Pumpkin Bread Batter for the Soul

by Maria Torres

My little running buddy was injured yesterday at some point during our 9 mile run, so this post is dedicated to her :) Outfitted with her new dog pack to carry our water, Sooie was stylin' for our early afternoon run.

It fit everything we could possibly need: water, treats, an energy gel, and her leash. Several people on the path laughed at Sooie because she looked so freakin' cute, but the pack is really practical too! Since she has more than enough energy left over after every run, why not let her carry some of the weight? It worked really well, and I didn't even know she was hurt until later that night.

On the car ride home I noticed Sooie was licking her lower leg, but when I looked at it I didn't notice anything. She was unusually quiet the rest of the evening and hung out by herself downstairs. When it was time for bed, I noticed a blood spot on the comforter. David held Sooie so I could get a closer look - it turns out she had a deep gash on her inner arm. I guess she was licking her lower arm after our run because she couldn't reach the spot where it actually hurt. Poor baby! She has never been hurt before, so I was pretty upset. She let David and me put first aid foam & antibiotic ointment on her without even squirming. She's such a good girl. My brother said it was past the point where she could get stitches, so we're just going to have to let it heal on its own.


I'm not sure where/how it happened, so I'm having second thoughts about letting her run off-leash. There are certain areas of the trail that are completely away from traffic, so on those parts I just carry her leash and let her run free. She always stays close by, and it has never been a problem before. The only thing I can think of is at the very end of the run, I stopped and pointed down to the river where she could go drink some water. She walked through thick brush to get down to the river, so something sharp could have been hidden in there. I've seen guys sitting in that area drinking before - maybe there was some broken glass covered up by the brush...I don't know.

It's a well-known fact that nothing makes a puppy feel better than pumpkin bread batter, so:

She's acting just fine now, but please keep her in your thoughts! And keep me in your thoughts this weekend, when I have to run 18 miles. *Gulp*

That's me modeling the wool running top with thumb holes (my new obsession) David gave me :)