There are many things that I am not very good at..... One thing that I am good at is running with dogs. In particular I am very good at running with huskies. I have run thousands of miles with huskies, covered all terrain imaginable, in all weathers and at all times of day and night.
I have trained puppies and a rescue dog to run safely around human athletes, from sub 5 minute miles to 50 miles mountain events.
I fully intend to still be running with dogs until the day I can finally run no more – if I was to believe some doctors, that was 5 years ago!!
I love seeing people learning to run and learning to run with their doggy buddies. People that would never have previously considered running are now running regularly and loving it!
When I first started running with dogs it was not common. I remember a 2-day husky rally in Exeter many years ago when my 3 dog team decided that they did not want to run on the second day. Rather than concede defeat, I unhitched them from the rig and ran with them for the full duration of the course. If only I had pulled the rig with me, then I would have finished second rather than “disqualified”! I wont embarrass others by telling you how many husky/rig combinations that I overtook on that day....!!
I have been thinking for a long time about organising a “running with dogs” event for charity. I think now is the time to put my thoughts into action...
I have two train of thoughts, one event where people and dogs race against each other over a predetermined distance.
The other idea is a little bit more special....
A team of dog running people to run the full distance of Scotland and England combined, i,e, John O'Groats to Lands' End. By road this is 868, if we were running with dogs it would be much further as it would have to be via footpaths bridleways etc.
All over Great Britain there are groups of people that run with dogs, they could all play a part in this challenge. It could be staged over several weeks or even several months. It could be like the Olympic Torch relay, bringing communities together in the quest to get from one end of the UK to the other. People could run 1 mile or 100 miles, depending on their ability and availability.
I would love to raise loads of money for charity. Every day I hear of horrendous suffering that dogs endure at the hands of humans. I cannot rescue every dog, but I would like to make a difference. I think an idea like this could capture the imagination of our nation and hopefully people would reach deep into their pockets in support.
So, where do I go from here?
I am already starting to plan the “racing” event, which will be in one location, details of which I will start publicising when I have confirmed them.
The “special” event, running from Scotland to England, will be harder to plan and will need a lot of help and support. If you like the idea, please let me know. If you have any suggestions, please let me know. I know that we can make this happen, but it will require a huge team effort.
One thing I am not very good at is asking for help. Sometimes I need to swallow my pride and ask...
Anyone think they want to be involved in either of my ideas? Matters not how little or how big you want to help/get involved. Just let me know if you “like” the idea!! Details can be sorted later...
(Photo courtesy of Ian J Berry)
