Ultra Dog

The end of our 30.25 mile run, the start of Wildwood
This was mine and Susan's 8th year running Wildwood end to end to celebrate our birthdays, but this year we included Cedar. The full Wildwood trail is ~30.25 miles which officially makes Cedar an ultra runner. Most humans don't run 30 miles, let alone dogs. Cedar is a German Shorthaired Pointer, a breed that was developed in the 19th century in Germany for hunting and also known for being able to run long distances. But just because a breed is known for running doesn't mean every dog is capable of it. 

nom nom

21 miles done time for a treat

One could say that Cedar has been in training for this since I adopted him in March, he has gone on almost every long run with me and Susan since then. We ramped him up slowly and despite his protest kept his runs short durning the heat in the summer. He has his own running pack for carrying water and treats; Ruffwear's Single Track, which he loves. His longest run until 2 months ago was 20 miles, which I thought was enough, but we would get home and he would still be full of energy. He is 6 years old, I am afraid of how much energy he had as a puppy!! 

my 2 favorite runners


So we took him on a 22 mile run, then a few weeks later a 25 mile run. He was tired for a few days after the 25 mile run but other than that he was fine. We debated on taking him on a 30 mile run. I read a lot of things online, but what it came down to is knowing your dog. We decided that if he started slowing down, limping, etc we would cut it short and have my husband pick us up. 


Well I under estimated Cedar, he had more energy in the last 4 miles of the run than either of us. We decided he is a better ultra runner that us, but being a first time ultra runner it took him longer to recover that it did for us. He lounged around the house for 5 days after the run, but on day 6 he was super annoying and followed me around the house until I took him on a run. 

gimme that vegan jerky

2 minutes later he is sleeping


He is taking it easy this weekend and only going on a 15 mile run. 


He is not allowed on the bed, but after his bath and 30 miles we won't tell dad. 














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