Kaliban's Dream: "Lara"

We first met Kenzie late one Sunday evening, in a dark car park somewhere in Wiltshire….

Saved by the amazing Karen O’Connor, this poor little girl had experienced a very sad life on a puppy farm in Ireland.  We will never know how much she suffered, how many babies she loved and lost, we just know that she did and as a result, she was scared, very distrustful of humans and needed our help.

We became involved in her life courtesy of our role as Fosterers for Siberian Husky Club of Great Britain (SHCGB).   We had agreed to help this poor little girl prepare for family life.  A life where she would learn to love and trust humans….

Our experience with Kobi had prepared us for the worst.  I expected a petrified little girl.  The reality was that although she was obviously unsure of humans, I did not sense the fear that I had when I met Kobi  (Copper) for the first time.  She was filthy and smelled terribly, but was curious of all that was around her…

The boys all accepted her very quickly, she was not a threat to them and they trust me if I tell them it is okay….  Krofti was the most hesitant, but he soon accepted the new addition, after letting her know a few rules!

We renamed this lady husky “Lara”, for several reasons.  She did not know her name was Kenzie and we wanted to give her a name that did not begin with the letter “K”.  That is reserved for permanent members of the Huskies Running/ “K” Pack team.  Lara would only be living with us until she was ready to live a normal life.  We also wanted her to be a companion for Krofti when I was out running very long distances with the two brothers, thus the reason why we opted for Lara - “Lara Kroft”…. ;-)

I have never lived with a lady husky and was looking forward to the opportunity to learn how different boy and lady huskies are….

After one month, I can confidently state, boy huskies are far more simple and straightforward than lady huskies.  As long as you meet their basic needs, all will be well.  Lady huskies on the other hand require a little bit more, ermmm “attention”..??   I should perhaps add at this point that I do have nearly 20 years of living with boy huskies….

The first week of Lara living with us was all about trying to get to know her, well that and hiding all our valuable possessions.  Anything not hidden or secured would potentially end up in a muddy hole in the back garden.  Those were the lucky ones, some other items ended up in dozens of little pieces, beyond repair.

We had to leave a collar on Lara, to allow us to be able to “catch” her when we went walking.  She would run away from us and only when cornered could be actually attach a lead to her collar.  Walking her was very stressful as she walked with belly to the floor, spinning around on a regular basis.  It was obvious that she had never been walked.  Cars scared her, people scared her, in fact almost everything scared her.  However, within only few days she started to follow and copy the two brothers.  She developed a “crush” on Kroi, and Kez developed a crush on her.  He was fascinated by her and for the first time in his life, he was influenced by another female (honestly, I was not too upset, well perhaps just a little but I soon got over it…)

Lara was soon following Kroi everywhere, much to Kez’s disbelief.  She followed Kroi as he tried to hide behind me.  At only 17 months, I guess he is not yet ready for female attention…  Kez got grumpy, Kroi got upset and Krofti had to step in and make a few points.  Points well made, Lara then changed her mind and decided that Kez was the boy to chase.  Kez meanwhile had decided that he was not interested in ladies after all and would prefer to be friends with his brother….

The complicated love lives of huskies, thankfully it soon settled - Kroi decided that playing with girls was actually good fun and then Kez decided that it was too – threesome playing around the house has now become a regular feature of daily life…

One thing that I have been very aware of is the similarities in behaviour between Kobi and Lara, the extreme reactions to certain stimuli and the “shut down” mode when a situation is too stressful to deal with.  The one noticeable difference is how quickly Lara overcomes her fears, the most obvious one being the wearing of a harness.

The first time I put a harness on her body, she dashed out to the garden and threw herself to the ground, refusing to move.  Even when I approached her, which usually sent her scampering for cover she did not move.  She completely froze and would not even flinch when I nudged her.  It was a horrible experience and I felt physically sick as I thought of what she had probably endured during her life on the puppy farm.

I quickly removed the harness and she returned to “normal”, bolting for safety as far from me as possible.

Several days later, once I felt that she was beginning to trust me, I tried again.  It was important that she become comfortable wearing a harness as when I was running with her she was pulling (as huskies do) and I did not want her straining her neck.  This time she resisted, but was happy to take food from me as I reassured her.  She happily ran around the house and from that point forth we have had no problems at all when putting her harness on.  If fact it is easier to put a harness on her than all of our other boys!  Interestingly, in my two decades of owning Siberian Huskies the only huskies that have happily allowed me to put a harness on them have been the ones with questionable “working attitude”.  All the “workers” have run away from the harness, but once on they are happy and enthusiastic…

Another time when Lara had a very extreme reaction was when I was walking her with Krofti and she was being particularly stubborn and flighty.  It was late in the evening and I had returned from a stressful day at work.   She struggled to negotiate the numerous kissing gates and kept on barging into Krofti and being generally quite unruly.  She did not trust (or even like me) and so discipline was not an option – she knew no rules and had yet to learn respect and discipline.  It was late in the evening and I had returned from a stressful day at work.  I could feel myself getting more and more frustrated as I fought to remain calm.  She spun around, wrapped the lead around Krofti and I, nearly tripping me up.  Just as I thought I could remain calm no more, this poor little girl grabbed onto my left leg, holding on like a little limpet.  She had obviously sensed my feelings and became fearful of what might happen.  Needless to say, her actions were an instant stress reliever and I was in tears as I held her and felt her relax and loosen her grip around my leg.  This incident was also to prove to be a huge milestone in our relationship as she started trusting me and became fascinated by everything that I did.  Following me around the house like my shadow….

It was several weeks before we could bath Lara.  She had to endure an emergency spaying operation the day after we took responsibility for her life.  Imminently due in season and living with entire males was not a situation we could live with.  It was horrible sending her to the vet as a very scared little girl, knowing she would awaken in fear and in pain.

When I picked her up from the vet in the evening I was advised she had reacted strongly to the surgery and the anaesthetic resulting in a very sleepy and depressed dog, and to expect a very subdued dog for 48 hours….

Approximately 48 minutes later I realised that this was not going to be the case.  Back home with her new friends she came alive again.  Bouncing around at 100 miles per hour, this was not a dog that let something like surgery slow her down…..  She never looked back and it was with complete disbelief I would look at her over the coming days and admire her phenomenal recovery.

Once her wound was healed, she had a bath.  And what a difference, transformed from a smelly dirty dog that made our hands and all our clothes smell, into a fluffy beautifully smelling little girl that I just wanted to cuddle.  However, it would be several weeks before she was comfortable with cuddles….

Lara has been with us for less than one month and in that time I have been amazed with her transformation.  Whilst there are similarities between her behaviour and what we experienced with Kobi, it is obvious that her issues are very minor in comparison.  Scared and untrusting of humans, poorly socialised and badly treated by her previous “owner”, I truly believe that over time this brave little girl will make 100% recovery and will make a fabulous addition to a deserving family.  Kobi had clearly suffered all of those points, plus starvation and severe abuse.

Lara learned to feel comfortable using the dog door within minutes.  It took Kobi 6 months.  Lara walked through a doorway where a human stood within days of moving in.  I was the only person that Kobi trusted enough to do this in all the time we shared with him.  Lara ran up the stairs the first day she arrived.  Kobi never went upstairs unless I walked with him, reassuring him on every step.

One thing I have noticed is that both dogs appear to show gratitude, far more than the dogs we have raised since pups and have been “spoiled” their entire lives….  Kobi was always very vocal when he greeted me, his big smile and soft “whoo, whoo” every time I returned home was a delight to hear.  It brought tears to my eyes on a regular basis and I miss his “whoo, whooing” terribly.

This week I returned home and was greeted enthusiastically by Lara and without any prompting, she “whoo, whooed” in delight at seeing me.  As you can imagine, the tears free flowed and I reminded myself of why we are fostering Lara.  Since that day I have trained Lara to “speak” on command, taking advantage of her natural desire to do it.

All our dogs raised from pups are KC registered and so have “posh” registration/ official names.  Kobi was not KC registered and therefore had no such name.  I gave him the name “Olympic Spirit” for several reasons and as I reminisced about them this week I realised that Lara had not yet been bestowed another name.

She is not ours to keep, but there is no reason why she cannot have a special name…

Therefore, this week I decided that “Kaliban’s Dream” would be a very fitting name indeed.  The only problem is that I keep on calling her “LaLa” instead of “Lara”!!

For anyone that does not understand the significance…. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mec8GZkEpD4

New York 2012: the experience of a lifetime..?

Landing in Newark airport, very tired after a late night flight, we were greeted with the news….  Ian answered his cell phone as I jabbered exciting thoughts about our upcoming New York Marathon adventure.  From the look on Ian’s face I could tell that the call brought bad news.  My heart sunk and I felt physically sick.  I immediately assumed that one of my worst ever fears had been realised…..

Going back 13 hours in time, as we left for our house to begin our journey to America, I had been in floods of tears.  Leaving the huskies behind had ripped at my heart.  Kez and Kroi had sensed my apprehension all morning as I packed.  They had followed me all around the house with questions in their eyes.  Very tuned into my emotional well-being, they sensed that something was “not right”.

We were scheduled to be away for 6 days - I have never previously left them for this long.  In fact you have to go back 19 years to find a time when I left home for more than a few days.  It was a very long time since I had experienced a “holiday”.

We were also leaving our new foster husky Lara in the care of our boy huskies and humans that she did not know.  A little girl only just adjusting to family life and learning about the rules of the pack and the house….

Kroft just slept as we packed.  I know that it is actually him that suffers most when we are not all together as a human/ dog pack.  We have shared our lives for over 11 years and I know him very well.  He silently deals with the stress and does not openly welcome our return in the way that the younger dogs do, in fact we have to go to him and request his permission to be a happy pack again!

The dogs’ care in our absence is entrusted to a fabulous lady.  I still miss them and fear what could happen if I am not there with them.  They will have 6 days of exceptionally good care and lots of attention, but they will not run for 6 days.  I know the impact that this has on them, Kez in particular – it is not dissimilar to how I react to not being able to run….

Knowing this I have entered Kez and I into an ultra-race the day after we return from New York.  An ultra that just happens to cover the first 33 miles of The Ridgeway…

Back to Newark airport and the news that Ian was receiving on his cell phone, I assumed that something very bad had happened to one of the huskies.  Bad enough that an emergency call was required….

When Ian then shared the news of the New York Marathon being cancelled, I actually felt relieved.  Huge immense relief – my “boys” were safe, that was all that mattered…

My feeling of disbelief soon took over.  It had been a very hard decision for us to come to New York in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.  Our original flights had been cancelled and we knew that we would arrive in a City hugely affected by a natural tragedy.  Earlier in the week when the marathon was in doubt, we came close to cancelling our trip, but confirmation that it was definitely going ahead left us in no doubt as to what decision to make.  We had been invited to New York as pacemakers for the marathon, we had a job to do and if the city was able to host the marathon, then we would be there to support our pace team leaders.

Hearing of the cancelled marathon, my first thought was to return home on the first available flight.  Ian managed to persuade me otherwise and we began our onward journey to Manhattan from the airport.  The train line was operational albeit with a very limited service and after a very apprehensive wait we managed to get a train into New York City.

While some areas of New York were still without power, our hotel was fine as were all the areas we walked through between station and hotel.  I was surprised at how busy the streets were – 10:30pm local time, we had quite a battle trying to negotiate the crowds with two trailing suitcases….

Arriving at the Sheraton, to be greeted by Star was when the tears finally started flowing.  They were tears of relief at arriving safely; tears of sadness at the devastation of Storm Sandy; and tears of frustration at how the decision to cancel the marathon was made.

The infrastructure was firmly in place to ensure that the relief effort to cope with the aftermath of Sandy would be unaffected by the marathon taking place.  The decision to run the marathon and show the world the fighting and determined spirit of the city was overturned as a result of some mindless individuals.

Some people, unhappy with the decision to hold the marathon had made threats towards any runners that took part.  Threats of serious violence were impossible to disregard by officials and the safety of any runner taking part was in serious jeopardy.  This is the reason why the marathon was cancelled and that in many ways I find very hard to accept.  A storm does not have a soul or have a conscious mind to decide whether to attack or not….

Ian, forever the resourceful and intrepid entrepreneur, ably assisted by his “friend” Google went on a search for an alternative marathon as Star and I discussed Western States 100 and other 100 mile races for 2013 and 2014….

Ian was successful in his mission, by 5am (UK time) and after nearly 24 hours of travel and stress we fell into bed with a marathon in North Carolina to get to later in the day….

En route to North Carolina we visited the New York Marathon Expo in lower Manhattan to collect our “souvenir” marathon number and t-shirt.  I also purchased a yellow running top with a design that foretold of how we could describe our “holiday” to New York – if Ian and I were negative minded people…

Walking round the stalls in the expo I was overcome with emotion.  Overwhelming sadness at what was happening around us, lost lives, people without homes and the huge clean-up operation.  This sadness was intertwined with intense guilt at the fact that we were abandoning this city to run another marathon in another state.  While others suffered without their basic needs, we would selfishly satisfy our luxurious “need” to run….

I fought the conflict in my mind for several hours and by the time we arrived in North Carolina I was excited about our little adventure.  This was only my second ever visit to the US and never before had I travelled outside of New York.  The area is surrounded by trees, quite beautiful and I also heard a rumour that there were some hills…..

We reached the City of Oaks Marathon expo with an hour before closing.  The doors had a big sign saying “marathon closed” slightly concerned we walked inside and asked to speak with the Race Director, whom Ian had emailed the day before….

We were introduced to the RD and advised that the race had been flooded by people that had entered New York Marathon and their maximum limit for entries had already been exceeded.

I do not like saying negative things about others, and I do not like to judge people on first appearances.  However I was slightly surprised by the RD’s strange behaviour when we spoke to him and also how he interacted with others around him.

Apparently our email had not been read, and probably no one’s email sent that week, the same goes for any enquiries via the website.  Not because of Hurricane Sandy, but because the IT person involved in organising the race was on holiday…..

We could not get an entry into the marathon, but we could enter the half marathon.  I told the race director that I was happy to enter the half marathon, but I would also like to run the full marathon distance.  I was not interested in an official time or any recognition for running the race.  I just wanted the emotional experience of a long training run in a city that I have never visited.  He did not tell me that I could not do that….

After we signed up for the half marathon, we spoke to the Race Director of the Tobacco Road Marathon who had a stall at the Expo.  Brilliant guy called Kaz and he soon had us wanting to run his marathon in 2013 – yes it is a trail marathon!  Ian the Kent Roadrunner Marathon Race Director and Kaz the Tobacco Road Marathon Race Director were soon deep in discussion about organising events.  By the time we begrudgingly walked away from this fabulous guy, we had discovered that Kaz was the original RD for City of Oaks Marathon. He also offered us his hospitality if we chose to enter his race next year and was interested in running the Kent RR marathon – email and phone numbers were exchanged….

We headed away from the centre of Raleigh towards our hotel for the night, but not before I had my first experience of a Kmart store – so many choices of non-healthy food, I am so glad that I have strong will power!

Race morning and a very early race start of 7am for all distances – 10k, half marathon & full marathon.  Still dark as we approached the start line, the atmosphere was fantastic, 80’s music playing, lots of happy people and then the traditional singing rendition of the American National Anthem.  I love this part of American sports culture, to play “Star Spangled Banner” before all sporting events…

I bade farewell to Ian as he shot of in pursuit of his half marathon goal and I began my journey round the City of Oaks….

I had no time goal in my mind, but happened to be alongside the 3:30 pace team for the first few miles as I jogged along.  It was nice to have a chat with them, reminiscing about my pacing job at last year’s New York Marathon.  Running at a comfortable pace gives one a chance to really absorb the surroundings.  American streets and buildings, roads closed to traffic, strange high pitched whining coming from the traffic lights….?  People cheering us on from the sidewalk, people with cell phones taking photographs….

There was talk of suburban raccoons raiding bins in the area – I went on a racoon spotting mission, which sadly was unsuccessful, although I did spot some squirrels that looked like they were on steroids!

“Don’t drink the Gatorade” were the parting words from Ian as we left the start line – he had experience of what happens when you drink it and you are not used to it…..  Guess what Sandra did at the first two feeding stations… in my defence, I thought that it was water…..

As I exited from my own little private cubicle as provided by the race organisers, a voice beside me enquired as to what “Centurion Running” was.  I remembered that I was wearing my hard earned Thames Path 100 t-shirt, which happens to have Centurion Running written in large letters on the back.  I explained the brilliant race events that Centurion Running in the UK offer and before long I was deep in conversation with a fellow ultra-runner called Will that hailed from only a few miles down the road from Raleigh…

We ran together for nearly 16 miles, sharing stories of UK and American running.  Rather unusual for me to run with another person, I felt myself struggling as we jogged along.  Perhaps talking and breathing is more difficult than I thought, or perhaps I was just in unfamiliar territory as someone was inside my “special running place”….

From the centre of the city we entered suburbia where all around us we were reminded of the Presidential Election due to happen in two days’ time.  Judging by the number of banners and campaign placards with Obama’s picture, I think there is a clear favourite in the Raleigh area of North Carolina….

As we reached 8.5 miles, the route split – the half marathon returned to the City, the full marathon headed away from the city and along the *Greenway.

* The Capital Area Greenway System is a network of public open spaces and recreational trails which provides for activities such as walking, jogging, hiking, bird watching, nature study, fishing, picnicking and outdoor fun. The trails connect many of Raleigh's parks and in many cases provide a complement to the recreational activities at the parks. Many of the city's major ecological features can be experienced in their natural state along the Greenway.   A major goal of the Greenway Program is to establish a closed network of interconnected trails. (An extract from http://www.raleighnc.gov)

As I headed down the Greenway, with 18 miles of running ahead, I wondered if Ian was nearly at the finish of his race….

The Greenway was a delightful discovery.  There were hills, streams, lovely wooden bridges and lots of trees!  The ground upon which I ran was still paved with asphalt, but hey I cannot have everything!

And then the most delightful sight at 11.5 miles was a feeding station offering beer!  Disguised as an official station, I later discovered that it was in actual fact just some very well meaning fellow runners.  It would have been rude to refuse…  I wasn’t too greedy and was still clear headed enough to register that I passed half way in 1:45:48.

Another amazing discovery was the feeding station about 5 miles later.  Bananas, pretzels, chocolate, doughnuts, chocolate energy gels…. and M&Ms!  Brown bag M&Ms, i.e. the chocolate ones and my long term favourite.  There were hundreds of little bags sitting quietly in a massive cardboard box.  I am a hunter, gatherer type person and the temptation was too much…  First time I have finished a marathon carrying more in my “pouch” than what I started with!

17 (and a bit) miles marked the further “out” point, where we turned around and headed back along the Greenway, retracing our steps along the same path.   I sensed my new running friend was having a bad patch as he had stopped talking, his breathing had become more laboured and we had slowed considerably in the past few miles.  He stopped just before the M&M station and sadly I never saw him again.

I picked up the pace as I left the M&M station, now in the part of a marathon where I am glad that I am an ultra-runner.  As people slowed, even resorted to walking I felt strong knowing that I had loads of running still within me.  I was now faced with a decision, which caused some turmoil in my mind…

If I slowed down, I could finish in 3:50 which was my allocated pace time for the New York Marathon that did not happen.  Or I could speed up and aim for 3:30, which was the time Ian and I had discussed when we flew from New York to Raleigh with plans to run the City of Oaks marathon together…

I opted for the faster time.  The faster the time, the harder the effort and therefore the greater the reward – more M&Ms at the finish without fear of needing a bigger size of jeans…

I pushed on and soon spotted the 3:30 pacers way in the distance, a target for me to chase.  As I caught up with them at 24.5 miles I had a little chat with them, they were both in top form and still had a few runners beside them.  I recognised several from the start of the marathon – the pacers had done their job and helped them all the way round the course.

I picked up the pace a little for no other reason than I could and it felt good!  Wide open roads and city surroundings, not normally within my comfort zone, plus the missing huskies would normally bring gloom to my mind.  But not this day, I had a spring in my step as I headed towards the finish.

I was rewarded as I crossed the finish line with the presentation of a marathon medal (this size of a small dinner plate!) and beaming smiles from the lovely volunteers at the finish line.

Meeting up with Ian, we headed to the beer and pizza tents – oh yes, you also get free beer, pizza, fruit smoothies and cake once you finish.  Plus Ian was presented with a very special prize for finishing 2^nd Male 40 in the half marathon race.  And he was interviewed by WRAL5 for a TV broadcast later in the day.  They had heard that he had come all the way from Ireland to run the NYC marathon and when it was cancelled had travelled to North Caroline to fulfil his dream to run a marathon in America…  not quite sure why they though he was Irish, to be sure!

City of Oaks marathon was won by Tim Surface in a time of 2:33, the half was won by Bobby Mack in 1:04.

A potentially disastrous trip, turned out to be a very enjoyable adventure in the end.  We drove from the City of Raleigh back to the airport, pleased that we had taken the risk to travel outside of New York.  As we passed Umstead State Park, thoughts of 100 mile races suddenly appeared in my mind, as if “by magic”…..

At airport security I carefully placed my medal, belt, money etc. safely into the box to go through the security scanner as I confidently walked through the new deluxe airport scanner…

Alarm bells went off as the Security Guards carefully led me aside to ask me to explain why I was displaying “areas of concern” on my neck, wrists and ankle….

Moments later we realised that the on screen image was highlighting all my magnetic Trion:z sports bands, not areas of concern, but the reasons for my “magic powers”….. ;-)

(Photo courtesy of Ian J Berry - taken during post race celebrations in Raleigh-Durham Airport...)

Greensand Marathon 2012

In 2011 I ran Greensand Marathon with Kez.  It was an amazing experience and remains to this day one of my favourite marathons.  I decided to run solo in 2012 for a couple of reasons, the biggest one being that the weather was a little too hot for a husky running a mid-distance event. 

I was also taking a big risk in attempting to run a marathon distance due to a recent “injury”.  My large toe joint has become inflamed and progressively more painful over the past week.  After yesterday’s parkrun I could not fully weight bear on my right foot and was transferring my weight to the outside of my foot.  While I would never advise or recommend that anyone runs with an injury, I know my body and mind well and am a very experienced ultra-runner.   By morning of marathon day it was still painful, but no worse whether I ran or walked on it.  I made the conscious decision to start the marathon, knowing that it would be painful and I may well have to pull out before the end.

I have no “races” planned within the next 5 months, fun events yes, but nothing that I need to “perform” at – with the exception of New York Marathon, where Ian and I are official pace makers.  If my toe worsened, I was not prepared to take the risk of my performance there being affected. 

I regretted my decision to leave home without Kez within minutes of arriving at the race headquarters in Dorking.  People I knew and others that I did not know approached me and wanted to know where he was.  Many referred to him by name others wanted to know were my huskies were…..  I am sure many of them did not even know my name!

The race itself starts in Dorking and follows the Greensand trail to Westcott – Coldharbour – Leith Hill – Somerset Hill – Holmbury Hill – Pitch Hill – Reyards Hill – Winterfold Hill – and then back again!

It is a very tough course with lots of hills, tree roots, mud and twisty paths on tree lined routes.  The perfect terrain for me and just one of the reasons why this is my favourite marathon event….

It is traditional for Jerusalem to be sung immediately before the start of the race.  Last year I stood quietly as I knew not the words and anyway I am the world’s most rubbish singer!  This year I have been practising the words, courtesy of the Olympic Games Opening Ceremony CD, which I play continuously in my car on the long drive into work….

“And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon England's mountains green?
And was the holy Lamb of God
On England's pleasant pastures seen?
And did the Countenance Divine
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here
Among those dark Satanic mills?

I make no claims to “singing” this year, but I certainly mouthed the words with pride!

As we started up the first hill, I thought of the route ahead and envisaged the ¼ way point, just after Leith Hill.  That was my target, to get there and turn around if the pain in my toe was no longer manageable.

I had opted to wear my Salomon XR Missions due to the larger toe room, but this was to the detriment of grip on the tricky downwards sections.  I was very aware of my reduced confidence on the tough terrain, which my Speedcross shoes would have excelled on.

The route was very muddy and water logged in places, but there were alternative paths just to the side of the main path if one was not concerned about adding a few minutes to their time.  I chose the drier paths as I wanted to keep my feet as dry for as long as possible….

One thing that always amazes me in marathons is the approach that different runners take.  Some shoot off very quickly and suffer in the second half.  Others run a very well balanced race and some take it very easy in the first half and finish strongly.  I have always been a very slow starter, usually taking me until half way before I warm up.  My mind and approach to a run switches at half way as I know if I can make it to half way, then I can make it all the way….

Several runners around me were breathing extremely heavily, which got me thinking…. Do they breathe like this for the full marathon distance?  I could never imaging running more than a few miles while gasping for breath, but I know that I am not a good “racer” and tend to conserve energy rather than push myself to my full physical ability in most distances below ultra.  I tend to always run at a pace where I can still speak, even when running very fast 5ks with the huskies I still make sure that I can speak to them as much as possible.  Perhaps I need to train my mind a little differently and I may be able to run a little quicker, and for longer….  Or perhaps I was just never meant to “race” marathons….

I adopted cruise control, the pace and effort that I know I can sustain for a very long time.  It was comfortable being “in the zone” and the pain in my toe was relatively easy to manage.

The marshalls on the Greensand Marathon are always so friendly and encouraging.  The water stations plentiful and the course very well marked.  I heard some people make comments about struggling to follow the route, which I do not understand as if you are paying attention it is very easy to follow….

I missed my huskies company, and thought of them a lot.  There are some ultra-events coming up that welcome them and I made the decision to enter them as I jogged along the Greensand trail.  The general consensus of opinion is that the husky assist me in all events that I do.  The reality is that they physically assist me in distances up to 5k, after that they emotionally assist me, but my times running without them are faster.

When running with a dog, I think outwardly.  I think about their needs and what the world is like to them.  They will spot the deer standing in the forest watching us, the pheasant trying to hide in the bracken and the squirrel in the tree just about to leap across the path.  I need to spot them first, be one step ahead of their hunting instinct….

The other amazing and infectious attitude of the running husky is their ability to just keep on running.  They never complain and they never just stop because they “cannot be bothered” (CBB).  I am terrible for suffering from a very lazy attitude and “time wasting” tactics for no other reasons than CBB.  I know this frustrates Ian, and I want to try and change this attitude, next time it happens, I promise to “think like a husky” Ian…..

I reached Leith Hill and decided to continue on to the halfway point.  The pain was easing, or at least becoming easier to manage.

I reached halfway in 2:10.  Being an out and back course I saw all the fast runners coming towards me and well-meaning persons advised me that I was the 9^th or 10^th lady to reach this point. 

Heading back home, I felt the wings starting to grow on my back.  I thought of my little angel dog and how he helped me grow wings.  I miss him terribly and not a day goes by when I do not think of him.  I knew him for such a short time, but it is time that taught me so much. 

We have another rescued husky joining us for a while.  We pick her up this evening.  A poor little girly that has been badly treated by a puppy farmer – a baby herself, she has already given birth to other babies, cruelly taken from her.  She will stay with us until ready to be re-homed. 

As I ran home I was running to her.  A new life awaits her and a second chance awaits me.  She is not another Kobi, as there will only ever be one, but I have a chance to make a huge difference to another dog’s life.  She needs our help and that I willingly give to her….

The wings on my back continued to grow and were soon powering me over the tough terrain.  Fears of falling or tripping on roots were banished from my mind as I flew home.  I pushed myself on the uphill sections and threw myself down the downhill sections.  I imagined a pack of huskies running before me, leading the way home….

Mile after mile I continued at a pace that was both liberating and scary.  I felt strong and I felt good.  I was soon overtaking runners, some of which tried to follow me.  Others appeared to not want to let me pass them – running two or three abreast.  Perhaps wearing earphones affects their ability to hear approaching runners…..

Puddles I avoided in the first half became fun to run through in the second half.  And I do apologise to the runner that I may have splashed as I overtook through the puddle that was in reality more of a lake…..

My recent 5k training with huskies proved very beneficial as my legs were strong enough to cope with tough climbs and then rapid descents.  I surprised myself at the pace I was achieving on some of the downhill sections – a pace I normally reserve for very fast 5k running with huskies….

I knew a negative split was on the cards, but didn’t quite expect such a negative split.  I finished in 4:06.

The finisher’s carrot, medal, technical top (long sleeved) mug and pink champagne were my fabulous rewards for making the right decision to run with a poorly toe.  Although I think the self-satisfaction of achieving a full distance finish was the biggest reward of all!

And for those that wondered how much quicker I am when I running with a husky? 

In 2011, running with Kez and on a drier and quicker course I finished in 4:18.

However, having now run this fabulous event with and without a husky, I know which option I prefer….. 

Thank you Dr Robert and Trionium Races for another fabulous event.

(Image courtesy of Trionium Events)

European Cani-cross Championships: Sunday

Sunday, mass start with all the European hounds and their humans, plus one husky in the corner, unsure of what was about to happen…  He trotted to the start line and stood watching all the hounds.  As they leapt round, screaming and lurching forward, Kroi stood and watched, with a look of amusement on his face….   He soon got bored with the hounds’ antics and turned to watch the spectators on the other side of the fence.  A toddler giggled and pointed at him, Kroi responded by squeezing his head through the fence and gently nuzzling the child.

Dogs lunged and snarled at Kroi, he stood and stared, gently grumbling under his breath, but never raising his voice above a whisper.  He walked away from these dogs as they tried to drag their human towards us.  Super chilled and very relaxed I knew I had made the correct choice – Kez would have been petrified, worried that every dog wanted to hurt him.  Kroi just laughed and refused to accept any offers of a  fight….

As we were called forward, 30 second warning, Kroi turned to watch the hounds again.  Their frantic barking had become louder and Kroi appeared to find this very entertaining without feeling the need to respond. 

The “gun” went and all the hounds bolted forward, several of them lunging at each other, humans desperately trying to pull them away.  Kroi remained rooted to the spot….

I pressed my stopwatch as he turned to look at me.  “On you go then” was all I said and off he went, well behind all the runners I watched in amazement at the complete lack of control the runners had over their dogs.  All they could do was flap their arms around and hang on for dear life as the hounds descended towards the woods at breakneck speed.

We ran towards the woods at a more sedate pace, me laughing at the weirdness of it all…

We over took the first runner after about 1 mile.  Unfortunately she was a runner that shouted constantly at her dog, which caused Kroi to become rather fearful.  He slowed down and ran beside me for a while.  None of our dogs respond well to loud or aggressive voices as they know that it means something bad has happened.  It is very rare for Ian or I to raise our voice.  We have noticed how negatively the dogs respond to even the slightest change of tone in our voice and therefore try to avoid doing this unless absolutely necessary.

I eventually convinced Kroi to run in front of me again, just as we turned away from the previous 3.4k course to run on the longer 6k course.  He hesitated as we pulled away from the route of the previous day, unsure of what now lay ahead…   He had never run on this route, whereas I had run along it about 1 hour prior to the race as part of my warm up/ recce of the route.

This is when it started getting very interesting….. I did not instruct Kroi which route to take through the mud and variable terrain, but he chose to follow almost identically in my footsteps from my earlier run.  Did I choose the “husky/ human friendly” route and he was now following it, was it a mere coincidence and he just happened to follow the same path, or was there unspoken words between us as we ran…..

We ran down a very steep section before immediately running up a very steep and muddy hill.  Kroi surged forward to help me up the hill and I tried to follow.  By now I was a little “out of puff” and struggled to run at speed up the hill.  Kroi slowed down as the steepest section and as I huffed and puffed he stepped of the course and “visited” a tree.  He glanced back at me as he did this, almost as if to tell me what exactly was on his mind….;-)

There then followed more mud before we entered a really fun, wooded section.  Lots of twisting turns and ups and downs, Kroi picked up the pace as we ran along the type of terrain that we encounter on a daily basis – exposed tree roots and rabbit holes, fun obstacles to tests our skills.  I did chuckle when I saw the padded trees.  Wads of foam had been strapped to some trees to protect runners that struggled to negotiate some of the bends.  I wonder if I should fit some permanent foam to areas of concern when I am out running early in the morning, just in case…;-)

As we re-joined the course from yesterday, I spotted Ian with camera poised, taking more of his brilliant photographs.  Kroi instantly recognised him, ears pricked towards him.  I reluctantly chose not to speak to Ian and asked Kroi to continue past.  Slight hesitancy, but he did obey and ran onwards towards the finish.

As we hit the final straight we picked up the pace a little, with a slight detour towards some people with cameras….  Did I mention the detours en-route every time we saw a camera?  Kroi really does get distracted by anyone with a camera and cannot help but run towards them….

Two races in one weekend and Kroi exceeded my expectations on both occasions.  He ran happy, I ran happy, mission accomplished.

This weekend we said goodbye to “Superbrat” and hello to “Superstar”.  Kroi and I will never win short distance cani-cross races when competing against hounds purposely bred for this job.  Kroi is a Siberian Husky, born and bred to run very long distances at a very controlled pace.  I will no longer try to make him something that he is not.   We will still have fun running in short races, but our hearts belong elsewhere.  I have been so impressed with his attitude and running this weekend that I am about to offer him a special opportunity…. It involves a very long run on The Ridgeway with his big brother….. :-)

(photo courtesy of tzruns)

European Cani-cross Championships: Saturday

It was a hard choice deciding which dog I ran with at the European Cani-cross Championships 2012.  In one corner there was Kez, my ultra-running companion that would run across the world with me, but does not “assist” unless I run at 5 minute mile pace….  In the other corner there was Kroi, a youngster that loves to pull, but does not yet know about pacing and very rarely runs on his own.  Kez is scared of other dogs and does not cope well in stressful situations, Kroi is not scared of other dogs and is showing all signs of being a very “chilled” dog.  This was the factor that made the decision for me.  I decided to take a chance and run the baby of the family, our only objective was to enjoy the occasion and finish both races content.

The race on Saturday composed of individual starts and was over a distance of 3.4k.  Kroi stood on the start line full of questions.  Where was Kez, who were all these dogs surrounding him, why did so many dogs growl and him and want to lunge at him…?  His eyes looked bewildered and he kept turning to look at me.  I calmly reassured him and waited for our start time. 

There were 30 seconds gaps between runners, and several very small dogs immediately in front of us.  I knew we would catch up with them relatively quickly and wondered how Kroi would manage the overtaking manoeuvre… 

We started well and headed down the start straight, into the woods, where we were met with very deep and treacherous mud.  Kroi picked the correct line and glanced behind to check that I was following.  We leapt from left to right, avoiding the worst sections.  We run off road every day, we know and understand how you run through mud.  With my trusty Salomon Speedcross on my feet, I knew that I did not have to worry about the land beneath my feet.

As we overtook the first dog, Kroi was a little naughty and tried to “have a wee go”, not aggressively, just a little jump over towards the other dog.  I shouted “No! On by” and off he went, the next dog we overtook he tentatively showed an interest in playing with, but “on by” was all it took to keep him running.  As we overtook one little dog, it darted under my feet and for a split second I feared that I was about to be up ended…..

Situation averted, back to running and we set off down the course…  confusion then arose as the course we recced the day before had suddenly changed… Kroi ducked under the tape and headed left, I stopped and re assessed the situation.  It would appear that we were supposed to go straight on.  I called Kroi to me and headed down the “new” course.  He hesitated but followed my command, just as a gigantic hound and his human runner came flying past.  Kroi picked up the pace and we set off in hot pursuit…….

I watched the dog and runner in front of us, it was obvious that the dog was totally in control.  She followed where he ran, arms flapping to help her balance.  As Kroi and I ran behind, I frequently chose a different route from the hound and his human and each time I did Kroi responded and followed my guidance.   We leapt from puddle to puddle, the other runner slid from side to side and tried desperately to stay upright.

As we approached the finishing straight, Kroi spotted Ian taking photographs and ran towards him, probably expecting to see the rest of the pack….  I tried to encourage him to go past, which he reluctantly finally agreed to do.  As we ran towards the finish, for the first time he ran behind me – confused and unsure of what was happening.  I slowed down and encouraged him towards me.  The dog must cross the line before the human in cani-cross races.  Kroi responded and jogged across the line, just in front of me.  We had just successfully completed our first ever solo race and in a time that put us in the "fast" first wave in Sunday's mass start....

(Photo courtesy of tzruns) 

European Cani-cross Championships 2012

On the eve of the 2012 European Cani-cross Championships, I remember why I am here and the journey to get here.

In 2010, I had a dream that a little rescued husky, saved from a non-existent future would prove just what you can achieve with love, trust and hard work.  I wanted to show that a dog so badly treated by humans could go on to prove that the impossible is possible….

We have arrived in 2012 and that little rescue husky is no longer with us.  Every day I think of him, and every day I miss him.  He taught me so much in such a short time, for which I am eternally grateful.

But the dream went back further than that…. Way back to the first ever cani-cross race in the UK, when I first realised the power of a husky and human team.  I ran that race with Kade, the dog that taught me how to run.  Through Kade I learned to love running for the love of running.  Running for no other reason than to feel the fresh air on my face, see the grass and the trees and smell the smells that exist in the Great British countryside.  He taught me how to pace myself and how to run for hours and hours, just because I could.

Kobi taught me about love and trust, and to race.  Kade taught me how to run.

Before Kobi I would always start conservatively in all races, choosing to lag at the back and pick up the pace from the half-way point.  This approach works well in ultra-running events, but not in dog running races.  In a cani-cross race, this approach will lose valuable time, overtaking slow runners and their dogs is very hazardous, not all dogs and people are under control.

Kobi helped me believe that the impossible was possible.  His enthusiasm and zest for racing others pushed him on and appeared to give him super doggy power.  His power helped me run faster and stronger.  Through running with him I dared to dream of things that would previously have always been out of my reach.  Before Kobi I did not know what it felt like to push myself so hard that I almost went unconscious.  To achieve sub 5 minute miles and keep on running…..  He was also the only husky I have ever met that would give so much of himself that he completely and utterly “blew up”!  Not just slowed down, but stop completely and drop the ground – Strathclyde parkrun in March 2011 was a brilliant example….

While other runners ran with *“bird dogs”, I ran with a little angel dog that spread his wings each time I asked for more.  He loved to please me, his big beaming smile and “whoo, whoos” would bring tears to my eyes.

So back to the dream, or rather, “back to the reality”…. 

Kobi and Kade no longer live amongst us.  They watch from above, forever in peace.  I think of them every day, of them and Kai, Friday and Zep and Meiko too.  Shed tears when no-one watches and yearn for the day when I see them again.  I think of them most days.  They all helped me be the runner that I am today.

Krofti, Kez and Kroi do still live amongst us, every day I get to run with them and every day I remember the love and trust that humans and huskies thrive upon.

After the loss of Kobi and the shattering of the dream, I decided that I would still run in the European Cani-cross championships and I would run in his memory.  I just had to choose which dog would be the best tribute to my little angel dog.

I have chosen Kroi.  At 16 months of age he is still a “baby”, so much to learn and a lifetime to learn it.  He is capable of competing with the best cani-cross dogs, but he lacks confidence and becomes scared without the protection of his big brother Kez.  Tomorrow and Sunday will be very challenging for him, but I will be with him every step of the way.  If he needs to stop, then stop we shall.  If he gets scared, I will run beside him and help him be brave.  We have a lifetime to race together, this weekend is just about having fun.

On Saturday Kroi will run in Kade’s racing colours and harness.  On Sunday he will run in Kobi’s harness and colours.  I will run with both Kobi and Kade in my heart.

I have one simple dream for this weekend.  It matters not if we finish first, or finish last.  I just want us both to finish with a smile upon our faces.

*”Bird dog” is the name given to the European dogs that are considered unbeatable in the cani-cross world.

Royal Parks Ultra 2012

The offer of a place in the inaugural Royal Parks Ultra from the fabulous people at Salomon, was an offer too tempting to resist.  Presented with a chance to run 50k through the parks of London city, and participate in a very special event.  The fact that the race was the weekend immediately before a very important race for me meant that my objective was purely to enjoy a very special longish distance training run.  It would also be an ideal opportunity to trial my new Rehband compression shorts, calf guards and arm sleeves.

The pre-race pack provided loads of information about the event, lots of SIS goodies, a fabulous event t-shirt and a pair of Salomon S-Lab socks.  I decided to save the race t-shirt until after the race but trial the new socks during the run – the perfect complement for my shoe of choice… the Salomon XR Mission.

Parking at Richmond railway station, I jumped on the train and headed to London, disembarking at South Kensington to walk the short distance to the race headquarters in Hyde Park.  I had chosen to not bring a drop bag as I wanted to avoid any queuing before and after the run – I should not have worried as the queues were minimal at both ends.  Anyway, my choice meant that all the clothes that I wore to the start would be packed away in my backpack that I would run all 50k with.  Sadly not a Salomon, instead it was my trusty Camelbak that had accompanied me all the way on my recent Ridgeway success.  Today’s bag would be packed full of food, phones, keys, money and my warm up clothes.

The run started in Hyde Park, and headed down towards Westminster before turning left along the Embankment and across Blackfriars Bridges, before picking up the Thames Path on the south side.  We ran the same route as the half marathon until part way down Embankment (just after passing the London Eye).  The ultra-race actually started 30 minutes after the half marathon, but even after that length of time we were overtaking runners within minutes of starting, ducking and diving around them, good slaloming practice!

As we ran through London I reminisced a lot about my time working there… It was only three years ago and yet it feels like a lifetime ago.  Fabulous memories, both good and bad…..

I felt very thirsty within a few miles of starting.  I regretted not carrying any water in my Camelbak, but looked forward to the water station at 5k that I had been told about….  Sadly I was misinformed and the feeding station did not appear until 10k.  However it was a brilliant feeding station, offering water, SIS juice, gels, bars and Percy Pigs.  However, I now know that Sandra and Percy Pigs are not a good combination….

After guzzling lots of SIS energy drink at the feeding station, I headed on my way towards the parks of London….  I was surprised that I seemed to be running on rather a lot of tarmac.  For some reason I had thought that running in parks would provide me with the opportunity to run on grass, trail and all the good stuff that is not tarmac…..

One of the consequences of running on so much tarmac - I love my XR Missions, but I was really feeling uncomfortable with the reduced cushioning that they offer in comparison with my Asics road shoes.  My ankle was complaining and I realised at the 6.5 miles point that my run today was going to be more challenging than I had thought.

I was also getting a little frustrated with the London locals and her visitors.  Dozens of dogs off leads coming too close for comfort, people on bikes meandered in front of runners and tourists stood and stared – packs of them crowding the path as we tried to negotiate a safe passage towards our destination, taking photographs, queuing for the attractions…

Don’t worry, politeness remained top priority at all times, even on those occasions when I really wanted to be grumpy!!

At 35k, I suddenly recognised Richmond Town Hall – the start of the Thames Path 100, my first ever experience of a 100 mile race.  The crowds in this area were exceptionally friendly and supportive, and I felt a lovely little buzz as I glided through….  And then I finally got to run across a large expanse of grass – my first ever run through Richmond Park.  Suddenly my Salomon XR Missions and I were where our hearts belong.  A mixture of terrain, gravel grass and even some mud we both came alive!  We even found a little hill….  One day we will return to enjoy even more of it, bringing with us some huskies to help us explore all the little paths that meander off the main route….

Speaking of the inspiring support around Richmond, I must also mention the amazing marshals that accompanied this race.  A phenomenally friendly and supportive group of people, they appeared at almost every corner or junction of the route, always smiling and offering compliments – thank you all!!

Upon exiting Richmond Park I started struggling again, ankle aching and worries about the affect my run today would have on my performance at next week’s race.  My right hip and lower back were sore from chaffing from my Camelbak and my hands were swelling as a result of dehydration.

But there were lots of positives…. Thanks to my new Salomon socks and the larger size of XR Missions, I was not suffering from blisters or any toe problems.  All my Rehband compression clothing felt very comfortable.  In particular I must compliment the Rehband shorts.  Not only are they extremely comfortable, they also do not hold moisture in the way that other brands of compression clothing does.  Very encouraging news for my future racing plans.  I also wore the compression tights for 14 hours after the run and awoke to fresh legs able to go running with huskies!

I loved running through Bushy Park.  For five years I have wanted to run a 5k in this park and thanks to Royal Parks Ultra I finally did!  What a lovely park, especially when I got to stop and video some rutting stags at 48.5k.  The temptation proved too much when I turned a corner and they were right in front of me!

The last 1.5k after my impromptu stag stop was easily the fastest of my run – had I continued that pace for another 3.5k I would have rivalled my parkrun PB….

I was particularly impressed with the finish marquee.  There was plentiful food, drinks (including beers) and seats for everyone.  Showers were available, as was a shuttle bus service to Teddington Station.  I felt brave enough to try eating a burger, I felt my body deserved some special attention after safely transporting my mind and her demons through the streets (and parks) of London.

The goody bag was also a delight to rummage through.  Crisps, bananas, mints, Salomon goodies, SIS treats and water bottle, and even some broad beans to plant in my garden.  The medal was an engraved wooden leaf – a very special memento.

I have found a perfect event for Ian to run next year, one which I would love to support him on – meet him in every park with our pack of huskies, by then we will hopefully have sussed out the best way to deal with off lead and out of control dogs….;-)

And for anyone that did not know… the eight Royal Parks are: Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, Regent’s Park, St James’s Park, Bushy Park, Richmond Park and Greenwich Park.

http://www.royalparksultra.com/royal-parks-foundation/

(image courtesy of Royal Parks Foundation)