After a 5k run on the treadmill yesterday I was delighted that my friend Caroline had asked if I would go running with her today. She is just starting back into running and is happy to have me as a running buddy (at least that's what she said ;o)). So hopefully this will be one of many runs.
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| Cara - all excited about the run |
So we met at Lough Key...we were meant to meet at 9 am but initially missed each other. I had Cara in the car with me and while I was waiting for Caroline, another dog showed up out of nowhere and checked out my car and Cara (he couldn't have missed her as she was going nuts inside, crying because she wanted to get out to him). The dog didn't leave and was still there when Caroline arrived (she had actually arrived before me but was waiting for me in a different place...). So in the end I let Cara out and the dogs got on really well. So we started our run, the 2 dogs in tow, because Phantom (that's what I decided to call the dog because a) he looked like the Phantom of the Opera with a face half white and half black and b) eventually he just disappeared again with no sign of him any more at any stage of the run) decided to follow us as well. Unfortunately I never thought to take a picture of him at the time, he was beautiful and looked lovely with one brown and one blue eye.
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| Lough Key (well, part of it...) |
The forest park was really quiet in the morning, hardly anybody around. A few people walking their dogs, a couple of joggers, but that was it. It was really nice to run on the trails there, and even stepping into muddy puddles with my sockless pace gloves made me happy...nice cold wet toes ;o)
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| One of the many trails, this one not as mucky as some of the others |
Caroline was keeping up well and even though we walked for parts of the loop to give her little breaks she was doing really well considering she hadn't been running in months. We went over a few bridges and stayed mainly around the shores of Lough Key and in the forest itself. It was really nice and we were lucky with the weather - even though it was overcast it stayed dry.
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| Caroline and Cara on a walking break |
Cara had a great time, messing with Phantom at the beginning, sniffing out everything, drinking out of dirty puddles and most of all looking for sticks, which sometimes turn into half trees she then drops at your feet. Yes, she is obsessed with sticks and is always on the lookout for them.
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| Eh... ?! |
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| Throw it!!! |
During the run we went to the Activity Centre for a quick toilet break, and before I could call her back Cara had followed Caroline into the building, where no dogs are allowed...I don't think the people working there were too happy to see her in there, so I got her back out quite swiftly. Next thing I saw a bunch of children arriving (I think they were camping at the camp site next to the forest park), so the place was suddenly full of life.
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| Cara sneaking into the picture |
We finished our run at just over 8k and just before the rain set in. Caroline was delighted with the distance we had covered as she didn't expect to be going as far. We have decided that we want to make this a regular thing, so the forest park is going to see much more of us in the future. :)
Oh, and I learned something today: Running in Pace Gloves without socks is much nicer than with socks. Better ground feel and the feet feel really comfy on the microfibre foot bed. No more socks in them for me in the future (unless it's too cold to run without socks).
Take care all!
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