Who's attached to your waist?

Lately I've been running a lot. Almost all of my runs, when I'm not traveling, have been with our dogs, Payton and Bailey. They are two tremendous five year old Golden Retrievers who love fitness.

Rather than hold their leashes in my hand, I attach them to my waistband with climbing carabiners. This allows my arms to naturally swing back and forth matching my running stride. The problem, Payton is not an endurance runner, he's more like a ripped-out tank (lean and more muscular). There have been numerous runs where he slows Bailey and me down, considerably.

The easy solution would be... don't run with the dogs, or, at least Payton.  Frankly, this is not acceptable. Dogs, like people, should workout daily. The creative solution... figure out how he performs best, and, when I want to run fast use this method to help him (and me).

Through much trial and error, I realized Payton runs faster when there is someone running directly in front of us. So, when I want to run fast, Amanda runs about 10 feet in front of us, and Payton performs, every time. He works harder to keep up with her.

I began to wonder... who else is attached to my waist? Who's waist am I attached to? Rather than immediately cutting-bait, what can I do about it to create a win/win situation?

Also, another thing to consider... who's waist do I want to be attached to and who do I want attached to me? You are the average of your top five friends. I'm proud to be attached to my top five. How about you?

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