"No Dogs Allowed on the Beach".....but we are such rebels...

I understand that the panhandle of Florida boasts some of the best beaches in the world.  I also understand that we as citizens want to do everything in our power to maintain those beaches.  But what I guess I am confused on is how we are letting oil seep onto our beaches but yet we can't allow our dogs to make a few footprints in the sand and enjoy an afternoon of frolicking in the water. Problem solved, we create our own private dog beach. 

Lola and Toga are in heaven on our beach days.  I think by now they know where we're going when I roll the windows down in the truck and let them breathe the warm sea-salt air.  Thankfully by now they have developed a love of two seperate fetching toys-Lola has her sticks, and Toga has her balls.  While I don't quite have the 'i-can-throw-half-way-across-the-intercoastal' throw like their dad, I try my best to give these two several hours of good fetching.  After all, it's in their blood, in their DNA. 

They are labrador retrievers designed to fetch anything and make their way through water with ease.  Their instinct tells them on days that we're on the beach that this is where they belong. 
 My dad informed me of a book that I need to add to my reading list called 'Waterdog', one of the first books written about how to train a lab.  While we aren't intending to have hunting dogs, we want to have two dogs that are as much in tune with their instincts as possible.  Plus, training our dogs will be perfect practice for when we're training our two-legged child someday way down the road.

On another note, I can't help but think ahead to our next Adventure Race in MO, Sept. 24th which is the Berryman Adventure Race, 12 hr.  I've been dying to do this coveted race. And then of course there's the Raid the Rock Race on October 7.  It's an 8-12 hr., 50 mile + course that will be Lauren's inagural Adventure Race.  We have 3 months to all get our training act together and I'm siked.  So much of my adventure race quest has been undocumented be it the training or the actual races, so a part of me feels this strong desire to keep track of training days, both good and bad, in order to reflect back on how to better our training and also what we've been doing right!  Easier said than done I know but I am up to the challenge.

First order of training....hot, humid and long summer bike days!