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

Nature's Fury

This season has been a crazy one so far, and it has nothing to do with the dogs. A few weeks ago we were blasted by Hurricane Sandy. We were left without power for several days. The streets and local trails were littered with downed trees and power lines. And with gas rationing and an empty tank, I couldn't drive elsewhere to train.

A week later, we were hit by a Nor'easter. As much as we love snow, it wasn't quite enough to do anything. It was a sloppy, slushy snow that began melting almost immediately -- so there was no time to take the sled out. Plus, the power went out again. Luckily, it was only for a few hours this time.

Right after the winter storm, a warm spell struck and I was out walking the dogs in shorts and short sleeves. Go figure.

Finally, it seems Mother Nature has calmed down for a bit. The temperatures are right where they should be for this time of year. I've managed to sneak in a few rig runs (between disasters), with the help of my mom or sister (whoever I could drag out with me).

The dogs are doing well, despite the gaps between runs. Denali's prey drive has noticeably toned down. At the end of today's run, my dad met us and ran alongside the team for the home stretch. Denali was digging down so hard and pulling with all her might -- it was awesome to see.

We will finally be going down to the Pine Barrens this weekend, for the first time this season. Expect lots of photos and hopefully some video of our run next week!

2012-2013 Mileage to Date: 30.48

Snow Days

What an awesome weekend! We finally got some snow on Friday night into Saturday morning. It was only a few inches, but enough to get the sled out.

I put the dogs out on the picket line and got the sled ready for its first voyage. The plan was to just take it up and down our dead-end street, since the snow was nicely packed on it. Of course, as I was hooking everything up, the plow came through and scraped the street. I swear, I've never seen a plow do its job so well.

After the plow finished, the street wasn't in the best shape for sledding. There was a bit of exposed pavement, ice, and some areas of compacted snow. But we had come too far to give up now! I had originally planned on walking the sled up and down the street, so that the dogs could get used to pulling something lower than the bike. I had also planned to hook Knox up, since it was only going to be at a walking pace (I just got my new 4-dog gangline and I'm eager to try it out). That plan went out the window, once the street became ultra slick.

I dropped Knox and had him walking on a leash (held by a friend), kept Denali in lead, and left Dexter behind her in wheel. Not the set-up they're used to, but the run wasn't too bad. We went down my street and down some side roads... nothing crazy, probably less than a quarter mile total.

On Saturday evening, we decided to give it another go. It began to flurry some more, so the road was looking a little more accommodating. I hooked Dex and Nali up with their usual 2-dog leader section and they managed a lot better. We ran as far as we could, unhooked the dogs, and carried the sled over the areas without snow cover (parking lots, mostly). Luckily, I had plenty of "handlers" there to help.

We made it to my little wooded area and really got to test the sled out. It was getting dark and pretty cold, so the dogs were on fire. I took them around our usual loop and they looked amazing. Well, as far as I could tell -- towards the end of the loop, we were going so fast, I could barely keep my eyes open against the flurries. Definitely gotta bring my goggles! After my run, I let my friends try it out and I'm pretty sure they all loved it.

Sunday morning, AJ and I went out again with Dex and Nali. With temperatures expected the reach the upper forties/lower fifties this week, I figured it may be my last opportunity to mush on snow. It was already a bit warmer, so the dogs weren't as amped as they were the night before. Still, we got in some good runs and had quiet, sleepy dogs for the rest of the day.

I'm estimating we ran a little over five miles between all our runs this weekend. I didn't bother tracking with my phone, since my friends were taking turns on the runners, and this wasn't serious training. I needed the practice more than the dogs!

2011-2012 Mileage to Date: 75.18

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