— COBY & JERRY LEGACY BLOG —

Our blog is going to cover lots of good stuff including videos and pictures of us, updates on our training and facts all pet parents should be aware of. We are hoping this will inspire everyone to train on their own to walk/run virtually with us on October 3^rd. We would love for you to send us your pics and videos with #cobyandjerry so we can share on social media and our blog.

Also follow us on: FACEBOOK and INSTAGRAM.

Keep coming back to read our blog entries. They will be dated and added to the bottom of the page. So don’t forget to scroll down!

Here’s our training schedule. We decided on the verywellfit.com schedule as it gives us a nice balance of running and resting. We love recovery days! Our parents are gonna follow this too:

Week 1

• Day 1: Run 10 minutes, walk 1 minute, repeat
• Day 2: Rest or cross-train
• Day 3: Run 12 minutes, walk 1 minute, repeat
• Day 4: Rest
• Day 5: Run 13 minutes, walk 1 minute, repeat
• Day 6: Rest or cross-train
• Day 7: Rest

Week 2

• Day 1: Run 15 minutes, walk 1 minute, repeat
• Day 2: Rest or cross-train
• Day 3: Run 17 minutes, walk 1 minute, run 7 min
• Day 4: Rest
• Day 5: Run 19 minutes, walk 1 minute, run 7 min
• Day 6: Rest or cross-train
• Day 7: Rest

Week 3

• Day 1: Run 20 minutes, walk 1 minute, run 6 minutes
• Day 2: Rest or cross-train
• Day 3: Run 24 minutes
• Day 4: Rest
• Day 5: Run 26 minutes
• Day 6: Rest or cross-train
• Day 7: Rest

Week 4

• Day 1: Run 28 minutes
• Day 2: Rest or cross-train
• Day 3: Run 30 minutes
• Day 4: Rest
• Day 5: Run 20 minutes
• Day 6: Rest
• Day 7: Race! Run 3.1 miles

Pre-Conditioning | 9.4.21

We knew our training would start tomorrow, so we have been in pre-condition mode.  Pre-conditioning is super important when you decide to train for something. Good thing for us, we live our lives in a perpetual state of pre-conditioning 😊 From daily walks, to wrestling to playing with our toys. Like today, we played with our frisbee and pirate chicken to get in some cardio which will help build our endurance. 

Coby also went on a long walk too to burn off his cannoli! 

First Day Worst Day | 9.5.21

Don’t let your first day discourage you. Today was our first official training day and we are like… This is hard. We had to take a little siesta before posting this blog entry.

But now, we feel much better and happy to tell everyone we finished our first training day and can’t wait for day 2.

Recovery | 9.6.21

Recovery days ARE.THE.BEST. It gives our bodies time to rest and recharge. Today, we enjoyed our recovery day together. Coby is like my big bro… I like to hug him, rest on him and nap with him.

Here’s something we read online today…

For people, Runners World says:

“Rest days help to strengthen your body, sharpen your focus and reinvigorate your spirit so that you actually want to keep training.”

Make sure you enjoy recovery days with your moms and dads! You want them to keep training with you!

First Day at the Office | 9.8.21

OMG! We were so busy yesterday, we forgot to post that it was our official first day in the office. It was very exciting. We weren’t quite sure what to make of the “pants optional” dress code so we used our judgement:

Stretching | 9.13.21

We were recently asked why do we stretch? Today, we want to tell you about the importance of a good stretching regimen. I (Coby) prefer the full body stretch. And I (Jerry), like to focus on my thighs and hip flexors.

According to the Mayo Clinic, the benefits of stretching (for humans):

• Improve your performance in physical activities.
• Decrease your risk of injuries.
• Help your joints move through their full range of motion.
• Enable your muscles to work most effectively.

We do it but we also don’t know why there is a clinic for mayo and not mustard? And why they are arbiters of wellness and not condiments? But they seem to be important, so we just go with it.

Bottom line… stretching is good! Stretch like nobody is watching! Make sure your parents do it too so they can keep up with you and not use excuses like they “pulled a hammie.”

Q&A | 9.15.21

Holy poops! We actually got our first DM! How exciting! Somebody wanted to know more about us. So, we had a Q&A session yesterday and hopefully this will provide you with a little more depth into us!!

How do you know each other? Coby is my brother from another mother. I have known him since I’m 8 weeks old and he’s always been there for me! He taught me how to walk on a leash and how not to fall off the couch which was a problem for me at the beginning.  We do everything together!!

Why ACF? Because it’s so sad for us know that 1 in 4 dogs and 1 in 5 cats will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetimes.  That’s millions of pets across the country that need our help. It’s time for us to unite and rally.  But here’s the good news… a diagnosis of cancer in your pet is NOT a death sentence, because researchers are understanding more about pet cancer and its relationship to similar cancers in people, and more treatment is being developed for our pets and made available to veterinary oncologists. Look at our good friend Tully. She HAD mast cell cancer and is a SURVIVOR. Without your support, Tully wouldn’t be living her best life today! Here she is proudly showing her chemotherapy completion certificate!

Any bad habits? (Jerry) I love to eat grass! I can’t get enough of it! It’s so delicious! People call me The GOAT. It’s obviously because I’m the greatest of all time and for no other reason. (Coby) I have vocal temper tantrums when I want to go to bed, and we have company over that won’t leave.

Anything else we should know? (Coby) I sleep naked. (Jerry) And I sleep in jammies when I’m cold or having a sleepover with Coby.

What do you say to people who question if they should make a donation to ACF? We always hear adults talking about wanting to make investments that will result in a good return. So, what better than an investment in life-saving science? We think saving lives is the best investment ever! Remember, think Tully. You’ll hear Tully’s story in the upcoming months. So keep following us.

What are your professional goals? We want to become big time influencers. Not for toys or food, but for comparative oncology research. We want all our friends to live longer, healthier lives and not be taken away too early from cancer. Same for our humans too! But if any companies want to send us toys, bananas and cannolis… we wouldn’t turn them away!

The most import thing for us is to be positive influences, inspiring people to help fund ACF’s life-saving science and research. 

After all, if we (two dogs) can be inspired enough to want to go to work and make a difference – we are hoping that alone will inspire everyone to donate, or even just follow us on social media and read our blog.

What are your goals for this event and how will you achieve them? We want to raise $5,000. A thousand dollars for each K we run! We’re gonna do this using social media. I mean, we both see our parents on social media all the time so how hard can it be?

Pace Setting | 9.17.21

This is us on our way to the park to run. Given Jerry’s compulsive grass eating habit and my leg lifting obsession, our parents said it would be best to run this one in the parking lot.

Now that we’re well into our training, Coby and I discussed our pace strategy today. After hours of discussion and debate, we realized it was a moot topic. We have to run at our parents’ pace. And we also don’t care what our pace is because our goal is to finish. That’s the achievement.

But for all the humans out there reading this, therunexperience.com says this about the importance of pace setting:

One of the most common tips given to new runners in their training plans is to run at a target pace. Different styles of runs will require different paces, so it’s important for runners to know how much energy they need to exert.

But why is running the right mile pace so important?

Well, pacing yourself helps manage how much energy you have throughout the duration of the run. If you start running too fast during your warm-up, your heart rate will increase, you’ll feel out of breath and you may be unable to finish the race. However, if you manage the amount of energy you exert at different points throughout the run, you will be able to conserve energy and keep a consistent pace throughout the entire race.

Make sure your parents hit the treadmill if they can. It’s a great way to establish a comfortable pace. We take our parents to the gym just for that reason showing them how it’s done!

So to all the dogs out there, don’t pull your human out of the starting line like you’ve been blown out of a cannon. They won’t be able to keep up.

Speaking of pace, check out today’s reason to donate. And to learn more about the ACF’s Canine Cancer Genome Project (CCGP), click here. 18 years to 18 months?!? If that pace isn’t inspiring enough, we don’t know what is!

Stress Management | 9.22.21

We all have stress in our lives. Therefore, it’s important we find ways to manage it. According to health.gov:

Not all stress is bad. But long-term stress can lead to health problems.

Preventing and managing long-term stress can lower your risk for other conditions like heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure, and depression.

You can prevent or reduce stress by:

• • Planning ahead 
  • Deciding which tasks to do first
  • Preparing for stressful events

Some stress is hard to avoid. You can find ways to manage stress by:

• • Noticing when you feel stressed
  • Taking time to relax
  • Getting active and eating healthy
  • Talking to friends and family

We know that’s for humans, but ever since we started our internship and 5K training, we have been a little stressed out. To help manage it, Coby and I talk to each other about what’s going on and we take time to relax. We even picked up a new hobby to help take our minds off things. Check out our self-portraits:

We’re going to be honest; we are totally stressed that we haven’t raised enough money to reach our fundraising goal. Here’s today’s reason to donate…

Diet | 9.26.21

Everyone needs to do what works best for them before a training run.

Jerry: I prefer to run on a near empty stomach, but I do like to have a little watermelon before going out. My parents also dehydrate bananas for me and bring them on our runs. It’s kinda like my version of a runner’s jellybean. When I see bananas and watermelon, I can’t help but blow spit bubbles out of delicious excitement!

Coby: I’m of a different mindset from Jerry. I prefer a mild carb load before a run. Nothing is more delightful than getting my blueberry scone on from the farmer’s market.

To all you pet parents reading this… According to the ASPCA:

A balanced diet is critically important to your dog’s cell maintenance and growth and overall health.

In addition, “Adult dogs require sufficient nutrients to meet energy needs and to maintain and repair body tissues. The amount you feed your adult dog should be based on his or her size and energy output. Activity levels may vary dramatically between pets and will play an important role in determining caloric intake.

From our experience, it’s best to leave meal prep and planning to your parents. I tried doing it for myself but I didn’t get very far…

Build Into Your Routine | 9.28.21

We think it’s important to build any type of exercising or stretching into your daily routine, so it doesn’t become a hassle or chore. We build ours into our walks when we wee.

Jerry: I like to do a subtle squat when I wee. The satisfaction of feeling the burn in my thighs really makes me feel like I’m building muscle.

Coby: I prefer to leg lift 900 times while out on a walk to really work my glutes. I try to alternate legs so one side doesn’t get stronger than the other.

We often have friendly debates about which method is most effective and Jerry brushes me off saying, “Oh please, bro! My way is so much better!” I just let him believe that.

We came across these great ways for people to incorporate fitness into your daily routine. Paws up to the University of New Hampshire for sharing:

1. Walk whenever you can.
2. Stand at your desk.
3. If possible, workout first thing in the morning. It will energize you for the rest of the day!
4. Walk on your lunch break or in between meetings, classes, etc.
5. Take the stairs instead of using the elevator (if you can).
6. Limit screen time. Screens can take up a lot of time in our day and we may not even realize it.
7. Always make time for exercise that you enjoy. If you hate to run (not us!), don’t force yourself to run because it is not something you will stick to.
8. Wear a fitness tracker. Fitness trackers can motivate you to up your movement and steps for the day!
9. Make the weekends a time for longer and more fun physical activities!

You know what else we think you should build into your routine? Donating to our cause and investing in life-saving science.

Hydration | 9.29.21

Now that we are in our fourth week of training, we are drinking more water. Jerry is more of an avid water drinker than I am. But with Jerry, if you don’t get the first sip in, you don’t get any at all! But he can be a little dramatic when he’s thirsty…

Jerry: I love to drink water! It’s delicious and refreshing. Don’t even get me started on ice cubes!!!

Coby: I prefer to drink the water at the beach, but my mom keeps yelling at me when I do that. I find salty, dirty water very tasty. But don’t tell my mom that I hate having the poops after drinking it. Nobody ever wants to admit their mom is right.

Today we read that according to the CDC, people need more water when they are:

• In hot climates
• More physically active

Even though that’s for people, we say it’s the same for us too, especially since we’re training for our first 5K and it’s still summer.

To all you pet parents, make sure you bring water for both you and your furry loved one when out for your training run or walk.

Me Time | 10.1.21

We had no idea how stressful work can be! Between working, training and keeping up with our rather active social lives, we have found the need to carve out some “me time.”

Jerry: I have really come to appreciate meditation. It gives me time to not only clear my head but also to reflect on the gratitude I feel every day for having this opportunity. It’s also a time for me to ponder how lucky I am to have such a loving family, friends and a best friend like Coby! 

Coby: I have taken up yoga. It has helped me relax and to sleep even better than ever. Although I don’t meditate, I do take the time while in my sustained downward dog pose to focus my intent on gratitude… for having this opportunity, a loving family, friends and a best friend like Jerry.  

To really help us unwind, we both have perfected our Sleeping Buddha pose:

Celebrate Success | 10.3.21

We’re not going to lie, we were nervous excited the morning of the race. But he pushed all our nerves aside and went for it! And boy did we ever! All our hard work really paid off! Not only did we run the entire 5K, but we came in 1st and 2nd places! How amazing is that?

Now, with anything you have worked to achieve, it’s important to take time to celebrate your success!

Coby celebrated by resting in the parking lot so everybody could see his medal…

I celebrated by kissing anyone who would let me…

There’s no right or wrong here people! Just take the time to celebrate YOU!