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Mmmm mmmm - as much as I like licking the salt off of Dad's face after a long AZ run, I have to admit he is too salty! Yucko! I went to Runner's Den yesterday and purchased my parents two Runner's Den visors. They have a really great sweat stopper on the inner lining. No more burning eyes for the parents and no more super salty kisses for me. Perfect. I also signed Mom and Dad up for a REI credit card. With each REI purchase they get 10% back in REI credits to use. They love that store. Don't tell anyone, but they often go to REI and just walk around on the weekends for something to do. That is what they call entertainment. A far cry from the old partying days for sure! Check out my picture below, it is of me showing Mom and Dad how cool their new hats are. I was licking my lips because I than tried to eat the hat after I took this picture, I can't stop myself, I am a lab.

Happy Birthday Dad

This is a picture of me taking care of my Dad after our morning birthday run!

Cross Training..

Last year Mom and Dad made the mistake of not doing any weight training or cross training. Mom got servere ITBS and could not run for weeks. Dad ended up having lots of foot problems. Now that I am their coach, I am changing that. Each week I have them both lifting weights twice a week and doing one day of cross training. Tuesdays and Thursdays after their run I shuffle them into the weight room/office and make them do their excercises. It is important that they stay strong so they can keep up with my energy. Although I do have to admit, when mom was riding the bike today, it was tough for me. I wanted to be out there running so bad, but knew it was best for mom to build her leg muscles and do some cross training. So, I just stared at her and walked around her about 20 times hoping the time would go by faster. I feel that if she knows I am there for her while she rides, she will keep it up. I can tell Mom feels alot better including weight and cross training into her regimen. She has been able to keep injuries at bay and feels really strong. Gosh, I am a good coach! I also do strength training myself which includes pulling my parents along the trail, chasing after dogs and holding items in my mouth - such as socks and paper really tight so that Mom cannot get them from me. Yeah, I am pretty buff.

They really love me...
Just a quick update, this past weekend heaven was built in my backyard. The parents say I have two weeks until I can go out back ...oooooh, I am so excited. I keep imagining all of the rolling, running and eating I will be doing!!

Deep thoughts by the Big Yellow Bus
My parents are so into their shoes, as I mentioned before my mom loves her Asics and my dad loves his Brooks. But, I have to tell you - I came built in with the best running shoes of them them all. Sure, cougars and leopards can get up and go, but we basically wear the same treads and I bet after training for this big 50k, I'll be able to out-hike those hoity-toity, big-game cats any day.

LABS ROCK!!!

It may seem like all I talk about is the heat, but if you wore a fur coat 24/7, you would understand why it is always on my mind. Today we ran at 5:30am and it was already 90 degrees!!! Yikes!!! That is really the hottest I can run in, even then it is pushing it. Mom is like - "Timber...drink your water.....Timberrrrrrr...drink your waterrrr" - hee hee, makes me giggle. She is such a worry wart. Dad hasn't been running with us most of the week due to the fact that he has been prepping the lawn for something. Maybe he's putting in one of those green lawns like the one that I pee on nextdoor? Right now the soil is tilled and cool and has some tastey treats mixed into it. The bag reads, "forest compost" or something like that... but who's got time for reading when there's so many new scents to submit to memory. Laying on cool tilled dirt is how I like to roll when it's 110 outside. Now if I can just get dad to spill some beer on the porch, I'll be in hog heaven.
L8R peeps - Keep on keepin on - I think I just heard the pizza guy ring the doorbell and I just love the smell of pizza in the evening as I chase that poor sucker back to his humie-hauler before mom has time to tip 'im. Ahhhhh, the life of a dog....sweeeet!!!

Feeling hot - hot - hot....

I can't wait until it cools off so we can get on the trails. There are so many great trails in the Phoenix area. South Mountain is right in our back yard and still has a few secret areas that the general public does not know about. We have yet to explore much of the Estrellas but plan to soon. Our favorite trail though is in the White Tanks - it is the Radio Tower hike via the Goat Trail. It is just under 8 miles, but includes a steady climb all the way to the top which is great for mom and dad's legs. Plus, it is gorgeous. It is Arizona desert at its best. We have even been lucky enough to see a group of deer just off the the goat trail. What a sight to see just 45 minutes from Phoenix. We only recommend this trail be done in cool weather. There are large ravines of boulders throughout this hike that radiate heat from the sun, making it extremely hot. Mom and Dad learned their lesson the hard way....as did I....gulp!
Speaking of heat....mom and dad love me so much that they are finally putting in a backyard. They spent all day this past Saturday outside in the 100+ degree weather raking, tilling and putting in top soil to prepare for the sod. If that isn't love, I don't know what else is.
I am off to go sniff around. Too da loo!

Nothing like lounging on the tile after a hot Saturday morning run!
Hello Buddies! Our run was great this morning, I pulled my parents along the entire way. My parents love Saturday runs, they kick off the weekend just right. The only problem was the heat. It was so darn hot outside and since dogs don't sweat like humans, I need to be careful out there. We are going to start getting up earlier in the mornings. My parents are always very cautious about not letting me over heat, but if we run before 6am we should be in the clear. Now, I am going to have to be even louder in the mornings to get them up! But, they agree, we will now run at 5am. Score!!!!! Little do they know, I will now start trying to get them up at 4am! Oooooh, I love it!
Dad started off with his arch hurting him again this morning. However, once he got warmed up, he started to feel good. He really likes his new Brooks Dyad 4 shoes. Mom has her eye on some new trail running shoes. She is looking at the Vasque Velocity . She needs a good motion control shoe as she overpronates. She really likes her road shoes, the Asics Gel Foundation . She has been wearing Asics since running on the cross country team in high school. If anyone has any recommendations for trail running shoes please comment!
Okay, enough about shoes. I had mom take some pictures of me after our run so I can show everyone what I look like after a hot run in AZ. Notice the fan and the cool towel around my neck. After a run, I just feel so fresh and happy!


Check out my cool watch!




I feeeeeeeeeeeel good!




From the movie Tommy Boy......"Luke I am yourrr faaathhher"




This is me being silly!




Have a great weekend everyone...get out there and enjoy life!!!

The parents are away, now I can play....
Good Morning my fellow adventurers. So, I have this new game......every time mom opens her sock drawer, I dive in.....take a sock and run away. She then has to chase me all around. She now tries to ignore me when I do this, but before you know it....there she is saying...give...give...give...finally I drop the sock and the game is over. I don't understand why she doesn't think it is fun. Personally, I love it.
Mom and Dad both got new shoes last night so Dad was able to join us on our morning run. It went well. The talk around the house is all about trail running now. I have 8 months to coach them into shape. They already have a pretty good base and each week we will just slowly increase the mileage. Once it cools down a bit, we will be able to spend longer amounts of time on the trails. We plan to get in lots of trail running and steep hiking. I truly can't wait!! Tonight, I will make sure they lift weights. Alright, folks, time to take my nap. Happy trails to you!

Ahhhhhhhhhh - how lucky am I? Another cloudy "cool" day in Arizona. Just my mom and I ran today. Dad's arch is hurting him, he definitely needs some new shoes. It was nice to run with mom though. I could tell she was feeling good. She said she had a "runners high". Hellooooooooooooooooo, I get that everyday. But, she was pretty happy about that. It was sprinkling outside, so we took a deep breath in and ran like the wind today - enjoying every moment of it. A cloudy day in Arizona is rare, so we like to take advantage of it when we can. When we got home from the run, the kitchen was sparkling clean. Turns out Dad cleans the kitchen if he doesn't run in the morning. I told mom not to get any ideas as I like when dad comes along on the runs - and she does too. Well, over and out for now. Until next time my friends....keep living it up!

A Perfect Run for a Perfect 4th of July!
Happy July 4th everybody!!! Today I got my parents up at 6am for a lovely 4th of July run. It was actually quite nice outside as the clouds were covering the hot... hot... hot sun. I think we all felt pretty good though. Mom is recovering from a hip flexor injury and today was the first day she could run without feeling any twinges. Dad needs new running shoes, so he was hobbling a little. We have not gotten into the nitty gritty training for the 50k but, I know each week we are going to run and hike longer and longer and I will just keep getting happier and happier. Have a great day everyone!! I am off to beg for some treats!

Trail running, hiking, biking, camping - that's me!

My name is Timber and I'm a yellow lab! I will be updating here often to tell you about the adventures of my mom and dad. They are currently training for their first 50K run and I will be joining them on all their training runs. I am pretty much their coach. Bright and early I sit by their bed and stare at them until they wake up. I purposely make noises and scratch myself all over in hopes they will finally get up. Once they do, I run straight for the door. I am ALWAYS ready for a good run. Stay tuned to hear all about our adventures as a family on the trails of Arizona.