Dashing Through the Snow

If you follow more than one mushing blog, you're probably reading the same thing over and over. This season has been pretty terrible. It seems like more races are being canceled than are actually taking place. We've been doing runs here and there, mostly on our local trail. Trips to the Pine Barrens have been tough, mostly due to not having a "handler" (AKA boyfriend) this season. 

My newly built trailer was about ready to haul my 90-pound rig down to the Pines this past weekend, but -- of course -- I didn't need it. We finally got some snow! Something like seven inches.

This was the first time I've had all three dogs pull the sled (last season Knox was still too little). They did great! They had no problem pulling me, but they got a workout while breaking trail and when I added a passenger to the sled. Our runs were brief with long breaks in between to avoid injury, and they were ready to run each time we hooked them back up.

I did some experimenting on the second day of sled runs. I had them run through an open baseball field to test Denali's commands. She wasn't really on her game, but I attribute that to her being tired and the snow being extra deep. After we broke a trail through the field, she ran it again with no trouble.

On our very last run, I bumped Knox up next to Denali. She was starting to lose focus, and having him next to her seems to spark her competitive nature and keep her sharp. Dexter still needs a running mate, though, so I don't think I'd do this permanently. Really, what I need is a fourth dog. One day!

2012-2013 Mileage to Date: 64.35

Dogs at Sunset

Distance	Moving Time	Average Speed	Maximum Speed
1.42 miles	0:10.06	8.43 mph	12.3 mph

Our run today was short and sweet. Thanks to the recent cold snap, both dogs are looking better in harness. I took all three out for a canicross walk last night, right at sunset. It was about 20 degrees Fahrenheit and Denali pulled harder than I've ever felt on a walk. All three did well, and I admit, I had trouble stopping them! It won't be long before I cannot take all three out at the same time -- at least, not in their x-backs.

I decided another sunset outing might be a good idea, only this time on the bike. It was a little warmer this evening at around 32 degrees, but the run still went quite well. Dexter was a little bit distracted, but he did break into his old run along the way, which I was happy to see. And as usual, our woods loop went well. There's some ice at the very end of the loop I have to be careful of, as both nearly lost their footing.

So it seems temperature effects Dexter's runs more than I had anticipated. He's got a short coat -- I used to bike with him in the late summer and early fall without issue. I guess he's just gotten picky.

We're supposed to see some rain this week, which is disappointing. I'm so eager to try out my new sled, but temperatures are not cooperating whenever precipitation is on its way.

I ordered a new four-dog gangline to use when Knox is ready to join the team. I could have easily purchased a two-dog team section and added it to my leader y-section, but I wanted something new and with a little bit of color. My new lines will be black and green, so they'll be a bit easier to untangle amid all my black lines.

I'm also awaiting Denali's custom made x-back harness, so that we can pass the adjustable puppy x-back on to Knox. I won't have him run until he's 6-months-old (March), but I'd still like to get him into the x-back for canicross walks.

As you can imagine, I've got a lot I'm looking forward to. I cannot wait to be behind a three dog team out on the snow. It may not happen this year, but it'll happen, for sure. Hell, I can't wait to be behind a four or six dog team, but that will have to wait awhile.

This weekend I'm going to the Pine Barrens to train, probably Saturday morning. I'm going to bring my rig, if all goes as planned, and run the big dogs with it. Denali has never pulled a rig before and I want to see how she does. Fingers crossed for really cold temperatures, as I'd like to do a real long run!

2011-2012 Mileage to Date: 68.6

Neighborhood Bikejor

Distance	Moving Time	Average Speed	Maximum Speed
2.08 miles	0:16.17	7.67 mph	13.01 mph

First time posting in my trail blog! I'm hoping to write a bit every day that we train. We're about half way through the season, so keep that in mind.

Today, I kept the dogs moving slow on the red trail until we hit the woods loop. Dexter tends to run better on softer ground with fewer distractions. I like to have them work hard for a portion of the run to help build up muscle. Plus, I don't like having them run full-speed on pavement, especially with cars and people around.

I had them run the woods loop twice, which threw them off a little, but they figured it out quick. It's by far my favorite part of our run, and they usually run their fastest. Then we took the yellow trail to add on some distance and give them more command training. The street leading back to the red trail usually has a few stray cats on it, and today was no exception. The dogs spotted a kitty in someone's yard, but I managed to keep them moving.

Denali was flawless today, as she usually is. Dexter has been off lately and I can't figure out why. He isn't running smoothly with Nali. Instead, he's been pulling against her and trying to go in the opposing direction. Denali will be running straight forward and he'll be awkwardly pulling off to the side. I checked him for injuries and haven't found any sensitivity. At home, he wrestles and plays without any issue. He even runs relatively well once we're in the woods loop.

My only guess is that he's become increasingly distracted by stuff on our way to the woods. He's always been an avid sniffer/marker, but he was pretty good about ditching the habit while on runs. Lately, it seems like he's trying to slow down Denali so that he can pick up the habit again.

Dexter tends to run just fine in the Pine Barrens. He'll also run especially well if there are other dogs on the trail. The area we run at home seems to bore him and he much rather sniff than run. It's hard to motivate a dog. The warm weather hasn't been helping, either.

Knox will be joining the team at the tail-end of this season, weather-permitting. The plan is to have the boys in wheel with Denali in lead. I'm hoping that having Denali in front will inspire some chase instincts in Dex. He also will have two dogs pulling him forward, so becoming distracted won't be much of an option.

I'm not looking to have a super-speedy team. I mush for fun, after all. I just want my dogs to work well together and keeps a reasonable pace. We'll see how it goes.

2011-2012 Mileage to Date: 64.78