A few months ago, we rescued a dog from the shelter. It was a kill shelter, and she was on her last day. Roxy is her name. Kisses, cuddling, and bouncing are her game!

We already had a dog—another rescue named Teddy, the elder statesman of our house. I was adamant that we didn’t need another dog. I was wrong.

Roxy is great. She’s brought new energy into our home. Teddy is too old to run with me. Not Roxy. She’s gone from couch to 5K in no time. She’s a friend to Teddy and nudges him to play and run in the backyard. The kids love her spunk and bouncing. I love her spunk and bouncing. When I come home, she’s standing at the front door, wanting nothing more than to say hello.

New energy is powerful. I’ve hit doldrums in my running—when training and casual runs feel stale. New energy can fill the sails. Now, we don’t all need to adopt a new dog to bring life into our routines. There are plenty of practical ways: signing up for a race, buying a new pair of shoes, driving to run a new route. The ideas are endless, and you probably know what has worked for you.

What about you? How do you breathe new energy into your running? If it happens to come from getting a new pet, be sure to send me a picture!