A different world awaits...

I entered this new world abruptly, thrown into a relentless river – fast flowing, 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 Friday.  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 Saturday morning 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 Saturday evening 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 Monday I dragged my aching body from the ocean and took my first steps onto dry land.  I started walking along the beaches.

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

On Wednesday I took to the sky.  I spread my wings and flew.  I flew over the grasslands that I had run on, over the beaches that I had walked upon.  I flew over the ocean that had once held me captive at the bottom, and over the raging, torrential river.

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

One day I will be ready to climb these mountains, but not just yet.  It is not yet time for me.  I need to mend myself more.  If I need to I have a lifetime to reach the tops of these mountains.  As long as it takes is as long as it will be.

(image courtesy of Melissa Simm)

Lara: a gift from the Angels....

Happy Lara, being a Husky...

I dreamed a dream in time gone by
When hope was high
And life worth living
I dreamed that love would never die….

I could not get these words and this song from my mind as I drove home today.  Over the months I have created my own version of this very song, applicable to much that has happened this year.

But today as I dreamed and as I remembered, my mind was full of happy and positive thoughts.  I made a promise to a very special boy in April this year, and I have fulfilled that promise through an amazing gift that is Lara.

In less than two months she has transformed from a very scared and nervous dog into a brave and strong little character that loves to have fun and loves to do all that huskies love to do.  She plays, she speaks, she runs, bounces like a kangaroo and does all the cheeky playful things normal puppies do.  But best of all she smiles, each and every day.

Watching her running along Southsea promenade today as part of Portsmouth Santa run I felt overwhelming pride in being a part of the life that Lara now has and will have for the rest of her living days.  We have given her the gift of life.  Everyone that was involved in her rescue, rehabilitation and more has given her something that many will never have.  There are too many huskies in rescue just now and so many that cannot be saved.  A society that breeds and discards dogs, as quickly as you can click your fingers.

Today I am not writing to be sad, quite the opposite in fact - this is a happy day…

All being well with certain protocol involved in adopting huskies, Lara will be adopted by a lovely family that will give her all that she needs in life.  For a short while I will be heartbroken as I will miss her terribly.  I have fallen in love with her - it was part of the deal in being able to help her.  I will never forget her, and she will never forget me, of that I am sure.

Many people assumed that she would stay here forever.  The only way that would ever have happened would have been if she had not recovered from her past life, but she has and now she will sprout wings and fly this temporary nest….

In her new home she will still get stressed, have funny little turns and most likely continue to steal wooden spoons and annoy boy huskies.  She will still try to jump onto the bed and barge into the bathroom and get under your feet when you try to perform household chores…..  But she will thrive on the attention and life that she will lead.  She will not have to compete for human attention with three other huskies and she will no longer need to deal with grumpy me.  At least the boy huskies here have had years to get used to that one!

We have been asked if we will foster more huskies.  The honest answer to that is that I do not know.  There is more to consider than just my selfish need to find something that I will never find.  Whilst it is very rewarding fostering, it is also very stressful and full of risks.  There is Ian to think about as well as the other huskies.  Krofti is getting old and set in his ways, a lot of change and stress confuses him.  Kroi is still very young and needs more from me than I have given him of late.  And Kez gets stressed when dogs are naughty or when he feels that he needs to protect another pack member.

When we originally put our names forward to foster huskies, we had anticipated older dogs that just needed a loving home for a short while.  We had never anticipated fostering dogs with deep seated issues.  That all changed with Kobi.   

As I held Kobi in my arms for the last time I promised him that I would help others like him.  I have done that with Lara, a happy ending and fulfilment of a promise.

And still I dream he'll come to me
That we will live the years together
But there are dreams that cannot be
And there are storms we cannot weather

Running scared...

This week, for the first time ever I was scared when running with huskies.  Scared because I was not in control and I was attached to 3 huskies with a pulling power of 1,200 pounds, approximately ten times my weight.  (Huskies are easily capable of pulling 6 times their own weight….) Scared because I was running well in excess of 4 minute mile pace and my legs simply could not turn over any quicker!

When I am running without huskies and around other people, I am frequently scared.  Fearful of being rubbish, fearful of other runners cutting me up; fearful of my ever present mind demons haunting me about my lack of ability; fearful of my ankle collapsing; fearful of …… the list goes on….  However, when I am running with huskies I no longer fear those things.  I no longer fear them as I am too busy enjoying all that is around me, not thinking inwardly, but outwardly.  Too busy watching the huskies and learning about them, what motivates them or attracts their attention.  I watch and learn and run.  Simple as that, I don’t doubt or question, just learn to understand….

There are some rules that one is best advised to adhere to when running with huskies.  I forgot those rules and acted in very foolhardy manner.  I learned a very valuable lesson….

Fortunately I did not injure myself badly when the inevitable happened and I hit the floor.  Having very caring and responsive dogs also helped as they stopped immediately and turned towards me, therefore the damage was minimal.

However, what did happen was that the following morning when I went running with the same three huskies I was still very, very scared.  Yes it was dark, -7 and 5am in the morning, but that is normal to me and nothing that normally gives me a moment of concern. 

My heart was racing, tension throughout my body, my voice broken as I tentatively ran along the icy track trying to connect with the dogs.  I could have returned home and dropped off one, perhaps even two of the dogs and run relaxed and in control.  I refused to quit, refused to turn around and go home.  Instead I went looking for answers.  I wanted to understand what went wrong, after nearly twenty years of running with huskies why did I lose control of the team and end up as a crumpled mess on the muddy footpath…..

1.       Kroi (AKA Superbrat) is only 18 months old, I chose to put him at the front of the team, setting the pace, leading the way.

2.       Kroi and Kez have been trained to “floor it” when we are running towards Ian and Krofti.

3.       I was trying out a new running belt.

4.       I chose to wear my purple Salomon Missions instead of my Salomon Speedcross, purely because they would match my new harness and line and Ian had a camera…

5.       Lara was running on the team – Lara and I have only known each other for 7 weeks.

6.       Sometimes spontaneous actions are not the best way.

And so, back to that fateful moment and what happened.  Ian offered to take some photographs of me running with the huskies and I jumped at the chance.  The sun was going down so time was limited…..

A short section of track just up the road from the house was a perfect location.  Practice with each dog, up and down before the main event, giving Ian a chance to set up the camera.  Run out and then back towards the other dogs and Ian as fast as possible.  Kroi, then Kez, then Lara and finally Krofti.  Practice runs all fun and successful, it was time for the main event.

I tried to attach the 3-dog gang-line to my new belt, only to notice that the new belt had brass trigger clips and the double connecting loops of the polypropylene rope were designed for use with carabiners and traditionally used on dog sleds and dry-land rigs.  I improvised without thinking it through properly….

Kez and Lara were “wheel” dogs, attached to the central gang-line via necklines, with Kroi out front on his own.

Kez seemed strangely hesitant as I gave the “let’s go” command, Kroi and Lara surged forward and he reluctantly ran with them.  He soon picked up and as I felt the power surge I asked them to slow down, to allow me to compose myself.  The responded and we comfortably trotted up the track for about ¼ of a mile.  I asked them to stop and turn around, which they did with frightening speed and started to surge forwards.  Normally I would come to a complete standstill to ensure we were all composed and ready to run at speed.  I did not get this chance and I was instantly being pulled forward by three very enthusiastic huskies.  I yelled at them to stay, but we still edged forward rather quickly.  I tried to slow down by digging in my shoes and using my quads as brakes.  The tread on my Missions couldn’t cope with the mud and offered no help at all.  I screamed at Kroi, but he appeared to ignore me and refused to slow down.  Lara was pulling with all her strength and Kez was frantically trying to listen to me and not be pulled along by Kroi and Lara at the same time….

We were getting faster and faster, my “running” was a combination of frantic back pedalling and trying to stay upright at the same time.  I realised quickly that there was no way I could get them to stop and made the decision to “go with them” and hope that I could run at full speed all the way back to Ian and Krofti.  The terrain was very muddy and bumpy and one wrong foot placement would have me instantly hitting the ground.

The speed at my leg turnover was phenomenal, like nothing I have ever known before.  I have run sub 4 minute mile pace when attached to three huskies, this was much quicker than that!  But it was not going to last long….

The gang-line slipped from the clips and moved over to my right side, throwing me off balance just as I hit a really rutted section of track.  Game over, I was down.

The dogs stopped very quickly and came towards me, probably wondering why I was rolling around on the floor and no longer screaming!  I tentatively picked myself up, reassured the dogs and checked for damage.  Nothing broken, but I was going to hurt for a few days….

I tried to readjust the belt and headed back to Ian and Krofti, managing a little jog without incident.

So, even with all those reasons listed as to why the “incident” happened, I still had grave concerns about the fact that Kroi had appeared to completely ignore me.  He has never before done that, so why when I needed him most, did he let me down….

This thought was my biggest worry as I ran the next day in fear.  What if the next time he chose to ignore me was in a dangerous situation, putting me, the dogs and others in danger.  I have always trusted my huskies - that is how we are able to achieve all that we have as a team.  Relationships built on mutual trust and respect. They have never let me down before.  What had I done wrong this time? 

I managed to return home safely on this occasion, but it felt like Kroi was completely disconnected with me, not responding when I asked him to slow down.  I decided that running 3 huskies together was not safe and was not fun.  Time for a different morning regime…

On my evening run I took just Kez and Kroi, and on collar and extending leads.  We ran for many miles without any problems at all.  No pulling and instant responses from both dogs when asked.

So why is it so different when Lara joins in….?  The answer is very simple and it surprised me.  I tested my theory the following morning with resounding success.  I have the solution and can now happily run as far as fast and as far as I like with three huskies without any fear, well perhaps only a little… J

 

(all photos courtesy of Ian J Berry)

The joys of fulfilling a promise...

Yesterday I started an ultra with an amazing canine athlete and training partner.

Yesterday I finished an ultra in awe of what is achievable when human and dog are connected.

He protected me on the treacherous terrain, saving me on numerous occasions from falling down.  He kept me going when I wanted to quit.  He stuck by my side on the very dangerous descents and he followed the correct path when I missed the signs….

He did most of this without me asking, he just knew what he needed to do.  My little guardian angel in so many ways…

Endurance Life Ultra, Dorset 8^th December was the event that I chose to run with Kez.  It was his reward for his help in me achieving my 5k dream.  He loves to run and loves to spend time with me, away from the pack.  As I huffed and puffed in the last mile of my 15:48 5k I had made a promise to him that we would run this event together.

Ian had warned me about the terrain and tried to advise me that running this event with a dog was not a good idea.  I had chosen to ignore him, but upon reflection, I totally agree with him!

Hills like this..

Upon arriving at the event it was really good to see familiar faces, especially Kirsty, Sam and Michelle.  Kirsty and Sam went on to have very good runs in the ultra and Michelle had a very inspirational run in the 10k.  One of the highlights of my day was seeing Michelle after the run.  She was so happy and glowing, even though she was freezing.  She is a star and an inspiration to all that know her. 

It was good getting pre-race feedback from Dave concerning our little lady husky and my blog/ facebook stories relating to her…. Thanks Dave!

The ultra-distance route officially consisted of a 10k lap, followed by a 32k lap and then the same 10k lap again.  According to Garmin, those distances were not quite accurate nor were the distances between checkpoint location….  All events (there was also a 10k, ½ marathon and marathon on the same day) started and finished in Lulworth Cove car park.  The course made use of the South West Coastal Path and some inland footpaths.  I knew after the first 10k lap that Kez and I would not run it again and I just hoped that the distance that we would cover on the larger lap would give me the ultra that I promised Kez, it only had to be longer than 26.2 miles…

Kez tries to work out how far it is to Lapland...

Today was all about Kez and I having fun together.  If I want to race an event further than 5k, I do not run with a dog.  I lose too much time – yesterday you could easily add a cumulative time of more than one hour, all related to running with a dog.  Running downhill is slower; we stay at watering stations for long periods of time; detours to ponds of water or streams; negotiating stiles; impromptu mouse hunting sessions; photograph and chit chat sessions; talking to husky admirers; etc…  However, I wouldn’t have it any other way as it is such a pleasure to share this time and experience with my daily training partner.

Not sure what Kez thinks of the view

Today was also about trialling my Rehband ankle support http://www.rehbandsport.co.uk/p/48/ankle-receptor and my Salomon XT Slab5 http://www.salomon.com/uk/product/xt-s-lab-5.html   It was our first ever run together….

Kez started the run very enthusiastically, but soon got frustrated at my lack of pace on the first ascent, plus all the runners on the trail.  We soon ended up running in the long grass, which I think we actually both preferred anyway!  The terrain on the first lap was mostly runnable with the exception of some very steep ascents, where walking was required.  At the first checkpoint five minutes was spent faffing around to remove Kez’s water bowl from my rucksack and then get him to drink some.  I had assumed that there would be cups on the water stations, thus the reason for his bowl not instantly being at hand.

In fact I had prepared for Kez’s run rather well, or rather thought that I had.  Due to the copious amounts of sausages that he consumed during our last ultra, I had cooked a large quantity of very special sausages all safely packed in my rucksack.  Every time I stopped to unwrap and offer him one, he refused.  I kept on trying, he kept on refusing.  Finally accepting that he was not going to eat anything, I started un-wrapping my own special Cadbury Boost bar…  Suddenly, ears pricked up, head turned round and then he stopped.  I tried to get him to keep moving forward, but he was having none of it. I painstakingly removed the chocolate and toffee sections and offered him my favourite bit, the middle biscuit section.  And yes, he was more than happy to eat all of it….  I had to make do with the chocolate and toffee…. 

"Follow me, I will help you..."

It was early on in the second lap that we encountered our first set of downhill steps.  Narrow and steep, they headed downwards at an alarming angle.  I suddenly felt very scared and stopped, fearing that I could not safely negotiate them.  Since I fell on the Irish Mountain and broke my elbow, I have become rather nervous of heights.  I had hoped that by attempting this event would help this fear – face it head on so to speak…. 

Looking back at "the steps"

So here I am at the top, scared and getting ready to turn around and go home.  Then the most amazing thing happened.  Sensing my fear, Kez reversed up the steps (he had wandered down a couple when I stopped) and stood beside me.  As he turned his head towards me I could sense what he was asking me to do.  As I edged down the steps he stuck to my side and placed his front paws on each step next to my tentatively placed feet.  I ignored my surroundings by concentrated on him, speaking to him and asking him to “stay close”.  He did not need to be asked as he was doing it by choice, but it felt reassuring to speak to him and to praise him for being such a good boy.Safely at the bottom, I was so much in awe of my little running buddy that I missed the right hand turn…. Thankfully once again Kez saved the day by suddenly stopping and turning around…  Whether he was following a scent or sight, I do not know, but he realised that the almost hidden path was the one that we should follow!

Tip toeing down a steep hill

Any steps or very steep descents that we encountered for the rest of the day were negotiated with the same tactic.  He stayed by my side, alert to my every footstep stopping instantly if I lost my footing or just needed to compose myself.  His behaviour on the down hills that were runnable was also very interesting…..  My preference is to run slowly as I can be a “scaredy cat” running downhill, always fearful of my ankle.  Kez refused to accept this and insists that I am capable of running faster than I believe – he has yet to be proven wrong.

Waiting for me to catch my breath..

On the steep ascents I would hesitate, thinking very negative thoughts and starting to believe that Ian is right about flat tarmac runs….  As I hesitated, Kez surged forward and chose the route for us to follow.  Frequently he took us away from the well-worn path.  The path was gravel and loose stones in places and I saw several other runners struggling to negotiate it.  A couple of times when I stumbled or lost secure footing, Kez surged forward to keep the line between us taught, saving me from falling.  He did this all automatically, without me having to say a word.

Paddling in the water grass...

After climbing a particularly steep hill, Kez became distracted and kept veering over to the right hand side of the wide grass track that were on, ignoring the flock of sheep on the left hand side….  I followed him to discover puddles hidden in the long grass, which he spent some time splashing around in, cooling his feet.  I walked slowly alongside allowing him to relax and have fun.  I can only imagine how stressful that it must be taking care of me during a run like this today!  Once the puddles ended he remained on the right hand side, very alert and suddenly he pounced in spectacular style.  He had found mouse village, even I saw several little mice dashing around in the long grass.  I let him be a proper husky for a little while……

"Really? You want to run on this..?"

Mice hunting over, we resumed running only to discover my hopes from earlier were about happen - a long stretch of flat tarmac.  Long was probably less than one mile, but I instantly regretted my wishful thoughts of earlier…

Thankfully we were soon back on softer ground and heading home.  Kez started picking up the pace and I fed off his enthusiasm and started running quicker as well.  We chatted to several other runners as we trotted along, enjoying the day.  The views were outstanding, the weather fabulous, although Kez would have preferred a few degrees colder.

Kez had gotten rather muddy throughout the run so when we spotted a nice water feature at the bottom of hill I thought that it would be a good idea to “help” him into the deep end.  Much to the delight of a group of walkers who happened to be watching, Kez realised my intentions… He “cat leapt” about 6’ into the air, and landed safely on the other side of the water, whereas I nearly ended up swimming!!

Mouse village is just over there..

I have not spoken much about the very muddy section, mostly because I have nothing nice to say about it….  I did stay upright, but I did swear and I very nearly threw a temper tantrum at one point!  Think thick mud soup on very narrow path for many, many miles and you will hopefully understand….

At the final checkpoint we met Rex (Sam’s dad) and it was really nice to see a familiar face.  I think that I might need to explain Rex that Kez is a very different dog when “working” rather than socialising….  Don’t worry Rex, he will resume normal service at the next parkrun that we see you at…

We also ran for a long section with Tim, who lives in London, originally from South Africa and designs computer games for a living!  I hope that he managed to visit Corfe Castle today.

Kez and I managed our normal speedy finish, flying past runners in the past few miles, glad to actually able to run and not have to walk or crawl.  We are ultra-runners, not ultra-walkers.  I accept that I will walk for some sections of a run beyond 62 miles, but I find it really hard to manage the enforced walking that an event like yesterday presented to me.

When we finally stopped, according to my Garmin we had covered 29.14 miles.  That constitutes an ultra, therefore it was not necessary to run around the car park to fulfil my promise to Kez….

One of the bits where we could run..

Finishing alongside Tamsyn and Maria who had been running the 1/2 (yeah right, I think it was a little bit longer than 13 miles...) and seeing the rest of the Lordshill team made the finish even more enjoyable.

The run was also a great success for my Salomon shoes and my Rehband ankle support.  The recent ankle injury was well protected throughout the run.  I experienced minimal post run pain and not much worse than what I normally experience with this ankle.  The shoes coped with everything apart from the mud soup and I don’t think many shoes would have coped with that!  I have definitely found myself some more training and racing partners J

Lara needs a home, forever and a day....

Her first week - wary and unsure

We are fostering Lara on behalf of Siberian Husky Club of Great Britain Welfare.  Anyone interested in offering Lara a forever home will need to apply through SHCGB and will be thoroughly vetted to ensure that they can provide Lara with the home that she deserves.

Exploring the garden....

My ideal home for Lara would be someone like me, twenty years ago….  She will bond strongly with someone that gives her time and love.  She will make a brilliant running partner for an older child or adult.  She will happily run in front or beside and can run very quickly.  She also runs very well in a team, very focussed and not easily distracted.  Being a husky, she is very pack oriented and as such it would be best that she finds a family who already have another dog.

She is a husky in looks and attitude.  She will hunt small creatures, she will question authority, she will leave fur all over your house and she will be hard work.  However she will also show you love, teach you how to love running and to love life.  She will show you just how amazing dogs can be even if they have a terrible start in life.  Everyone deserves a second chance and this little girl is already making the most of hers….

Description:

Lara is approximately 14 months old - we have given her the birth date of 21^st October 2011.  She is a Siberian Husky and is silver grey and white with blue eyes, weighing 18kg.  Lara is a very small, but perfectly proportioned female husky.  No obvious faults, she does run a little wide behind, but this may change as her muscle development and fitness increase.

Her background

Lara spent the first year of her life on a puppy farm.  She has had at least one litter of puppies.  Poorly socialised and unkempt when rescued (she smelled terribly) she has overcome the issues associated with poor socialisation very quickly.  She has shown no sign of physical abuse, just untrusting of humans and very unsure of new experiences.   

House living

Lara has had no “accidents” since she moved in.  She happily used the dog door from day one and went up and down stairs with no hesitation.  She liked to lie on window sills when she first arrived, but she has stopped trying to do this in the past few weeks.  Would happily sleep on the bed/ sofa – she is not allowed to do this, and reluctantly accepts that rule!

Walking/ collar and leads

The first few weeks involved lots of spinning and walking with belly to the floor.  Her collar is always fitted very securely as she once escaped from it by spinning and running backwards when it was a little loose!  She will now walk happily on her own and with the other huskies, although she does pull a little when the whole pack is walked together.  She prefers the left hand side when walking/ running.  She will also mischievously spin around and paw or grab her lead if we are not moving quickly enough, she does respond when told “no”….

Harnesses

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The first time a harness was fitted, she went into extreme “shut down” mode, indicating that she had previously experienced trauma that she associated with a harness.  With a lot of time and effort she has overcome this fear and will now happily wait while her harness is fitted.

She once escaped from her harness when I tried to negotiate a kissing gate with three huskies – the harness was a hand me down from the boys, therefore did not fit perfectly.  She does not come when called and therefore I had no option other than sprint home with the boy huskies and hope that she followed alongside.  Fortunately she did, ignoring numerous potential distractions during the run and choosing to run within feet of us at all times.  Her harness is now “padlocked” to her until her own “lady husky sized” harness arrives…!

First trip to the vets

The first time Lara visited the vets she was very scared and hid behind Kroi for the entire duration of the visit.  In the car she destroyed “stuff” during the journey and panicked when the door was opened.

Solo trip to the vets

6 weeks later and I took her to the vets on her own.  She was impeccably behaved in the car and in the vets.  I even left her alone in the car while I popped into a local shop – I could see her the whole time and all she did was sit waiting patiently.  She wouldn’t look at the vet, but she happily stood while she treated her.  Her heart rate remained very low the entire time we were out – I kept checking it….

The love of her life... "Kroi"

Other dogs

No aggression towards any dogs or bitches that she has met.  A little fearful of very large and rude dogs, but she will tell them to back off and then ignore them if they do.  She is rather pushy with our boy huskies, but they are very chilled dogs and tolerant.  She does show respect when they have had enough and tell her off.

Other animals

Lara is a husky and as such does have a very high prey drive.  She is very quick to spot rats in trees, low flying and ground dwelling birds.  She is becoming desensitised to horses and cows as we encounter them daily.

People

Running her first parkrun

Lara is affectionate towards Ian and me and is very responsive to my voice.  She is a little nervous of adults when she first meets them.  However she has run amongst other human runners and run with people that she has met for the first time prior to the run, all without any issues.  She is very relaxed and friendly with children of all ages.

Stealing things                    

For the first few weeks of Lara staying with us, nothing was safe.  She transported tea towels, wooden spoons, clothes, and even watches outside and deposited them in muddy holes.  She was also spotted trying to take a computer mouse outside, while still attached to the computer!  The only items that she has actually destroyed were the Garmin watch and wooden spoons.  Her stealing has become less of an issue and in the past few weeks all that she has removed has been tea towels and dish cloths, which tend to just get left on the kitchen floor.

Food

Running with the boys

I have not yet found anything that Lara does not eat!  She has a very tolerant stomach (unusual for most huskies) and always eats everything that is placed in her bowl.  She has been known to also try and eat her bowl!  She is very gentle when taking food from my hand and has never shown any aggression when I have approached her and touched her as she eats bones.

What Lara would love to do..

Running/ working

Lara loves running and working in harness with the other huskies.  She is not a strong puller, but she does not stop unless told to.  I have been running her solo and she improves every time.  Always stays in front of me and responds very well to commands.  We have been gradually building up her fitness and she will now happily run for several hours at trotting pace and will run at sub 5 minute mile pace with the other huskies and me.  Today we did achieve 4 minute mile pace for ¼ of a mile on a rutted and grassy uphill trail.  I slowed them down after that distance as I am not yet ready to try running down hill at that pace while three huskies are attached to me!!

Toys

Eaten by a snake...

Lara loves toys, in particular she loves removing the stuffing from toys.  She likes to take them outside, leaving them in the mud – Kroi then frantically rushes around trying to save his favourite ones and bring them back inside.

Some more details of Lara’s time with us can be found here: http://sandrabowers.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/kalibans-dream-lara.html

And from Lara’s perspective (with the help of human words and interpretation….):

http://sandrabowers.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/dear-nasty-man.html

(Photos courtesy of Ian J Berry, Newbury parkrun & me....)

Pride comes before a fall

Kez prepares for a downhill gallop..

The best way to de-stress from a very turbulent couple of weeks...? Well go for a very long run with huskies of course!

With temperatures well below freezing, my run with three fit huskies was always going to be an adventure...

As soon as paws touched the frozen grass, we were off running at a frightening pace.  Kroi was obviously trying to make up for missing his speed training session yesterday!

Fortunately most of the first mile is uphill, so I let them run at Kroi's preferred pace as I concentrated on placing my feet on secure ground, confident that my ankle support would protect my recovering ankle.

A couple of miles later, we met a very aggressive dog blocking our path and edging towards us.  I came to a stand still and placed myself between the growling and snarling dog and my huskies as the dog's owner tried desperately to get the dog under control.  The huskies lost interest in the dog as we waited and all started nosing into the undergrowth, backs to the aggressor pretending that it wasn't there.  Good to see that they trust me to fight their battles for them!  When the owner finally had "Demon" under control, we calmly trotted past, the huskies still not reacting to the snarling threats.  I smiled to myself as I watched the huskies relaxed behaviour, proud that they can be so chilled and relaxed, trusting that I will always protect them.  Big mistake....

Pausing for a minute..

The squirrel dashed in front of us while my head was still in the clouds.  It chose to appear right at the top of a steep descent through the woods and as Kroi and Lara lurched forward, I was in serious danger of injury as I had no option other than to go with them and hope that I could negotiate every tree root and loose stone.  Thankfully the squirrel chose the tree option rather than the running in front of huskies option.  I got the dogs back under control a little frustrated with myself for forgetting my "Golden Rule"......  When running with huskies I always need to be one step ahead of them.  A flick of an ear, a glance to the side or a slight increase in tension of the line normally acts as a warning sign.  If I see these signs I know to be wary, slow the dogs down and if necessary tell them to stay.  Their stay response is excellent and once we are stationary and they know I am in control, they do not attempt a "hunt".  Huskies are phenomenal hunters, they are extremely intelligent and they are opportunists.  I am pack leader and they respect this most of the time, which allows me to control them in potentially dangerous situations. However Kroi is a teenager at the moment and as such he is challenging the rules, just like Kez once did and all the other huskies that I have ever lived with.

Chalky and steep descent awaits..

Composure regained, we continued on our way and had a very uneventful few miles with only the occasional surge forward as pheasants, partridge and buzzard flew up from paths in front of us.  The huskies difference in behaviour when they spot a pheasant or partridge is very interesting.  They almost ignore pheasants as when they take off, pheasants immediately gain height.  Partridge on the other hand  fly low to the ground, staying within reach of a hunting husky....  On several occasions, I have had to abruptly lock an extending lead in order to save the life of a partridge.

I have also been amazed with what huskies know about mother birds.  I have seen huskies watch a mother partridge take off pretending to be injured to protect her babies that are in the undergrowth close to where we are running.  On these occasions (it has happened twice) the husky has completely ignored the "injured" bird and gone straight to where she took off from and her babies are silently waiting.  Fortunately I worked out what was happening and was able to protect the babies - and be rewarded by seeing little fluffy partridge chicks.

As we ran I remembered many of the amazing experiences that I have had as reward for early morning runs in the British Countryside.  The first Red Kites released in Hampshire, baby deer, badgers and weasels to name but a few.  One of the most special sights I ever saw was a mother weasel leading her babies across our path.  It was like watching a continuous line of little fluffy caterpillars - a very precious moment.

Pig watching, thinking of bacon.....

Being later in the morning than usual, I met many walkers and their dogs as well as horse riders today.  I was caught day dreaming again when overtaking some of these walkers....  Huskies elegantly trotting past, I failed to see the frozen lump of mud that blocked my path.  As I hit the ground in a very clumsy way, the huskies immediately turned to laugh at me.  The walkers immediately dashed to my aid, but I was up and in denial before they actually reached me.  I ignored the pain and assured them that I was fine as I continued on my run.  As I sit here remembering this moment, I am very much aware of the consequences of hitting the ground at speed.  Nothing too serious, just a few bruises and aches and pains that will ease over the next few days.

Watching horses

I did however learn this time and stayed focussed for the rest of the run, which included herds of sheep, black cats crossing our path, free range pigs and horses...


Safely home, I have three happy huskies.  No make that four happy huskies as Ian took Krofti for a lovely long walk where he met a little lady dog to play with.  As the huskies sleep, I contemplate a wee drink of mulled wine and remember the important things in life....