My dog can run!

(insert picture of dog here...when I want to)
We have loved Sunny. She has been an exceptionally good dog, and was potty trained very quickly. Really, she has (for the most part) been a dream dog. She's accompanied us on countless camping and hiking trips and never runs away. When the boys wander in the trees around our camp she stays right with them, never leaving their side unless we call her. She stays in the yard and has no interest in escaping. We've just enjoyed having her and knew a lab would fit into our active lifestyle better than any other dog. We were correct.
So I like to run. I like to run outside. My treadmill is not a close second and does not keep me in shape for road running. Two years ago we bought our beautiful yellow lab and named her Sunny. I was so excited to run with her, but alas you cannot do distance with dogs until they are a minimum of two years old...bummer since she was only 8 weeks when we got her. Well lately I've been sick of the treadmill and sick with a chest cold. I strictly follow the rule of "if it's below the neck don't run." One time years ago I ran on Christmas Eve with a cold and I got a nasty case of bronchitis. Lesson learned. Well my cold finally cleared up enough to run but I wanted to run outside and I have no one (unless I want to hop in my car and drive to meet people) to run with at five am. John doesn't like me running alone in the dark so finally the lightbulb went on in my brain. SUNNY!!!! She's 25.5 months old now so it is on! I put on a running belt, attached her leash with a carabiner and we were out the door about 5:05 am. I love running alone in the dark. No traffic and no one to bother me. I felt completely safe with Sunny. At first I worried that starting her with 3.5 miles might be a bit much but I wanted to give it a try. I figured about half way through she'd be dragging behind me. HA! I couldn't have been more wrong. My wonderful dog kept her brisk pace for the entire run! In fact she even pulled me just a bit going uphill which was nice. My pace has definitely slowed and I just know I'll get faster if I run with her in the mornings. There is no way I can express my excitement for having my new running partner. She even became cautious when we ran past a man in dark clothes, walking kind of creepy. Although I'm sure he was harmless, Sunny was ready to pounce at the slightest indication from me. What a great morning. Now that I know I like running with her "hands free" I need to invest in a hands free leash.