I dream of fire... and fire comes to me...

Some dreams I willingly share, others I keep close to my heart...

Several years ago, when Kez was a puppy and I had only just moved to the village of Winterbourne Dauntsey, I had a dream....

It was one of those dreams where one awakens not quite sure where one is... was it a dream, or did it actually happen..

At the time I was going through a tough patch in life, one of those times when you question all that is happening around you. Question everything yet find no answers...

I dreamed a very special dream, where Kez had grown from a puppy into a phenomenal ultra running husky, known to many. He had changed from a rebellious nightmare of a teenage husky into a dog that was respected by many through his attitude and his behaviour.

We (the other huskies and I) were known for helping children, helping inspire them to run and to participate in sport...

Kez had become famous and was considered so inspirational that Lord Coe believed him worthy of Olympic recognition. He asked Kez (and I as his running companion) to carry the Olympic Torch to its destination in the Olympic Stadium just before the 2012 Olympic Games....

This dream was dreamed many years ago, well before I knew that there would be an Olympic Torch Relay, consisting of 8,000 people from the United Kingdom of Great Britain..

In June this year I became aware of the torch relay. Sue Hendry from Pets Health for Animals (Trion:Z for pets) had nominated me to carry the torch with Kobi, our little rescue husky, who has his very own inspirational story to tell....

On Thursday 8th December, I received an email that I still find hard to accept. The email contained the words "congratulations" and "successful", all relating to the torch relay. I also received a very special badge in the post, and a personal comment from one of the judges on the panel. All the evidence and facts point towards the unimaginable.... On 12th July, 2012 I will hold in my hands a most precious item. I will hold the Olympic Torch, alight, on fire and on its way to London. The flame that symbolises so much of what we as a modern society are in dange of losing..... When I hold it I will hold it for many people. Each and ever one of them will be with me, in my mind and in my heart.

Every day I hear of sadness in this world. What if I could turn this opportunity into happiness...? What if I could take this opportunity to promote something that could inspire a nation, inspire a great many people and raise a huge amount of money for charity??

P.S. for those that do not believe in dreams.... When I wrote my first book, I wrote of this dream. That was in 2008, yesterday I checked...:-)

(image courtesy of BBC Olympic page)

5"K"s running 5K

So why has it taken me so long to write about "the dream"....
I guess because the reality was that the actual experience was one of the most challenging things that I have ever done. The memory will remain with me forever, and I will remember the smiles, the exhileration and the fact that we ran as we live. We ran as a team, good times, bad times, fun times and some downright dangerous times.

Each dog ran as it lives, personality to the fore....

We started at the back, to ensure that we did not infringe any human runner. Kobi, who has been trained to run 5 minute miles at parkrun, to race against humans, did not understand why we were going so slowly. He did not understand why he was not running with the front runners, why he was not racing them to the first bend.

Kroi did not understand what he was being asked to do. At only 6 months of age, he is only a baby. He tried to copy his idol Kobi, pulling excessively and very powerfully. He does not yet know about working, about pacing and about control...

Kade remembers parkrun in some form... he tries to race forward, and then something holds himself back - it may be his fading eyesight or that he lives in a soundless world, or it may just be that his body cannot run as it used to. Whatever the reason, his preference when running with me is to run either directly in front of me, or just by my side, with as much contact as possible. His choice of position places me in a very precarious position as I am trying not to trip over him, whilst being pulled forward by two dogs that would like to break the sound barrier....

Kroft stays on my left and just behind me, the entire duration of the run. Never rushing, but never infringing or distracting me from what I am trying to do.

Kez remains the worker that he is. He stays on the right, running as quickly or as slowly as I ask him. I necklined him to both Kroi and Kobi during various parts of the run, merely to allow some level of control.

Sometimes I am lost for words as to how best describe Kez. A dog in a million does not do him justice. This dog is more than phenomenal, a dog that can at times read my mind, and when he cannot read my mind, he can read my body and reacts in the way that he thinks I need him best. Usually he is right.....

There were times during the run when I truely felt in heaven. I asked the dogs to run forward, and they all ran together in unison. Each dog running full stride and forward at quite some speed. We slowed as I asked, and we speeded up as I asked.... These are the memories that will live with me forever - complete unison and complete bliss.....

I will remember the poo stops, the geese distractions and the steep descents. But I wont remember them with the fear or the frustration that I felt at the time. I will merely remember them as the part of the integral reality of living and breathing a challenging dream....

I will also remember the honorary member of the "K" team. His name may well begin with the letter "I", but he was there all the way... The stress before the run, the stress during the run... He took photographs and he video'd the precise points where I would have chosen had I thought deeply about it. Without him, the memories would probably have involved tears, pain and lots of mud upon my face.....

My first ever experience of mud skiing.

Have you ever tried mud skiing? I have and didn’t even need any specialist ski equipment. The only problem was that I only managed to stay upright and on my feet for approximately ten seconds! Never mind, I am sure that the potential is there.

I hadn’t gone out the door that morning with the intention of trying a new extreme sport. I was simply going for a nice run, with the dogs for company.

It was a lovely spring morning, dry and bright, but underfoot conditions were a little hazardous on the off road sections due to excessive rain over the previous fortnight. As a result of the conditions, I made a spontaneous decision to take a slightly different route, one which I knew had a good solid track for most of its length. Plus it is nice to be adventurous every now and again and experience new scenery and interesting trails – for the dogs and myself.

And so the run commenced, with all four of us in joyous spirits as we merrily trotted along, down through the village and up towards the track. We ran along the track for about approximately one mile, when I noticed in the distance that there were some pig houses. For anyone not familiar with the habitat of free-range pigs, each female has its own enclosure with a little pig house to sleep in. These she-pig enclosures are divided up using electric fencing.

When I saw the pigs I must admit that I was not particularly concerned. The dogs have run past pigs on numerous occasions and had never previously shown an extreme hunting interest. Perhaps the dogs know that pigs are a formidable force to contend with. Or perhaps it is because pigs tend to just stand still and stare at passers-by and not run away (like sheep do), evoking the predator/ prey response, either way pigs are not normally a problem. I pulled the dogs close to me (just to be sure), and keeping a close eye on the movement of the sows, we continued down the track passing each enclosure.

Everything was going to plan, no problems and completely under control. We only had one sow and a large barn to pass and then there would be a hedge between the pigs and us. I didn’t even give the large barn a second thought, just assumed that it contained the weekly rations of straw and pig food. If only I had known then, what I learned that day…

Those large barns are the piglet nurseries. They are where the little baby pigs live, in huge herds probably in excess of 100.

As we ran alongside the barn, the little sleeping pigs awoke and started charging out as fast as their little trotters could move. Screaming in frenzied excitement.

The barn was situated about twelve feet back from the track we were on, with the entrance/ exit at the far side and electrical fencing forming a channel that all the pigs had to run down, parallel to the track, to access the main field.

As you can probably imagine, when the first piglet appeared the dogs went into hyper-drive. Little pigs, running and squealing on maximum level are a completely different prospect than full grown angry sows. All the piglets screamed in panic and surged towards the fence. Kai was already planning his menu for the day: bacon for breakfast; sausages for lunch; pork chops for dinner – yummee!

I tightened my grip on all of their leads and held on for dear life. No matter what, I was determined that no dog was getting anywhere near those pigs.

When Huskies are at full strength and absolutely determined it would take a phenomenally strong person to hold them back. Each dog is easily capable of pulling six times its own weight, and with me being a mere eight stones, all bets are off as to whom will win this battle of strength.

And so my mud skiing experience began, or to be more precise, pig pooh/ mud sliding experience, As the dogs edged forward I was pulled behind them in a rather inelegant fashion. I started to panic as I physically was not strong enough to hold them and urgently needed more resistance to stop them reaching the pigs. I threw myself onto the ground and started sinking into the pooh-mud, perhaps I could anchor myself into the sludge....

To no avail. Even flat on the floor the dogs continued to drag me, straight towards the electric fence.

Kade hit it first, screamed once and then was through to the other side, collar partially stuck on the wire. I managed to lock Krofti's lead to slow him down getting through to the other side.

And then I saw a lifeline....

A tree trunk was partially protruding from the mud, I reached if and wrapped leads and body around it. I just had to hold on for a few more minutes. Just until the last piglet had emerged.

I closed my eyes and prayed. I would not say that I was a religious person, but I prayed to someone and my prays were answered. The last piggy emerged and ran safely to the centre of the field.

I stayed down for a few minutes until the dogs had settled a little, stopped their screaming. I pulled myself from the mud/ pig pooh sludge and unwrapped Kade from the electric fence. The fence was completely destroyed, but at least no piglet life was lost. And.... I had no broken bones, just very bruised and battered and very,very smelly. I am sure as I looked across to all the pigs (very attentive audience, adults and all) that they were all laughing through their little piggy snouts.

It was several months until I was able to run past that field, even longer until I could pass the Farmer's house!! I wonder if he ever found out how his fence was destroyed. Maybe one day when I am famous..... I will confess!!

P.S. I must admit, I did buy sausages for the dog's dinner that evening!!
P.P.S. It did strengthen my desire to one day try proper skiing. Perhaps that could be classed as Dream Number 5....

Sometimes I get it wrong....

There exists a world where teleportation does not require a teleportation device. Wormholes can open and close in the blink of an eye....

I entered abruptly on day 1, thrown into a relentless river – fast slowing, torrential rapids. I tried to keep afloat, grabbing rocks and branches, anything to keep my head above water. But I kept getting swept further and further downstream. Dragged down from below and pushed from above.

I continued down this river for most of day 2. Sometimes able to gasp some breaths of air, mostly being smothered by the water, dragged further under and away from the surface. Away from life…

On day 3 I reached the sea. I saw no surface of this sea, only the dark murky depths of the ocean. I sank lower and lower into its depths. It was welcome relief when I finally reached the bottom.

On day 4 some magical force entered the ocean and caught me in its wake. It helped guide me to the surface of the ocean and the pushed me along to the sea-shores.

On day 5 I dragged my aching body from the ocean and took my first steps onto dry land. I started walking along the beaches.

On day 6 I started running. Running across the great deserts, the grass plains and through the forests and the moor lands.

On day 7 I will take to the sky. I will spread my wings and fly. Fly over the grasslands that I have run upon, over the beaches that I have walked upon. I will fly over the ocean that had once held me captive at the bottom, and over the raging, torrential river.

I will continue flying until I reached the foot of the mountains. This is where I will rest for a while.

One day I will climb these mountains. It might take a lifetime to reach the tops of these mountains. As long as it takes is as long as it will be....

I used to think that when I reached the top there would be someone waiting for me. Someone with whom I could totally be me, share me. And I share them. It would no longer be my world alone. It would be our world.

I got that wrong, I did not need to reach the top of that mountain to find that person. And even more amazingly along the way I found others that wanted to be a part of my world too. It is not my world alone, or to share with only one person.

And it is a world where magic really does exist and can be created by the mere use of words.....

The 5k dream... better than any time or position aspiration...

I am running out of time for one dream.... I dream of running a 5k race with all five huskies - the 5“K”s running together in a 5K.

The original plan was to achieve this dream run in celebration of Kez winning his 50th parkrun. I now fear that the extra weeks wait to reach this goal will prove too much for Kade.

Kade had another fit last weekend, his mind and body rapidly declining. He can still run, and indeed he loves to run, sometimes he seems to forget where he is in life and runs forward with such enthusiasm. At these times I remember him as the Kade of days gone by.

Next Saturday at Andover parkrun, I am going to make this dream happen..... Kade, Kroft, Kez, Kobi and Kroi will all join me on the start line of a 5k run.

There will be a 6th “K”, helping guide us round the course. Kai, forever present in my heart and mind, will be there. Without him, four of those dogs would not exist and I would not be the person that I am today.

I went for a practise run with all the “K”s this morning. It is certainly challenging to keep them running together as a team. The puppy and teenager wanting to race each other, the old boys wanting to doddle at the back and Kez happy to do whatever his “mum” wants!

When I run all the team together, they are so happy. Each dog fulfilling a different purpose within the team, some more productive than others! They are a pack, a very happy pack that loves to run and loves to be together. And I love the fact that I can give that to them.

It is going to be a very entertaining 3.1 mile run, a memory that I will treasure forever....

The humbling reality... when one thinks like a dog....

I had a wake up call yesterday. I struggled badly during a short race. Running 11k with dogs is normally a relatively easy run. I don't normally walk up hills and I don't normally end up close to tears running down hills. In fear of my life perhaps, but not an overwhelming fear of not being in control of two dogs securely attached to me. More importantly, I did not enjoy the run, did not enjoy my special time with Kez and Kobi, and it was that fact that “woke me up”...

For the purposes of this particular wake up call, I am choosing to ignore the fact that my body is presently fighting infection and I have two damaged ankles - those issues can be analysed later!

The plan was to run the first lap with Kez, and the second lap with both dogs. Dog runners had a two minute delayed start behind non dog runners and I knew that we would soon catch up and overtake most of the other runners. Kez confidently runs amongst other runners, weaving in and out as necessary, fully respective of every runner and will always run wide to ensure no contact. Kobi needs to practise his weaving a little more, and so I left him with Ian as Kez and I started the race.

I never start from the front, for some reason I always get to the start line and think there are many faster runners than us there and it is best if I respect them and stay behind. This then poses a few problems for Kez as he does not like to overtake other dogs. He has been attacked and lunged at on numerous occasions by dogs running with humans and now fears every dog will try to infringe him in some way. He waits until there is a huge gap and even then runs very wide and at full speed!!

Lesson 1: Next race, we start from the front!

The first lap went well, I was puffing more than normal, Kez's behaviour was impeccable. Fellow runners were very supportive, most complimenting Kez as he glided along while his runner huffed and puffed! Fantastic course, winding through glorious woodland littered with freshly fallen leaves – hiding a few tree roots, one had to be diligent where feet were placed.

Approaching the start of the second lap, I did consider stopping, it was hurting too much. However, I was keen to let Kobi have a run and thought that his enthusiasm would provide the energy that my body and mind were missing.....

Ian handed him to me and we were off.... almost immediately way off course and into the crowd. Whoops. Fortunately Kez soon guided Kobi back onto the racing route.

Lesson 2: Try and find some way to explain to a husky, how “relay running” for dogs is supposed to work!

Kobi has been absolutely amazing at recent parkrun events, racing them from the gun. On this day that was not happening, he was all over the place, jumping on Kez and running from side to side along the course. Speeding up every now and again, his pace was very erratic. Kez was obviously unsettled and kept on pulling over to the right hand side (his preferred racing route). This resulted in a constant battle between both dogs and me receiving no assistance whatsoever as all their pulling power was against each other.

I reminded myself of Kobi's background, tried to justify to myself that his behaviour was due to his upbringing and the fact that he was not from a “working” Siberian Husky blood line. “He wasn't a team player and could not run in partnership with another dog”,I thought. Running on his own he is fine, as long as canine support is nearby as he is still very fearful of most humans.

At no point during the race did I try and view the situation from his perspective....

The only human that he fully trusts and his best friend (and love rival) run away into the distance, leaving him behind with someone that he is still not 100% confident. He is then left somewhere that he has never been before surrounded by dozens of strange people and strange sights, sounds and smells. Humans shouting and probably scaring him unintentionally.

Suddenly I appear he is attached to both Kez and I and we dash off, without even stopping for a sniff from Kez, or a pat from me.

Poor little boy must have been so confused. He knows what to do at parkrun events because he has learned that they are safe and he knows what is expected of him.

Lesson 3: Treat the next race just like a parkrun, run from the start with both Kobi and Kez.

Lesson 4: Spend time allowing Kobi to become accustomed to a neckline and working in a team – he has not been trained as a sled dog the way our other huskies have, it does not mean that he cannot become one if shown what is expected.

Back to the race..... I decided to keep running as best we could, no reason to have DNF against my name. Kobi was fabulous on the up hill sections, speeding up immediately on command, but on the down hills he would not listen to me. I was forever shouting “steady, steady” each time getting louder and more desperate as he refused to listen. He did slow down, but was still pulling on the precarious descents of some sections of the route. I feared for my ankles and worried that soon I would be the laughing stock of fellow runners as I went head over heels....

I even tried pleading with Kobi, my voice getting desperate “please Kobi, will you please stay close!!” And suddenly he stopped, as did Kez and both actually turned their heads around and looked at me... They then proceeded down the hill in a very controlled and comfortable way. Did they finally understand my “plea”s...? Did they know I was in danger...?

No, the reality was that I had finally used the very words that they are trained to respond to. “Stay close” is what I use when I want them to stop pulling completely, i.e. come to heel. I use “steady” when I just want a little ease up on pulling power. It took me until almost the last hill to realise what I was doing wrong!! When I run Kez on his own, he knows what is required of him and I have taken this for granted during all our races together. Yesterday's race was the first time I had run Kobi on a hilly course requiring composure, poor little boy was only doing what I had trained him to do, he didn't understand why I was getting so upset.

Lesson 5: always remember the hours of training. The precise words and phrases used every day. If they don't respond, immediately ask why not, whilst remembering that squirrels will always overrule any human relayed instruction!!

We got to the finish of the 11k, huskies with beaming smiles across their faces, me in a grump because I decided not run another 5k (there was a16k distance option), which was definitely the correct decision!

I learned some very valuable lessons during this race, lessons I am already learning from and put into practise today. I am also changing all our training – “all” being me, and five huskies. We all have different goals, objectives and needs. The huskies' basic needs are top priority, it just so happens that I can combine them to help me meet my objectives, or rather, help me achieve my dreams.

Tribute to the original king of canicross....

I first met Kade the day he entered this world. Months of planning and preparation, he was the first born son of Kai. Nearly 13 years later, and after a lifetime of amazing experiences, I know that our time together is almost at its end.

I want to speak of him, and his life, whilst I can still touch him and cuddle him, a constant reminder of the amazing dog that he is.

I thought he was leaving me this morning, but he is still here and I am more than happy for him to break the rules and sleep on our bed as I reminisce...

I remember exactly where I was when I received the telephone call announcing his arrival. A little black and white puppy, destined to share our lives. Named after his father, “Wildenfree Blues KaisKade” he arrived on 30th January 1999.

When he was of age to leave his mum, Kai took on his paternal role and protected his little boy throughout their lives together. If Kade cried or was upset, Kai was instantly by his side, reassuring him. The bond between them was amazing and when it was cruelly broken in 2009, Kade mourned his loss as much as me. It was heart wrenching to hear his mournful howls in the early morning. We cried together and did our best to continue in a life with a huge void.

Kade has always been a very particular dog, with quirky little habbits. Selecting toys and placing them into different little piles, removing food from his bowl and rearranging it on the floor to then choose what he wanted to eat first. One time he carefully selected all the biscuits in his bowl, eating around the chunks of cheese that I had placed there. Thinking that he did not like the cheese, I removed it and gave it to Kai, much to Kade's surprise – I later discovered that this little dog actually preferred to save his favourite foods until last!

Kade as a youngster was a never ending ball of energy. The dog that never slept, he was always doing something. A very active mind and body, he was easily the most intelligent of all the huskies I have shared my life with. I would test him with little problems and be amazed to see him actually thinking out a solution. He was also a phenomenal hunter and Hampshire's mouse and rat population was controlled in a ruthless manner....

Growing up around horses, he had full respect for them. I would take Kai with me when out hacking and Kade would wait behind at the stables, playing with the little Falabella Stallion. He would also play with Friday my Welsh x Arab. He would chase Friday and then Friday would turn round and chase him – it was fabulous to watch their high speed chases! When Friday passed onto the next world, he took on the role of playmate for Brego, the baby Spanish Purebred, although Brego was not quite as keen to share his sugarbeet!

In my days of Husky racing (on wheeled rigs) he excelled himself, when at only nine months of age, he led a three dog team round his first ever “R” class at an ABSA event. He continued this when he was old enough to compete in the proper racing classes. We were never super fast as a sled dog team, but we did sneak a few wins on technical courses!

With Kade at the front of the team, I would confidently hitch up six huskies to the front of my mountain bike, knowing that I could trust him 100%.

He has taught all the other huskies how to lead from the front. When to take turns, speed up, overtake and ignore distractions. Numerous dogs have been hitched up to Kade on rig, bike and human – each time Kade showing the other dog what is required.

When the UK discovered the sport of Canicross, Kade and I were already prepared. Having run thousands of miles together, we took to racing like a duck takes to water.

We ran most Canix races in the early days, Kade earning a reputation which many original UK canicrossers still remember to this day...

He also managed a once in a lifetime opportunity to travel to Belgium for the 2010 European Canicross Championships. Running with Ian, he led the way round the course, smiles upon both their faces. Ian perhaps having to work a little harder as Kade was determined to enjoy rather than race!

We started running parkruns to help Kez and I – both of us become anxious running around other dogs and people. Kade would help guide us round parkruns, controlling the puppy enthusiasm of Kez and ensuring we got the most from our speed training sessions!

Kade no longer cares for the speed session element of running, and prefers to trot around with children – both husky and child with big beaming smiles upon their faces.

He also helped Kobi (our rescue puppy) during his early days of parkrunning. Guided him round people, helped teach him that not all humans are bad and that it can be fun running with them. Kobi took it a little further and now believes that he has to beat all humans when racing them!

Kez, Kobi and I would never have been so successful had it not been for Kade. He helped me become an international athlete, triumphing against the odds. It almost seems fitting that he will probably leave me in the year that I retire. He has done his job very well and I am so proud of him.

His body is now struggling, but his desire to run remains. He jogs for a little bit and then stops, then suddenly he will dash forward as if remembering what he used to do – he becomes a puppy again and for a few seconds I can smile and dream that we are not where we are.

It was not only in the world of running that Kade excelled. In a past life we used to show very successfully. He won numerous awards including two Challenge Certificates, Reserve Best in Show and well as Best Puppy in Show at many open events. A part of me wishes that I had continued the quest for the third CC, but in my heart he will always be a Champion and that is what really matters.

Whatever happens between now and October 2012, Kade will be with me when I run in the European Canicross Championships. His physical strength will not be helping guide me round the course, but his legacy will be and his spirit will be with me all the way round. If I achieve the dream, I will have achieved it through him.

And when I hang up my racing trainers for good next year, I will hang Kade's collar beside them.

Helping Britain Glow: Doggie JOGLE

Idea evolution....

The original idea was to organise a continuous journey from John O'Groats to Land's End, with a relay team of dog runners. The logistics and organisation would be phenomenal, requiring a huge amount of time and effort. Shortage of time is the reason why I am moving onto Plan B (Plan A can be placed “on hold” for now...).

“I” is also going to become “we” as alone I could not make this work!

Plan B: Helping Britain to Glow, in so many ways.

Running is good for humans, running is good for dogs, combine the two and you have happy healthy and glowing human and canine. Next year is a very special year, an Olympic year where all the World's best athletes are coming to the United Kingdom of Great Britain. Coming to our very land that we walk and run on every day.

I find this thought very inspirational, and remember the dreams I had as a child. I still believe in dreams and will never give up on the ones that are truly important.

Helping more and more people to enjoy the benefits of running and enjoy the great British countryside is something that many of us strive to do. Every day at least one of you speaks to another person about running or about your dog. How many of them have gone on to try running themselves and then in return spread the word to others. Just like a little happy virus, it spreads quickly and easily, although for some it does prove more of a challenge than others.

Whether you are an accomplished runner, or someone about to start running for the first ever time, you can all help realise the challenge that is Plan B of the Doggie JOGLE.

The challenge would commence on the 1st January 20XX. The primary objective is to run 868 miles between John O'Groats and Land's end. However, it does not need to be one continuous, unbroken journey, it will be an accumulation of everyone's miles, metres or centimetres, run all over Great Britain. Ideally at least one run will be done in every county or region of the UK.

Thanks to the assistance of some very smart IT people (who are also runners), there will be a special programme where people can log the miles that they run. This programme will be linked to a map of the UK and every time a distance is logged, the map will light up in the region where the run was done.

The second objective of this challenge will be to have all areas on the map lit - Britain will be glowing!

There are already many dedicated groups of canicross runners all around the country – those miles must add up....

If you go on holiday, you can pop out for a little run – great opportunity for planning some really interesting holidays in obscure locations.....

Even people that do not own dogs can participate – you can borrow a friend's dog, or perhaps even visit your local dog rescue centre and take a resident for a little walk. You only have to jog a little bit to include it in this challenge.

Families can participate. School children can take part, encouraging sport amongst the future generation, help inspire those that will one day shape our nation in so many ways.

Huskies Running can also go on tour – we have 5 dogs that can all be made available to visit and to run in most parts of the UK. We will happily share them with anyone that would like to try canicross with a fully trained husky (with the exception of the puppy who we cannot claim to be “fully trained”).

So how about it? All you have to do is put your trainers on, pop out the door with your dog and then share your run with a nation...... I wonder which county will glow most....

What is my motivation for doing this? Simple, making dreams happen. This is a free event open to everyone. Yes, I would like to raise money for charity and think there are opportunities here to do that. My reward will be knowing that all over the UK, happy humans and dogs are having fun :-)

If any of you are non UK resident and would like to take part in a similar challenge, let us know and we can include your country/ area of preference – no limits (although we might be struggling a little to make the moon glow...)

(photo courtesy of Wikipaedia)

Running with dogs: the idea

Huskies Running with Friends: The Idea

There are many things that I am not very good at..... One thing that I am good at is running with dogs. In particular I am very good at running with huskies. I have run thousands of miles with huskies, covered all terrain imaginable, in all weathers and at all times of day and night.

I have trained puppies and a rescue dog to run safely around human athletes, from sub 5 minute miles to 50 miles mountain events.

I fully intend to still be running with dogs until the day I can finally run no more – if I was to believe some doctors, that was 5 years ago!!

I love seeing people learning to run and learning to run with their doggy buddies. People that would never have previously considered running are now running regularly and loving it!

When I first started running with dogs it was not common. I remember a 2-day husky rally in Exeter many years ago when my 3 dog team decided that they did not want to run on the second day. Rather than concede defeat, I unhitched them from the rig and ran with them for the full duration of the course. If only I had pulled the rig with me, then I would have finished second rather than “disqualified”! I wont embarrass others by telling you how many husky/rig combinations that I overtook on that day....!!

I have been thinking for a long time about organising a “running with dogs” event for charity. I think now is the time to put my thoughts into action...

I have two train of thoughts, one event where people and dogs race against each other over a predetermined distance.

The other idea is a little bit more special....

A team of dog running people to run the full distance of Scotland and England combined, i,e, John O'Groats to Lands' End. By road this is 868, if we were running with dogs it would be much further as it would have to be via footpaths bridleways etc.

All over Great Britain there are groups of people that run with dogs, they could all play a part in this challenge. It could be staged over several weeks or even several months. It could be like the Olympic Torch relay, bringing communities together in the quest to get from one end of the UK to the other. People could run 1 mile or 100 miles, depending on their ability and availability.

I would love to raise loads of money for charity. Every day I hear of horrendous suffering that dogs endure at the hands of humans. I cannot rescue every dog, but I would like to make a difference. I think an idea like this could capture the imagination of our nation and hopefully people would reach deep into their pockets in support.

So, where do I go from here?

I am already starting to plan the “racing” event, which will be in one location, details of which I will start publicising when I have confirmed them.

The “special” event, running from Scotland to England, will be harder to plan and will need a lot of help and support. If you like the idea, please let me know. If you have any suggestions, please let me know. I know that we can make this happen, but it will require a huge team effort.

One thing I am not very good at is asking for help. Sometimes I need to swallow my pride and ask...

Anyone think they want to be involved in either of my ideas? Matters not how little or how big you want to help/get involved. Just let me know if you “like” the idea!! Details can be sorted later...

(Photo courtesy of Ian J Berry)

Why I will never beat him....

Greensand Marathon. I had been forewarned that it was a very tough marathon. “One to avoid” the fast marathon people that I know had advised.....

Challenging appeals to me, tough I like, hills I like, and off road I love. Throw in the opportunity to run with my little training buddy Kez and it is a win, win situation.

Rob the race director had very kindly given me special permission to run with Kez, based upon his reputation and the offer of references from Race directors that have been impressed with his behaviour in their races. Kez was the doggy ambassador for the day. A position that ultimately he excelled in and even earned a few more admirers along the way...

It is always a privilege to run amongst human runners with a dog, in a “human race”. I have been doing this for all of my running career and it never ceases to amaze me how respectful most runners are of my doggy athletes. The dogs in return respect every human runner and will go completely out of their way to ensure that they do not make contact with any runner – to the point of dragging me into hedges if required!

Greensand Marathon is indeed a very tough marathon, but at this moment in time, it goes down in history as my most favourite (out of about 60 ish). The most physically demanding marathon I have run, but definitely the most emotionally rewarding.

The course is near perfect. Lots of hills, some that seem to go on forever, amazing views and challenging underfoot conditions. Spraining my ankle in the days leading up to the race ensured that I knew all about the ground conditions!

The race started with a rendition of Jerusalem, sung with great gusto from most runners – I must confess to miming as my voice should never be heard above a whisper....

Singing over, the race began with a nice hill climb into the woods, lots of huffing and puffing and several minutes later I realised that I would be struggling physically for most of the 26.2 miles. In true Pooh Bear style, I “ran out of run” after only one mile! There was still another 12.1 miles out and then 13.1 back again (on the same course) to go. Oops!

Being an experienced ultra runner, I know it is not really a problem if I am tired and still have 25 miles to go. Jelly babies, friendly runners and marshals, beautiful scenery and some inspirational thoughts will provide the energy needed to ensure that I get to the finish. Plus the fact that I am running beside the most natural athlete that I know. Kez never complains, and never asks for more than just kind words and water during a marathon. He will sometimes eat a little flapjack, piece of Freddo or the head of a jelly baby, but most times he just looks at me as if to say “why have we stopped”.

I also know that Kez will only “assist” me if I make the effort to run myself. He is a dog with a phenomenal working attitude – but he does expect me to play my part in the team. His comfortable pace is under 7 minute miling, which no way was I going to achieve on such a tough course. I resorted to very slow jogging, which ensured that he did not get too hot as the weather was surprisingly warm. He always stays in front of me, just doesn't offer me a “helping hand” up the hills. Although he did offer some assistance on some dodgy down hill sections – I think that was his sense of humour kicking in.

The only time Kez does not run in front of me is on very steep and dangerous mountain courses and when he is not happy. If he does this (when not running down a mountain), then I stop and find out why he is unhappy – this is why I will never beat him because he will always finish in front of me doing the job that his husky mind is programmed to do.

Kez did do something phenomenal during the race that I have yet to fully comprehend. He tried to go down a track that was quite obviously not part of the course. This is something he has never done before. He will always look at ever turn off from a main track as we run, but never actually try to follow it unless I give him the command to do so. He did the same thing on the return journey, at the same, precise point......

(Later that evening, Ian compared the trace from my Garmin with the trace of his Garmin from an LDWA event that we ran together (with Kez) earlier in the year. The routes crossed at one point only – that point was precisely where Kez questioned my judgement on the trail we were running on. Somehow he knew.....??)

The race was an absolute awesome experience. From start to finish I was astounded by the level of support provided to both Kez and I. Runners overtook us and spoke to Kez, as did runners that we overtook. Even the leading runners heading back towards us on the out and back course took time out from their race to shout words of encouragement to Kez.

All the marshals were super friendly – I thank you all for your time and words! Very frequent water stations ensured that I got to stop and talk to a great number of people. Next time I must remember that it is not necessary to carry three litres of liquid on a well supported route – good training I guess, but my shoulders really hurt today.

Kez was presented with his very own medal at the finish. A perfect award for a little champion dog. I was delighted with my t-shirt and running cap. There were even carrots and jaffa cakes as a finishing treat, plus a fry up breakfast - thank you to the kind lady who went into the canteen for husky sausages – Kez enjoyed them very much.

I hope we can return next year, and hopefully the temperature will be better for a husky with a thick fur coat.

Thank you Rob and Trionium – you made a husky and a human runner very happy.

The Little Angel Dog

Dear Mummy,

When I first started writing to you one year ago, I was cold, hungry and lost. I had run away from the “bad place” and was trying to find you. I hope one day I will find you as I have so much to tell.

So much has happened in a year. I have lived in many different homes and had many different names. I have met some really nice people and some very bad people.

I like where I am now, I think it is my forever home.

I have nice food every single day and I get to go out exploring the countryside every day. I am not allowed to run free when I am in the countryside, but I do not mind as I am allowed to play freely in a very large garden where lots of little mice and slow worms play chase with me. I can even pick my own raspberries and apples from the trees.

No one hurts me any more or gets cross when I try to talk or try to play. They don't lock me outside or ever tie me up. There is a little flappy door thing that I use to get from house to garden. It took me a very long time to not be scared of the flappy thing as it reminded me of when people hurt me when I tried to go through the door.

I have found a human mummy and daddy – they don't have fur like you, but they give me lots of love and attention and help me when I get scared.

They already had three fur kids when I first arrived at their home and recently they have got another little one – he is going to be BIG trouble.....

All the other fur kids were really nice to me when I arrived. Two of them are very old, and I know to respect them, but sometimes I tease Krofti and he pretends that he gets really grumpy. I also tease Kez and he pretends that he is a motor bike. I copy him - I sound like a Harley and he sounds like a Honda...

The new little fur kid is my best friend and I am showing him how to behave like a grown up. He thinks it is funny and tries to bite my ears and steal my food a little too much. I had to tell him to stop the other day and he ran and told human mummy and daddy. They smiled at me and told me I was a good boy, which I think annoyed the little fur kid because he thinks he has special rights as he is so cute. He even stole bananas and tried to hide the banana skins in my bed.

Sometimes people scare me and remind me of the bad people that didn't like me. If I get scared I ask my human mummy for help and she always seems to know what to do to make me feel better.

My human mummy and daddy run a lot and take me running with them. It was very hard at first as my body had suffered a lot from not having proper food as a baby and I could only run short distances. I would get tired quickly and have to stop and lie down.

Running makes my human mummy happy and I want to help make her happy. I have been trying very hard and sometimes I run round and round the garden to make my legs stronger and faster. I have watched the human athletes on the television and if it works for them, it can work for me.

Every Saturday Kez and I go with the humans to a local park where we get to run with lots of other people. I like running with other people as they help me go faster, but human mummy is not quite fast enough and slows me down. I think she should try running round and round the garden every day then she would be able to keep up with me.

I really like Saturday mornings as human mummy is so happy when we run and even happier when we finish. She always hugs me when we stop, and today she started crying. I don't think she was sad as she was smiling at the same time. She told me I was a very special little angel dog and she was so happy to have found me. She spoke of PBs, but I don't know what they are.

I like that she calls me an angel dog as it reminds me of you mum. You were my real life guardian angel for such a short time when I was little. Throughout the sad and bad times of my life I always thought of you and pretended you were near me, watching over me.

If I ever find you, you can come and live in this special house where the furry children and humans live a very happy life. There is a spare bunk bed for you.....

Always in my thoughts,
Kobi “the little angel dog”.

The Secret Training Diary of.....?

We are about to launch the Huskies Running website. The objective of this site is very simple – we want to share with people our huskies, running and general information and training advice based upon our experiences. We will also be offering competitions, with prizes for a wee bit of fun!

For those of you that do not know us, Huskies Running consist of Ian, Sandra and five huskies ranging in ages from 5 months to nearly 13 years old. The huskies have become affectionately known as “the K pack” as their names all begin with the letter “K” - Kade, Krofti, Kez, Kobi & Kroi “Kree”.

Both Ian and Sandra are accomplished athletes. Sandra has represented Scotland and Great Britain in World, European and Commonwealth Ultra Running Championships. Ian has a marathon PB of 2:39, and is in training to run from John O' Groats to Land's End in 2012.

Sandra has become an international athlete as a result of some fabulous training partners, our Siberian Huskies. Together they run from sub 5 minute miles to 50 mile mountain races, each husky playing an integral part in her quest to be a better runner and better person.

Our older dogs regularly run with children, to help encourage and motivate both child and husky!

We compete in both the CaniX UK canicross championship and the Canicross Trailrunners events where canicross runners are permitted to compete in traditional human running races.

Feel free to read through any items on this blog. There are both dog and non dog related running articles.

One of the features that we would like to share on the Huskies Running website is the training diary of one member of the team. This is where we need your help as to which one would be most beneficial to others....

Option 1: Our rescue husky, Kobi and his quest to run 15:45 for 5k, building towards next year’s European Canicross Championship.

Option 2: Baby puppy Kroi , his introduction to the world of canicross and his quest to become an ultra running dog, like his big brother Kez.

The little lost dog that found himself....

When we first met Kobi, I tried to look into his eyes to see what lived inside the body that had suffered so badly at the hands of humans. A blank expression was all that met with my gaze, he would not make eye contact, and would not even try to focus on his environment. Absolutely no interest in humans whatsoever. His little body carried him around, but his vacant expression showed no life at all. I had a horrid sick feeling in my stomach when I envisaged what might have happened to him in his short life. He was a very young little person that looked as if he had already given up on life....

We knew it would be a huge challenge to bring a sparkle into his eyes. We had space in our pack for another dog, and we wanted to give a “rescue” dog a new life. A life that would include being part of an amazing pack, eating fabulous food, huge amounts of exercise, even his very own bunk bed!

I felt that there was something very special inside his little shell, one of those "gut feelings" I have earned a reputation for - as evidence all around me was to the contrary. I believed that I could help him and that in some way he would help me....

Kobi was completely petrified of human beings. Petrified to the point of freezing, his mind and body completely shutting down if a human went near him. When he went into this traumatised state, one could have done anything to him and I don't think he would have shown any reaction. Dogs he understood and was fine with, humans he did not trust and did not want to have anything to do with.

He was extremely underweight, covered in fleas and full of worms when first handed into the dog rescue. Apparently he was found on the streets, but it was generally felt by the rescue centre the people that "found him" were actually his owners. His original foster owners had performed a wonderful job of cleaning him, feeding and trying to connect with him. He quickly gained weight while living with them, but would not interact with them, preferring to spend most of each day in a cage, even though the door was wide open.

When we brought him home he quickly settled into his cage, it was his little safe haven, which we respected and would not infringe upon "his space". When he did come out of his cage if either Ian or myself went within 10 feet of him he bolted into another room. We had to wait until he was in a corner before we could clip a lead onto his collar, just to take him a walk. If we looked at him he would cower and drop to the floor.

We considered that he might be very ill or possibly be handicapped in some way. He had not pain responses and his reactions (or rather lack of) to certain stimuli lead us to consider this train of thought.

He seemed fascinated with his own paws as they moved, almost as if they were a live animal that he could chase. It looked like he did not realise they were his own. Baby puppies I can understand show this type of behaviour, as they learn about themselves and their bodies, but at possibly ten months he appeared too old for this immature behaviour.

He never refused any food offered to him, did not chew it, just gulped it down as fast as possible, probably fearing that it would be his last meal for a long while. And his sensitive little tummy took a very long time to heal.

One year has now almost passed since Kobi joined our family. We have all learned a lot in that time and been through a very emotional, roller coaster journey.

Kobi loves to run and loves to race against others, both human and dogs alike. I have run with many very good dogs during my 15 years of cani-crossing, but this little guy offers me something new, and something very special indeed.

He has appeared in glossy magazines, been offered sponsorship, raced against Olympic athletes and has even been nominated to help carry the Olympic Torch next year.

But more importantly, this little boy is happy. Every day he eats good food, runs across beautiful countryside, and every day he smiles. He appears grateful for what he now has, but the truth is that I am the one that is truly blessed to have him as a running partner.

A challenge of Ridgeway proportions...

The Ridgeway Challenge
And what a challenge it was....

I have never prepared as well for a race as I did for the Ridgeway Challenge - an 85 mile (although some say it is actually 87 miles..?) race from Ivinghoe Beacon in Buckinghamshire, to Avebury in Wiltshire. Organised by the Trail Running Asociation, it has become one of Britain's prestigious long distance trail races and offers the title of UK Ultra Trail Running Champion to the worthy male and female winners. All one has to do is get to Avebury via Britain's oldest road (over 5,000 years old!) before all the other runners....

My preparation for this race included running parts of the trail - something I have never previously done. Guided by Ian, we ran part of the second half that we knew I would be running in darkness during the actual race. Worries about me getting lost in the middle of nowhere in the early hours of the morning, ensured that Ian "made me" do it, for which I am extremely grateful - sometimes he does know best!!

Beautiful sunshine and a cold wind greeted us as we gathered at the start, fabulous views surrounding us. Heavy rain in the week preceding this race would undoubtably come to haunt me later on, but as we ran down the first hill on good trail surface, I was glad of my decision to wear road trainers. But was regretting my decision to remove my arm warmers as it was a little bit chilly! Never mind, run faster and I would soon warm up.

The first section of the Ridgeway is on fabulous rolling grassland hills, amazing views all around. I had been forewarned that (in some people's opinion) the first half of the Ridgeway is the prettiest, and I was determined to make the most of this by absorbing all the sights, sounds and smells of the countryside before the cover of darkness removed at least one of those senses...

Everyone has different reasons for running. My reasons are (to me) quite simple. It gives me freedom. Freedom from the constraints and stresses of work, life and "stuff" in general. It gives me a chance to dig deep into my mind, something I cannot always do when surrounded by distractions. I can inspire myself and I can find what I regard as the true me. I do enjoy meeting new new people and sharing stories with them during part of my runs, but it is never long before I crave the solitude of just me, just me and the amazing natural beauty of the British countryside.

During the early stages of any ultra, there are always people close by and it was good to catch up with old friends and make new friends during this race, but it wasn't long until I craved the solo road. My ankle was causing me intense pain as we ran through Wendover Wood, shortly before the first Checkpoint at Wellhead Farm, pain makes me grumpy and not very sociable!

At the Checkpoint, I was instantly remined how amazing volunteers are. Giving up their time to cater for all the runners' needs, always a smile and a cheery thought to share. This was to be the theme for all of the Checkpoints throughout the duration of the race and I think there was a little competition going on for the accolade of "friendliest volunteer of the day". To me there was no clear favourite, but Mr Hot Cross Bun, Mrs Scottish Lady, Mrs Hot Dog Lady, and Mr Ever so Cheery by the campfire, deserve a special mention. You all helped give me the strength to continue the race when my mind was telling me to stop! I offer my thanks and gratitude to all of you and your friends - your spirits gave me strength and a "will" that I thought I had lost!

My memories of the sights between checkpoints 1 and 3 are very vague. Struggling to manage the pain in my ankle, I was switching off from all that was around me, digging deep trying to find some strength to keep running. One foot in front of one another, clock up the miles and just try to get to at least halfway before I quit. I remember going up a hill that was runnable just after Wendover, Coomb Hill I believe was its name. It was at this point that I overtook the leading female runner, something alien to me as I am traditionally a very slow starter in ultra races, and have never been at the front of a race before the halfway point.

The Ridgeway also pushed us up a very steep hill, a muddy slidey one that was definitely not runnable as my feet kept slipping from beneath me! The views at the top were worth the struggle and I was glad that I took advantage of my "enforced" walk break and consumed a homemade cheese and pickle sandwich. I do not know the name of the hill, but will soon find out... I do remember that a local runner knew it well as he came prepared for the ascent with walking sticks!!

There was also a section of trail that was heavily waterlogged, somewhere before and after Checkpoints 2 & 3. I just about gave up the will to live at this point, I agree that sounds somewhat melodramatic, but forcing my way through this slippery sludge reminded me of my recent encounter with Irish bogs, reminded me of my failure to finish a race and every time I slipped and kicked my ankle, reminded me of my vulnerabilities. In short it hurt, it hurt a lot!

If I could have made one change at this point, it would have been my trainers. Swopped my trusty, completely overworn and overused Nimbus and placed either my Mudclaws or Rocklites upon my feet. Hindsight is such a wonderful thing...

Mr Hot Cross Bun, offered some respite at the checkpoint - a jam filled bun and some well chosen words and I was moving onwards, "just get to halfway" ricocheting around my mind, "finish a leader, not a loser".

And then my first miracle, the first glimmer that my fighting spirit could still be found....

As we crossed under the M40, he saw me and came towards me, high up in the sky. He was soon joined by another, then another. Goosebumps over my body, I felt inspiration and motivation deep inside my body. The glorious site of the red kites of Oxfordshire! I was instantly transported back to the first time I ever saw a red kite, the first one released in Hampshire, before it became public knowledge. That day I flew home effortlessly, completely in awe of the beauty of nature. As I watched the kites today, it felt as though they were helping me fly across the ground, my Camelbak offering wings which I could use to rest my ankle.

All too soon, the kites were gone, taking my wings with them. They did however leave a little bit of hope that I might just be able to go a little further than the halfway(ish) point at Goring...

Checkpoint 4 appeared at the top of a long hill, and it was the first time I realised just what an amazing sight the banners around these checkpoints are - a welcoming little beacon and offer of help to all of us runners.

This is where I met Mrs Scottish Lady, who offered coffee, cake and a few wee words of encouragement, words that stayed with me as I continued on my way past Swyncombe church and I think this is when we crossed a golf course. Embarassing confession at this point is that I somehow managed to get a little bit lost! Just a little bit thankfully and soon I was back following the brilliantly way marked route - The Ridgeway is very well marked, and there were only on a few occasions when I wondered off the route....

At this point I must also say that Ian was following my journey with a car full of food, drink and words of support. Plus a camera with a very big lens - if any fellow runners found themselves hurdling a man lying in the road with a camera with a camera pointing in their direction, that was Ian. Forever in a quest for the best angled shot - which he normally gets!! All photos can be found on the TRA website.

The plan was to meet Ian and change into trail shoes just before I hit the Thames section of the Ridgeway as we anticipated very wet conditions....

Hmmm, didn't quite turn out to be the bog that we had anticipated and was in fact completely dry! However there were three significant events on this section of the trail, heading towards Goring..

The first was upon reaching a church gate, which appeared to allow the Ridgeway through the church grounds. This felt wrong, felt disrespectful and I stood for several minutes hoping that I had made a mistake and that the route wound its way around the church. To no avail, the route definitely went through, and therefore so must I. Carefully closing the gate behind me I crossed the grounds, apologising to no one in particular, it just felt necessary to say "sorry".

The second event, was the delightful sight of Ian standing outside the Perch and Pike Pub in North Stoke, with a 1/2 pint of Guinness sitting atop the car! We had joked about this during our pre race meal in this very pub, but I did not think it would happen. With great pleasure I downed most of the soothing beverage, so full of nutrition and goodliness....

The third event, and most significant of the entire race was what happened next. Perhaps it was the Guinness, perhaps it was the reminder of how much Ian loves me, or perhaps it was something else.. Whatever the reason I suddenly believed that I could find the strength within me to finish the race, to run all the way to Avebury.

The pain in my ankle was becoming manageable and I suddenly felt an overwhelming desire to continue my quest to inspire as many people as possible. For some time I have been considering retiring from competitive ultra running, regardless of whether or not that is what I do, from this point forth in this race I wanted to prove that you can achieve your dreams. No matter what, dig deep, find hope, find belief and find that special energy to achieve what you dream of. I will never forget the day I was told I would never run again, I refused to accept that, and look at what I have achieved since that day, how many miles I have run...

A change of socks, clean ankle support and back to my road trainers at Goring, fueled up and lights at the ready, I was up for the challenge of taking on the second half of the Ridgeway. I would soon be on familiar terrain, and now the negative switch in my mind flipped over - now I was running home!!

The road section coming out of Streatley feels like it goes on forever, and then some more... I was convinced that I had missed a turn, running on the road did not feel right. I was somewhat relieved to see head torches of fellow runners in the distance, confirmation that I was still on course.

Light was rapidly diminishing and I finally relented and joined all the other runners already using a headtorch. I am very experienced running in darkness and feel completely at home running off road in the dark - this is my "normal" daily life!

Suddenly, and in the middle of nowhere, there was a headtorch coming towards me, accompanied by the familiar voice of Ian - perfect timing as I was completely out of water and very thirsty. Unfortunately, Ian had no water - he had just run over one mile from the road to meet me at this point as he realised that we had misinterpreted the route and the point where it crossed the A34. If I followed the path that we had walked on the day before I would be off the Ridgeway Trail and probably lost!! Ian does not believe I can read sign posts,undoubtably based upon his experiences when I am driving.... Whatever the reason, I thank thee and also the very kind man that filled up my water reservoir from his own supply - I am sorry that I did not get your name. Thank you.

Checkpoint 6, lights blazing and spotted from far down the track, was a welcome sight, as was the realisation that I was now on familiar ground. As I munched upon a vegetarian hot dog I recognised the car park as the very one we had parked in less than one week ago, from where we had walked the dogs. We were now running on the outskirts of Swindon (I think), the town lights could be see far in the distant valley.

Tiredness was now catching up with me and the biting wind on the hills was causing my body temperature to drop dramatically. Ian reacted quickly to my deminishing mind and body strength and pulled out the jacket and buff that I had been carrying, insisting against my protests that I wore them!

Onwards once more and now it was becoming a struggle. Quite simply I wanted my bed. Didn't want to be running across country in the middle of the night, that was for crazy people. Sensible people should be all tucked up in bed dreaming sweet dreams...

One foot in front of the other, drudging onwards to the next checkpoint. Darkness all around, the only company I had were the little bats fluttering around catching their supper. I wished the dogs were with me, my daily training partners and excellent pacemakers. I started dreaming of them, drifting in and out of wooziness as I tried to concentrate on where I was placing my feet. I had already turned both ankles earlier on the course, now would not be a good time to do further damage. I became a little disorientated and could not work out where I was on the route, distances felt longer and I worried several times that I had gone off course.

Checkpoint 7 and Ian insisted I ran with a fellow runner that was also going through a tough spell. It was a good idea and for many miles Matt and I shared stories and experiences, I walked/ ran as he ran constantly, fearful of a knee injury that was seizing up when he stopped or walked. His girlfriend was on her way to meet him at the next checkpoint, this was spurring him on and I tapped into some of his energy!

At checkpoint 8 I had the most delightful peanut butter sandwich and met with Mr Ever So Cheery and the campfire supporters! They were awesome as they cheered the runners and passed on words of encouragement. I learned at this point only 5 or 6 people had passed through, a complete shock to me as I thought there were about 30 people ahead of us! I was also a little concerned at this checkpoint as there was no sign of Ian. He had mentioned an Indian Restaurant on the route, just after the trail joins a busy road before crossing the M4 again, but I expected to see him at this checkpoint. What if something had happened to him...

Not so, my knight in shining armour was waiting in the Indian Restaurant car park, bottle of Dioralyte and Sudo cream at the ready... Unfortunately I arrived too late for the Naan bread that I had been dreaming of!

I caught up with Matt for the last time, just as we crossed the M4, heading towards Marlborough. My strength was returning as his knee was troubling him and it was with deep sadness that I ran away from him and up the hill towards Ogbourne St George and crossing of the A346. I did take some comfort when I looked back and saw another headtorch join his, hopefully a fellow runner.

I knew that once I crossed the A346 I was on the final leg home. Ian and I had run together on the Ridgeway from this point and I had taken in every sight and sound on that day. Two hours from Avebury at that point, ONLY two hours...

I felt very emotional as I ran towards Marlborough. Marlborough Downs to be precise, the place of my first ever ultra - the first time I ran beyond a marathon and loved every single minute of it. Where my love of ultra running began...

I crossed the A346, met Ian and had some more coca cola, dioralyte, crisps and chocolate - what a lovely conconction. Ian left me to continue via car to our next rendevous point, I ran on alone with only some chocolate shortbread for company as I commenced my last ascent of the day to the final checkpoint at Barbury Castle.

As I ran up the never ending hill to Barbury Castle, a huge flashing beacon led the way. I was impressed, what a fabulous idea of the organisers, a huge ball of fire showing us weary runners where our final checkpoint was. I am sure the red kites must have been nearby as I suddenly sprouted wings as I ran up the hill....

There was no checkpoint at the flashing beacon, in fact the source was not even on the Ridgeway trail! I think it belonged to a farm building, absolutely nothing to do with the Ridgeway Race!! Never mind, it helped me up that final hill and I am sure others felt the same way..?

The final checkpoint and I was met with tubs of tomatoes, cheese and kiwi fruits, but no Ian? As I munched on a few delightful fruits Ian suddenly appeared in a terrible fluster. Apparently I had out run him and had arrived too early!

No one at the checkpoint could confirm how many miles to the finish, guesses varied somewhere between 4 and 7 miles. It did matter not as I knew that I had still had many more running miles in my legs...

As I ran through Barbury Castle Hill Fort, I was once again reminded of the similarities between it and Figsbury Hill Fort (where I do my hill reps). I felt so close to home and had to fight my desire to "floor it"... Not yet, it was way too soon and collapsing miles from the finish would not do my street credibility any good!

The last section of trail heading towards Avebury is fraught with potential hazards: large loose stones; deeply rutted tracks; long grass. Lose my concentration and I could easily topple over or turn my ankle again.

I knew to look out for the turning to the right, just after Fyfield Down. This was when the race route separated from The Ridgeway trail and headed into Avebury along the Wessex Ridgeway (I think that is the correct name..?) If I missed this turn I would have to turn around when I reached a road - signalling the end of The Ridgeway.

Panic set in as the stretch of trail I was familiar with suddenly became alien and I convinced myself that I was on new ground, slowing to a jog I feared the worst...

Until.... as if by magic, I spotted the little yellow sign laid down by the Race Director pointing down the very track that I thought I had missed. Relief swept over me as I ran down the hill and finally allowed myself to accept that not only was I finishing this race very strongly, I was finishing as the very first Lady.

No pint of Guinness awaited me at the finish as the pub had long since closed, instead I was met by a small crowd of very enthusiastic supporters and the most delicious mug of tomato soup!!

And so, upon reflection, will I be retiring from ultra running? Yes, and no...

There is one area of competitive ultra running that I have no dreams to pursue. However, the facts remain that I do love running very long distances, I love personal challenges and I love the thought of inspiring others to enjoy running and fulfilling dreams. I am on borrowed time with my ankle and know that one day I will no longer be able to manage the pain. Sometimes I struggle, always I have to fight at some point during every race that I run. One day I will not be able to continue this fight and it will come to an end.

Ankle pain withstanding, I struggled during a large percentage of this race, and know where I made mistakes. I have spared you some of these issues/ errors as not all can and should be shared. I truly believe that I can run considerably faster on this course and that belief has given me a deep seated desire to return next year to prove this belief.

Until then, a different life awaits me. No more chasing vests or quests to seek people's approval. The true me is a chaser of my own dreams and I am a dream catcher.....

When one becomes two...

Falkirk Parkrun - an opportunity to run a 5k route in Scottish temperatures and on husky friendly terrain. Perfect opportunity for pocket rocket Kobi to continue his quest for super speed further than 1 mile....

Set in the glorious surroundings of Calendar Park in Falkirk, this new Parkrun is run by an amazingly friendly group of runners that offer dog biscuits and human sweeties to all finishers!!

True to form, we arrived at the start line not quite fully prepared to start the race and managed to lose about 30 seconds untangling dogs from ganglines and necklines - runners disappearing off into the distance! When finally both dogs were free from constraints, Kobi shot off the line in hot pursuit, determined to catch every runner at lightning speed.

We zipped past quite a few fellow parkrunners before reaching a narrow pathway, upon where I decided that it was not safe to try any super speed overtaking and would try and take advantage of the human runners blocking the path to slow Kobi down and not let him burn himself out.

My plan worked very well as we ran through some fabulous trails in the woods, up and down little undulations, avoiding squirrels and tree routes. Lovely course and it was a delight to watch the two dogs working well together, stride for stride and obeying my every command. I could see the happiness on the dogs' faces, as we flew round the bends clocking up km after km...

First mile 5:24, second mile 5:26 and then..... Kobi could no more.... Just as we reached the foot of the hill that is commonly known as "the mountain" to most Falkirk Parkrunners, Kobi ran out of run (in true Pooh Bear style..) and came to a spluttering stop, almost standstill.

He turned to look at me, confirming that he was now very tired and the fire in his belly to catch every runner truely burnt out. There is nothing I can do from this point forth other than jog/ walk to the finish and encourage him to just keep on moving forward.

And so to the finish we did plod, to resounding cheers of support from a fantastic crowd of Scottish supporters. Post race biscuits, sweets and chat an absolute pleasure.

Brilliant little parkrun event and I took fantastic encouragement knowing that Kobi can now run two fast miles!! Now all he has to do is hold it together for one more mile....

Hot dogs: country bumpkin dogs in city centres...

Salisbury 5-4-3-2-1, fabulous event that offers a variety of distances for both walker and runners - dogs allowed!

Excellent training for me coming the day after a fun 50 miler across the North Downs Way, jog in the park for Kez, and big challenge for little Kobi - running 30k with lots of people....

A rather how day, my first concern is always the well being of the dogs. The dogs have been training in warn conditions and so are very acclimatised to them. They are phenomenally fit and best of all they always let me know well in advance if they need help, i.e. a river swim. I know the signs and it works for us. We train on the race route, and I know where all the accessible river crossing. I also carry water and electrolytes for them, just in case...

Due to the earlier start, we began the run at the same time as the 50k runners (or rather we missed the start and chased after them for the first two miles...) with the intention of picking up the 20k route part way round and completing a final distance of 30k - the furthest Kobi has ever run.

In true Kobi style, we ran the first few miles at more effort than required... Thankfully Kez with his pacer's head on ensured we didn't do 5 minute miling! When Kobi did finally settle, it was an amazing experience to see him actually working with Kez. Head down, tail flying behind, he looked like a true husky. This is the first time he has shown this pose while in harness and bodes very well for his future as a longer distance athlete. Perhaps his dream to one day run a marathon may well become a reality....

The first river stop very nearly resulted in some outdoor swimming for me (much to the amusement of my fellow runners!!) - I forgot that the lines attached to the dogs were much shorter than the ones I normally have when the dogs are bathing in that particular section of the river!! Thankfully Ian was by my side to "anchor" me to the river bank.

We ran alongside our fellow runners for many miles, enjoying the scenery and chatting around us. The usual accusations of "cheating" were easily outweighed by the fantastic compliments and responses from our fellow runners as the huskies trotted past. Kez helped steer Kobi around legs, trees and lamposts. Kobi tried to barge his way through everyone and leave his "scent" on every blade of grass in the Wiltshire countryside....

We ran very slowly to ensure the dogs did not overheat, and stopped for very long times at the drink stations, which had been brilliantly supplied with a great variety of dogs bowls. We even discovered that Kobi rather enjoys jelly babies and Clif Bar Shot blocks!

The road sections (of which there are very few) were a huge problem for us - my country bumpkin dogs are not used to running on pavements and don't quite understand the safety protocol when running down a rather busy road. I do apologise to my fellow runners for our rather extravagant sprint on the road into Alderbury, when we probably clocked 3 minute mile pace in our desparation to get safely to the next traffic free section!!

Ian and I had to separate company in the Longford Estate as he was continuing for the full duration of the 50k, where as we had to now pick up the 20k route and head into Britford and back to Salisbury. A nice muddy tree lined route soon followed and we were able to have a little blast and dismiss the sadness as at not being able to continue with Ian for the full distance.

Kobi started looking a little tired and was beginning to show the behaviour we have come to recognise in our little rescue boy. When he gets tired his confidence drops and he starts to worry about things he is not familiar with. Different people, new challenges etc are all suddenly huge problems for a little boy that feels scared. Kez and I have to give him our confidence - he watches us listens to us and tries to follow our example. Only a few short months ago he would have given up at this point and shut down. Body drop the floor and his brain would shut down - this was how he had evolved in order to protect himself from all the trauma that he was subject to as a baby, before we rescued him.

The next river stop had a fence to negotiate before free river access, which Kez recognised and squeezed under with no problem. Kobi on the other hand convinced himself that the an axe wielding man was hidden within the fence and refused to even touch it. If I panic or show signs of stress, Kobi worsens, and so with a very deep breath and superhuman strength, I somehow managed to lift him over whilst not being hauled into the river by Kez who was happily splashing around! I was rewarded on the exit from river by suddenly seeing two huskies disappearing from me as I had forgotten to attach their dog line onto my running belt!! Thankfully Kez is extremely obedient and came running straight back to me when I called him.

The next challenge for little Kobi was to negotiate a very busy city centre -all that stood between us and the finish was a one mile section of a city full of tourists..... He panicked, I panicked and Kez just put his little head down and tried to drag us round all the obstacles. Kez really is a superstar. I know how stressed he must have been as he is not happy in crowds of people and certainly not ones that keep reaching out to touch him as we run past. People blocked our way and seemed to find it very funny to try and grab at the dogs, which were clearly scared. Poor Kobi was absolutely petrified as he tried to follow Kez. Both of them ran beside me and I tried to reassure them, and encourage them to keep moving. I knew that if we could just keep moving Kobi would be ok. Stressed yes, but it would give him strength for the next time we encounter such a challenge....

And we made it safely to the finish. Stopped short of the finishing chute to ensure our chip time was not recognised, however the sensors did pick it up and we were credited with a very fast 50k time for only running 30k (this has since been rectified).

The first thing I did when we stopped was call Kobi and Kez to me and praise them. Little Kobi just pushed his little body into mine and wanted to be hugged for a very long time. It was so sweet and so like a young human child wanting reassurance from a parent. When I finally managed to prise him out of my arms I looked at his little face and he looked so happy. So different from the puppy we met only last year. This little guy now loves life and all the challenges that it brings. These challenges do make him stronger and he is rapidly becoming a superstar. I am frequently in awe of his resiliance and fighting spirit. He has endured so much and actually appears grateful for what he now has. Human emotion and interpretation I know, but this is one of the reasons why I am able to get so much from my dogs - empathy and a desire to understand their behaviour in human terms.

Magic Miles in so many ways...

Speak of "Magic Miles" and I immediately think back to the days of Coe, Ovett and Cram. Hours of watching their races over 800m, 1500m & 1609m. Feeling inspired to run and dreaming of one day running for Team GBR....

Recently I have been looking for an opportunity to run a one mile race with Kobi our little rescue dog. A chance to see what he can do over the one mile distance (the little guy had a tendency to "blow up" in 5k races, but very fast for the first 1.5 miles). So when Martin Yelling and Tom Williams from Marathontalk.com came up with the briliant idea of a global Magic Mile challenge, I hoped this could be the perfect opportunity for us..

Poole Parkrun very kindly agreed to let us run in their staged event in Poole Park. Having previously run 49 Parkruns with Huskies, the dogs' behaviour has been complimented on numerous occasions and their reputation appears to be spreading.... Being a non dog runner myself sometimes, I know only too well the safety issues that need to be considered when running at high speeds around people and it is always my first concern, even if it means I have to stop or to run very wide, I will not put others in danger.

My original intention had been to run Kobi on his own, but after a pre race trial with him running solo I soon realised that he still has some major confidence issues that we need to work through before we take the next step.

For those of you that do not know Kobi's story, he was rescued last year very close to death and his future looked very bleak. Petrified of humans, his little mind and body had never known nourishing food or love. He was too weak for the vet to vaccinate him as the live vaccine could have killed him. I connected with him the first time I met him and knew I had to give him a chance of life and to be happy. I even allowed myself a very far fetched dream of one day turning him into a European Canix Champion...

Therefore Kez was drafted in to the race to give Kobi some canine support, and also to ensure perfect steering!!

Our pre race preparation did not go very well thanks to scarey men (Kobi's opinion), squirrels, loose dogs and a general "cannot be bothered" attitude from the dogs. I quickly reassessed my objective of trying to run 5 minutes, to just getting round the course with both dogs in front of me and no "incidents". The other extra exciting aspect of the race was that Liz Yelling (yes THE Liz Yelling of Olympic Marathon fame) and her husband Martin were both running in the sub 7 minute race!!

I started at the back, and very wide of all the other runners and with Ian's help we clipped on the neckline and held them for a few seconds to allow all the runners to get started. And then we were off...

Immediately both dogs went into work mode, full flight and chasing after the other runners. I kept them very wide for the first 3/4 lap to ensure all the runners had settled and it was safe to move over without infringement of anyone. I settled just behind the lead runners and felt completely in awe of what I was doing. Running this close to an Olympic athlete and watching the dogs running so freely and so happily and in full control I am glad that I was wearing sunglasses as I cannot be sure if the tears were due to the wind or the emotion.

The event organisers had very kindly set a course for dogs on the grass on the inside of the race circuit, but the dogs chose to run mostly on the tarmac - with the exception of the grass section on the far outside where we nearly had to hurdle the bench when Kez responded too quickly to me turn right "Gee" command (thanks Kez, we'll try steeplechase next time...)

My fears that the dogs would object to running three laps were soon overthrown as we flew round without breaking stride at the start/ finish point. On the last lap the fourth placed runner came up on the inside and I asked the dogs to go wide again to ensure he had full freedom to choose his route, they responded inmmediately but as we moved back to the inside I felt Kobi falter and slow down, was he going to blow up with only 300 metres to go...

Kobi moved onto the grass, and just as I started to fear that he had "run out of run", Kez decided that it was time for him to take control. Until this point Kobi had been setting the pace, Kez had done all the steering without much gusto, and to be fair I cannot blame him. He is an ultra runner, used to pacing himself for a very long run, not sprinting the entire distance. And he did not know how far or long he would be running this evening.

We soon started pulling back the distance we had lost to the runner in front of us and were gaining speed as we ran towards the finish. When a human is assisted by two racing huskies, the advantage in a sprint finish is phenomenal and I quickly had to make a decision as to whether I went for it or not. The risks were too great, visions of fast dogs, tangled lines and injured runners sprung to mind and I didn't ask for that final assistance. We stopped just short of the finish chute to ensure that Kobi didn't suddently bolt off to one side to avoid the people standing at the side.

Wow, I have never felt such immense pride in the team work that the boys and I showed during that run. Completely in control and all of us having such fun, doing what we love doing - running as a team. Running alongside athletes of such calibre and participating in such a fabulous fun challenge. And my ankle did not collapse or even seriously object to what was asked of it!

Our time was 5:02 and I know that with a little help and effort we can go faster.

Tomorrow I return to the 50 mile runs, but not before fueling the fire of the dream for little Kobi...

P.S. As the question will be asked... I have run 5:48 in a training run on an undulating course, without dogs.