One might say that Ona, a punky 12-year-old Yorkshire Terrier, has loved a reasonably shiny and breezy life-style through the years absorbing the solar in Southern California. A number of seaside days, a comfortable heat mattress and an enormous pile of plush toys. What extra might she need? Nicely, because it seems, she desires to run!
Practically 50 races and counting
Weighing in at simply 6 kilos and standing a mere 6 inches from the bottom, Ona is a seasoned long-distance racer. Within the final six years, she’s accomplished almost 50, 5k runs with a median tempo simply over an 8-minute mile. Because the adage goes, “Don’t choose a ebook by it’s cowl.” This canine can run!
“I began mountain climbing with Ona after she turned 3 and he or she cherished it,” says Ona’s dad, California Freeway Patrolman Jeff Jones. “She at all times had a lot vitality.”
As an skilled long-distance runner himself, Jeff determined to signal each of them up for his or her first race collectively on the Homeward Sure 5k run in 2016.
“We had already performed a number of lengthy hikes prior to now however I didn’t know the way she would do operating lengthy distance.”
After they reached the midway mark, Jeff tells me he stopped and supplied Ona a fast water break. “She refused and simply wished to maintain operating,” he added. “Individuals have been shouting ‘that canine deserves a medal’ as we ran by.”
Quickly after, the duo signed up for a number of extra races and thus Ona’s operating journey started. “Even in the course of the pandemic we did 19 digital races,” mentioned Jeff. “Nothing was going to cease Ona from operating!”
Breaking data
Final December, I joined them one early morning for his or her forty first race on the Christmas-themed Santa Claus for a Trigger 5k run. Decked out in a heat Christmas neck gaiter dawned with little inexperienced doggie bones and striped sweet canes, Ona seemed up at her dad among the many crowd of runners towering above her. With a number of wags of her tiny tail, she signaled she was able to go.
On the sound of the buzzer, Ona sprinted out of the beginning gate tugging on her leash with all her may, conserving her head ahead and centered on the trail forward. “She likes to run out in entrance of me, so I’m actually simply chasing her the entire time,” says Jeff.
A decided Ona charged alongside, unfazed by the cheering spectators or different canines alongside her path. “She’s simply so razor centered when she runs,” Jeff proudly tells me.
They crossed the end line not solely breaking their all-time file at 24 minutes and 45 seconds, but in addition making the rostrum with a primary place title in Jeff’s age class. “The older she will get the sooner she runs,” Jeff whispered in my ear as they obtained their honorable medals.
There’s a small wood rack on Jeff’s bed room wall displaying 45 ribboned medals: An homage to their operating adventures collectively through the years.
“We’ll want a much bigger rack quickly,” Jeff tells me with a chuckle.
