What a weird year, or has it been two? I know a lot of people have done two things to avoid burnout in 2020-2021: buy a bike and adopt a puppy. As someone who was saved by a stray dog, I thought my story might be important for everyone right now. But first, a little background on me.
My name is Chris and when I am not riding a bike, you can find me defending the public at the Colorado Springs Public Defender Office. I also teach yoga, rescue farm animals as a board member of Iowa Farm Sanctuary, and enjoy spending as much time as possible outdoors. My life is fairly busy and I squeeze a whole lot into very small periods of time. So where do bikes and dogs fit into my busy life? Well it all began on a warm day in August, four short years ago.
On August 8, 2017, I planned on meeting Crystal and Nick Kovacs for a short bike ride. In 2017, I had an unexpected spinal surgery due to a bike crash and I had just been cleared by my spine surgeon to resume my regular life. I was ecstatic to get back on a bike! We planned to meet on the Heritage Trail in Farley, Iowa. We also planned to follow up our get together with some vegan pizza at Junction 21. On August 8, 2017 my plans changed instantly when a stray dog came wandering out of the woods. The dog was alone, covered in ticks, and full of wounds. He panted so hard for those first few days that I worried about his heart. We called the local police chief to see what we should do. When she arrived, she asked if I could take the dog in for a short time while we searched for his home.
I drove him home and realized that I had nothing for a dog. Luckily, our bike friends Hannah Krieger Ney and Scout (@sheepdogscout), drove here in the middle of the night to help me. They brought a crate, some food, and some puppy supplies. They stayed for a few days to make sure we were okay! The next morning, we got the dog to the vet. The vet turned his wounds into scars, cleaned him up, and he was given medicine for his ailments. The dog began to heal. The next day I got a big crate from my co-worker and the friend who introduced me to ultra-cycling, Tom. With the crate, I could finally leave the stray alone, and he finally got to sleep in my room!
Over the next few weeks, we hunted for the dog’s home. We made calls, we posted to social media, we swung by the Humane Society, we exhausted all of our resources trying to find the story where this dog came from. Meanwhile, we went on walks and we began to bond. The dog came to trust me, and met my parents Nan and Jerry. A few weeks went by without us hearing anything and we realized this dog must have been a stray. So one morning after one of our many walks, I took the dog out to the backyard and told him that I wanted him to stay with me forever. We used the Internet and collectively named the dog “Farley.” He was not a stray anymore. He found his home.
I knew it wouldn’t be easy to introduce a stray dog into my life. I knew I would have to sacrifice some of the bachelor lifestyle that I’ve enjoyed for so long. I knew that I would have to sacrifice some of the long races I had done in the past, as I could not just leave a dog for multi-day events. I knew that we needed each other though. I knew he would bring me love.
As the years have past, I have slowly introduced Farley to cycling. He loves to mountain bike so we try and find trails that are off-leash dog-friendly. He also loves to run in the snow with me while I fat bike, even doing a loop of the Leadville Colorado Fat Bike trails in 2021. I am careful about the temperatures and make sure to bring him lots of water for hydration. I also do not take him on popular trails or places where it would not be appropriate to bike with a dog on or off leash. A lot more preparation goes into even short rides, but it is totally worth it.
In the last two years, we have been faced with incredible stress. I would be lying if I said that there have not been times were I have been faced with immense feelings of burnout. What has saved me is bikes and a stray dog named Farley. What has saved me is remembering the joy of cycling. The joy for me is found when I see how much fun Farley is having next to me when we ride. The joy is contagious. We do not have to go far, we just have to get out there. If you are feeling low in these incredibly difficult times, what if you tried something simple like just riding your bike? Maybe with a friend? Maybe without your devices? Maybe without keeping track of speed or distance? Who knows, maybe you too will stumble upon a stray dog that will change your life!
Ride on,
Christopher Welch, @thegraveldefender and Farley, @goodboyfarley.