Red Heelers and Rest

We found our Red Heeler “Ocho” at the put-in to the San Juan River near Bluff, Utah. A scrawny little guy of about a year old, he had a terrible cough. After six years of love and clean living, Ocho has grown into an amazing dog.

When people meet Ocho for the first time, he is usually asleep in the driveway at the NOLS base in Tucson. In fact, that is where Ocho spends a large portion of his time. Because of that, people perceive Ocho as being lazy. The reality is that Ocho is smart and understands the importance of rest. The characteristics of Ocho’s breed is to be loyal, protective, intelligent and watchful. Ocho places himself where he does on purpose. From his spot in the driveway he can survey most of the property and has defended the base from javelina, coyotes, feral cats and very annoying real estate speculators. Ocho also did a phenomenal job of getting the chickens back into the coop when we lived in Utah. By resting when he can, Ocho saves himself for when he is really needed to do his job.

That is what I do on most Sundays: I workout six days a week and take the seventh day to rest. When you exercise, you break down muscle and body tissue and the body needs adequate time to recover. Taking a day off once a week, hydrating and eating well gives your body a chance to bounce back. Without that break, the small muscle tears you have purposefully generated in your lifting routine can easily become a major injury. As you get older, that need for recovery becomes even more important. Give yourself a break to build more strength and muscle.

So today, we took Ocho on a couple of walks around the neighborhood and let him mark a few trees and fire hydrants. Back at it tomorrow!

Have a great day!