On the eve of the 2012 European Cani-cross Championships, I
remember why I am here and the journey to get here.
In 2010, I had a dream that a little rescued husky, saved
from a non-existent future would prove just what you can achieve with love,
trust and hard work. I wanted to show
that a dog so badly treated by humans could go on to prove that the impossible
is possible….
We have arrived in 2012 and that little rescue husky is no
longer with us. Every day I think of
him, and every day I miss him. He taught
me so much in such a short time, for which I am eternally grateful.
But the dream went back further than that…. Way back to the
first ever cani-cross race in the UK, when I first realised the power of a
husky and human team. I ran that race
with Kade, the dog that taught me how to run.
Through Kade I learned to love running for the love of running. Running for no other reason than to feel the
fresh air on my face, see the grass and the trees and smell the smells that
exist in the Great British countryside.
He taught me how to pace myself and how to run for hours and hours, just
because I could.
Kobi taught me about love and trust, and to race. Kade taught me how to run.
Before Kobi I would always start conservatively in all races,
choosing to lag at the back and pick up the pace from the half-way point. This approach works well in ultra-running
events, but not in dog running races. In
a cani-cross race, this approach will lose valuable time, overtaking slow runners
and their dogs is very hazardous, not all dogs and people are under control.
Kobi helped me believe that the impossible was
possible. His enthusiasm and zest for
racing others pushed him on and appeared to give him super doggy power. His power helped me run faster and
stronger. Through running with him I dared
to dream of things that would previously have always been out of my reach. Before Kobi I did not know what it felt like
to push myself so hard that I almost went unconscious. To achieve sub 5 minute miles and keep on
running….. He was also the only husky I
have ever met that would give so much of himself that he completely and utterly
“blew up”! Not just slowed down, but
stop completely and drop the ground – Strathclyde parkrun in March 2011 was a
brilliant example….
While other runners ran with *“bird dogs”, I ran with a
little angel dog that spread his wings each time I asked for more. He loved to please me, his big beaming smile
and “whoo, whoos” would bring tears to my eyes.
So back to the dream, or rather, “back to the reality”….
Kobi and Kade no longer live amongst us. They watch from above, forever in peace. I think of them every day, of them and Kai,
Friday and Zep and Meiko too. Shed tears
when no-one watches and yearn for the day when I see them again. I think of them most days. They all helped me be the runner that I am
today.
Krofti, Kez and Kroi do still live amongst us, every day I
get to run with them and every day I remember the love and trust that humans
and huskies thrive upon.
After the loss of Kobi and the shattering of the dream, I
decided that I would still run in the European Cani-cross championships and I
would run in his memory. I just had to
choose which dog would be the best tribute to my little angel dog.
I have chosen Kroi.
At 16 months of age he is still a “baby”, so much to learn and a
lifetime to learn it. He is capable of
competing with the best cani-cross dogs, but he lacks confidence and becomes
scared without the protection of his big brother Kez. Tomorrow and Sunday will be very challenging
for him, but I will be with him every step of the way. If he needs to stop, then stop we shall. If he gets scared, I will run beside him and
help him be brave. We have a lifetime to
race together, this weekend is just about having fun.
On Saturday Kroi will run in Kade’s racing colours and
harness. On Sunday he will run in Kobi’s
harness and colours. I will run with
both Kobi and Kade in my heart.
I have one simple dream for this weekend. It matters not if we finish first, or finish
last. I just want us both to finish with
a smile upon our faces.
*”Bird dog” is the
name given to the European dogs that are considered unbeatable in the
cani-cross world.
