It's not that difficult. They curl up really small in the tent. And they sleep all night! Amazing! Except for once when they got wind of some wild animals. Here's what we've been up to the last couple of weeks.
Saturday January 10
To Rye for some running and dog walking. Fine and warm, ideal for the 6.75km Portsea Twilight Fun Run. A great run in perfect conditions with the sun setting on one of the great vistas where Port Philip Bay meets Bass Strait at the 'heads'. Harder than the distance might suggest - all hills for the first 5kms, followed by a 2km slog along the sand with a 600m sprint to the finish through the ti-tree. The sand on the beach section was hard-packed and easier to run on than last year so time was faster. Tracy ran the full distance and passed a couple of runners at the end.
Sunday 11 January
Goldie the Brittany still has her plastic anti-scratch collar on - she tries to run up the steps into the house and collides with them. But she's a determined little thing and is not put off. She just tries again. But we're not taking her out for coffee in that stupid collar. Just a light run to the beach and back today.
Wednesday 14 January
More back stuff - a visit to a natural medicine practitioner who specialises in back and spinal ailments. She's a wizard and knows just what to do. She's also a dog-lover with a big black Doberman whose photo sits on the desk in her waiting room. Cute. Email me for her number.
Thursday 15 January
Goldie to the vet. Stitches out and headguard off. Thank god for that. Aberfeldie for 3km walk - about 13:30 after Tuesday's 24:30 in the State League 5k walk at Doncaster.
Friday 16 January
Racing over for the week, so we took off on a camping trip around Victoria with the dogs on board. They love travelling - anywhere. We aimed to camp somewhere along the East Gippland coast.
Afternoon stop in Sale for cool drinks in a beer garden. Later, nearing Loch Sport, grey clouds gathered. Another twenty minutes - thunder and heavy rain. The weather can change in minutes in this part of Victoria. We headed back towards Sale, a distance of about 45kms, frantically twiddling the radio to find a forecast. As we moved away from the coast, the weather improved and in 30 minutes we were pitching our tent in glorious sunshine in a camping ground in Sale.
Saturday 17 January
Leaving Sale after taking an hour's walk around - and buying some bones for the dogs at one of the butchers - we headed inland as the weather looked like moving in off the coast. Lunch in Bruthen, an afternoon stop in Omeo and then we were into the mountains. A fairly easy drive into Hotham, and then the road down the other side was a serpentine nightmare. Finally arrived in Myrtleford, where we pitched our tent next to a river. A walk for the dogs around town finished the day.
Sunday 18 January
Beechworth, via what is surely one of the most picturesque routes in Victoria through Stanley. Lunch by the lake then on to Wangaratta and another camping ground, this time equipped with a swimming pool. Luxury! A dip then a big walk for the dogs.
Tuesday 20 January
Back to Rye, taking seven-year-old Canisha, now with two front teeth missing, with us for a couple of days. Went shopping for clothes in the surf shops, lunch at Blairgowrie cafe, lazed around, built sand castles on the beach and ran up and down through the shallows with the dogs.
Thursday 22 January
Took Canisha back to Melbourne then joined the group for a training session, first time for a couple weeks. Three 600s, two 400s and two 200s. Good, hard, refreshing session with a jog around Princes Park to finish.
Friday 23 January
The weather's great again, so a couple more days camping. This time, headed to middle Gippsland and arrived at Leongatha around five after leaving Rye mid-afternoon. The usual routine of a stroll around town with the dogs after setting up camp, then back for dinner.
Saturday 24 January
Stunning countryside through South Gippsland via Toora, a town overlooking Wilson's Promontory. Stopped there and walked around the town hoping to bump into Lisa but no sign - I didn't have her address. Tracy saw a cute old-fashioned hotel with accommodation and has made me promise to take her there for our anniversary. Stayed overnight at the Best Friend Holiday Retreat, a dog-friendly camping ground that sounds way too cutesy but was actually magnificent, nestled in the Tarra Valley and complete with five or six very large enclosed off-leash areas for the dogs to run free, a fully appointed kitchen and barbecues and a chattering river with waterfall two minutes walk away. Truly magnificent. An odd thing - while there must have been at least thirty dogs in residence, it was the quietest night I have ever spent in a camping ground. Ever. All we could hear was the river gently trickling over the waterfall. Figure?
Monday 26 January
Australia Day fun run at Rosebud. 10kms from Safety Beach along the coast to Rosebud. Is there a more scenic 10km run in existence? I doubt it. Finished 26 seconds slower than last year in 36.40 for eleventh place. Tracy ran 54 minutes in only her second ever 10km race.
1/27/2004
1/08/2004
Operation dog.
Eleven-year-old Goldie the Brittany went off for her operation to remove two lumps, a large one in her chest area and another on her right foreleg. Neither cancerous but potentially so.
Unfortunately it came at the peak scratching season - she'd be scratching like mad at the wounds so we have one of those dreadful flared plastic things around her neck so she can't tear herself to bits. She's going to have to go on the steroid anti-scratch drug but can't at the moment as it stops wounds healing.
She keeps bumping into things with the plastic thing, it's sad but funny, poor thing.
Billy the Greyhound can't understand why she's wearing it, probably imagines she's got her head accidentally stuck inside something after some doggy investigating.
Despite the eight inch stitched scar on her chest and the three inch one on her leg, she's still full of energy. And the appetite! My god, people don't eat like this when they come out of a general anaesthetic.
Unfortunately it came at the peak scratching season - she'd be scratching like mad at the wounds so we have one of those dreadful flared plastic things around her neck so she can't tear herself to bits. She's going to have to go on the steroid anti-scratch drug but can't at the moment as it stops wounds healing.
She keeps bumping into things with the plastic thing, it's sad but funny, poor thing.
Billy the Greyhound can't understand why she's wearing it, probably imagines she's got her head accidentally stuck inside something after some doggy investigating.
Despite the eight inch stitched scar on her chest and the three inch one on her leg, she's still full of energy. And the appetite! My god, people don't eat like this when they come out of a general anaesthetic.
1/06/2004
More new year training.
Tracy rode her new bike while I ran. Canterbury Jetty Road to Tasman Road, then back along Browns Road to Rye and back up Melbourne Road to finish.
A tough but rewarding session, gently downhill on the way out, mainly up on the way back. It really tests you.
On Saturday, a gentle run to the beach at Flinders Street and back up Canterbury Jetty Road before Sunday's 1200 metre Pole to Pier swim at Rye.
After a 30 degree start to the day, the weather worsened towards the start of the race and the course was ultimately abandoned as the lifeguards would not have been able to see all the swimmers due to the very choppy sea.
Instead, they re-routed the course from the breakwater to the pier, and then a further 'lap' of the pier to finish (swimming underneath it close to the shore to achieve the lap).
It ended up being further than the 1200. It was a crazy race. I was slapping around like a fish out of water, excuse the inappropriate metaphor. If you can imagine swimming diagonally across a huge chop with your forward arm stroking fresh air as the wave passes by and then having your head smacked by the next swell as you stick your face up to breathe.
Anyway, I got there. A bit of cross training never goes astray, does it?
A tough but rewarding session, gently downhill on the way out, mainly up on the way back. It really tests you.
On Saturday, a gentle run to the beach at Flinders Street and back up Canterbury Jetty Road before Sunday's 1200 metre Pole to Pier swim at Rye.
After a 30 degree start to the day, the weather worsened towards the start of the race and the course was ultimately abandoned as the lifeguards would not have been able to see all the swimmers due to the very choppy sea.
Instead, they re-routed the course from the breakwater to the pier, and then a further 'lap' of the pier to finish (swimming underneath it close to the shore to achieve the lap).
It ended up being further than the 1200. It was a crazy race. I was slapping around like a fish out of water, excuse the inappropriate metaphor. If you can imagine swimming diagonally across a huge chop with your forward arm stroking fresh air as the wave passes by and then having your head smacked by the next swell as you stick your face up to breathe.
Anyway, I got there. A bit of cross training never goes astray, does it?
Catching up.
Posting resumes after a week or two of mourning and other business to attend to.
A couple of races prior to Christmas. Readers may know I compete in walking events as well as running. Why? Good question. They may as well have walking-on-your-hands events. And the 'judges' would still disqualify you.
Anyway, on a 36 degree Tuesday evening a 2000 metre walk had been scheduled. Due to the heat, it was reduced to 1500. The relief this provided sparked me to speed around in 6:14.29 and get it over with quickly.
On the Thursday, the training group program called for a lap of Princes park followed by 4 x 150 metre sprints progressively getting faster (through each 150). A great session, different to the usual 6 x 1200 or 10 x 400 or Princes park reps.
Another race on the Saturday - the last race before Christmas - saw a 13:33 3000 metre walk.
The following weekend found us staying in town as arrangements and preparations had to be made for my grandfather's funeral on the Monday.
We took the dogs to Studley Park for a six kilometre walk from the boathouse across to Clifton Hill and back on an extremely pleasant and mild Saturday afternoon. There are miles of walking tracks and the river winds through magnificent parkland.
The dogs loved it of course, and Billy met another greyhound. Greyhounds seem to recognise each other as being similar in kind.
The following day, we ventured to the Tan (the track around the Botanic Gardens) where I ran three laps with reasonably strong surges up Anderson Street. Tracy ran two. It was a great session and very busy, people and dogs everywhere. After, we walked through the Botanic Gardens which is one of the world's great gardens, truly astounding.
Then it was time to eat, so Lygon Street on the way home for lunch, coffee and a giant walk around all the old streets of Carlton.
A couple of races prior to Christmas. Readers may know I compete in walking events as well as running. Why? Good question. They may as well have walking-on-your-hands events. And the 'judges' would still disqualify you.
Anyway, on a 36 degree Tuesday evening a 2000 metre walk had been scheduled. Due to the heat, it was reduced to 1500. The relief this provided sparked me to speed around in 6:14.29 and get it over with quickly.
On the Thursday, the training group program called for a lap of Princes park followed by 4 x 150 metre sprints progressively getting faster (through each 150). A great session, different to the usual 6 x 1200 or 10 x 400 or Princes park reps.
Another race on the Saturday - the last race before Christmas - saw a 13:33 3000 metre walk.
The following weekend found us staying in town as arrangements and preparations had to be made for my grandfather's funeral on the Monday.
We took the dogs to Studley Park for a six kilometre walk from the boathouse across to Clifton Hill and back on an extremely pleasant and mild Saturday afternoon. There are miles of walking tracks and the river winds through magnificent parkland.
The dogs loved it of course, and Billy met another greyhound. Greyhounds seem to recognise each other as being similar in kind.
The following day, we ventured to the Tan (the track around the Botanic Gardens) where I ran three laps with reasonably strong surges up Anderson Street. Tracy ran two. It was a great session and very busy, people and dogs everywhere. After, we walked through the Botanic Gardens which is one of the world's great gardens, truly astounding.
Then it was time to eat, so Lygon Street on the way home for lunch, coffee and a giant walk around all the old streets of Carlton.
Farewell Poppy.
A few days before Christmas, at age 98, a month before his 99th year, my grandfather left this earth. A tower of strength and a tower of wisdom and wit, the patriarch of the family.
He always asked me about running and then always said he hadn't run a step in his life. Yet he was healthy up until recently.
He wasn't a dog person, but loved his cats dearly.
So Christmas was subdued but a time for memories, all good. None bad.
Farewell Poppy. You went to God accompanied by a hundred million beautiful Christmas hymns sung by the world's children.
He always asked me about running and then always said he hadn't run a step in his life. Yet he was healthy up until recently.
He wasn't a dog person, but loved his cats dearly.
So Christmas was subdued but a time for memories, all good. None bad.
Farewell Poppy. You went to God accompanied by a hundred million beautiful Christmas hymns sung by the world's children.
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