Ironman

First up, this rescue is still with us. She will leave this week.  She is a really great dog, but my dogs hate her. Its made it hard to get anything done, just watching dogs to make sure they dont fight.   She is happy and friendly. Seems to like everyone.  She doesnt read other dogs very well which is part of the problem.   They will growl  at her but she doesnt listen. She just keeps on and they they get mad. Java doesnt allow her to play with anyone. Guiness will play with her and I have to put Java up.  I dont think she has been in the house before. She can jump from a stand still unto the counters and table. Wow, I never had a dog do that before.  So she is on leash alot in the house.  I do think she will learn quickly and will turn out to be a well behaved dog.


Lou's friend had taped this poster to our door during the night. All his training buddies had signed it.

I like what the one guy wrote, "This is the worst parade ever! Get it done".  LOL

My husband competed in an Ironman distance triathlon.   Very stressful worrying about him when you dont know where they are on course. The live tracking system wasnt working.

We got up at 4am.  He had to catch a bus to the T1 site to drop off his bag of bike clothes, helmet and shoes that he will put on after the swim. We had dropped his bike off the day before.  Then a shuttle takes him down the road to the swim start. Unless I wanted to ride a bike in the dark and it was freezing out, I couldnt see the swim start.  There were 800 people doing the Full ironman. There were a total of 2500 people, so the rest were either relay teams or half ironman people.  The full Ironman start first at 7:30am.

I took this picture while waiting for him to finish the swim.

 It was freezing. I had lots of clothes on  and I was good except my toes. They hurt so bad by the time I went back to the car.  He swam the 2.4 miles in 1 hour and 13 minutes.

This is wear  he got out of the water. They had ladders down off the dock.  (I took this the day before with my phone).

He got out of the water, then people called Strippers, pull you out of your wet suit.  Then you run to the T1 (transition) site. No shoes on and on the street.  I figured between being wet and cold and then running barefoot, my husband wouldnt be happy. He always wears shoes, even in the house.

Look how happy the guy is behind Lou. Hes having a great time.  LOL

 

 

These were some of the bikes, I couldnt get them all in.

 

 

Then it took him about 10 minutes or so to change clothes and he came out on the bike.

 

 

 

Off he went. For 112 miles.  I figured it would take him about 6 hours to do the 112 miles. I tried to go further down the bile route to see if I could see him and get some pictures. But I never saw him. I did see a guy take a bad spill off the bike. He asked me if Igot a picture. I told him no. I didnt tell him I was just looking for my husband. But that stressed me out, seeing that guy fall, so I went back to the hotel.

 

Then around 2:15 his friend texted me that she thought he would be starting the run soon. So I went out behind the hotel for the run. I waited 2 hours and I never saw him. I was getting nervous. I knew if something really bad happened, they would call me. But if his bike broke or he had flats, that would slow him down.  And you could just stop at a medical tent if you were having trouble and they wouldnt call you for that. Ack.  I walked the run route to the convention center where the bike route ended. I never saw him. I waited and watched bikers come in for a while. Then went inside to see if I could find out if his bike was dropped off. But it was packed with people waiting to pick up bikes so I couldnt fine out if he had dropped the bike yet.  I walked back to the hotel, got the buddy pass that allowed me to pick up his bike and two bags of clothes.  Then I got a text that someone saw him at mile 1 of the 26 mile run. Walked back  to the convention center and waited in line for the bike. Then to the next line for the bags.   Then I went back to the run route and waited for a while because they come back that way after  mile 13 but it would be a while, so I took the bike and stuff back to the hotel.   Waited some more, then his friend texted me he was on his way back pass the hotel. So I went outside and waited.

 

 

I took these pictures while waiting.  I finally saw him. I asked him if he was ok, he said no.  But he looked ok. His color was good and he was running strong. So I figured he was ok but tired.

 

Then waited some more, about 2 hours. Then went to the finish line. I wasnt going to miss him coming over the finish line like last time.

 

 

 

 

 

He did it!!   13 hours and 47 minutes.

Rescues and Marathons

 This very nice person I know runs a rescue.  She needed this dog picked up from a shelter and fostered for a couple of weeks. She is at the Can Am flyball tournament and then is going to USDAA nationals.  So I said I would do it.  I have to say, I knew it would be hard but I didnt realize how hard.  This dog is awesome and will make someone very happy.  My dogs are being snots.   She is happy and wants to be loved on. She is a quick learner.  She is small , Im guessing around 17 inches. The vet thinks she is about 1 years old or maybe a little less.  She has been playing with toys ,mostly inside. She is distracted outside  but I think that will change. Im not sure if she is house broken or not. If I take her out about every 30 minutes, she doesnt have accidents.  Ive had her since Monday and she has had two accidents in the house. So thats pretty good. I think she looks like a border staffy.  She is a very neat dog. She is getting use to a crate and sleeps all night in one. She does jump up on me a lot but Im working on that. I clipped her nails and she didnt care at all. (she was better than my dogs).

Today we drove down to Myrtle Beach to see Stephanie run a 1/2 marathon.  It was rough driving 3 hours down and then back again but so worth it.

Stephanie knows how to have a good time at everything. I should learn a few things from her. LOL

 The medal was cool. It has a big magnet on the back and a beer bottle opener at the bottom.  (hopefully she doesnt need that. LOL)  It was freezing or I guess I should say I was freezing. It was 60 degrees but cloudy and windy. Right at the end of Stephanie's race the sun finally came out. Yay!!.  Afterwards we took her and her friends out to breakfast.  Yay Stephanie!!

Another trial, another day.

This has nothing to do with the trial.  Friday I finally got to take my dogs out onto the island at the river. The water was low enough. Probably not low enough for my dogs liking but we could cross. The only thing is having to watch for snakes as I walk through the island to the rock. There are now lots of leaves on the ground and my heart races all the time Im walking through.  Guiness was very happy. They only place I let him off leash because Im pretty sure he wont swim though the water to get to the other side.

Miley always squints when was are outside in the sun taking pictures. The left eye almost always closed. But this week  I have seen her squinting that left eye 3 times in the house. The last time the yesterday before the trial.  Im going to get it checked this week. I wonder what is wrong. Someone at the trial thought she looked funny jumping on our last run, jww.


Yesterday I went to an outdoor trial. I only entered one day. I dont think I told you this but my husband took a job in Bamburg, SC.  He leaves on Monday and comes back Friday nights.  So I dont get to see him much. So one day at a trial leaves Sunday for me to see him.  My son lives with me, so Im not a lone but sill feels lonely sometimes.

First up was T2B.  Miley's run was crazy but not to crazy. No running around the ring.  Java I  was planing to get almost to three and I was going to be on her right side and then push to the a-frame. But once I started leading out, I was getting nervous she might break, so I released so I wouldnt reinforce breaking a start line stay. So because I released her I had to RC 3 and then RC the aframe.  She dropped a bar turning at 9. I thought it might have been because the grass was wet but I think she just turned to tight  and took the bar down.




Next up was Master standard.

Not to many Qs on this course except the 8 inch dogs.  I worked the 20's and 24 inch class and not to many got the ending. A few slower dogs and one freaking awesome border collie that ran. Actually 19 is marked wrong, he changed it to the opposite side.  Most people , including me, tried to wrap it and the dogs didnt wrap. They jumped turning toward the tunnel and then took the wrong tunnel entrance. Miley got it but I think I was just lucky.  I only two 12 inch dogs Qed.  I was having a great run and then cued the wrong end of the first tunnel. Ack!!  Then coming off the table, she went up the aframe. Hmm???



Every time I load video from my ipad to youtube, the video quality goes to crap. Whats up with that??  Im loading it in high def.

Java's run, I really felt like she was committed to jump #9 and I started to move laterally. It pulled her off. Crap. Same thing at 15.  I guess I need to work on that. Also , we didnt get the end. But she stayed at the startline, had good contacts. Didnt fly off the teeter. So lots of positives.




I watched this lady run her border collie. She was having a nice run. Then her dog came off the teeter and went straight to the tunnel. But she cued that. She went pass the teeter and was facing the tunnel entrance. Man was she mad at her dog. I felt bad for him. It wasnt his fault. She downed him in a mean voice and then took him out of the ring. I was so mad. I wanted to yell, it was your fault, you cued the tunnel. So she walked back to her friend and her friend told her. "you cued the tunnel. You never turned your shoulders"  She was taken back and said "I did?". But it was like she really didnt believe her friend. Then she just walked away. Never paying any attention to her dog. Ugh!!!


Last up was JWW.

Both times I was so close to qing.  Miley had a very nice run. It felt good. Someone told me she was jumping funny. I didnt see it when running but when watching the video, she is kinda collecting up before jumping. Hmmm??



Java's run, I felt like I was just struggling for every jump.I was pushing in to much and pulling just slightly to much and then would have to redirect. She was unsure of where to go and head checks me a few times and slows down. Ugh. But several people said it looked really good, and I was thinking how horrible it felt. So with Java, I really tried to pull to get her to that last jump before the tunnel. She did pull in but didnt take the jump but took the correct tunnel entrance.





Once again after running AKC , I feel bad about myself. I know there lots of little awesome parts but it sure would be nice for it all to come together. Then I got to thinking, if I died no one is going to say, "man to bad she couldnt Q in AKC".  LOL  Thats not something people will remember, at least I dont think so.  They will probably remember my crazy runs with a fast , happy little sheltie. Or how Java was not a fast dog, but after all that hard work she became a fast dog. And that she always left the rings happy with her dogs no matter how bad the run went.  And my dogs certainly arent going to be thinking, "To bad we never Qed with her  at an AKC trial".  LOL, no they will probably miss playing with me and going to the park for walks. Going to the beach and running and having fun with just me being around. So who cares if I never double Q, or get to go to AKC nationals. No one but me would remember that anyway.

What the ???

 

I was suppose to go the LCDA  to a USDAA trail today. But Ive been struggling with being just so tired.   I had decided a few days ago to forget it.  Its my favorite trial. One ring, USDAA and the classes are small and things move fast. But I just couldnt do it.  Plus is sunny and 90 today. I probably wouldnt have like that to much.  Java needs more work too after last weekend. Leaving the start line and flying off teeters.  So will just work on those things.

Took my dogs for a nice morning walk. Cool in the morning and not to many people there.

 

I was trying to get pictures with the wild flowers in the back ground but things just didnt come together.

 

 

Love these things!

 

 

 

Im not sure why but Guiness has been eating dirt for several weeks now. At home and at the park. Very weird.  He digs a hole and starts eating dirt. I guess Ill have to take him to the vet.

 

 

 

 

We had a club meeting on Thursday. I had to go because I had to give a report on the agility trial. Also we were missing the chains that hold the tires. They were put into a  tool box but I guess it was the wrong one. That box went to the building and not the field. So I figured I would go get it. I went to the back of the building and this is what I found.

 

What the ????  Why did they do this?  So needless to say, I cant get to anything. Someone was complaining that they couldnt find the chute. Well I guess not. Its in the back under all this crap.  

No sure if I can deal with this mess.  I took a few things out and found the chains. The chute is all the way in the back at the bottom. Im not pulling all the out. Not sure why the club would want to spend 6000.00 on  jumps and then treat them this way.

 

Then  I went to the field last night to work  my dogs and found this.

Someone built a standard course and left everything out. They are suppose to put the tunnel, tunnel bags, chute, triple and broad jump back in the shed. We use those things at trials and putting them away makes them last longer. Now to set up what I want to work requires me to put all their stuff away. I was pissed. What the heck are they thinking??  I just moved everything to the side and set up what I wanted and then left.   Im just tried and I think that maybe its time for me to quit.

In my class this week some of the people took their previous classes with someone else. That person taught them managed contacts. So they just want to slow their dog down to get them to hit the contact. I talked to them about it a couple of weeks ago and why that isnt the best idea. So they asked me again  this week.  Im not going to argue with you if you need a contact criteria or not. I dont care, its your dog and you have to run them. I cant be in front of my dogs because they are running, so if they dont know the criteria for getting the contact, Im screwed. But I told them they can do what ever they feel is right for them.   I feel like Im the only one who has trouble running their dog. All of them run with their dogs, so it doesnt matter what I set up , they can run it. Even if their cues are late or they dont cross in the write place ect.  See, maybe its time for me to quit teaching for the club.