In the past we’ve often celebrated the New Year by going for a good long walk, but this time we hauled ourselves and our sleepy Beaglets out of bed extra early to go do a parkrun at Strathclyde Country Park. This is a different venue from our previous parkruns, and it looks set to be our favorite. For one thing it already has a small but dedicated core of cani-x runners, but over and above this it has an almost ideal course for running with dogs; most of the route is flat and straight with a wide band of grass running alongside it – perfect for overtaking – and the half-way point is clearly recognizable so it’s much easier to pace yourself.

Lining up at the start with my Biggly Boy, I had high hopes for a personal best, but as the starter noted, PB or not all runners were guaranteed their best time of the year so far! It was very exciting, and with Biggles, exciting equals noisy. I did my level best to keep his baying under control using treats as a distraction, and as the last piece of bone shaped biscuit disappeared into the black hole that is my boy’s stomach, we got the “go” signal.

He took off like a rocket, while I took off like a rocket with an ignition problem and a fuel leak, but between us we managed to overtake a fair number of other runners and find our place within the pack. We kept the pace up despite a few patches of ice, and when one of the marshalls offered us a lucky dip from a huge tin of Quality Street, we both resisted temptation.

As we came down the home straight I looked for the little tent that marks the start and end of the race, and when I finally spotted it, it seemed to be a good couple of hundred yards further away than I remembered. This is apparently a common experience for runners at Strathclyde; the organizers insist they don’t sneakily shift it further back during the race to prolong the torture, but I have my doubts! Regardless, we eventually we caught up with the evasive tent, crossed the line and took up position to watch for Susan and Beanie. We didn’t have long to wait – the two of them finished strongly and I got the distinct impression that we’d all be getting personal best times!

The start of the race. With all that grass alongside the track, it’s easy for cani-x runners to run as wide as they need until the pack thins out

Me and the Bigglet slowly moving up the pack!

Susan and Beanie on the outward leg of the course

Many thanks to Ross Goodman and Andrew Jeske for these fine mementos of the run. You can see more pictures from the Strathclyde parkruns on Flickr here and here.

When we got back home, we had a hefty dinner (steak pie & veg of course!) and crashed out in front of the telly, rising only to check the parkrun site for our times. When they appeared, it was PB’s all round: 24.06 for me and Biggles, and 32.19 for Susan and Beanie!

Biggles gets a well earned nap

Beanie hears the camera and strikes a suitably princess-like pose

But she can’t keep it up for long

Biggles reacts to news of his personal best time

What a great way start to 2011!

Since there are so few proper Cani-X races in Scotland at the moment, we’re supplementing with Park Runs – organized, timed but free-to-join 5k runs around parks. Dogs are allowed so long as they’re on lead and well controlled, and Beanie & Biggles – despite all their faults – are actually really well behaved on a run with other people to follow.

This morning we went along to a park run in Glasgow, and against all odds got to run in sunshine. It still wasn’t exactly dry – the paths we were running on were waterlogged from the gales and monsoons of the last week – but this unexpected gift from the weather gods was certainly appreciated, and there was a good turnout – well over 200 runners.

Things started well for me and Biggles; I’ve been doing a bit more running of late and I felt pretty good as we headed off. We overtook lots of people – which Biggles loves – and we looked set to improve on our previous time, but then as we reached the half way point I felt a grumbling from down below. From my abdomen that is, not from Biggles. It started off as a polite request from the bowel department, but in the space of a minute it turned into a demand at gunpoint! When I spotted a break in the trees, I had no choice but to leave the path to go do what bears do in the woods.

In a way it wasn’t entirely unexpected; earlier last week Susan and Biggles had been hit by a tummy bug (funny how human and doggy illnesses often coincide!) and it was probably only a matter of time before it claimed me as another victim. It was pretty embarrassing though – I mean you expect to have to stop running occasionally to deal with a doggy number two, but not with one of your own! Anyway, there I am, squatting on my imaginary throne, hoping to stay hidden in the trees, when Biggles realizes that the other runners are passing him by. Being the Bigglet, his immediate response was to start baying at full volume, unwittingly doing everything he could to call attention to my misfortune! Thankfully no-one responded and we were able to return to the course without being arrested, though all hopes of getting a decent time had been dashed.

Susan & Beanie’s run didn’t go too well either; Susan’s calves cramped up early on and that severely limited her pace. Little Beanie did her best to help though, and as they approached the finish Susan managed a sprint to the line alongside another runner and her dog:

So it may not have been our best park run ever, and it was memorable to me for all the wrong reasons, but at least one half of our team got to finish in style!