September Canicross season has started!!!!

You’d think I’d be better organised because season starts in September every year, but in my defence, I’m not, but we did have a horrific heatwave.

People have been asking me when we’re getting canicross meets back up. I was just looking at the weather. Thinking is too hot. It’s just too hot!  I can’t do anything in this heat. And that’s not just the humidity, heat, UV rays and-everything-else-wise and being-sensible-for-canicross, that’s also me physically. I cannot train in the heat.

So I haven’t got myself organised earlier. I should have been doing strength training all throughout the summer. But you know what, we all took the summer off (also due to my new business set up and volunteering for CAM, all in all has been a satisfying lot!).

I always give my dogs time off from running, because it’s just protocol. Christine Zink said about dogs having a month off. Well, my dogs got a little bit longer than that off. So I don’t feel guilty for resting our dogs.  Don’t feel guilty for not resting your dogs, I just follow her advice personally and she also does lots of world class dog coaching.

Certainly I didn’t do that with my original canicross dog. We will never know what the right or wrong thing is to do.

So my opinions are very much more cautious in regards to training now than they used to be. And it could be because I’m more broken and not as fearless. Or it could be that I appreciate alot more now about the dogs anatomy.

So this is why I’m writing this blog for you now. Do not go out and do a 10k canicross.  Just because your dog can, doesn’t mean that it should. There you go – I said it. Instead build them up to a 10k (or whatever your distance goal is).

The way I am introducing our dogs back into the sport is free running. I’ve got the luxury of having dogs that I can free run. So we started in the first week of September with a 20 minute free run together.  Bear in mind that we usually have a 40min walk where they are off lead all the time so this would actually be less time out in total. However this type of game will spend more time non stop moving as we won’t be stopping for sniffs as their ‘’game’’ when we are running is to all run together.

They still have 3x week for their sniffari adventures and one rest day (which I hate) but is part of the protocol I am following.

Now my reasoning behind this methodology is steadiness. Our mature canicross dog knows the drill. I don’t know whether she recognises my backpack or if it was the energy I was presenting. I did not have any canicross gear on me, except my backpack so I could get used to running ‘’loaded’’ again where I carry poo bags, phone, water, first aid equipment. I wanted to get my body used to running with a backpack as well because that’s been a while and wasn’t even sure if I could run for 20 minutes non stop. Really pleased that I could because I have literally done no training. Really pleased that my mature canicross dog ran on her invisible line, which is what my original canicross dog also used to do (he is now retired). They just run out as if it was still connected and I absolutely love that bond. Whereas my immature canicross dog, who had one season of canicross and barely much of a run then because I again introduced her slowly.  She went off like a rocket and literally like a firework whizzing around and popping out all over the place. So she didn’t know the game. So she needs to learn the game. And that is, when we are running this is in a steady pace. It’s a constant, steady pace. So if we can’t do that with her, then this is why I’m thinking I must swop her to bikejor so she can just go off like a rocket for a shorter distance and at least I can keep up.

The question I got from my partner was, why am I doing this?  We want the dogs to go off like rockets at the start – well that is all well and good if you also have the physical capability to meet that but I am finding it harder now to have that 4min/mile sprint for the first few hundred meters and then settling into my social speed of 9min/mile or race pace 7min/mile.  For me right now I have no races planned and just want to enjoy a social run. I will of course adapt their training to meet race goals.

My goal at the moment is to run as a team and not have the dog pulling against me the whole time and making maximum effort which I am not returning.

So I’m pleased to say the next planned run was couple of days after. So on the second time run out, again my immature canicross dog tore off but she paid more attention to me and her mother (the mature canicross dog). She did start to track in front of us as well. So I’m hoping that the more frequently we do this then she’ll realise that the game is that we are we run as a group not to ping off all over the place.

I’m monitoring their recovery, I’m monitoring their muscles, their joints, seeing how they are.

My next decision will be another week of this protocol, see how they’re adapting and how I’m adapting. If we can put them in harness and when we do put them in harness it will be briefly, probably just put in harness for a few minutes. Everything is timed. So I know it’s recorded on Strava I don’t write it down separately because it is all on this software. I’ll make a note of the runs when I’m free running with the dogs. We are building up in two and a half minute increments with the free running. I need to set a goal of either 5k or 10k for me personally.  You might have longer distance goals than that. I’m building it up incrementally and then checking on them as well.

I’m checking how they are not just hands on, but also checking how they are with doing their homework of proprioception. So I’ve already introduced proprioception to them, and I’ll also be introducing strength work as well to do on the days we are not running. I’m also making sure they have rest days once a week. The rest days to me are really important because mentally I don’t want them to be in a very high drive state. I don’t think reactive is the right word, they are very driven dogs and sing the songs of their people whenever we arrive at walk or run location. So I need to give them time mentally to be able to cope and decompress.  I still do things with them on rest days including proprioception, I tend to also give them a really good chew such as a pigs ear or an ostrich leg for them and some sniffing work if they are still wired. The dogs, because they are so driven they do have activities in every evening as well. I just need them to learn to settle themselves as well. So it’s not Disneyland every day or every other day so they definitely do have some downtime and it also gives me some time to actually give them a treatment and re-evaluate what I’m doing with them because this is my intended structure. But if I need to adapt this then I will adapt it as necessary. Believe me our dogs are like sleeping lions inside the home which is just a perfect balance.

So that’s the beauty of the training and the passion that stems from this. I am able to provide enrichment activities, range of movement which allows me to be able to recognise their normal and those muscle groups, which muscles affect what parts of the body, so I’m able to work on areas that there are any weakness, specifically for my dogs and I can constantly adapt this.

And the thing is, it isn’t going to be linear. Progression isn’t linear, there will be peaks and troughs, ups and downs, you may even go back a few stages. So your exercise programme needs to have that flexibility.

So what I’m going to be offering is a schedule for you too, I will be releasing running, strength and proprioception training plan but I also be having check ins to see if there’s any tweaks that need to be made as well.

The point I want to get across is just because the calendar says its September, and I love September, I absolutely love it. I love the coolness. I love catching back up with my team mates. I used to love netball and its netball season I just I love it. I love these winter months is great for doing stuff with dogs. My dogs are so much better in the cold than they ever are in the heat. But you couldn’t go and do a netball match when you haven’t had that training. Don’t think just because they can they should.  We also need to get our dogs ready.

Chris Zink states ‘’majority dogs in performance events are not fully fit.  Cant get your dog optimally fit by just doing the game. Have to target muscles that the dogs need’
(Chris Zink – How to assess your dog structure and why its important 6 March 2018)

Working at your dogs pace for their best movement health  – Amanda Perriman

PS

Our second week of this style of training and both my dogs are now running steadily ahead and not flying off am super proud and happy and can’t wait for the next stage in harness.

PPS Love this poem, I share it every year….

”Run through meadows

Explore forests

Swim the sea

Climb trees

Breath the wild air

Gaze at the stars

And run dogs”

(Author unknown)

I Love September