DISTANCE: 10.15 km  DURATION: 56:20

It was lucky day number two with Chester! We started our run earlier than usual so I could get away for my trip to Saskatchewan a bit sooner. The earlier time meant cooler weather and less people on the path - perfect conditions for Chester and I to set a steady pace without having to slow up for other people or stop to keep from overheating. Even with less people on the path, I kept hearing comments about Chester. A mom cycling past with her daughter yelled back “what an awesome dog you have!”. I yelled “thanks” (as if it were my dog!). Everyone wishes Chester was their dog... I heard a couple people say “awe, look at that dog!” as we ran past. Another lady whose Beagle we stopped for a visit with made sure to comment on how beautiful Chester looks before we continued running. I think Chester already knows how good lookin’ he is, but it never hurts to be told again (over and over again)! Thanks for another fantastic run Chester! Bye for now! The scoop: 2 pees, no poo.

Runner: Nathan

DISTANCE: 9.42 km  DURATION: 1:08:09

The stars aligned last night. Shortly after finding out I didn’t have to work the rest of the week, I was asked to run my old pal Chester! I hadn’t seen him in nearly two months! I was really missing him after having seen him five times a week for 7 months previously! Once he sniffed me, I saw the excitement come out as he remembered who I was. He kissed me for a while and then stood by the door knowing exactly what was to come. I haven’t been running any dogs lately and was still sore from soccer provincials last weekend. Needless to say, I needed this run just as much as Chester. I could tell right away neither of us were able to sustain the speed we used to - partly because of the heat. We ran into a dead end where a new construction project had started along the Bow River Pathway, and had to change our route from what I had planned. As we climbed the hill in an off-leash area that overlooked the downtown core, a bigger black dog left its owner and ran up to us. It appeared friendly, but as they sniffed each other it growled slightly. I warned it to be good as its owner slowly approached calling it off. I heard a few more growls and I started to continue on with Chester and I prepared myself to jump in the middle if it decided to go at Chester. No one messes with my buddy! Luckily, it didn’t come to that and we continued the rest of our run in peace. It was awesome seeing you again Chester! I look forward to another run tomorrow! The scoop: 2 pees, no poo.

​Runner: Nathan

DISTANCE: 7.94 km  DURATION: 1:00:52

I was relieved to find that my foot felt far better today than it has in more than a week. It should be back to normal by next week I am hoping! It was too hot to push it today anyways. We were making good time until we ran into a group of people out for lunch near Prince’s Island and were forced to slow down to pass. Some times having to walk a few minutes until there was a big enough clearing for Chester and me. He did so well sticking by me through the chaos today and didn’t even flinch when passing a couple other dogs! By this time, I could feel the swelling in my foot again but not nearly what it has been. It’s healing just in time as I am hoping to play in a soccer tournament over the weekend, with potentially 5 or 6 games, if I can find a way to take Bexie with me. We get to stay on the mountain in Kimberly if I end up going! See you Chester, and thanks for keeping me in shape for the weekend! The scoop: 2 pees, no poo.

​Runner: Nathan

DISTANCE: 7.5 km  DURATION: 1:30

We finally had a (slight) break from the sun today. I left Bexie at home though because I planned to do a longer run with Chester. However, my plans were thwarted when I ran into an older lady and her tiny dog a few minutes into our run, who I had spoken with in the past about DGR. I stopped to say hello and ended up chatting for half an hour about dogs, and trusting someone to look after yours while away. Chester and her little Max watched the runners go by wondering why we couldn’t continue on. Good thing, it wasn’t as hot today or we would have cooked standing there for so long! We carried on for nearly another hour to make up for the delay. I’m sure Chester didn’t mind the extra time outside! I don’t think I have ever seen Chester without a smile on his face while outside! See you tomorrow! The scoop: 2 pees, 1 poo.

Runner: Nathan

DISTANCE: 2.62 km  DURATION: 29:38

​Bexie and I took the train to see Chester again today. I just trimmed her hair this morning to make it somewhat easier for her to handle this intense heat. She was still lagging behind though as soon as we left with Chester. He dragged us forward to move faster for most of the walk; clearly he wasn’t as affected by the sun. Quite a few areas caught the attention of his nose today and he wouldn’t let up until I finally called his name and gave a slight pull on the leash. Unfortunately, I don’t have a ton of time today. I am headed to finish painting my new condo this afternoon. It looks like a cooler day tomorrow, so let’s plan on a longer run then! See you Chester! The scoop: 2 pees, no poo.

​Runner: Nathan

DISTANCE: 2.74 km  DURATION: 31:02

I brought Chester’s girlfriend along for a stroll in the park today. His family was home, but about to head out to Prince's Island without him. Good timing! Bexie ignored Chester, walking past to say hi to his family who she loves! Chester eventually got his wish though once at our favourite (shaded) park; Bexie responded immediately to his taunts and went at him with an intensity only little Bex can muster. They fought hard until Chester grabbed a large and pointy stick and wouldn’t give it up, which made it dangerous for Bexie to get anywhere near the maniac! Both dogs were panting heavily after our short walk in this insane heat! See you tomorrow! The scoop: 2 pees, no poo.
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Runner: Nathan

DISTANCE: 2.5 km  DURATION: 35 minutes

I had already walked a couple hours with a friend this morning and by the time I made it to Chester’s, my foot was in pain again. Injuries make dog running way harder! We did our best to keep on the grass whenever possible to avoid the piping hot concrete, and spare Chester’s feet. When we made it to the park (since Bexie wasn’t with us), Chester grabbed a stick and started taunting me to come get him. I tried and tried but couldn’t grab the other end of the stick. He is way too fast! Usually, he likes me to grab it and break it with him, but not today! Have a great weekend! The scoop: 2 pees, 1 poo.

Runner: Nathan

DISTANCE: 7.99 km  DURATION: 1:01:24

Bexie stayed at home today which meant Chester and I could get a good run in. It felt hot out even in the morning, but tomorrow will be a couple degrees higher still! No records would be broken today. Plus my foot was still hurting (this time on top instead of the bottom).. I don’t pretend to understand how injuries work. I’m guessing it all started when I accidentally wore my bike shoes on our run earlier in the week. Chester didn’t feel like pulling me on this run. It took all his energy to keep moving without over heating. I like when he runs beside me because I can look over and see the giant, contagious smile that’s always on his face! We stopped for a few water breaks, but Chester didn’t seem as thirsty as usual. A coat hanging beside the path in the bushes spooked him a little as we ran by. It’s so funny watching Chester get scared of nothing! See you tomorrow! The scoop: 2 pees, no poo.

Runner: Nathan

DISTANCE: 5.84 km  DURATION: 43:34

Chester was back to his usual self today. His tail was wiggling like it usually does which was a good sign. He even stayed in the entry way to get his harness on! It was a scorching hot day and the bottom of my foot was bugging me while running, so we kept it short to conserve energy for the speedy border collie I was headed to run after. We ran into our old (giant) Shi-tzu/Havanese friend we hadn’t seen since the day we set our first record a few weeks back. Last time we ran past, it tried to attack us so I kept a bit of distance but was curious what would happen when we came up from behind it. Sure enough it tried to charge at us but the owner was sort of prepared this time and did her best to hold it back. I knew it was friendly though from past meetings, so Chester and I stopped for a dog sniff and to chat. We made it home just in time for Chester to visit with his mom on her lunch break! See you tomorrow buddy! The scoop: 2 pees, 1 poo.

Runner: Nathan

DISTANCE: 7.02 km  DURATION: 1:05:14

I was warned that Chester was acting weird again today. When Bexie and I showed up he greeted us at the door but seemed off and didn’t show his usual excitement. Once outside, he appeared to be back to normal and full of energy. Maybe some fresh air and exercise is all he needed! The weather was unpredictable again today. It rained at the start and end of our time out but was nice and clear for most of our walk/jog. I stopped for a picture under the cover of a tunnel. Chester and Bexie went at it and Chester’s bark echoed loudly through the tunnel. We jogged until getting to our usual field where I unclipped Bexie so Chester could chase her and continue their brawl from earlier. Chester was jumping around like a mad man grabbing every stick he could get his teeth on... clearly whatever was bothering him earlier had disappeared! We made it back right as the rain started to pour and Chester ran inside with a ton of energy like wet dogs often do! See you tomorrow buddy! The scoop: 3 pees, 1 poo.

​Runner: Nathan

DISTANCE: 2.80 km  DURATION: 29:39

Chester’s mom, Bexie and I all walked in at the same time to greet Chester. Apparently, something was bothering him and causing him to act strange, but after the excitement of seeing us he appeared to be back to normal. I must have been distracted though, and shortly after leaving realized I forgot to change out of my bike shoes. Luckily I had only planned to do a short walk today! Chester has figured out how to force Bexie into playing with him now and as soon as we entered the grass area he lunged at Bexie, crashing into her and forcing her to stick up for herself and go back at him. We chased Bexie until she was too hot to continue. I’ll see Chester tomorrow for a solid run since it will be cooler out. I am still recovering from all of the waterskiing I did over the weekend. See you buddy! The scoop: 2 pees, 1 poo.

Runner: Nathan

DISTANCE: 5.63 km  DURATION: 1:03:51

It felt like summer again today. The start of an extremely hot weekend. Bexie and I are headed to Saskatchewan right after our walk with Chester today where it’s supposed to be in the 30’s all weekend! Perfect lake weather! What better way to tire out Bexie for the long car ride than with a walk under the hot sun with our best buddy! The path was busy again; back to normal. However, we didn’t see another dog the entire walk! I was amazed! They must all be hiding inside with the air conditioning on! We saw plenty of kids out though, now that school is out and all of the summer camps are in session. I heard a lot of “ooo doggy!” from the little kids fascinated by Chester as we passed by. Thanks for getting us some exercise before our long drive Chester! Bexie will likely sleep the entire time now! Have a great weekend and try not to overheat! The scoop: 3 pees, 1 poo.

​Runner: Chester

DISTANCE: 2.86 km  DURATION: 32:02

Chester must have heard the jingle of Bexie’s collar in the hallway, because he was waiting at the door with a giant smile, and his tail wagging. He barely acknowledged me and instead hurried straight past to sneak his girlfriend a kiss. We headed out right away for a shorter pee break. Chester and I could both use a recovery day after yesterday’s marathon of a run. My quads are still feeling slightly weak. While pacing around in the tall grass before doing his business, Chester bumped into a tall weed, turned quickly to see what it was, and immediately hopped away in a moment of panic. He must have mistook it for something else! Once we entered our usual area to play in, Chester grabbed a stick and started jumping around in circles around us trying to spark a fight with Bexie. A couple walkers nearby laughed at how silly Chester looked. It didn’t take long to get the Bexer going. I ran around with Chester chasing her to keep the action going. Both were panting heavily by the end! See you tomorrow buddy! The scoop: 1 pee, 1 poo.

Runner: Nathan

DISTANCE: 14.30 km  DURATION: 1:02:08

Even though I just picked up a burger for lunch to chow down right before my run with Chester, I was still tempted to push for a record. I left my rain coat behind and set out in the cool rain in a t-shirt and shorts, hoping that would keep me running as fast as possible. I’m sure Chester was feeling the icy mist on his nearly bare skin which made him want to keep up with me the entire time. We took a couple of small walking breaks while crossing the river but didn’t let them last long. I could tell less than half-way through we were headed for a new record as long as I could keep the pace up. Chester must have sensed I wanted to break our old record and only stopped once for a long pee. By the end, my legs were feeling heavy and even Chester seemed to be slowing down a bit, but I knew we could maintain a fast enough pace to hit 14km this time. Woohoo! Great job Chester! I hope that played this bundle of energy out for the day! My quads were cramping as soon as I left him at home. See you tomorrow! The scoop: one pee.

​Runner: Nathan

DISTANCE: 7.00 km  DURATION: 1:00:00

Chester’s best friend surprised him at the door today! All three of us were then surprised in the lobby by Chester’s family. Of course, this excited Chester and Bexie, causing them to chase each other in circles around me, showing off to all the spectators how good of friends they are! I needed to make a stop at Ruth’s place so we headed in a different direction than usual. Making it through the dozens of intersections on our way seemed to take up most of our time, but also helped us work on our leash skills on the busy downtown streets. It took longer to get there walking than I had expected, so we picked up the pace on our way home. Our jog back was peaceful and uneventful which isn’t a bad thing at all! The dogs were too hot to start up any games once we had left the air conditioned building and were happy to cool off upon arriving home. Bye for now Chester! The scoop: 3 pees, no poo.

Runner: Nathan