There are certain things in our Universe that when combined form a sum much greater than the parts. These two are perfect marriage of fun and function.
Why oh why didn't I do this sooner? Why?? Diogee is a Healer mix and is the smartest and most energetic dog of the pack. He is sensitive to other dogs, so the dog park or open space isn't a great option for him because he can't always run freely. The longboard is the perfect solution to give him a chance to stretch his legs and me a chance to carve. Superior is a planned community of which most aspects disgust me thoroughly, but it does have lots of well maintained bike paths which are perfect to longboard on. Diogee and I can go any number of routes in the maze of bike paths and neighborhood streets.
When we first start our skate Diogee pulls hard and with a purpose so I try to pace him so he'll last for the duration of the ride. He quickly figured out to stay out off the front of the board and my signals on which way to turn. I give him a little leash tension in the direction I want to go and he leads me that way.
I love the feeling of carving down the path and the shocked looks of the soccer moms as we cut across the street in front of them. I'm sure I've set a bad example for the kids in the neighborhood, but that's half the fun. The biggest problem I have is going too fast. It's downright scary at times and the only way I know how to slow down is to plant my foot on the pavement in short bursts. I've had to bail into the grass a couple times because the foot technique didn't work, but I'm learning. I always hold the leash with an open hand so I can release Diogee instantly in the event I crash, I wouldn't want to take him down with me.
We average about 10mph, it's a good speed for him and I make sure to slow the pace at times so he can sniff and mark along the path. At 10 mph with stops we cover about 3 miles in 20 minutes. It's a great and efficient work out for him and a fun pastime of my youth for me. What a perfect way to walk the dog!
Training Update:
I was pretty wasted from yesterday's ride and it was cold and snowing today. I decided to do a recovery ride and spun in the gym for 45 minutes at a constant heart rate of 145 beats per minute. I hate spinning indoors and 45 minutes seemed like an eternity, luckily I had a couple Simpson's episodes downloaded on my Ipod to keep me entertained!
3 comments:
This is my favorite post ever... my two most favorite boys are in it!
You should think about building a proper harness for thr dog and take the pressure off the neck, it can be bad for them. I taught my daughter to ski behind a husky golden retrever mutt that loved to pull. Great fun.
I don't let him take the full weight of me on the board for that reason, but I am going to get him a harness to improve the connection to the leash. I think it'll reduce tangles.
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