Cindy - Are you consuming anything besides fluids when doing those higher miles? What about Mairead? This a good thread that got started on Kickrunners re running with dogs: http://www.kickrunners.com/forum/showthread.php?t=36959. .

A bit...I have a "Halloween bowl" of GU's, shot blocks, sport beans & the like that we've gathered from various races/events + some I've purchased to try...also an assortment of energy/granola/protein bars & various sport drinks - Gatorade is most plentiful since TRR (!) I got some leftovers pkgs to bring home...SO! we always have something along...yesterday I had a light mix of Gatorade in the camelback (forgot to check how much I'd consumed), coupla GU's, 1.5 pkgs of sport beans & a granola bar afterwards...then I got a protein boosted Jamba Juice about an hour later...Mairead just had water & a few pieces of jerky ~ she usually hits the food bowl pretty good w/in hour of getting back...

Just FYI - My friend, Karen, gives this to Charlie before and after our runs, and she says she's seen a marked improvement in him.

Thanks for the info Leslie,this looks very interesting.Charlie is a lab isn't he? How far does Karen run with him? In all temps? I have backed off Buddy's mileage a lot lately.Mostly because of the heat and humidity but I have to admit (and I thought this would be much farther down the road) I have been out running him lately. Over long distances that is,he can still kick my butt chasing bunnies! Máiréad seems to be handling summer better than Buddy ( 18 miles is great) but I think it's cooler up Cindy's way. I have kept him under 7 miles or so,and sometimes a lot less.The temps of fall and winter will tell me a lot more.

The heat factor, more than anything else, determines how far I take Máiréad. Well, me too - to a point! Yes, it is generally cooler here than on the 'right" coast, I think. and I try to go out as early as we can manage & as shady a trail as is necessary in order to reduce direct sunlight time....So far, I haven't done anything special, other than building her slowly ~ no choice, I can't go that far yet! I plan my longer runs w/water - creek stops...others I carry enough water & a soft bowl tucks into my waist pack's outer bungee...I "free feed" all of my dogs as they have different needs & our schedule has sooo much flex to it..Pomeranians eat 3 kernels 12 X's per day! ..they seem to do well on that. Máiréad, of her own volition, doesn't eat much till after our morning run...and she pretty much lays around until we go! I am curious about the products & what kind of benefits to be gained....saved the link. Joe: Buddy will let you know when he's 'done!' they just stop! Máiréad did @ the Slacker HM...thankfully, it was about 50' past the finish line! lol! took about 5 mins before she'd let us move her to a better 'spot'... it had heated up pretty quickly & once we left the service road we were in direct sunlight for about 5 miles.... my running partner's blue heeler was completely unfazed! she chases sheep all day!.......I'm betting that Buddy may well be even more durable than Máiréad for distance...her Lab DNA seems to be sub to the Deerhound...Misty (purebred Lab) can go much further than Máiréad....anyway, cattle dogs can generally go ALL day! like Labs, they were bred for endurance.. I be a bit stiff & achey this am....have track drills @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre this eve! I'd better save my energy for that! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Rocks_Amphitheatre

Leslie: will be one year on Halloween. have to get her a doggie cake! Doug & I were just discussing last night how different she is from when we got her....much more confident - at least around us! her body position is much more relaxed & confident, she lays around the house like she owns it (one of my clients calls her "Sheba")...barks at strangers in the yard instead of cowering, although not alot & to go from life in a holding pen to 18 miles! sweet!

Aw, Cindy, such a cute pic of Mairead (how DO you pronounce that, anyway? Is it Celtic??). From Nervous Nellie to Queen of the Household and Special Running Companion, yessirree,her life's good! Jim - Whoa! Some cross-training routine you've got there, those tires you're talking about are not joke to muscle around! So many of us talk about yoga, lifting, etc...yawn....and then there's Jim with The Tractor (tire) Pull.... There's something funny going on in Fresno...every evening is cool! Finally...the light at the end of the tunnel...this was my first summer that I ran consistently all summer long, no "it's too *&%$# hot" excuses. Nothing like signing up for a marathon to keep you honest. Don't know if I told you guys...my baby brother (even if he's 6'3" and 43 yrs old, he's a baby to me forever) has started exercising, after the usual process we 40-somethings go through...uh-oh, I'm getting older, I have a spare tire, my cholesterol/blood pressure/whatever is creeping up, etc...so last month when he came to visit I casually mentioned that it would be fun to run the LA Marathon (our home town...yeah, I know, it's not a "town"...).... ANYWAY, I saw just a hint of a spark in his eye...I think I've planted a seed. Now, how do I make it grow? I'd like to push him without pushing per se...hmmm... Arla

Hi Kids- regarding the dogs- I too have had Buddy go on strike and simply lay down.It's funny because he looks at me if to say "I'm not a wimp". So I don't give him a hard time about it and use it as a time to stretch and hydrate.If I can swim him on a regular basis it really is just like fuel in his tank.I also realize that if a bunny or deer go by,all bets are off and he still has a TON of energy in him.This way I at least know that he's not overheated. Looking forward to upping his mileage as the temps go down. Good job Cindy on giving Máiréad such a good life!She's one lucky dog.And about motivating people, DW likes to get me going by saying "oh,you're too old to do that". That usually works like a charm. Leslie- Good luck with your trail run and it sounds like Charlie is pretty lucky too.Those are some really nice pace times for you and great hill work as well.That will certainly make you stronger. Arla- way to go muscling through the summer heat.You know what they say about it either killing you or making you stronger.I think you'll appreciate the cooler temps even more because of it.Good luck getting your kid brother going.Maybe if you told him that he couldn't catch big sis in a run...... Jim- who needs a weight set when you have humungous tires to toss around?!Have fun at your show. Kinda solemn day around here of course and for the whole country.Make sure you have your flags flying!!

interesting reading on Iditarod dogs http://iditarodblogs.com/news/2008/05/07/researchers-seek-to-demystify-the-metabolic-magic-of-sled-dogs/