The Road to 7km

Let me just preface this with I am not in any definition of the word a runner. I have never been a runner. I used to hide during sports at school because I didn't want to have to do anything physical. I would often bring my inhaler and pretend that I really needed it so that the teachers would feel bad for me. Although, to be honest, a lot of the time I really did need my inhaler. It didn't really change into teenagehood or adulthood. I started to really love the gym, but I do not do cardio at the gym. If I do, it's some quick HIIT workouts, not a lengthy treadmill run. When I do have to run, it isn't a pretty sight and things don't look smooth like the people you see hit the pavement when out driving.

So. With that being said, I have signed myself up to do a 7km run in November.

I guess you are all as shocked as the people in my life that I have told. I told my best friend and she said 'good luck' in a very sarcastic tone, but when I said I am doing the run with someone else, she was more than complimentary to that friend. My mother and sister were very supportive, as they always are, but then again, I don't know if they realised what I look and sound like running.

I do have four months to train. I will be fine.

I went for my first run, and took Diego along. I managed to run for a solid 2.44 minutes before my heaving breath and sore legs had to stop. Not the best start. Diego didn't even break a pant, and we were at a speed where he had to fast walk, not run.  I then walked for less than 2 minutes before trying to run again, this time I just hit 2 minutes. From here I decided to do 2 minutes on, 2 minutes off until I couldn't cope any more. I only managed four rounds, and I made it home feeling like I was going to vomit. Once again, Diego didn't even break a pant.

Really, I can only get better from here. Now knowing my base level, I can make a plan on how to improve and learn to run 7km non stop within 4 months. Also, I think it's good for Diego. He can build up his running stamina at the same time as me, and soon we will both be fit running beans.

I have now gone on my second run, and learnt that breathing isn't the only problem I have ahead of me. I got cramp in my calf. Who knew that your calf muscle could feel like this? It feels as though the calf is too short for the shin, and my body is stretching it out beyond it's limits. It started during the run, and I wrongly assumed it would leave after I finished.

Once again, it can only get better from here. I am hoping to make a series of this, mainly to keep myself accountable but also I feel like it might help some of you out there who are wanting to take up running. Or any goal that seems unachievable at this current stage of time.

I've set my goal up, I know what I need to achieve, in what timeframe and have started to set smaller, incremental goals in order to make it more achievable. I am going to build up to 7kms with a mixture of walking and running, then slowly lower the times running until it all merges into one. Or that's the current hope anyway.

I have hopefully kept you motivated through this post by adding photos of Diego pretending to be running with me. These are blatantly not taken on either of my current two runs.

If any of you have any running tips, I more than need them!

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Eco-Friendly Dog Products

Hello! I am a huge believer in recycling, and doing what we can to be as sustainable and environmentally friendly as possible. In my life it is easy, I have found replacements for plastic bags, I recycled nearly everything, and have compost/Knuckles/Diego for any food scraps. Owning Diego however, is where the bulk of my problem comes in. Dogs are just not environmentally friendly to own! Everything you buy is covered in plastic, or made of plastic, and a lot of stuff just doesn't last long term. I decided to put together a list of dog products or companies that are putting a conscious effort towards being more environmentally friendly. I am not sure if these are obvious, or already known but I love the idea of putting all my knowledge into one blog post. This month I will also be doing a separate blog post on how to deal with dog poo, and another post on human products that are good for you and the environment.

This first one is just a tip, not an actual product but buy stuff that will last! This is something I have noticed over the past year, and have started to make a conscious effort to reduce. Buying cheap dog toys, or ones that are not aimed at your type of dog generally results in the toy being destroyed or thrown out. With most dog toys being made of fabric or plastic, this is not something you want filling up the landfill. Diego is a destroyer, so I know not to buy him anything made of cheap plastic from Kmart, or other cheap store (There is also the ethical problem of slave labour potentially going in to making these) or buy any soft toys. These will be destroyed within the hour and then just go straight into the bin. Instead of spending loads of money on continuously buying toys that will go to the toy graveyard, I save that money to buy a more expensive item. These are like clothing investments. I think the same goes for a lot of dog related products like collars, leashes, bowls etc, if you pay more at the start, they generally will last longer and reduce waste in your household.

Beco Pets
This brand is one of my favourite large companies that offer an eco-friendly range of products. Their entire product line and company ethos is based around being ethical and environmentally friendly. They make everything from food bowls (including a slow feeder bowl), toys, can covers and even poop bags. Their rubber toys are made out of rice husk rubber and are actually durable against tough chewers. I wouldn't rate them as high as a Kong toy, but stronger than a ChuckIt ball depending on how you allow your dog to play with them. Their soft toys are made out of recycled plastic bottles, and are double stitched making them stronger than other soft toys. Finally, their bowls are made from bamboo and rice husk. They are durable, look gorgeous in multiple colour ranges and can be composted if they break or wear out.  Beco Pets product lines can be bought easily throughout New Zealand in pet shops, or online at Animates, Pet.co.nz or Petpost.

Yes this is a puppy Diego.

Cotton Tails Store
This is a wonderful small business from Auckland, New Zealand and the owner, Maegan is huge on making a conscious effort to be more environmentally friendly. She has taken the extra step, that a lot of small businesses would see as an unnecessary expense, by buying shipping bags that are made from recycled plastics and are fully recyclable themselves. This shows the care and thought that goes into her brand, and her products reach this high level also. Currently she makes Skully Wag dog toys, which are skeleton shaped toys made out of recycled denim, and stuffed with offcuts from making her other products, and other recycled fabrics. I've never owned a denim 'soft' toy, and they are more hardy and durable compared to their fabric counterparts. Due to the inside not being stuffing, it makes it harder for your dog to destroy, and easier to clean up if they do. She currently is looking at other products, and materials she could use in the future to make more top quality dog accessories, so make sure you follow her to see any future projects!

Planet Dog Recycle Balls
This company make some of my favourite dog balls and interactive toys however those are not recycled or environmentally friendly unless you take my first tip into account, then you are good to go. They do however, make a range of dog balls that are made from the left over material from the production of their other products. That means there is virtually no waste from the manufacturing process of Planet Dog toys, and they get to make a ball which appeals to the eco-friendly community. Because they are made using the same materials as their other toys, these are still super strong, durable and have their 100% guarantee. The cool part is you never quite know what colour, or what pattern you will get in each ball as they range depending on what else was manufactured at that time.

Bow Wow Boutique
This is another fantastic small business, and this one is based out of Wellington, New Zealand. Bow Wow Boutique is a huge part of the dog community in New Zealand, and is a brand I see on so many dogs when out walking. Alex, the owner, hand makes a range of collars, leashes and harnesses using different patterned ribbon, quality backing material and high quality hardware. Her hardware is the best of any collar I have ever owned. When my mum first got Chico, multiple years ago, I got her a BWB Martingale collar. This collar has been to the beach, through mud, been worn constantly, then left in the garage for a year when she got another collar and it still hasn't rusted. Bow Wow Boutique's way of being environmentally friendly is by offering a discount if you send back your faded or worn Bow Wow Boutique collar, and she will make a new collar using the same hardware. Instead of you throwing out an old collar that has torn, faded, worn or you don't like any more, she will use that same hardware and put it onto a new fabric. Her hardware is so good that it will still look pristine when this has been done that you won't realise it's still the same hardware. This is also good if you have attached your council tag to the D loop because it can be transferred onto the new and improved collar.

Feed my Furbaby
Let me just start this one by saying, I have never tried this or purchased this brand before. I cannot guarantee that their actual dog food is any good. However, I really love the concept of delivering dog food in a box, and storing it in that same box. Thus eliminating the waste of the plastic lined bags that food comes in, and the plastic storage bin that you generally keep your dogs food in. Feed my Furbaby is a New Zealand company, from real New Zealanders who saw a problem with how pet food was purchased. Instead of having to go to the store to purchase your food, they decided to make it easy by having it delivered to you each month. They tailor the amounts sent to you, and the delivery frequency based on your dogs weight, activity level, and age meaning you will never run out of food again. The food itself is grain free, and has chicken as it's number one ingredient. I think this is an awesome, and innovative idea which really appeals to my eco-friendly lifestyle. I am just too scared to change Diego's food since he is such a sensitive creature.

I want to end this by saying that you don't have to be perfect, 100% of the time. Small changes make a big difference when everyone starts implementing things that work in their life. I am not wanting to force my eco-friendly beliefs onto anyone, but I do believe that everyone should be a little bit more conscious on how they live their lives. I would love to know of any products, companies or tips that you have to being more eco-friendly when owning a pet!

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June Favourites

This month I decided to not only write a blog post on my favourites, but also film it. Which you can view here! I have a mixed audience on who likes to watch videos, and who likes to read, and then there are some that like both. Which is awesome because I like creating on both mediums and like the challenge of working out different videos vs posts. June went by super quick, and really, I am writing this nearly a fortnight into July so this year is just speeding by.

Product: Oh My Fluffy Dog Tug Life Hoodie
Of course, I feel like this wouldn't be a true favourites post without the Tug Life Hoodie which I have been living in since I got it. I am the point where my personal Instagram is covered in photos of me wearing this hoodie, but they are from all different days, I swear. This is currently my only sweatshirt that has a hoodie and a pocket, which makes it my staple to grab when I am heading out the door. It is perfect for the gym as it is not too thick so keeps you just warm enough, while having the pocket to hold your phone. I have to admit, it is not the thickest or cosiest sweater I own. It is not fleece lined, it's more the backside of the fabric that you can feel on the inside of the hoodie, if that makes sense. It is still warm, but on these horrible Wellington days I do need to layer it with either a long sleeve shirt underneath or my thick rain jacket over top. The colour is a perfect olive green, which not only compliments any skin colour, it also goes with a lot of different coloured clothing. They are also still in stock on the website! If you want to get this, or any other product that Oh My Fluffy Dog makes feel free to use my discount code DAISY15 to get a cheeky little discount.

Treat: K9 Naturals Green Tripe Booster
These treats are actually made to put on your dogs food as a topper, or supplement. I sometimes do that when I am being lazy and don't want to trick train Diego that day. Mainly though, I use these for trick training. They are freeze dried so are the perfect consistency for training, they break easily, are chewed quickly, and come in a range of sizes for any dog. They absolutely stink, so watch out for that as it does leave smelly residue on your fingers, but Diego sees the scent as a plus side so depends how you look at that one. Diego will do anything for this treat, and it can keep his attention for a whole training session which is a win in my opinion. At the moment we are teaching a combination of new tricks, muzzle training and keeping up recently learnt tricks and this has been my staple treat to feed Diego. It is super easy to quickly treat him, and continuously treat him without worrying about him choking or getting too full. This product is also 100% tripe so you have no fear of what you are putting into your dogs system. Speaking of system, Green Tripe is amazing for your dogs digestive system and I am not sure if it's this product or a combination of what I am feeding Diego at the moment but his stools have been a lot nicer to deal with. Sorry TMI.

Toy: Kong Genius Leo
This toy I originally got sent from Animates with a bunch of other awesome goodies. I used it for a few weeks, but within the first couple of days the top ripped a bit as I show in my video. After that I kind of was discouraged and used it less compared to my other boredom breaker toys. It wasn't until recently, when I started to try and feed less treats to Diego with his morning breakfast, that I started using it. The Original Kong requires either a fair bit of peanut butter or other sticky substance, or to be prepped the night before if you are wanting to fill with kibble. This one is perfect for filling with only kibble, or adding a small amount of treats to it. The openings are actually super hard to open, and only recently have I worked out the perfect technique on how to squeeze the sides to pour kibble in. Before that, I spent ages individually pushing bits of kibble through. This is obviously annoying and time consuming, but it does get better and easier once you learn the technique. With the openings being hard to open, it means kibble doesn't just fall out when rolled around. Diego has to both squeeze and move the Kong to get any kibble out. This takes a fair bit of time, and to make it harder I sometimes smear a tiny bit of peanut butter onto the inside of the opening, so that the kibble will stick to it. I have come home from work to him still trying to take pieces out. Obviously that top nodule can easily be chewed off, but in saying that I have been using this for over a month nearly every day and that piece is still holding on for dear life. I think the rest of the toy is as sturdy as a normal Kong.

Photo & Walk: Beach Trip
As I said in the video, it was tough to decide both what my favourite walk of the month was but also my favourite photo. I do think that the photo of Diego on top of the Rimutaka Trig with the sunset in the background is amazing, but because I have shared that around and already written a blog post on that walk I decided to chose my other favourite. The picture and the walk are from the same day which makes this write up a lot easier for me. My mother, mother's boyfriend, sister and I had all decided in the morning, when it was sunny, to take the dogs to the dog beach. Diego hadn't been in a while because of his reactivity, but with a ball I thought I could cope with his reactivity alright to go down to the beach. Diego absolutely adores the beach, and will happily spend hours running around the dunes, in and out of the waves and finding new sticks to chew on. We got there when the weather had started to get a bit colder, more windy and with a very slight trickle of rain coming in. However, it was amazing to see Diego so happy running full speed around with Chico and Ollie. It was great to spend time laughing with my sister, Summer and taking a bunch of cool photos that I will remember fondly. It was a cool walk, not for it being new, but for it not being done in a while and doing it with people I love. I am definitely going to start taking Diego back down to the beach more now that I have somewhat of control over his reactivity and know a lot of his triggers. The photo I have chosen as my favourite is one of many that I really appreciate from that day. It is super unflattering of me, but it shows the mood perfectly. The sky being completely clouded over, me in my beanie and Tug Life Hoodie; Ollie being right in the middle of things, but still steering clear enough that Diego doesn't tell him off; and Diego looking lovingly at his ball with his tongue twirling in a perfect circle.

I would love to know your current favourite dog products, let me know in the comments!

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Rimutaka Trig Walk

Sometimes you just have bad days, and this day was one of them. It seemed like thing after thing was piling on top of me, and only bad news seemed to arrive within the day. My first reaction was to go home, make some cookie dough and then lay in bed eating that, binge watching YouTube. On my drive home from work, I saw snow on the Rimutakas. It was the first time I had noticed snow on the hills, and although not heavily covered, there was enough for the peaks to be white. The whole drive I kept catching myself staring at the snow, and wishing I had the ability to be amongst it.

I got home, and realised I could be amongst it. This didn't need to continue to be a day of disappointment just because it had started that way. I quickly changed into my Oh My Fluffy Dog tracksuit pants, a thermal, and sweater, grabbed Diego and rushed out the door. The further into the Rimutakas I drove, the more I realised that the snow was not near the road or anywhere I could reach. It was on further peaks, and were either impossible to get to, or would take at least a day to get to. Since we already were near the top I decided to do the Trig walk anyway.

Because it was freezing cold, and nearing sundown the walk itself was empty. I was allowed to have Diego off leash and trust that we wouldn't run into any other dogs or people. The further up we got, the more beautiful it got. Also, a great thing to mention is that this walk is usually super windy at the top. The type of wind that feels like it will blow your ear drums if you are not wearing a beanie. This day we went, it was beautiful. A slight breeze but nothing compared to normal.

As we neared the top of the walk, the sun started to set and we got wonderful golden light. Up there, with just Diego as company, being able to see in a 360 view of the Rimutakas, Tararuas and Wairarapa was just incredible. It's something that is hard to explain, but is insanely blessing. I took this moment to realise that these little things that were piling on top of me weren't that important, they wouldn't matter in a week, let alone a year or thirty years. It made me thankful for my dog, my family and friends, New Zealand, my ability to travel, to hike, to explore.

I truly believe that people need to experience this feeling often, the bigness of the world, the craziness and beauty of the natural world and the breathe of being 'alone'. We went in search of snow, but instead I found happiness.

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