Life In The Old Dog Yet

L races again this morning, taking her hangover on the bus to the Long Eaton 5 miler. Where she proves my point that alcohol is the perfect sports drink and clocks a great time. Particularly impressive with yesterday’s 10k still in her legs. For some reason though she can’t face the free post race Marston’s Pedigree.

She gleefully informs me that there are cakes, a decent t-shirt and a goodie bag which contains chocolate rather than just hair and shower products like yesterdays. There was nothing to eat in yesterdays goodie bag at all and a rubbish polo shirt. I knew I picked the wrong race to do and what’s more she having to eat her goodie bag all on her own. This is very irresponsible of me.

I’m at a dog show, of course. This doesn’t start well as Doggo misses the penultimate jump on his first run. MD though does lovely first run, not clear but still really good, quite smooth. So hoping we’re on a roll, I go straight over to do his next one.... Ah, nope, we’re not on a roll. That was rubbish. Just like an England world cup performance. Well perhaps not quite that bad.

Then later, he puts in another excellent run, regrettably one pole down but he’s only five seconds behind the winner which is good. That’s the closest we’ve been to being on the pace. Progress.

Then, not to be outdone, Doggo puts in two excellent runs. Both clear. His last run was particularly good. He looked quick and he was. Three seconds off the pace of the winner, this is really good for us at this level and checking back it’s actually his best for a jumping course at this grade. Unfortunately it only bagged us 8th, one place outside the rosettes. My father offers his congratulations and the observation that there’s life in the old dog yet. I’m just not sure if he means Doggo or me.

So four super runs from the two boys, yet nothing to show for it but still I’m pleased. At least I get home to find that L’s saved me something from her goodie bag.

Then in the football, a team finally puts in an impressive performance. Of course it just has to be the Germans. Cue horrible premonitions of them going all the way again.

(Sunday 13th June)

It’ll Be Alright On The Night (Maybe)

I’ve been dreading going in the car this week but I knew it would be unavoidable at some point. That day has arrived and yes, the traffic was awful.

My knees are still a bit sore so I make use of the sachet of joint aid, or whatever it’s called, that they slipped in to my goodie bag on Sunday. It’s quite a pleasant drink actually. Whether it does any good or not is another matter.

It probably ought to be me taking L to the romantic film this evening rather than Daughter, as it’s our anniversary today, but never mind, I’ll make it up to her at the weekend. I shall take her somewhere romantic on Friday, like the Plough... with the dogs, she’ll like that.

I think tonight’s film is a good one to have avoided to be honest. It’s called ‘Leap Year’ and it’s a romcom, so you can deduce the entire plot from just those two bits of information and save yourself some money.



I have a vital Crufts training session tonight but first its MD usual class. What starts out as a bad session turns into a good one when it is pointed out to me that the reason he’s cocking things up big time tonight is because tonight’s course is mainly anticlockwise, meaning he is on my right. When going clockwise, he’s fine, as he’s on my left. So something to work on there.

There are no such positives in Doggo’s training session later, as we practice for next week’s Team Agility event at Crufts. The four of us in the team try various different sequences, e.g. who runs first, second, third etc without any of them working. So we return to plan A which means Doggo and I will again run first, just like last year. None of the dogs seems to get on together tonight, which does not bode well. I’m sure it’ll be alright on the night, maybe.

My specific problem was that Doggo just didn’t seem to like having other dogs around him on the start and finish line at all, which when it’s a team relay is kind of unavoidable. This has never bothered him before. So I think its best that he goes first, then he might not realise it’s a team event, until it’s too late.