Help Me Cesar!!!!!!!!!!!

I finally caught an episode of the Dog Whisperer this weekend - Cesar Millan is my new hero! Look at this guy! Running with his pack, and a tennis raquet - not a single dog on a leash...I can count 15 dogs, but I think there's probably more.

When it comes to running with Charlie, doing it leashless would be so much better - but I just don't trust him off leash as he's prone to bolt. I don't mind stopping for restrooms breaks - those are necessary. I'd prefer him to go faster, but he is 6 years old now - that's 42 in doggy years, so he's allowed to slow down. It's how he's constantly watching the traffic BEHIND us that drives me nuts. This morning while we were out for 3 miles, I tried to correct Charlie everytime he turned his head. It was exhausting, and I ended up feeling worse after these 3 miles than I did after the 8 miles I ran on Saturday!

My 'fake it till you make it' trick seemed to work on Saturday. I wasted no time getting out of the house, had the iPod loaded and charged, and everything ready to go the night before. The run felt really good too - it was a cool and crisp, but sunny morning! I spotted 6 herons throughout the run, which I ran entirely on a riverside trail. Gorgeous! My only complaint was that my stomach started to feel tight, and I had a slight feeling of nausea in the last 2 miles. I'm pretty sure this was because I was running reasonably quick - for me anyway! 8 miles finished in 1:16 - a little less than 10 minutes per mile.

Anyway, I think I need to make a decision about whether to suck it up and just deal with Charlie's running handicaps, or do I load up on some Cesar Millan books and DVD's and try to whisper my way with him? Anything is possible...right?