen my face when Michael handed me the September issue of Runner’s World, as he was getting the mail a few weeks ago.  My eyes lit up and a great big smile stretched across my face.  There was a dog, Cody (a black lab, nonetheless!) trotting along on the cover.  With a dog on the cover, under the title “The World’s Best Running Partners,” I knew the issue was going to be nothing less than stellar.

I flipped right to the 9-page feature, Pet Project, devoted entirely to running with dogs, and was absolutely delighted with what I saw-  tips on running with your dog, a personal memoir, cute photos, reasons why dogs are the best workout partners, etc.  Given that Michael & I take Orvis out with us every time we go running, it was only fitting that today’s Magazine Monday be dedicated to him, our favorite running partner!

Sure, he may not understand the idea of keeping a steady pace when there are squirrels around, and he definitely doesn’t comprehend the cardiovascular benefits of trying to conquer tougher hills, but running without Orvis just feels wrong, and very lonely.  When Michael & I ran the Beach to Beacon last weekend, I made sure to point out each and every spectator dog we saw along the course, simply because I missed our own so much.  Even though we were running the course with 7,000 other people, the run just seemed a little too quiet for me without hearing the jingle of his tags or the shuffling of his paws.

According to the magazine, labs and other retrievers are built for brisk shorter runs of less than six miles, or longer slower runs.  Seeing that Michael & I are not the fastest of runners, it sounds like Orvis is the perfect running companion for us!  It was also quite beneficial for me to read over the first-aid tips- I never used to pay that much attention to the weather when running with Orvis, but I’m now determined to leave him at home if it’s over 80 degrees outside.  Luckily, in Maine, we don’t have to worry about that too often throughout the summer.

This is a short video I made of Orvis post-run on Saturday morning.  (It’s actually the first time I’ve ever done anything with any of the footage I’ve shot on my 5D, so, please excuse my sub-par video skills!)

Orvis: post-run from Meredith Perdue on Vimeo.