Whoa - it's August?!

My bad. I haven't posted in like... forever. The good news? SO MUCH HAS HAPPENED!

Here's a few things to keep you on board (in no particular order) with the fast and furious impact Trot with Spot is making on the world.

First, I've completed 7 (seven, yes!, seven!) #DoggieDozenRaces of the promised 12, and it has been a blast. I've conquered some pretty serious terrain, and at times it has felt like perhaps quitting is an option. Fortunately, I'm (doggedly) determined to make an impact on the world for the benefit of dogs, so I kept going. The last race I did was at Stinson Beach and super fun (image left). I placed 5th out of 20 in my age group, so it was a great result. Check out the #DoggieDozenRaces page for ratings and links to all of the races to date so that you can do them yourself next year

Second, I work at the Humane Society Silicon Valley now, and got to work at their Maddie's Pet Adoption Days event at the end of May, where we helped find homes for 240 animals (for FREE) in 2 days, and every single dog at HSSV was adopted! In the picture right I am with one of my favorite dogs who was adopted. I am petting her new sister, and they have matching white paws. Truly inspirational weekend! I was the lead on the marketing team for this effort, so it was an all-around rewarding event. Can't wait for next year!

Third, this update is what I lovingly like to call my Foster Failure. Prior to the Maddie's Day event, I took on a foster puppy with a broken leg. She is truly one of the cutest and sweetest creatures I have ever met, even if she drove me a little crazy because she was confined to a crate for most of the day while she healed. Well, you know what happened? My mom fell in love with her too and ADOPTED her. I'm talking about someone who grew up not liking dogs finding love in a 9 lb ball of energy and cuteness. Her name is Paisley, and she is great (and will definitely be coming on some runs in the future)!

Hi! I am super cute and love to lay in the sun :)

 There's lots happening in the future, so stay tuned for more updates. Happy Friday!

Hey it's a Hyena - NOPE! That's an African Wild Dog.

I'm sure you've thought that many times, as you mowed your lawn, you go to the grocery store, head to yoga... 

Wait, no hyenas at the mall? 

Oh ok, well then let me help you understand some differences between hyenas and African wild dogs. You'd be surprised how little they have in common, and how often people mistake them for each other. Here's three ways to tell them apart.

One: The African wild dog is in the canid family, most closely related to animals like wolves and coyotes. That's right, the name 'painted wolf' that African wild dogs have is actually pretty accurate! Spotted hyenas, on the other hand, are actually more closely related to civets and mongoose.

African Wild Dogs at Naankuse, relaxed after a day of sun. 

A red wolf  taking a stroll. (Wikipedia)

Two: Spotted hyenas are typically significantly larger than African wild dogs. Spotted hyenas range in weight from 98lbs - 135lbs, standing at 28-36 inches at the shoulder. To give you context, that's larger than a big Rottweiler. African wild dogs on the other hand are typically 40lbs-80lbs and 30 inches at the shoulder. That's roughly the size of a Labrador retriever. Bit of a difference!

I would not want to be between these two! Hyena, left, AWD, right. (carnivoraforum.com)

Three: You can see it pretty well in the above picture - but spotted hyenas, as their name suggests, have spots! Imagine that. The African wild dogs on the other hand, have a mix of white, black and brown painted splotches. They also typically have a white tipped tail.

Four: Spotted (not brown) hyenas are significantly more aggressive than African wild dogs. Hyenas have been known to take on animals like lions, yikes! African wild dogs are very shy. Often, people mistake their great hunting skills for being aggressive. Not the case, my friends.

What do they have in common? Well, they both have extremely strong jaw muscles and teeth. They can both eat bone like it's a saltine cracker. Respect, y'all. These guys are pretty great!

Not that I've dropped some knowledge on you, can you tell what kind of animal this is in the Humane Society Silicon Valley April Fool's post? 

Connecting the dots - kids to dogs to compassion

It's great to see things like this: http://hopeshared.com/22-photos-that-prove-babies-need-pets-number-17-especially/ - kids finding love and care within another species, paramount to helping create humans who have the potential to be better citizens in the community. For me, it boils down to compassion and empathy, and the ability to put yourself behind someone else or something else, even if only for a moment. Of course, of course, there's no one thing that makes people wonderful, feeling, and generous, but it's certainly a great help to be responsible for something else as you grow up. Not everyone has the funds to support pets at home, but perhaps they have the time to volunteer.

Baby with puppies - favorite of the shared link - credit to Reddit

Milo laying on my leg, looking pretty adorable (he probably wants food in my hand)

This week I had the privilege to speak to children who had been through the humane education program at Humane Society Silicon Valley, and it was clear that they had not only discovered some wonderful things about the animals they learned to care for, but also found confidence, compassion and love within themselves that they didn't know was there. It was very moving to ask things like "What was your favorite part about the program?" and hear things like "That we can care for the animals and give them love while they wait for a forever-home." That's coming from a 13 year old people. That's pretty great.

I had a similar experience working at the Naankuse sanctuary and seeing people from all walks of life come to the sanctuary with a simple desire to help. Typically, I saw this most with the baboons. If you know me in person, you've likely heard me talk about these quirky creatures and the love I found in them. Raising an orphaned animal that is completely dependent on you, and entirely unaware of or caring for social norms, is truly inspirational. The most memorable transformation I saw was of a young man who came and was too terrified to make eye contact with anyone. Cut to 2 weeks later and the baboons have taken a liking to him. He's also fallen in love with them, taking great care to ensure their well-being, and increasing his confidence. Along the way, his confidence boomed as a person and he made a lot of lifelong friends. Things like that keep you going.

"Yes, I'm comfy, just like this." (Taken at Naankuse)

Take the time to volunteer and get outside of our comfort zone, you won't regret it.
Here's the links to: Naankuse volunteer program and the Humane Society Silicon Valley volunteer program.

Badger Cove race is a 4.5/5 for the #DoggieDozenRaces!

I can't say enough how much fun I have at Blazen Racing events. They aren't expensive, fantastically organized, and run by really friendly people. Additionally, they are run at parks where they encourage you to give back. It's the best of both worlds for me - an opportunity to find new places to go run, and a race that gives back in more ways than one. For this one, I believe they were collecting clothes for underprivileged kids.

The #doggiedozenraces are a way for a runner like me to spread awareness and raise funds for dogs. I hope to raise $1,200 this year ($100 per race).

For this race, the Badger Cove race, I had an absolutely fantastic time and rated it a 4.5/5. Highly recommended for anyone interested!

At the finish line! Look how beautiful it all is!

I'm in love with the medals, t-shirts and bib numbers for the race. They are so fun!

 This race is in the hills of Livermore at Del Valle Park, starting along the lake there. Pretty quickly you hit some pretty powerful hills and you better make sure you've done some training or you'll probably lack in the enjoyment department. The views were stunning and the downhills were really fun. Per usual, the water stations were just what I needed and I blazed into the finish line with a finish of 8 out of 41 in my age group. I was stoked! Snacks galore after the race, and free pictures within 48 hours of the race.

St. Patty's day socks, of course!

Action shot from one of the volunteer photographers - thank you!

We're now proud supporters of HSSV - Humane Society Silicon Valley

Have you heard of HSSV? If not, you should take note. It's really an amazing place to adopt from, go to summer camp at, or volunteer at. I would know, since I work there as of February this year. Not only have I been impressed by their best in class care of animals, big and small, but kindness and compassion oozes out of this place. If you're looking for an amazeballs blog to follow, check out their blog. Finn, the blogger, is an amazing and hysterical writer, and she helps animals find homes through humor and endearing descriptions.

HSSV is a state of the art building!

The overwhelming dedication and hard work that goes into all of the effective community services they provide convinced me to add them to our Who We Support page. Trot with Spot is thrilled to be a part of their legacy, in any small way we can be, and it's a privilege to work there as my full-time job. I've already seen a lot of needy dogs (and cats, rabbits, etc.) get the special treatment they need, as well as find #pawesome forever homes.

These two cuties were fostered in the office during the day.

I also get to take my dog, Milo, to work so that he gets out of the house and explores somewhere new about once per week. Why would he like it there? Well, besides the fact that everyone gives him cuddles when he's there, he also get lots of delicious treats. Hopefully he'll pass the behavior test for the VIP dog park, and he can socialize with other dogs. Really fantastic stuff.

Milo is happily laying in our cubicle with his pet snake.

We're ready for work. Milo understands the importance of a selfie.

I was pleased to find that Milo isn't the only dog who enjoys farting.

Badger Cover 10K - the 3rd #DoggieDozenRace

We've found our 3rd #DoggieDozenRace and signed up today! It's going to be at the Del Valle Livermore regional park, and hopefully the weather will be nice for a fun race. It's St. Patrick's day weekend, so we'll need to find something green to wear :)

Hope you can sign up and join!

Additionally, it gives you the option to donate to the regional park, which we took full advantage of. Nothing like giving back to a place that offers people a chance to get outside, be fit, and soak up some sun.

So far, we've been really impressed with Brazen Races so we're looking forward to doing another one of their races.

http://www.brazenracing.com/badgercove.html - here's the link!

African Wild Dogs: Help the fundraiser!

It has been a fun week so far and even better because we've launched a one week fundraiser for the African Wild Dogs at Naankuse, as part of a collaboration between a photo from their photographer (Jack Somerville) and one of our artists (Guayo Llach). Until March 4th, all the money raised from this design go straight back to their African Wild Dog project. These AWDs are truly spectacular and worth every penny that gets sent to them for conservation. Get your own stuff today! Our favorite is how the flipflops turned out :) Go to http://trotwithspot.spreadshirt.com/ to get this design.

2nd of 12 #DoggieDozenRaces is done! Review on the course...

I'm stoked to share that I successfully finished my 2nd of 12 #doggiedozenraces for 2014, helping to raise awareness and funds for dogs in need. I had a great time during the race, which was very, very challenging.

Here are the details: rating 3/5 stars

Zombie Run SF - http://www.zoomrunningevents.com/sf_san_francisco_wntr.html - don't worry, there's no zombies.

They do a 10K and a half marathon, course here: http://www.zoomrunningevents.com/sf_san_francisco_wntr.html

Overall I gave this race a 3 out of 5 starts, carried mostly by the 10K course itself. You set off from Chrissy Fields a the Yacht club and head towards the warming hut, run up the stairs, under the Golden Gate bridge, along the ridge and then down to Baker's beach. This is not a run for someone who hasn't been training on hills or trails, the stairs and the 1.5 miles of hill in one straight shot will make you pay for it. Fortunately, I have been training for this so I felt pretty good. I just found out I placed 38 out of 123 overall, and 8 out of 23 for my age group. Had there been more up to date time tracking, those times might have even been better, how fun (although I'm pleased regardless)! Yay for trail running!

I also wore our Valentine's day shirt for #Puppylove.Let's not forget the Valentine's day shoutout. :)

What I didn't like so much about this race was that it was really informal. Instead of a cool start and finish line, which I would consider is standard (?), there was a cone and a flag or two. They had cool medals and shirts, but I just didn't like how informal things were. If they were to add those things in I'd definitely increase the rating. Additionally, they were a little unclear about the actual length of the race, which ended up being 6.7 miles. Lastly, no photographers were there, not one. Thanks anyway to all the race organizers and the crew!

I wasn't kidding when I said it was an informal start...

Here's some pictures of the stunning course:

Golden Gate bridge at sunrise

Making our way towards the bridge!

Stairs, lots.

Run along the ridge, ocean to the right.

On, along the ridge back to the GG bridge.

Stairs, lots more.

I finished, whew!

Get your Valentine's Day Puppy Love spirit on!

Well, it's February which means that I'm due for my 2nd #DoggieDozenRaces race, which will be the Zombie Runner from Zoom! Running events. What's the #DoggieDozenRaces? It's a mission for 2014.To help raise funds and awareness for dogs in need, I'm running a 10K/6.2 race per month for the whole of 2014. It's already off to a great start and I can't wait for the next race. I'm training 5-6 times per week, eating right, and feeling strong. I'm sure I'll have my share of challenges along the way, but I'm excited to learn what those challenges are willing to teach me along the way.

In addition to the race coming up this weekend, I wanted to remind everyone about our #PuppyLove tops which help to support dogs in need and highlight love for Valentine's Day. As always, $5 from each shirt (product) goes to do dogs in need. Click on the design you like below and it will take you straight to the shop!

 

Need a customized prize? We might be able to help.

We love supporting other worthwhile causes that help dogs! There's so many to choose from, that it may be more trouble to pick what you want than anything else. Well, if you're a program that's looking to give a prize and need some type of gift, we can help! Send us a note and we'll see what we can do. 

Everyone loves a good ole' fashioned prezzie!

Offering prizes and gifts can really help fundraising initiatives, so please don't hesitate to get in touch.

Kicking off #DoggieDozenRaces with Coyote Hills run!

We're huge supporters of dogs here at Trot with Spot, but also being healthy and having fun outdoors. This year, I'll be doing a #DoggieDozenRaces - 12 races for 2014, one per month, to help raise awareness of Trot with Spot and meet new people. Today I had a fantastic time at the Coyote Hills run which was put together by Blazen Racing. They offered a half marathon (2 loops of the 10K), a 10K and a 5K. Between 400-500 people were there and not one person looked like they weren't having a great time. It was a mix of semi-paved road and trails with views of the bay and I highly recommend it!

Somehow, I PR'd (had a personal record), so I am particularly pleased with this race. For February's #DoggieDozenRaces I'll likely be doing the Fort Point 10K. I hope you'll consider joining me!

Here's some pictures from today. Enjoy!

 

Shelter dogs are where it's at.

It's really interesting to hear people talk about their dogs. So many people have shelter dogs and sometimes they get a bad rap because there's this sense that a shelter is a bad place. I will admit, there are many that are, but many more that are absolutely wonderful places to care for animals that need a special home. If you're considering a dog, a shelter is a great place to get one from! They often have some type of obedience training and are spayed/neutered. Check out these little fur-balls that I met at the Humane Society of Silicon Valley, which has an absolutely fantastic set up and I would recommend to anyone in that area for a place to adopt a dog. Enjoy the cuteness!

 

New music for your runs and a Meetup!

If you're in the Bay Area this weekend (January 19th), then come to the Marin Headlands and go for a hike with Trot with Spot! We'd love to have you. Obviously it's dog-friendly. Here's the full details through Meetup: http://www.meetup.com/Trot-with-Spot-Outdoor-exercise-and-dog-lovers/events/158631222/

If you're like me and periodically need to grab some new tunes to stay inspired, then fear not, I have done the work for you! We have a music page with recommendations on fun & funky music with links to download them directly. This week we added songs from Aloe Blacc, Miracle, the Ohio Players and more. Get groovin!

Don't forget that we are currently featuring work by one of our exchange artists. She's talented and generous, so we'd love it if you bought one of her designs on one of our tops. $5 from each purchase goes to support canines in need. Here's the link to our shop: http://trotwithspot.spreadshirt.com/

Blackwolf Silverpaw: Our first artist joins Trot with Spot!

Well a happy New Year to you all! We're stoked that it's 2014 because it's a whole world of possibilities. Today is already proving that to be true as we're joined by our first artist: Blackwolf Silverpaw! She is a German artist and in her own words, "Being a DA artist for me doesn't just mean to be famous or successful, it's mainly about having fun, meeting people, getting connected, being creative and showing your artwork to the world".

We're thrilled to have her art work helping African Wild Dogs, Wolves and no-kill shelters. She's talented and we hope you think so too. Right now we have 2 designs available in our online shop: http://trotwithspot.spreadshirt.com/ - "Chibi" (left) and "Kimball" (right).

With each purchase from our online store (not just from Blackwolf Silverpaw) $5 goes to Trot with Spot, and we give it back to worthwhile causes. You really can't go wrong with buying canine-themed gear that helps you get fit, have fun, and support amazing causes. We have a quick summary of each cause on our Who We Support Page, so find out more about them there. All three of the places offer volunteer programs in case you want to get knee deep into things like animal husbandry and research in the field.

We're always looking for talented people to be a part of Trot with Spot - get in touch with us at trotwspot@gmail.com or check out our Artist Exchange page to find out more!