So now we’ve finally got our new website up and running, although it still needs some updating. We’ve decided to blog instead of writing news to the website, because this is an easier way to tell news of our pack. And now that there’s three of us writing (me, Suvi and Amppa), maybe the updating is more frequent.
I’m not that good at keeping records – in writing news, or for example planning the dogs’ training. Usually I’ll go with feeling and intuition when it comes to driving the dogs. Previous years I’ve had a training schedule planned on paper (though I’ve never really stuck on it), but this year I’ve just made up some bigger guide lines in my head of which way I want to take the training.
I’m not that good at keeping records – in writing news, or for example planning the dogs’ training. Usually I’ll go with feeling and intuition when it comes to driving the dogs. Previous years I’ve had a training schedule planned on paper (though I’ve never really stuck on it), but this year I’ve just made up some bigger guide lines in my head of which way I want to take the training.
For the past three seasons I’ve been building a team for long distance racing. We’re still very far from what I’m hoping to achieve, but you got to start with something. These first “long-distance-years” have been educating me on training and of dogs. I’ve still a lot to learn, but maybe this season I finally have a chance to learn more in races.
My main goal for this season is to be able to participate on Eastpoint Open LDU-SM, a 250km race, with my team. Living this far South, the weather’s always against long distance training. Snow so late in the season (sometimes in late December) makes it difficult to train all the kilometers I would like to.
If this all turns out to be a disaster (with no snow? Too few dogs? Too little training? etc.). I’ve been thinking weather I should just run the Eastpoint longdistance race, even if we walk back, or should I then participate on mid distance races instead, where my team isn’t fast enough. Will see. There’s still some time left before January 27th 2012.
Autumn training has started well, but our dogs are suffering from paw injuries already. The past month has been nothing but trying to find new tracks where the roads are in far more paw-friendly condition. We've tried everything from normal booties to rubber ones, but all the dogs have sore feet. The best solution to us has been trying to find softer trails and occational using of rubber booties. Unfortunately I’ve had to cut down the training kilometers from intended ones. Warm rainy weather with rough rocky roads are a killer combination. Making the training happening is a really hard work with all the difficulties we’re facing.
The dogs have gained muscles well and their spirit is high though, which I’m very happy about. I was able to increase the distance quite fast, but now with this terrible weather I’m stuck running the dogs the same kilometers over and over again. I’ve tried to make the training runs variable enough, so the dogs won’t get physically numb running the same trails over and over again.
With sore feet, the biggest problem for our team has been finding a kibble that satisfies every need of a racing dog. We’ve been trying to find a food that won’t need any added extra vitamins and minerals. The most interesting kibble was one that’s not imported to Finland at the moment. Unfortunately we were unable to gather a group big enough so we could’ve ordered it. As the training had started already, we had to make a quick solution, so we selected Eukanuba which is already in Finnish market.
My team for the season is six Siberians and three Alaskans: Beck, Benny, Putte, Simo, Pimu and Kikka (all SH) with Mimmi, Bambi and Kajsa (AH). All the other dogs ran in our team the last year except Benny, Bambi and Kajsa. Benny ran his first season in my team, but was sold to a new pack. He returned home in spring 2011 and I’m happy he’s back. Bambi and Kajsa are two Alaskan huskies from the same breeder as Mimmi. Actually Bambi is Mimmi’s daughter. Both new Alaskans have settled in well and I like them a lot. They love running for me.
Suvi’s training her team of some oldies and some younger dogs for middistance races. The old lady Jade (9 years old) is leading the team and she’s the one setting the pace. Other dogs in Suvi’s team are Rina, Altti, Jojo, Uule and Koff.
Suvi’s season started terribly: her leaders got loose and ran around Hämeenlinna for 8 hours before were found. The dogs were hit by a car and were in a shock, but luckily they survived without big injuries. Rina was hurt more, she’s not been able to run properly. Will see how she’ll recover.
Then we’ve got a team of yearlings, Nordysak C litter: Keke, Hottis and Muru. They start their first year of training with a newcomer Fugitive’s Irich, a girl who more or less unplanned joined our team in September.
Wilma’s out from racing this season, because she’s getting puppies. She’ll be on motherly leave at least till January. Wilma visited kennel Fugitive’s in September where she was bred with Run Before Beauty’s Homer. Now she’s a gigantic whale and puppies are expected in mid November.
- Kati -
