Built For Speed

If you have ever done any training for a half marathon you know that there is a lot of it. My mom and I ran the 13.1 miles when I was a teenager and it is one of my favorite accomplishments. It may not be a big deal to everyone, some people run those all of the time, but I am proud of us.

My family is a family of six and many animals, one of those animals loved running more than I ever could. She was a pure-bred mutt and was the cutest thing on four feet I have ever seen. That little dog was built for speed and she knew it. Zoey was speed.

One training day mom and I decided to get a few miles in on our street and beyond. I remember Zoey watching me lace up, hoping that she would be a running-mate of ours. We were headed pretty far that day and didn't want to overheat the little love so we had to leave her behind.

"Sorry Z Girl, you gotta stay home for this one," I said to the excited dog, as she wagged her tail. I hoped she knew what I was saying, sometimes it really felt like she did. Something in her eye said that she wasn't taking "stay" for an answer.

Mom and I set off. It was a mostly wordless affair, mom isn't much of a talker on a run. Just the two of us, the open road, and heavy breathing. Did I say that I was proud of us? Truth is, I'm more proud of mom. She was never a runner, but guess who stayed beside me the entire time we trained and raced? Mom. Thank you, mom!

"Do you hear that?" Asked mom uncharacteristically between breaths.

"Hear what?" I asked surprised we had been running for about a half-mile at this point.

"It sounds like ticking." She said turning her head slightly.

I look left and right hoping to find the source of this strange sound but come up empty-handed. Something seems familiar about it though, I have definitely heard this sound before. Was it coming from behind us? I turned around to find something amazing.

If this dog had a theme song, it would have been playing on full blast. Our little Zoey Girl was running faster than I had ever seen her and she was closing the distance fast. Her little nails ticked so loud on the pavement I was afraid they were going to break off.

"Oh my goodness!" I exclaim excitedly.

"Zoey!" My mother echoes my surprise with an undertone of worry for a loose dog on the road. A feeling that I now understand more that I am a father.

The little mutt had somehow gotten loose and ran at full speed to my mother and I. Completely shocked at her tenacity we checked her paws to make sure that the pedal to the metal, half-mile, sprint didn't cause any damage. Once we were sure she hadn't hurt herself we cut the run short and headed back to the house.

Our four-legged running mate never left our side the whole way back. My little brother explained that he had taken her out to go to the bathroom a little while after we had left. He didn't stand a chance, that little dog immediately ran down the driveway and after us.

I don't know what we were thinking when we tried to run without her. The little dog was happiest when she was running beside us. After that incident, we would run with her for a little bit, bring the panting dog home, then go back out and run some more. There was no way she was going to be able to run as far as we needed to train.

That little mutt will be forever missed...