Woof Woofington

Shut Up and Live!

Blimey! I don't know what has happened to the Mistress but since she has recovered from bronchitis, she's been on a mission to get fit and she's been dragging me with her. This morning's walk was just too much like hard work.

The thing is, yes, I am a dog and yes, I have got a lot of energy. But I'm not that young...this year, I'll make it into my seventies (dog years) so I just can't hack the pace anymore.

But somehow the message isn't getting through (ok, I don't help myself when I run off because I have found a tasty snack) and now someone called Marian Downs is saying you can all live longer if you...exercise. A lot.

"Shut Up and Live" is the title of her book (available on Amazon.com, no less) and according to her local newspaperhttp://www.thedenverdailynews.com/?page=details&id=6345&t=Archive in Denver, Colorado (yes, home to Dynasty!), Marian is an all round superwoman. She may even put Alexis Colby to shame:

" This sort of achievement is nothing new for Downs, a pioneer in child audiology for 60 years, who stays fit by lifting weights, playing tennis, skiing and yes, skydiving!

"Downs, a three-time Senior Olympic Gold Medal winner, has developed an ideal workout for aging baby boomers.

"That regimen, coupled with Downs’ optimistic ways, has kept her mind and spirit as fit as her body.

Now Downs wants to share the health and help youngsters in their 60s reach the century mark."

Wow! Dr Marian is also a pretty incredible doctor http://www.mdhcfoundation.org/marion.htm.

So, if, like me, you think you may be past it at a certain age, think again because you can read what Marian has to say. I fear the Mistress will now be trying to find the canine equivalent to inspire me...

Woof Woof

PS Don't forget to vote for me in the 2007 Bloggies http://2007.bloggies.com/ - I'm in the Best Kept Secret section!

Just What The Doctor Ordered

We haven’t seen The House of Tiny Tearaways because our home is child-free but friends of the Mistress have told her it is THE programme to watch – regardless of whether or not you have children. Apparently, it’s about out-of-control little darlings who have to spend time in a house with child behaviour expert, Dr Tanya Byron. And Doctor T sorts them out.

Now I’m no expert on children – although we dogs can be VERY wise – but I may have just the answer for those naughty nippers! Oh yes. And it’s a combination of two things – a dog and…walking!

Clever or what? And what makes me so sure of this solution? Well, according to research published by The Good Dog Campaign (GDC) www.gooddogcampaign.co.uk, dog owners are three times more likely to go walking two or three times a week as a family than people who don’t have dogs.

And what do out-of-control people need? Routine, routine, routine. And exercise. And what about unconditional love to boot? A dog will provide all of these. And more! It’s a win: win situation!

The findings are part of wider research about family-friendly dog walks in the UK.

I’ve written at length about my love of London – the Mistress takes me all over the capital and it is SO dog-friendly (particularly snack-wise) most of the time – so I was intrigued to see what got chosen as the top 10. Sadly, London didn’t get a look in, which is a great pity because millions of people (adults and children) and thousands of dogs live here! I think I will have to lobby these groups and show them just how fantastic London can be! Even for walkers – human and canine!

Anyway, the vote-winners are:

• Branston Waterpark, Staffordshire – All the family can enjoy this park with beautiful views of the
lake and many bird watching areas.
• Fort Victoria, Isle of Wight – Steeped in history and information, coastal walks and nature trails provide a fun outing for all the family.
• Horsell Common, Surrey – Open common land with superb footpaths. It was made famous by H.G. Wells and the landing of the aliens in “War of the Worlds”.
• Llanelli Millenium Coastal Park, South Wales – The coastal park’s biggest land reclamation project attracts 500,000 visitors a year.
• New Forest District Woodlands & Beaches, Hampshire – Walks through forests, woods and beaches, spotting cows, pigs and ponies running free in the forest.
• Oxford Island, Northern Ireland – A fantastic location providing great walks and facilities for all the family.
• Rutland Water, Leicestershire – Walk through the woods and hills enjoying an off-lead area, play parks, rock climbing, a butterfly area and bird hides.
• St Ann’s Well Gardens House, Hove – Provides a bit of the country in the middle of city, taking you down winding pathways and past ancient trees.
• Tiverton to Holcombe Rogus, Devon – A great family walk along a canal, through woods and farmland.
• Worden Park, Lancashire – Located in South Ribble, Worden Park extends to 63 hectares with many interesting features including a well-equipped play area.

I think Dr Tanya Byron sounds like a dog lover to me so I hope she’ll consider my suggestion seriously. Who knows, we could be watching Five Tiny Tearaways and Fido Go Mad in .... (you can fill in the appropriate walk above) in months to come? What do you reckon?

Woof Woof

Build It and They Will Come

Yes, indeed they will. All 16,000 of them! What am I talking about? Well, the Playtex Moonwalk, of course. Playtex City, as it has been named, is being built in Hyde Park right now and it will be the start and finishing point for 15,000 women and 1,000 men all wearing bras and planning to walk a marathon or half marathon in aid of breast cancer. And it’s going to be an awesome site – Playtex City. I know because we walked past it this morning. The Mistress chatted to the builders whilst I hunted out some snacks. Well, you’ve got to try, haven’t you? This made all the workers laugh out loud. A lot!

Anyway, with less than a week to go, the team of three is down to two. So the Mistress and her friend will be making their way around London in their pink finery, wondering why they didn’t just go out clubbing instead?! But hey, it will be worth it in the end.

So, to all the Moonwalkers out there, Good Luck. It may be tough – I predict tears and tantrums along the way – but it will be totally worth it in the end. And I am going to be waiting for her when she crosses the line. The organisers are very strict about supporters NOT clogging up the area but the Mistress’s other half has promised me he will ensure that we are there, no matter what!

Personally, I just want to see what will be inside the goody bags at the end; if there aren’t any food rewards, I shan’t be happy! But maybe I can model her medal and look cute!

Woof Woof

Halfway there...just

So, our training for the Playtex Moonwalk (www.walkthewalk.org) continues and Mistress tells anyone who wants to listen that I am just the motivation she needs while she learns to powerwalk in the park. Apparently, the longer walks have to be interspersed with "speed sessions", which should now be...a mere 7 miles!

She and her pals have a goal of 5 mph (that's what the organisers recommend) but, at the moment, the Mistress and I are only managing 3mph, which will make her marathon walk a 9 hour session. Too much say her pals. So now she is panicking.

In the meantime, today we walked 13.5 miles (well, 13.75 to be precise) and by the time we got home, it must have been 14. We walked with her friend who ISN'T doing the walk - mad or what - but she says it's great exercise and a great way to see London.

We definitely saw quite a few runners and walkers en route but not many dogs...

London - for me - consists, mainly, of three places - Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, Hampstead Heath and Richmond Park. Of course, the Mistress takes me all over zones one and two when she has meetings but mainly it's the parks and/or tubes. The bus is too risky when so many drivers now refuse to take dogs. I wouldn't mind but I am so NOT any trouble...

Anyway, today we walked to the City of London. The Mistress wanted to try out the Race for Life route (www.raceforlife.org), as part of this half-marathon madness.

Apart from the obvious - tall buildings and empty streets - the only thing that struck me about the City was its rubbish. And it's a different class of rubbish altogether, let me tell you. Not a snack in sight. There were no KFC remnants - I can spot a chicken bone a mile off - no half-eaten sandwiches, no crisp packets, no cakes, muffins, apple cores, banana skins or slices of bread (all of which I find where WE live) - no, it was just lots of empty champagne bottles. And I'm really not kidding. Pink champagne, regular champagne - in fact, any kind of champagne. Clearly someone had had a good time.

So, in short, what can I conclude? On a Sunday morning, the City of London is a great place to practise your running and walking - it gives you peace and quiet in the middle of the capital - but it is absolutely useless for snacks.

I hope we're sticking closer to home from now on.

Woof Woof