The title describes Piper to a T. This past Wednesday morning Emma heard a yelp and Piper came in the house on three legs. Her right back leg held up and when Emma checked it out in made a loud pop (no Emma did no break Piper). An unscheduled trip to the vet found that she ruptured the ACL in her knee. Now Piper is on enforced low activity, no freedom to chase birds, run like a hooligan about the house with a shoe in her mouth to convince us to take her for a run. But she still has unbridled enthusiasm. She could teach us a few things and lord if we could bottle some of her energy. Surgery is being investigated, most likely to happen at the vet school at Massey University in Palmerston North where they have the resources to evaluate the knee and use the best fix for the knee. The local vet has few options to offer for repairing the knee. By all accounts post surgery and post rehab Piper will be able to run and jump and play again.
Last night Emma stayed home a bit under the weather while I went for a run with the girls. We crossed paths with two ladies on their horses on the first leg of our run. On the way back I could see a horse coming towards us and realized quickly that the rider was missing. I stopped, put my arms out wide and said whoa and the horse came to a halt. I called it and it started towards me nervously. I held the dogs leads out as far to the left as I could and reached with my right and was able to get hold of the bridle making note that the reins where not dangling on the ground so would not be a hazard. I started walking the horse down the trail the way it came and soon a rider came jogging towards us to fetch her horse. She made some comment about a silly horse bucking her off before she mounted up and headed down the trail. Got several thankyous for my deed. We ended up passing the rider again down the trail when she was stopped chatting with her friend.
The girls were really good around the horses, not making a fuss at all which sure made my job much easier.
I am up in Auckland for the new few day to attend Teched. The keynote speakers were this afternoon. The first speaker was more of an infomercial and made me wonder if this may be a dud. But like many live shows they opened with the worst and finished with the best. The last two speakers were very good.
My co worker took me to this ice cream shop on Queen Street where I saw the following. I had a cookies and cream cone that was very good.
Tonight we did our first run post our trip to Australia. Was about 4.5 km which is just shy half of the 10 km we need to cover on the triathlon we have scheduled for early December. We have good base fitness so should not be too hard a journey to get out running back up to snuff. The dogs were very excited to get out running again too. Piper has been asking to running daily.
Swimming at least for me will be a bit more work. I did my first masters swim yesterday and put a good 75 minutes in, but will need to start swimming 2 or 3 times a week to get my swimming fitness where it needs to be. Cycling we have to start from scratch but not too worried about it.
Been doing so volunteer work for the pool setting up a basic website that will be easy for them to maintain. Need to get it found and indexed by Google so am putting a link to it on this page as Google already indexes my site. www.bellblockaquaticcentre.co.nz
Back home after running the Taupo half marathon this morning. We put the dogs in a kennel yesterday morning and drove to Taupo. We had a nice relaxing afternoon, picked up our timing chips for raceday, checked out the few vendors showing their wares. We each ended up pickup up a new pair of running shoes from Hoka who were the title sponsor of the event.
Rain and wind over night, at times heavy. We woke early wondering if the even was still on. The wind had died down and the rain was light. We headed over to the race start early so we could get parking near by. The field where the start was was very wet. I needed to make a last minute stop at the portapotty and to miss the line up where there was no water I went into ankle deep water to get to an unused portapotty. Was going to get wet feet anyways. One issue was that while in the loo one of my drink bottle ejected from my race belt and went down the drain. Left me needing to rework by hydration plan for the event.
At 9 a wave start was begun for 1400 plus runners doing the half marathon. Took about 10 minutes before we got to start running.For the first two kilometers the road was closed and we could see a sea of runners ahead of us. I ran with Emma for the first 9 kilometers at which point Emma needed to pee. I did not want to stop and wait for her so went a head on my own. We had talked before hand that I would not stay with her if I felt I wanted to go on my own. With only two bottles on my race belt I was now at the point that I had to refill a bottle at and aid station. I took the lid off as I came up to the station then grabbed a cup from a volunteer and pored it in my bottle. The way back to the finish went along the lake side quite a bit. Was really nice even on the rainy day to run along the lake. At one point the path was unpaved and in a dip a lady behind me tripped and did a faceplant. I turn to she if she needed help but many hands where out already to assist. The last 7 kms I passed a lot of people, some I recognized as runners that had passed me much earlier. I needed a refill at again and when i got to the past aid station a girl was filling glasses, so I held my bottle out and she filed it up for me. I tried to stay relaxed and focused over the last few kms as I was fading a bit. All was well until the final two hundred meters as there was a substantial climb which I struggled to climb then a shuffle through wet grass and some mud to the finish line. I ran the fence line to the finish which kept me out of the worst of the mess.
Emma’s time 2:37:54, John’s time 2:35:08.
The day started windy but cool but by the time we got out the door the wind had eased. As is the norm at the moment we do a one hour loop back to the house to drop off the girls then head back out. Jazmine was really good when I dropped her lead when I was rolling up up my shirt sleeves. I told her to wait and she stopped so I could grab her lead and get going again. It was funny when we were running up to Hickford Park I was a bit ahead of Emma, a cyclist went by and said your winning keep it up. I guess when we are each running with the same breed of dog it is easy for people to assume we are together. A bit later while I was still a bit ahead of Emma when she went by a little girl she said “look the same dog again”.
Two Tired Digs Post Run
Wind, rain, thunder and lightning this evening had us indoors running on the treadmill again. Funny how this happens on Thursday nights when we have our mid distance run planned. So we each did a 70 minute session on the treadmill.
After my run I saw Piper out of the corner of my eye take my running shorts and haul them away to have a good roll on them. Better I guess than Jazmine who found one of the little critter poos in the yard that look like little loose balls of black string and had a roll in it. Stinky stuff and needed a bath so not to stink us out of the house.
Last week was week 14 of our 20 week half marathon training plan which gets us up to a13 km run. Sunday we went out on our mountain bikes for the first time in ages. I snapped a few photos around the Te Rewa Rewa Bridge and else where on the coastal walkway.
First day of winter here in New Zealand. Bright sunny day in the mid teens temperature wise. Just warm enough mid morning for a small group of us to have post swim morning tea out on the patio at the cafe by the pool. After lunch Emma and I went out for an easy bike ride. I snapped a couple of pictures while we were out plus some shots of the dogs.
First Day of Winter
Piper and Jazmine enjoying Venison bone.
I have your shoe and dare you to take it back.
We are in week 11 of 20 in our half marathon training. Last night it was blowing, cold and wet with a 50 minute run on the books. When I got home Emma was already on the treadmill having made an executive decision to not run outside. She had a recorded tv show playing on the tv while she ran to no where. Once she was done it was my turn. I passed on a tv show and played a podcast to help pass the time. 50 minutes on the treadmill staring at the wall goes by rather slowly. That was the longest time either of us has ever spent on a treadmill. It is a record I am not looking forward to ever trying to better that record.