Keeping Up

Distance	Moving Time	Average Speed	Maximum Speed
2.47 miles	0:13.43	10.78 mph	17.66 mph

Sunday may have been our last trip to the Pine Barrens for the 2011-2012 season. I hope not, but if it was, we ended on a very good note. We did a short run at Mt. Misery – just 1.2 miles out and back, like we had done the week before. This time, I had the rig instead of the bike. And this time, the dogs absolutely flew. 

My phone app clocked the team at 17.66 miles per hour – definitely their fastest maximum speed yet. They held steady, averaging 10 miles per hour after their initial burst at take off. Knox is the added kick of strength and power we really needed. I can’t wait to do longer runs with him, but I’m taking it slow.

Sunday morning was the last bit of cold we’ll be getting for at least a week. Temperatures will be in the upper 60’s and lower 70’s for the next couple of days. Since it’s too warm to run, I’m focusing on the dogs’ loose-leash walking skills (or lack there of).

Denali needs the most work with walking manners. Her walks aren’t walks – they’re still runs, in her mind. It’s not easy to teach a dog, who was bred and trained to pull, to walk nicely. Knox and Dexter each need their own individual training as well.

My plan is to walk each dog separately every day this spring and summer. The huskies will be walked in the morning or evening, Knox getting the cooler time slot (since he’s got the heaviest coat). Dexter isn’t bothered by heat, so unless it’s blistering, he’ll get walked in the late afternoon. As they improve, I’ll walk in pairs. The ultimate goal is to loose-leash walk all three together without issue.

I will be walking each with a leash attached to a limited slip O-ring collar. I need for them to differentiate between the collar/lead and pulling with their x-back harness. After all, I still want them to pull when the cool temperatures return.

I’ll also be walking the dogs on a different path, at least for the beginning of their loose-leash training. Right now, they associate our usual route with running and pulling. If I go a different direction, I’m hoping they’ll be thinking more, instead of just acting on their RUN RUN RUN instincts.

To further work their manners, I’ll be taking them around the local park, where lots of distractions will come into play: other dogs, kids, people, etc.

Today was Denali’s first real test. She did better than she usually does, since she was by herself and not focusing on leading the other two. She pulled, as expected, but also had a few stretches of loose-leash walking. I also got her to check out her surroundings a bit – sniff the ground, look at the lake, watch joggers pass. Usually, she’s all business and doesn’t look anywhere but forward. 

Knox is still getting used to walks by himself, so I don’t think it will be quite as hard to train him to walk nicely. Dexter can walk well, but he has a different problem entirely – he marks and sniffs every few feet, which can get annoying.

I’ll continue to update on our runs, assuming we get a few more before the temperatures stay consistently above 50 degrees. Once that happens, I’ll be using the blog to document the dogs’ non-mushing related activities and training. I’ll also use the off-season to write up some articles about mushing in general – not just my little team. So don’t go anywhere!

2011-2012 Mileage to Date: 121.94

And Then There Were Three

I’ve been meaning to write about Knox’s first run with the big dogs in my usual trail entry format, but I got delayed – and now we’re already three runs into his “career”. I decided I should write a little recap of each, before any more time passes and I forget the details.

Our first three dog run was on Friday, March 2nd. Since Knox is right around 6-months-old and seemed more than ready to join the team, I decided it was time. My rig is still in need of a new bearing, so I had to resort to a 3-dog bikejor. Not the best idea and certainly not something I will do once the rig is fixed, but I wanted to give him a practice run before the Pine Barrens.

Our first run went pretty well. Denali ran in single lead with Dexter and Knox behind her in wheel. Knox did fantastic… he pulled hard and slammed into his harness like he was bred to do it (which I’m fairly certain he wasn’t). Dexter also did well – he was more focused and went into “chase” mode with Denali in front of him. Denali – my sweet, oh-so-perfect Denali – was less than perfect in single lead. I didn’t realize how much Dexter grounded her. It wasn’t a catastrophe or anything. She ran like a yearling (which she is), and not the incredibly focused girlie she usually is. Her commands were a little fuzzy and she turned around to mess with Knox halfway through the run.

Towards the end of Knox’s first run, we came upon a fleeing cat. Because we can’t have a single run without some sort of animal darting away from us. My bike brakes were working, but didn’t do any good. The wheels slid, until I managed to swing up against a tree and hold the team back.

The second run was flawless. We went to the Pine Barrens, where there are rarely any animals near the trail. The freshly laid scent of other teams also helps my guys stay focused. All three did great, although Denali couldn’t understand why we had to turn back after just over a mile – she wanted to run our usual four mile trail. I didn’t want to push Knox too hard, so we only did 2.4 miles with the team. I took Denali out again later and repeated the same trail, so she could get her fix.

This morning was Knox’s third run and probably the worst thus far. As soon as we took off, I realized something wasn’t right. The duct tape job I constructed on the front brake had ripped apart. I thought about turning back, seeing as three dogs + only a rear brake might = suicide… but I had my helmet on, so god damn it, we kept going!

First test was a squirrel that darted by Denali. In double lead with Dexter, she gets excited for squirrels, but I can usually call her off. She then channels her ‘need-to-chase’ urge into pulling extra hard. In single lead, she loses her focus and tries to chase. I had to swing against a tree and wait for her to cool off.

Dexter and Knox did very well. Denali obeyed most of my commands, but she wasn’t as quick and sharp with them as usual. Towards the end of the woods loop, something caught her eye and she hopped off the path and into the high, dead brush. While she was goofing off, Dexter took the opportunity to roll around. Knox just whined and slammed into his harness, trying to get the team to keep going – nice try, little one! I had to dismount and pull Denali into the right direction. The remainder of the run home was mostly uneventful. She was a little better with the commands, but still a bit unruly.

All in all, they’re doing fine. This minor setback is just a dose of reality. For the most part, Denali has been unusually great in harness. Asking her to lead without Dexter by her side is a big step for a puppy still a few days shy of a year old. AJ plans to take her running every day and I’ll be doing more single lead practice with her. I’m sure we’ll work out the kinks as time goes on.

Someday in the distant, but hopefully not too distant future, a fourth dog will even out the team and solidify their flow. Dexter and Knox can be the powerhouses in wheel and maybe another Sibersong lady will balance Denali out in lead. Someday!

Broken Down

Distance	Moving Time	Average Speed	Maximum Speed
3.8 miles	Unrecorded	Unrecorded	Unrecorded

The past few days have been fun, but destructive. On Friday, my bike’s brakes gave out entirely. The duct tape job on the front brake lost its effect and all the brake pads have worn down.

I realized I had no brakes about halfway through our run, right before the dogs spotted a cat – in the middle of the trail. The cat took off running and the dogs followed behind. She eventually went off the trail and the dogs lost sight of her, giving me just enough time to fully stop the bike after a scary few seconds. They must have saw her again, because they did a 180 on the trail and tried to pull off into the woods. I had to dismount and drag them away… they were far too excited for “leave it” to work.

The brake-less bike foiled my plans for joring at the D&R Canal, so I ended up taking the dogs to Sandy Hook with my parents. I left the harnesses at home and attempted to make it just a “walk”, but all three were pretty amped up and looking to run. Everybody got to dip their paws in the ocean and nose around in the sand, so it was a nice change of pace. It was windy and we were pelted with sand the whole time, but three tired dogs on the way home was well worth it.

Sunday, I went to the Pine Barrens with AJ and the pack. I brought the chambers rig, since the bike is still out of commission. About halfway through our 3.8 mile run, I noticed the front wheel seemed to be rubbing on something and making a weird noise. I stopped the dogs and tried to figure out what was causing the issue. As it turns out, the wheel was wobbling because one of the bearings had fallen into the center of the wheel. The inner part of the wheel was rubbing on the axle on one side, while the other side still had a bearing holding it in place.

We finished the remainder of the run, but it was a real workout for me and the dogs. I’m hoping I can replace the bearing without too much trouble. However, it seems anything involving these unusual sized wheels can be a hassle to find. If I can, I’ll just replace all three wheels completely. Bike brake pads should be easier to come by, but I’m leaning towards buying the new bike sooner rather than later. It’ll be a financial hit I was hoping to put off or offset, but it may be necessary.

2011-2012 Mileage to Date: 111.76

100 Miles

Distance	Moving Time	Average Speed	Maximum Speed
1.9 miles	0:14.12	8.06 mph	12.86 mph

Our 100 mile mark came and went, and I confess, I did not shoot a video to commemorate it. Last week was bad for biking, between the rain and my head cold. I was lucky to get a few walks in. We didn’t get a single run in until the weekend, and it was nearly dark out when we finally hit the trail. A video wouldn’t have shown too much.

100 miles seemed like a lot to me at the beginning of  the season, but it really isn’t. It’s humbling to think that many teams run more than that in a single race. Those races are unfathomable to me. I can’t even wrap my head around the 1,049 mile Iditarod.

I’ll cut myself some slack. I only have two dogs. I can’t have an large team just yet. I don’t have easy access to 30+ miles of trail for training. Also, I’m not counting all the miles I walk and jog with the dogs. Our total mileage could easily be doubled, since I walk them more than I run them.

I am running a “sprint team”, based on my current circumstances. There’s nothing wrong with that.

I do look forward to the day that I get into distance running. Mostly because I love being out with the dogs so much. I want to spend hours out in the woods, just me and the mutts. I think I’d even like distance races. The races I’ve participated in are fun, don’t get me wrong, but they are fast and chaotic. Not a whole lot of time to stop and take in the scenery, that’s for sure.

Distance races aren’t without their challenges, of course. The strength and endurance needed to stand on runners for hours at a time is something I have yet to experience and appreciate. But I am determined to make it happen – even if it’s a goal set 10-15 years in the future.

In the meantime, I’ll keep on trucking along with my two goobers. I’m trying to take advantage of the remaining cool mornings with runs nearly every day. The upcoming forecast has eliminated all possible hope for more snow. At this point, we’ll be lucky if March has cool enough temperatures to do anything at all. Knox will hit the six month mark in less than two weeks, and I’d really like to try a three dog team before the season ends.

2011-2012 Mileage to Date: 106.53

Sled Dogs on the Shore

Distance	Moving Time	Average Speed	Maximum Speed
3.63 miles	0:23.48	9.14 mph	14.54 mph

We had some pretty solid runs this weekend, both at home and away. I’ve added a new loop of trail for our local rides. Instead of running through the municipal building parking lot, we’re now running around the tennis courts (light blue below). We actually used to do this all the time, but I stopped due to frequent encounters with wildlife. Oh, and a tree fell against the back fence of the courts, so it was literally impossible to pass through.

The downed tree is still there, by the way. It’s breaking apart and somewhat passable at this point. Could I do it on a sled? No way. Rig? Doubt it. Bike? Just barely. The first time I had the dogs slowly pull me through, to avoid destroying my face on the horizontal branches. The second time, my brakes didn’t really feel like cooperating, so we tore right on through. Luckily, there was minimal damage, aside from my hat getting caught up in a branch (I stopped and went back for it).

The new loop reduces the amount of time spent running on pavement, which is really what I’m aiming for. Dexter runs noticeably better on grass and dirt.

I planned to go to the Pine Barrens on Sunday, but I slept in and decided to check out Sandy Hook instead. I’ve been meaning to run the dogs there, since it’s a lot closer than the Pines. Overall, it’s a really nice bike trail, but it is mostly paved. I coaxed the dogs to run along the grass next to the path whenever I could, though.

It was icy cold down the shore, which was a welcome change compared to our recent warm temperatures. The wind was really brutal along the edges of the peninsula, and the ocean was pretty wild. In one spot, we were pelted by the wind and some freezing cold ocean spray. Denali ran like a maniac – she really thrives in the coldest temperatures. Dexter ran his best at that point, too. Even though I couldn’t feel my face, I’m pretty sure I was smiling the whole time.

Knox went out on the beach after the big dogs got their run. He didn’t really know what to make of it. The combination of rough winds and crashing waves didn’t sit well with him, so he peed on some seashells and we ran back to the truck.

Our next run will break the 100 mile mark! I’ll bring the GoPro along to commemorate it!

2011-2012 Mileage to Date: 98.47

The New Bike Fund

I recently added a fundraising widget to the homepage of this site. I don’t really expect anything much to come out of it, but I’m not above begging for donations! I really need a new bike to run the dogs with. The bike I currently use is falling apart. The brakes only work thanks to some extensive duct taping. The gears don’t switch right. The chains are falling off. Honestly, it was never a great bike to begin with. It served me well for what it was worth, but now I need to move on to better things.

I did buy a new bike. Right before the Fair Hill Challenge, I bought a brand new and better version of my old bike. Big mistake. For those who don’t recall, the bike fell apart during the race. The chain fell off and the brakes came loose – all problems my current bike suffers from. All problems that I thought were due to lack of tune-ups and general maintenance. Nope, apparently they are just crappy bikes.

Thankfully, I was able to get my money back on the crap bike. But that left me with my old, equally crappy bike to work with. So I duct taped it up and have been using it ever since. Does it have the control and stability I really want and need? No. Can the dogs pull me on it? Yes.

I’ve come to terms with the fact that I’ll need to spend more than $200 or $300 to get a decent bike. I’ve heard great things about Trek bikes. Of course, the model I narrowed my search down to costs over $450 (Trek 3500 Disc Bike). It’s hard for me to justify spending that much money, especially when I do have a rig I could use. I don’t necessarily need a bike at all.

The thing is… I truly love biking in general, even without the dogs. It’s always been one of my favorite activities. I’m not especially good at it. It’s not something I’ve ever been competitive in. Hell, I’ve never even been on a “street” bike. My love is partly for nostalgic reasons. Rolling along on a bike on a warm summer evening brings me to a happy place.

You can only imagine my excitement after discovering bikejor – a sport that combined my love of biking with my love of dogs. Rolling quickly through the Pine Barrens, behind two crazy dogs, doesn’t stir up the same feeling as my nostalgic summer rides, but it brings me to another equally happy place.

If anyone decides to throw some bucks towards my bike fund, I’ll be eternally grateful. This year, I’m trying to cut back on spending. After all the mushing-related expenses last year (well over $1000, not counting the truck I bought to make everything possible), I will have to wait on the new bike. I’m going to sell some stuff, as well as take on some freelance work, in hopes of making some extra bucks. My goal is to set aside $500, not from my paychecks, by this fall. If I can buy a new bike without using my normal pay, I will have succeeded!

Too Hot for Cold Weather Dogs

We had a very low-key weekend here. I had big plans of scoping out the D&R Canal and possibly running five or six miles of it, but with temperatures in the fifties, I decided it wouldn’t be worth dragging all the gear out. So while our friends competed in upstate NY at the Massena Dash, we were back in NJ, sweating our butts off at the Watchung Reservation. 

February is very early for our first hike of the year. The Watchung Reservation is only about 20 minutes from us and provides a very nice area to hike. This time of year, there’s not a whole lot of color. And with the recent weather, the trail was pretty muddy. 

Thank goodness AJ came along, as I’m fairly sure I couldn’t have hiked with all three dogs. I started out with Dexter and Denali on a two-dog y-line and AJ had Knox. Since Dex was more than a little distracted, we decided to switch him with Knox. The pup needs some experience being attached to another dog via neckline, so I figured this would be a good opportunity. 

Holy crap, did he do well. The two of them took off with me stumbling behind them, trying to keep up. They made the uphill portions of the hike very easy… but downhill, forget it. Halfway through I ended up switching off with AJ. He weighs a bit more than me, so he could easily manage their pulling through the unstable terrain.
Dexter trotted around and did his usual marking and sniffing, but whenever AJ and the huskies got too far ahead, he got anxious and wanted to catch up. I’m hoping this will carry over to his in-harness runs, once Knox can join.
Other than our hike, we didn’t do a whole lot. I made a make-shift flirt pole out of a branch and an old rope toy, so that provided the dogs with some entertainment. Knox is also working on his frisbee skills. He’s the only dog I have that will play fetch without getting bored, so I’m thinking I might be able to train him to actually catch a frisbee. We need something to do in the summer, after all.
I included this weekend’s hike in our training mileage because the dogs worked their butts off. We’ve hit the 90 mile mark, so there’s no doubt we’ll hit a 100 before it gets too warm. I’m still hoping for a late season blizzard… I really want to get back on the sled. Even cold temperatures would be nice – Spring-like weather is pleasant and all, but not in February!

2011-2012 Mileage to Date: 90.45

Supplements for Sled Dogs

Someone has a fire pit going and it smells wonderful through my open window. Not exactly what I’d expect for February 1st, but there’s nothing we can do about it. Snow dances and inside-out pajamas have proved futile.

It was 50 degrees when I woke up this morning and the thermometer hit 60 by mid-afternoon. I decided it would be a good day to rest the dogs. They’ve had four consecutive days of running and fast-paced walks, so a day off can’t hurt. We spent a good portion of it outside in the yard, where Denali and Knox decided to run laps anyway.

Since I don’t have a run to document, I figured I’d talk about the supplements I add to the dogs’ diet. I’m still mostly experimenting with what works and what doesn’t, so keep that in mind. What works for some dogs won’t work for others, and you should always consult your vet before adding something to your dog’s diet.

Fish Oil Tablets - Fish oil contains omega-3 fatty acids. I give each dog a tablet in their morning food mixture. Fish oil is said to help promote skin and coat quality, a healthy immune system, cardiovascular health and healthy brain development. Right now, I just give them drug store brand tablets, but I will be trying Alaska Naturals Wild Alaska Salmon Oil once they run out.

Probiotics - I began adding probiotics to the dogs’ morning food in response to Knox’s frequent dewormings. When dogs are dewormed, they lose a lot of good bacteria from their stomach contents. All three are prone to upset tummies as well. I used to give yogurt on a regular basis, but the dogs lost their taste for it. The capsule method seems to be doing the trick for now. I ordered a special variety of Alaska Naturals Salmon Oil that includes a probiotic blend – so after the capsules run out, I’ll rely on the oil.

Cranberry - Another supplement that started based on Knox’s needs. A suspected UTI lead to daily cranberry capsules being added to the morning food. All three seem to really like the cranberry, and no UTIs to report since!

Garlic  - I began adding Bug-off Garlic to the dogs’ dinner food mixture to ward off fleas and ticks. Despite the bad breath, the powder offers a lot of good things for the dogs’ bodies. It’s an antioxidant and stimulates immunity, among other things. Plus, it keeps away vampires.

Raw - At one time, Dexter was on a 100% raw diet. Unfortunately, I’m not confident enough in my ability to properly balance his food intake to meet all his needs. However, the benefits of some raw foods are too good to completely avoid. I often give liver, tripe, heart, ground beef, turkey necks, and egg as treats.

NUPRO Silver - I just ordered a five pound tub of NUPRO Silver, which contains a Glucosamine complex, MSM, and Ester-C. This supplement is recommended for active dogs and helps promote healthy joints.

All of the above is given in combination with Canidae dry kibble and Wellness canned dog food (I’d like to get them on a higher protein or no-grain kibble soon, but for now, this works). I closely monitor the dogs whenever I add something new to their diet and stop after any ill effects. For the most part, I’ve only had success or no obvious change. If I find a supplement isn’t hurting, but isn’t helping, I tend to discontinue or limit its intake. No need to bog them down with powders and pills if they’re not doing anything. And no use spending the money on something that isn’t working.

Rickety Rigs

Distance	Moving Time	Average Speed	Maximum Speed
3.99 miles	0:27.44	8.62 mph	14.16 mph

We got some nice training opportunities in this weekend. On Saturday I biked with Dexter and Denali around our usually trail. It was still VERY muddy but we managed. Afterwards, I walked Knox on his own – man, that little puffball can pull!

This morning we were all packed up and ready to go to the Pine Barrens, but I couldn’t find my damn keys. I finally found them – in the first place I had checked, I just didn’t look hard enough. We hit the road about 40 minutes later than I would have liked, but we made it down there.

Today was our first run with the dry land rig this season. They pulled hard and fast while they were chasing another team, but really pooped out towards the end. Overall not a bad run – I just need for them to pace themselves a little better. It’s definitely harder to pull the rig, since I’m not pedaling along the whole time. I do kick off the ground to help them out, but for the most part, they’re on their own. They were eager to get back in the truck after their run, so I suppose they were satisfied!

Back at home, I took Knox out for some basic puppy training. Denali’s x-back harness finally arrived, so I was able to pass on the adjustable puppy x-back to Knox. I hooked him up to the rig with one leader line and I held the other. At first he was determined to run back and sit on the driver’s spot on the rig – silly pup. I let him get acclimated with the big, metal contraption, so he wouldn’t be nervous when it was barreling behind him.

Eventually, I got Knox out in front of the cart, pulling it slowly and following alongside me. The cart is super light, so it was barely any work for him. He didn’t seem at all afraid of it as he toddled along. Good pup!

2011-2012 Mileage to Date: 83.34

Soggy Week

I don’t have much to blog about lately. I haven’t been on a run since Sunday, when we still had snow on the ground. Monday, temperatures were in the 50s, so everything melted. Combine all that snow melt with the rain we’ve been getting, and you’ll get some pretty soggy woods. All that standing water has been freezing overnight, making for some pretty treacherous biking conditions.

Since the trails around my house are such a mess, I have been canicrossing with all three dogs to keep them active. I also sprinkled in a little regular leash walking, since they’re all pretty atrocious at that. If anyone wants to lend a hand and walk some dogs with me, just give a holler. I can’t regular leash walk them by myself, since they’re all over the place without their ganglines. And sure, I can (and do) walk them one at a time – but I like getting them all out at the same time, too.

This weekend is somewhat up in the air. I have the opportunity to bring the dogs to Delaware State Forest in Northeast PA for something – either a hike or bikejoring, depending on the trail conditions. However, a few things are deterring me. I’ve been warned about bears, large coyotes, and hunter’s traps along trails. All things I wouldn’t want to run into alone in the middle of unfamiliar woods. I’ve also been looking forward to trying out my rig in the Pine Barrens, so I may just go down there instead.

I wish there was snow somewhere within two hours of me, because that’s definitely where I’d be. I’m not sure what to do about Tug Hill. I want to enter the limbo class. At the very least, I want to go up and watch the races and practice on an unused trail. But it’s so hard to tell if there will be suitable snow. I’d hate to enter and have the race get canceled. Not to mention booking a motel room and getting stuck with a cancellation fee. I’ll have to make some phone calls and see how much notice I can give.

It doesn’t look like we’ll be making it to the Massena Dash. My handler (haha) will be busy with the Super Bowl, and I’m not sure it’s in my budget to make the trip. Maybe next year!

Anyway, that’s enough disappointing news for now. Hopefully next season will be snowier, and we’ll have a bit more in the budget in terms of traveling.

In the mean time, I set up a Facebook page for Blue Eyes & Spitfire. Go ahead and give us a “Like” – I’ll be on there quite a bit, instead of flooding my personal Facebook with dog sledding stuff.