2010 Dog Run #2

Isis and I completed our second run this year: 4 mile Pace Run. To my surprise, she's getting a more accustomed to the runs very quickly. I thought it would be weeks before she even wanted to hit the road. And, keeping up with me today was surely a challenge considering I held an 8:42 minute/mile pace over 4 miles.

We had a few memorable moments. Of course there was the unspeakable, unplanned bio stop about 1/2 mile into the run. There was also a squirrel siting which prompted a sharp tug on the leash within the last mile of the run. The pull was so great she nearly dragged me from the street onto the sidewalk. We survived, thank goodness, with less than a mile to go. I thought I would have the strength to give a big "push" for the last 1/2 mile. However, knowing Isis was still not quite in shape, I decided to just keep a steady pace.

Tomorrow, I will do an interval run. On Wednesday Isis and I will do a 3 mile easy run - her third run this year!

Hump Day Tempo Run

Today's Tempo Run was just what the doctor ordered: a fast run to get me through "Hump Day"! We started out with a nice 1 mile warm-up (three times around the block). After that, I looked at Isis and said, "You ready to go?" She kind of looked at me like she knew what was next and had already begun to pick up her pace. We ran the next three miles at 8:05 minutes/mile although there was strong urge to run faster. Subduing my need for speed, we slowed to the cool-down pace until we reached the house.

I didn't see many exercisers out this morning which was a surprise. I usually see a half-dozen or so runners and walkers. Today I saw only 2. Oh well...
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The Beginning of A Challenging Week

Another busy weekend that was way too short is now history. The good news is I got in my long run. The bad news is I had to move the long run from Saturday to Sunday which means I'll do over thirty mile Sunday through Saturday. Well, I'm up for the challenge!

Sunday's Long Run
It was a late night Saturday with the neighbors (who would give up the opportunity to hang with adults when your kids are gone for the week!) Even with 6.5 hours of sleep, I was enthused to hit the road on a cool Sunday morning for my Long Run. My goal was to do 8 miles. About a mile into the run, I to change the route so I could see different scenery.

Well, the view was great and the run was going great too until I got the 7 mile mark and realized I had to be more than a mile from home. About 10 minutes later would discover that I was not 1, but 2 miles from home. No big deal. It wasn't hot and didn't have any strong biological urges. I finished the run strong with a 9:08 minute/mile pace.

Monday's Easy Run
Of course I'm thing that I'll not feel ready to do an Easy Run Monday morning. I slept in an extra thirty minutes to ensure I'd gotten enough rest. No soreness or stiffness meant I'd be able to finish my 15th mile in two days with no issues. After a slow 3 laps around the cove to allow Isis ample opportunity to potty, I was ready to run 2 miles out and 2 miles back. This was a thinking run. I thought about my vacation, outstanding to do's, household chores, and a little bit of work work. By the time I ran out of things to think about, I was almost home!

Summary
Last week @WillRunzForFun ran 15 miles and biked 3.4 miles in 2:25:50 while at a 9:08 minute/mile pace per run. I burned nearly 2100 Kcal too!

Total Time	Avg Time	Max BPM	Avg BPM	Avg BMI	Dist. (miles)	Avg Dist. (miles)
2:25:50	0:36:28	166.7	142.0	25.0	18.4	4.6
Total Kcal Burned	Avg Kcal Burned	Max Pace	Avg Pace	Max Speed (mph)	Avg Speed (mph)	Total Workouts
2091.2	522.8	6:30	7:30	10.4	10.8	4.0

Week 32 Runs

This is the second full week of training for the Calumet City Half Marathon. I'm starting to really enjoy these slower runs. This will be a heck of challenge week (33 total miles):

Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
REST	Easy	REST	Tempo	Easy	REST	Long
9.0	5.0	-	5.0	5.0	-	9.0

Tuesday and Friday will be running rest days. Isis will accompany me on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday!


Monthly Goals
I finished July with 94.2 miles and I've run 14 miles this month. I "Will" make it to 100 miles in the month of August.
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On My Way to 5x Runs

I just knew it was going to rain this morning when I stepped outside.  The clouds were thick and gray and I could smell that "rain is on the way" smell too. Well a cool morning Easy Run is cool with me, especially without the precipitation!  Nothing feels better than running when it's about 50º to 60ºF outside.  Isis was tame today, so I almost added a few miles to the run.  But, oh, that would put a damper on this weekend's 8 mile long run (this old man needs his rest).

I will be registering for my next half marathon soon - as soon as I can get my hands on the registration form! I'm looking forward to adding a 5th run to my training program the week of August 10.  The easy runs are great...the feeling after the run is even better.
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What? I'm Running Too Fast?

After a brief vacation from my blog, I'm back on the scene recording my running adventures. I took some time off to reflect on some needed changes in my running program. For the past few weeks, I've been running way too fast which made me very tired and unwilling to run a few mornings. Now, that might sound like a problem that's easy to solve: just run slower. However, I have sincerely tried to go slow on my runs with little success.

Once I start running, it seems to be very difficult for me to slow down to 8:30 minutes/mile or higher. That's especially true now that I have new 5K, 8 mile, and 10 mile personal records that are in the 7:30 to 8:00 minutes/mile range! All things considered, I know I can run a half-marathon 15 minutes or so better than my 2:00:44 personal record. After consulting with a triathlete and I've decided to start a new half-marathon training plan with a goal pace of 8:05 minutes/mile.

I've created a 10 week training program using the SmartCoach tool at RunnersWorld.com which technically started the week of 7/20/09 although this will be my first full week (it's a 10 week schedule which ends on 9/27/09.) Today's run was an easy 5 mile run at a pace about 1.5 minutes above my half-marathon goal. I had not run below 8:30 minutes/mile in a long time and believe me when I say that it was a struggle to stay at 9:30 minutes/mile. However, it was well worth the hassle because I felt a lot better during my recovery period and Isis was more willing to run at this pace.

And, yes, I plan to run another half-marathon on 9/26/09. By that time, I should be ready to run a 8:00 minutes/mile or faster!

Summary
Last week @WillRunzForFun ran nearly 26 miles in 3:33:06 while averaging 6.4 miles and a 8:23 minute/mile pace per run. That allowed me to burn almost 3300 Kcal again!

Total Time	Avg Time	Max BPM	Avg BPM	Avg BMI	Dist. (miles)	Avg Dist. (miles)
3:33:06	0:53:17	167.3	150.0	24.9	25.7	6.4
Total Kcal Burned	Avg Kcal Burned	Max Pace	Avg Pace	Max Speed (mph)	Avg Speed (mph)	Total Workouts
3266.4	816.6	7:16	8:23	8.3	7.2	4.0

Week 31 Runs

This is the first full week of training for the Calumet City Half Marathon. I feel great already after just running one day of the program:

Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
REST	Easy	REST	Speed	Easy	REST	Long
-	5.0	-	5.0	5.0	-	8.0

Tuesday and Friday will be running rest days. And, I'll give Isis a break on Wednesday since she will likely not be interested in running sprints and/or doing speedwork. She will accompany me on the Long Run at the end of the week!


Monthly Goals
I'm at 81 miles this month with just a few days left, so 100 miles probably won't happen. I'll target a hundred for next month!
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Sleep Magnet

Today's mission for @WillRunzForFun: complete a Fartlek Run.

Getting out of bed in the morning has been a major, major chore for the past few weeks. This morning was no exception. Even though I ate well yesterday and rested for an hour before going to bed at a good hour (10pm), the bed was a magnet when the alarm went off. The thought of not running today was enough motivation for me to jump out of bed again. I feel much better now that the run is over. I wonder how many times I can use that trick to jump start my body in the morning?

I started the run way too fast and most certainly offended Isis. She didn't want to run today and I didn't want to walk her a 2/3 mile back home when she outright refused to go any further. I compromised by allowing her some extended "i-Time" in the woods. I let her sniff around for a few minutes while I defended myself from the mosquitoes (yes, I was wearing OFF! and yes-squared, it was ineffective for the most part). Thank God I have the dog on heart guard medicine or else this could be an ugly, unhealthy summer for her.

The Farltlek Run went well. We did about 8 strides (speed bursts) for 20 seconds or so at ~7 minutes/mile. It's a scaring feeling when you slow down to 8:00-8:30 minutes/mile and feel relieved (I still think of 8:00 minutes/mile is a very fast pace even though it is easier for me).

I signed up for the Run for Freedom 5K in Homewood this Saturday. Normally I would do a long run on a Saturday, but I really need to get in some races if I plan to do a half-marathon this Fall...
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Long Weekend..Long night

Today's mission for @WillRunzForFun: complete an Easy Run.

Make no mistake about it: I did not want to get out of bed this morning! Saturday was a long day (see A New Personal Record). And, Sunday was equally busy: 8:15am - dropped off youngest son at practice; 8:30am - went to grocery store to buy more meat for lunch/dinner; 10:15am - go home, marinate meat and grab a quick breakfast; 10:40am - drive back to park and talk to Coach John; 10:45am - drive to Joliet to pickup the nieces from the Amtrak station; 11:25am - drive back to the park to watch the remainder of practice and pickup my son; 12:15pm - take my son and nieces home; 12:30pm - fire up the grills and cook meat for dinner because I won't have time to cook before 7pm; 3pm - catch the last 90 minutes of my middle son's game; 4:30pm - walk a block to see my youngest son's game; 7pm - go home, feed the dog, get ready for dinner; 9pm - make lunch and try to wind down while watching the BET 2009 Awards.

I could not take myself away from the television until 10:30pm or so and I knew better! When I got out of bed at 5:30am, I had that feeling you get when you think you just closed your eyese and really hadn't slept at all. A compromise was enivitabl even though I had to run. I told myself I'd sleep until 6:40am and then head out for the run. Of course, I did not want to get off the couch at 6:40am. I also knew I could not fit in a run this evening since my son has his championship game this evening at 6pm. Thank goodness the dog was willing to run with me or else it could have been worse!

We started slow and finished strong...ready for the Wednesday Maintenance Run now.

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Staying Hydrated in The Heat

The more I run, the more I learn about running under various conditions, picking the right gear, choosing the best foods, and keeping my body hydrated. RunnersWorld.com recently posted the article Natural Solution that discusses the best drinks to take when its hot outside. I had heard of the benefits from a few drinks mentioned such as Iced Green Tea, Cherry Juice, and PowerAde ION although I would not have guessed some of the drinks would be on this list. I'm ready to try the Iced Grean Tea and a few others. Read the article and enjoy!

Today we finished a 4-mile Fartlek Run with a 8:07 minute/mile pace. It was hot again, so I needed to stay as cool as possible (wish I'd had some of the Green Tea too!) At I hit the 2-mile mark, my legs felt heavy and my chest was burning a bit. I wonered why and then I rememberd that I forgot to drink my PowerAde before I left the house! It was a mistake although it didn't cost me too much. I just had a strong desire to finish the run.

Prior to the 3-mile mark, a guy runs across the street and tells me to be careful because he'd just seen TWO coyotes run from behind his house to the other side of the street. He also said the coyotes were bigger than Isis. I was concerned about the coyotes and decided the last mile would not be a slow, cool-down mile...it would be 2 really fast Fartlek intervals!

The weather forecast calls for rain on Saturday, so I may do the Long Run on Friday if I can get some rest today.
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Heat + No AC = OMG!

Today's mission for @WillRunzForFun: complete a Maintenance Run.

Today's run was another scorcher.  TheWeatherChannel.com indicated it was about 80°F when I rolled out of bed this morning even though it has cooled off a bit (rain is in tonight's forecast!) I forced myself out of bed knowing I hadn't slept well the night before.

Last night I learned that the AC units on the main floor and upstairs floor were non-functional.  I won't go into the details because it would only make me angry again.  Needless to say, the last 4 nights have been torturous trying to sleep when the house is well over 80°F.  We have ceiling fans, although they've done little more than blow hot air.  I'm praying to have a whole-house cooling solution in the next day or so.

The run was typical except that I stopped for a few minutes at the 3 mile mark.  The dog was panting hard and I was drenched, so I just stood on the corner and watched cars pass.  My pride was also too high for me to even consider a walk back home.  We turned around and ran all the way back home without a stop.

I'm noticing more people are out doing something these days, even in the heat.  I'm not sure why this is.  It could be I've just started to notice other runners, people are realizing the benefits of running, or some other reason I've yet to consider.  Either way I think it's great to see runners, walkers, and bikers - young and old.

Tomorrow I'll have to get up the energy to do a Fartlek Run...
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Here Comes The Heat

It's the beginning of the week and Mother Nature is making it clear this will be the hottest week of the year so far. The temperature started to rise on Saturday and with the rain the night before it was quite humid. I got out for my usual end-of-the-week Long Run a bit later than planned (I wanted to hit the road by 6am although I procrastinated for an hour!) I headed in the opposite direction for my long run this time to mix things up a bit. The idea of running more than 8 miles came and went as the sun beat down on my head after mile 4.

I finished strong and vowed to get my rear-end out of bed earlier on my long run days. The fact that I spent 9 hours grilling for my wife's graduation party made the day fun and extremely draining for me. Oh, I was also surprised to learn that both air conditioning units are blowing warm air. My prayer is that they need to be recharged and not replaced. Needless to say, the remainder of the day was hot, hot, hot!

At about 4:30am today, I heard thunder and watched lightening light up the sky. I just knew one of the kids would come running in the room, but that didn't happen thankfully. My wife reminded me that the windows needed to be closed, so I jumped out of bed and spent the next 10 minutes closing windows. That being said, I knew I'd get no sleep the next 30 minutes or so. I should have just gotten out of bed but it rained pretty hard until 5:15am or so. The good news was that the rain stopped long enough for me to get in a good Tempo Run. I ran a little slower than what I'd hoped. For my next run, I think I'll wear a short-sleeved shirt. It's just too hot for Under Armour Heat Gear these days!!!

Summary
Last week @WillRunzForFun ran 22 miles in 3:05:36. I averaged 5.5 miles per run and held an 8:23 minute/mile average pace for the week. That allowed me to burn almost 3000 Kcal:

Total Time	Avg Time	Max BPM	Avg BPM	Avg BMI	Total Dist. (miles)	Avg Dist. (miles)
0:42:05	0:42:05	164.0	150.0	24.8	5.0	5.0
Total Kcal Burned	Avg Kcal Burned	Max Pace	Avg Pace	Max Speed (mph)	Avg Speed (mph)	Total Workouts
637.4	637.4	7:25	8:25	8.1	7.1	1.0

Week 26 Runs

It's summer now which means it will only get hotter. I'll keep the same type of runs but I must dress cooler:

1. Monday - Tempo Run / 5 miles
2. Wednesday - Maintenance Run / 6 miles
3. Thursday - Fartlek Run / 5 miles
4. Saturday - Long Run / 8 miles

Tuesday and Friday will be running rest days. I have another busy week: a 4 hour meeting on Monday, practice on Tuesday and Wednesday, a baseball team party Wednesday night, nieces in town on Friday and a softball tournament Friday through Sunday, I can do this!!!!!!!!!!!!

Monthly Goals
I've run more than 74 miles through the month of June. Since I got a new battery for my Polar RS-200, I've noticed that I run a bit slower. That may be due to the heat or it may be due to inaccurate readings from the previous battery. This week I will do another 24 miles which will put me over 100 miles for the month.
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I Just Floored It

Today's mission for @WillRunzForFun: complete a 6 mile Maintenance Run.

When I left the house, I decided to take the same route as last week's 6 mile run so I'd know exactly how far I ran. Since the footpod wouldn't register my speed & distance, I just floored it. I know I pissed off the dog; she acted like she wanted me to slow down a few times. I just kept running periodically assuming I was running too slow. Since I've been running without music the past 2 months, I'm able to keep a good pace while listening to the rhythm of my footsteps (I count 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and repeat).

At the 3 mile mark, I knew I was on pace to average about 8 minutes/mile for the run. I finished with an 8:08 minute/mile pace which was very good for me on a 6 mile run. I didn't look at my watch more than a few times because I knew I wouldn't see the distance and that would make me more angry.

I saw that group of people sitting on the park benches at Millenium Park. Seems like they were a part of a study group...perhaps Bible study or school.

I have got to get my HRM watch fixed! For the past 3 runs, my footpod has gone in and out which adversely affected my distance, pace and speed measurements. Usually when this happens a new battery fixes the problem. I replaced the battery on the footpod a few days ago and a month before that and still the watch can not keep a good connection with the footpod. I'm neither ready to buy a new footpod or a new HRM. I checked on the prices of the Garmin Forerunner 405 (the HRM watch I'd buy next) and it's still out of my range - from $265 - $350 on Amazon.com. Oh well, I guess I'll go to plan "B" - re-run paths of known distance.

I'm ready for Thursday's 5 mile Fartlek Run...
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Keeping Pace with A Full Schedule

Yesterday's run was a major, major challenge. When I got out of bed it was dark, cloudy and a light rain was already in place. I thought my biggest challenge would be fighting with the dog in the rain since Isis is not a fan of water (not sure if she's got some feline in her). The other challenge was a mental issue for me: I was in the middle of coaching my daughter's softball team in a tournament and I knew we would play two more games later in the day.

Once again I told myself the run had to be completed and the dog and my legs complied. The rain got heavier about 3 miles from the start as we pressed on keeping a good average pace at 8:23 minutes/mile. A half mile later, Isis forced a bio break which was actually well-timed because we were near a school in a low-traffic area under trees which kept us both dry. As I passed Coyote Run golf course, I saw my youngest son's baseball coach. I was surprised that he saw me and waved from his cart since golfers I pass are usually focused on their game and nothing else.

The back half of the run was a breeze - seemed like we ran downhill most of the way. With 2 miles to go, I felt as strong as I did in the first 2 miles. I considered upping the run to 9 or 10 miles when reality set in and I realized I would be out in the sun for hours coaching.

Btw, the softball team did well this weekend. We went 4 and 3 and came within a play of being a top seed going into the championship round. We also came within a play of going to the semifinals. Go Bobcats!

Summary
Last week @WillRunzForFun was challenged to fit in a bike ride although I met my goal to run at least 20 miles. I averaged almost 6 miles per run and held an 8:21 minute/mile average pace for the week:

	Total Time	Avg Time	Max BPM	Avg BPM	Avg BMI	Total Dist. (miles)	Avg Dist. (miles)
	3:13:21	0:48:20	167.8	154.8	24.9	23.1	5.8
	Total Kcal Burned	Avg Kcal Burned	Max Pace	Avg Pace	Max Speed (mph)	Avg Speed (mph)	Total Workouts
	3044.1	761.0	7:07	8:21	8.4	7.2	4.0

Next Week's Runs

Next week's schedule looks like this:

1. Monday - Interval Run / 5 miles
2. Wednesday - Maintenance Run / 6 miles
3. Thursday - Fartlek Run / 5 miles
4. Saturday - Long Run / 8 miles

Tuesday and Friday will be running rest days. With this weekend's barbecue and another softball tournament in Naperville, I will be challenged to get in a bike ride - even a ride to work.

Monthly Goals
I've run more than 47 miles through the first half of the month. I'll continue to work in bike rides once or twice a week to help strengthen my legs.
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A Wet Birthday Run!

In 2008 I did a 3.2 mile walk on my birthday and thought I was doing pretty good.  A year later, @WillRunzForFun and Isis finished a 6 mile Maintenance Run on my birthday this morning (Jeff Galloway's article "Extend Yourself" describes a Maintenance Run).  The run almost didn't happen because, just like yesterday morning, it was a little wet outside.  And after I strapped up my Mizuno Wave Inspire 5's and let the dog do her thing in the yard this morning, I noticed the battery on my footpod was dead. That would have been a disaster had I started the run and discovered mileage wasn't being tracked (it's happened before!).

We took it easy but still made good time again (PACE MAX/AVG=6:50/8:29 min/mi; HR MAX/AVG=165/151). For some unknown reason, Isis wanted to do a lot of sniffing in the woods about 3/4 mile into the run.  A 10 minute doggie pitstop would normally be ok except that the mosquitos were in full force and I just couldn't handle all the swatting and the annoying bites.  Thank God my dog knows when to just "let go" when I'm frustrated.

I saw a few runners who were making good time.  I also saw a few people who were sitting on the benches at Millenium Park for about 15 minutes or so - not sure what they were doing.  My guess is they were going to run or walk later.  But, I passed them at the 2.5 mile mark, doubled back through the park as usual at the 3.5 mile mark, and noticed they were still sitting there staring at each other. Maybe they didn't have any motivation to walk or run? 

I'm ready for Thursday's 5 mile Fartlek Run...
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Time for New Shoes!

On Friday @WillRunzForFun bought a new pair of Mizuno Wave Inspire 5 running shoes from The Human Race.  It took me about 40 minutes and 8 different models to decide which shoes were right for me.  The Adidas Supernova Sequence shoes that I bought last August worked well and I could have purchased another pair for less money than the Inspire 5's.  This time I decided to try a different brand to see if there is much of a difference. 

After running Saturday and today, the Mizuno's are holding up well.  I seem to be running a little faster and I feel better too.

Next Week's Runs

Last week we ran 18 miles with an average heart rate of 152 bpm and an average pace of 8:40 minutes/mile. My ultimate goal is to add a rest day, hence the schedule is modified for four runs instead of five.  Here's the schedule:

1. Monday - Speed Work / 5 miles
2. Wednesday - Easy Run / 4 miles
3. Friday - Speed Work Run / 5 miles
4. Saturday - Long Run / 7.5 miles

Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday will be rest days.  If there's lightening on a designated rain day, I will run on one of my rest days.  Otherwise, I'll I will ride my bike to work on Tuesday and Thursday!

Monthly Goals
I logged 73.2 miles in the month of May which was less than what I planned.  Even though I will be running fewer days in June, I plan to average 20 miles per week which should get me closer to 100 miles for the month. There's a 5k run in Homewood on July 4 that I will probably enter since I'll be in town.
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The Science of Running

For the past few weeks @WillRunzForFun has experimented with his running program. I've been working with my dog, Isis, who is now able to run up to 6 miles in one day. It took much practice for both of us: she had to get up her endurance and I needed to understand her body language, i.e., when she needed to stop, slow down, or just not run. We are now able to run 4-5 times per week together which keeps Isis well exercised.

I've also experimented with early morning runs again - as early as 5:50 am. I am typically up by 5:30 am and out the door by 6 am with the dog. Since I have a new work assignment, the goal is to have a consistent running schedule for my sake and for the dog's. Last week we ran 5 consecutive weekdays; next week we will rest on Wednesday and add a Sunday run.

Next Week's Runs

Last week we ran 21 miles with an average heart rate of 150 bpm and an average pace of 8:39 minutes/mile. Here's next week's schedule:

1. Monday - Easy Run / 3 miles
2. Tuesday - Easy Run / 4 miles
3. Thursday - Easy Run / 4 miles
4. Friday - Long Run / 7 miles
5. Sunday - Easy Run / 4 miles
   

Wednesday and Saturday will be rest days to give my body an early rest and prepare for a long run.

Monthly Goals
I've run about 55 miles going into this week and target 75-80 miles for the month. To my surprise, my feet or legs do not hurt even though I desperately need a new pair of running shoes. I plan to buy new shoes in the next month or so. I'd like to get a pair of orange and blue shoes. Haven't narrowed down a brand yet!
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Fat Burn Run with Isis

Isis and I finished a slow, 5-mile Fat Burn Run through the park in 47:44 (a 9:32 minute/mile pace).  This was the longest run we've done so far.  Isis took bio breaks after the 1st and 2nd miles. When we made it to Leavitt Park at the 3 mile mark, she found a spot in the shade, laid on the ground, and looked up at me as if to say, "Get used to this pal because we ain't going nowhere for a while!"

Well, she got up after a few minutes, took a drink and started to sniff everything in the park.  She sniffed and I followed for 5 minutes or so before we started back home for the final two miles.  To my surprise, she never stopped until we got to the 5 mile mark!  And, we when we walked thru the door, Isis drank a bowl of water and collapsed in her crate.  My guess is she will be there for the rest of the day.

Oh, in case you wanted to know, a Fat Burn Run is a slow run that's well within my min/max heart range.  It's not too long and not too short.  My Fat Burn Run pace today was probably close to my marathon pace.  I guess I'll have to run a marathon to prove that theory!

First Run with Isis

Today, Isis and I had our first run together: 3 miles in 27 minutes with an average HR of 141 BPM. That was pretty good considering we had to make a poop stop and a potty stop. We've been practicing runs in the backyard for the past few days. And, I've taken her on several mile-long walks since we adopted from the South Suburban Humane Society on 4/11/09. Isis is an American Pit Bull Terrier or possibly an American Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Both the APBT and ASBT are descendants of the English Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Most people can't tell the difference between an ABPT and an ASBT. Since Isis was adopted, I have no idea what her true breed is. They only way to know for certain is through DNA testing.

Isis runs well on a leash although she needs a little work. She tends to be distracted by other dogs, smells, birds, etc. However, I expected a lot of distractions at this stage of our brief relationship. I'm pleased that she trotted along with me today, even though both of us could have gone a little faster. I'll keep working with her until we are able to run optimally.