“TAZ!!!!”  I screamed, as I watched my little French Bulldog slip over the front of my stand up paddle (SUP) board and disappear beneath the surface of the river.  Frantically searching the water surrounding my board, I just about panicked when she did not surface.   I instantly dropped to my knees and reached down beneath the surface of the murky turbulent water and grasped her firmly by the collar and hoisted her back onto my board.   I had read that French Bulldogs do not swim.  I did not realize that they sink.  I fully expected that should she fall into the water, that she would surface and then perhaps flounder around a bit.  I had seen her attempt a doggy paddle before.  I really did not expect the sinking like a stone. I cannot adequately express just how disconcerting it was to see my little bundle of joy sinking deeper into the green waters of the Columbia.  Moments before her untimely dip in the river, Taz had been standing on the front of my board, her front legs perched precariously on the lip.   I had tried to encourage her to sit down, but well, her being a bulldog and all, she is as stubborn as ummmm, well, a bulldog.  As I watched her standing there,  face into the wind, it made me think of Leo Dicaprio and Kate Winslet, arms outstretched on the bow of the titanic. My little tazzie, obstinately standing on the board, her little head held defiantly forward and  turned into the wind. I had imagined her thinking, “I’m queen of the world!”  I had been meaning to purchase a life vest for my little girl, and now after this fiasco, there will be no more paddle boarding for frenchies without one.

It was stiflingly hot when we arrived at the lake house, we opened all the doors and windows in an attempt to bring down the ambient temperature.  We took the dogs down to the beach for a swim and a walk. As evening descended,  thankfully,  we were graced with a cooling breeze.

It was about 2:30am when the light show began in earnest. The electrical flashes were bringing daylight brightness to the room. I could hear the thunder rumbling in the distance. It was about 3 am when my little frenchie decided to have an anxiety attack. Normally the lighting doesn’t bother her, but there is a glass door in the bedroom that was giving her a dog’s eye view of the vibrant flashing lights in the sky. She scratched at the covers, wanting to be lifted onto the bed. Once there, she commenced pacing. All the while staring out into the night sky. I finally had to remove her from the bed, as she refused to settle down.  She scratched at the door, and I dutifully stumbled down the stairs to let her out,   Either she finally settled down, or I just succumbed to the fatigue of the day, and sleep finally took me in its grasp.

Staying fit for me involves active play during my days away from work.  It also involves not giving in to lame excuses to be lazy.  I refused to succumb to the lack of sleep, the heat, and the humidity and as such, our weekend at the lake boasted a very full itinerary. I woke up Saturday morning, full of energy, which given my lack of sleep the night before was kind of surprising.  I was getting ready to go for a run. This wasn’t just any run, but one that I had failed at miserably earlier this spring. Amazingly,  I was actually excited about giving it another try. Wow! As I laced up my running shoes,  I kept hearing an obnoxious noise in the vicinity.  Are they fracking nearby? Drilling a well? And then it got closer.  Freaking guns. Apparently the neighbors have more ammo than good sense.  I have a little anxiety heading out to run in a heavily wooded area when the nearby residents are pumping hundreds of round of ammo into lord only knows what or where.   I finally just put in my headphones and blocked it out… ready or not, here I come.

Saturday’s run heads straight up a hill near the lake house. It is a steep hill, and it is steep for a long way… right about two miles of constant uphill.  When I had attempted this run earlier in the spring,  I could only make it about 25 or 50 yards before I would have to slow down to a walk, gasping for breath and fighting the dry heaves.  In the intervening months,  I have been training hard. As I set out, with the lofty goal of reaching the top without walking, truthfully,  I didn’t think I would be able to make it. Wait for it… but I did! My friend had told me that it was three miles from the cabin to my turnaround point. My running time to the top of the hill was so much faster than I expected it to be, that i made him get in the car and clock it with the odometer. Holy crap! It really was just exactly 6 miles for the round trip! Truth be told, I am absolutely tickled with how much measurable progress I have made.  Again, today, I am a runner!

Splashfit Sunday
 Run 4.25
 50 fitband squats
 50 fitband squat rows
 50 knee up crunches
 50 rear leg raises 
Plank series 7.5 minute amrap
 30 seconds effort 15 second rest
 Elbow plank
 Plank to T stand
 Shoulder taps
 Crab grabs left
 Crab grabs right
 Repeat

I started my Sunday with a great run and a workout (see above).  We finished our weekend with a long stand up paddle (yes, the one where I almost lost my dog), and an even longer kayak trip on the lake.   Exhausted, I tried to keep my eyes open on the car trip home (no, I was not driving), but the fatigue over took me.  I do have vague recollections of the story being piped into my ears via audible.com and the flashes of lightning in the distance.   It’s great to get away for the weekend, but there is no place like home.