The Three Coconuts

At an age when dogs should be slowing down, Jessie started running every training mile with us. We run on dirt roads and less travelled country roads with very little traffic, but she was always very aware of cars and never in the way. She stayed close to you but never in front of you, or crowding you during a run. If you went the usual routes she'd hang back and wait on you to turn around, then she'd rejoin. Many days, she ran more than once as Blain, Tyler and I were on different schedules. She was slow to get up, showing her arthritis, and generally looked old... until someone walked out in run shoes (yes she knows the difference), then she'd bounce around like a puppy again. Sometimes, especially during the heat of the summer, we tried to make her stay home but she evaded most plans for entrapment... even though they were in her best interest. If she got too hot she'd lay down in the shade or wet ditch by the road and wait for the sag wagon. If you ever made it home from a run without Jessie, you got the car and went back for her.

In 2007 Jessie trained for her first marathon... with both Blain and I. I have no idea how many miles she logged that winter. When we ran our half marathon, and our marathon we trimmed little tufts of Jessie hair and pinned it to our numbers during the race. She did the training and it was the closest we could get her to actually doing the races. The hair tufts did generate some questioning glances, a few got brave enough to ask, and they seemed to understand. After Ironman Florida the masseuse working on Blain asked about the hair, and he shared Jessie's story. She teared up and began talking about a special dog in her life. Consequently, Blain was still on the massage table, when I crossed the finish line. How lucky we are to have animals in our lives, and to have had so many that have affected us, taught us, inspired us, loved us and somedays even saved us.

Jessie is now 14 years old. She lives in the house in front of a fan. She needs help somedays to get up, but she still makes all the short runs. She knows the routes and does a little more waiting... a little less covering ground. She can't hear the cars anymore, and requires alot of watching over. She runs near you, often touching which she never did before. We discuss the dangers of letting her come on the runs, but can't justify taking them away from her. Honestly, somedays we have to touch her to wake her up, just to make sure she's still alive. But everytime we think she's down for the count, we just put on our run shoes and then try to beat her to the maiilbox.......HA!...at 14, still undefeated.

Why would we write about this? Well, because as usual you can learn as much about whats important from animals as humans. It's OK to find your passion late in life, and persue it with great joy and reckless abandon. It's not OK to try to take something away from someone who loves it... even if you're think they're too old to do that anymore, or it's not safe. The key to staying young is to have something you're wildly enthusiastic about.

Aloha,

The Three Coconuts