safety valve
I went running with Archie yesterday. it was the afternoon and when I left my house it was in the mid-eighties. It was the mid afternoon, the hottest part of the day but it was long slow run day so I figured we would take it easy and be fine.
We drove to the park. It was very warm but for some reason I kept thinking that it must be the same temperature as at our house on the other side of the ridge. we got out and got going. it felt so hot. I was going very slowly up a hill that I felt I should have been able to run up. My skin was burning in the sun and Archie was tracking to every spot of shade he could find. He did not resist when I soaked his undercoat with water, a sign that he knew it was dangerously hot. I thought that my fitness was much lower than I expected. I has to stop running and walk and I was getting nauseous, a sign of heat illness.
Fifteen minutes into the run I decided to bail out to a downhill, shaded trail. I didn't have enough water for the conditions, I was feeling sick, my legs hurt. the biggest reason was Archie. self care is hard, pushing and sometimes even punishing myself can be too easy. if I said I would do eight miles and I don't do eight miles there is a lot of doubt and abuse I can throw at myself. But I will not hurt my dog. I love running with him and the thought that he might be hurt made my choice to turn back easy.
Know I have a model for self care. Would I do this if Archie were here? Would this be safe for him? How would Archie do this? he is a master at descending tricky slopes, sticking to the shade,
running at a sustainable pace in hard conditions, and he is loyal. not a bad role model.