Galen Therapy Canine Athlete Workshop & CCC UKA Agility Show

 Galen Therapy Canine Athlete Workshop

On Saturday I took Pip to a Galen Therapy Canine Athlete Workshop which we both really enjoyed. The day focused on pre and post event massage as well as dynamic warm up and cool down, and it certainly complimented  Gails message seminar  we attended back in February.

We did some proprioception exercises for warming up different muscle groups that proved particularly useful in identifying more subtle problem areas. I found it really interesting considering how simple they were, and I really hope this means I might be a little better at spotting potential problems. There is, of course, the possibility that I might just be even more paranoid!


 CCC UKA Agility Show

This was actually our first show of the year! I'd entered 2 Vegas shows earlier in the year but couldn't make the January show due to the snow and then my van was at the garage for the March one. I've certainly missed it, but it was nice to be back outdoors and in the sunshine.

Despite their lack of regular training all 4 dogs ran really well. Out of 18 classes we came home with 14 placings (and Ds gamblers run I ran NFC). My handling, however, was a bit messy in places. Not helped by the fact I was quite often in all 4 rings with different dogs. I always forget how fast paced the smaller UKA shows can be. I always say I'll enter less classes and run less dogs but I never actually do.

Blaze was down a gear at this show. He didn't spook at anything, he didn't seem overly worried or stressed but he wasn't screaming or running anywhere near the speed I know he is capable of. BUT he was listening. We've definitely taken a step backward which doesn't surprise me. He was just getting happy and confident when I  had to stop last summer and we've not attended any regular shows since. I'm hoping as we get into the swing of things he'll get his confidence back. Despite this he still did well. He came 2nd in the CSJ Agility, 1st in Gamblers and got a 1st and 2nd in the other two steeplechase classes. He got just 5 faults in his jumping as I pushed him passed the weaves.

Pippa was only running in the jumping and steeplechase classes. She was first up as the very first height in Champ Jumping at the start of the day and stopped halfway round the course to go off sniffing, out of the ring and into the adjacent day parking LOL. Thankfully she made up for it by going clear in her 2 steeplechase classes and winning them.

Inca was super excited about doing agility again. She was a little slow in her weaves and a little creepy on her contacts but given shes only had 3 training sessions since last summer its quite forgiveable. She was otherwise keen and listening really well. The only thing she did wrong was to take the wrong end of the tunnel in the CSJ Agility which was down to my positioning (which I subsequently changed for D and Blazes runs). She came 4th in Champ Juming, 1st in Gamblers and one steeplechase and 2nd in the other.

Diesel was rather gobby and felt a little cautious, although I'm convinced that was down to me being a little cautious too. I ran his gamblers run NFC so I could get some contact work in before his agility. He ran really well and was keen and focused. I was a little worried about the agility as it had 2 jumps, 90 degree turn, spread then straight into the weaves which I didn't think gave dogs much of a chance to adjust themselves, then on the home straight had the long jump right before the finish. These two things were our nemesis last easter. Thankfully he didn't react to either at all and extended nicely - especially considering he took off rather early before the long jump. Hopefully the problem is now mine rather than his. He came 2nd in the CSJ Agility (ending up 3rd overall - the top 2 qualify, typical!), 4th in a very badly handled steeplechase, and 2nd in his senior jumping. Our other run I messed up near the end. Poor D.

I'm looking forward to getting back into agility properly, although we wont be attending as many shows now we have Will in tow too. My priorities have changed somewhat, and CaniX have released summer dates too...argh!

Danbury K9X and the Robin Hood Game & Country Show

Today we were down in Essex for the Danbury K9X event at Danbury Country Park. Organised by the Colchester Cani-Sports lot it was the first event in a series of 3 being held this summer.

I had originally wanted to run the 10k as I've got a 10k Race For Life coming up in a few weeks, and I will be running that dogless. However, I wasn't sure how many people would be attending the event at Danbury. The race info on the website said 2 5km laps but upon arrival it was announced that it was 4 2.5k laps of the route. So I wimped out and did just the 5km, and regretted it later on.

The race itself started at 8.30am and registration closed at 8 so we arrived a little before. There werent a huge number of briefing and it really was a case of gather at the start for 8.30 and "3..2..1..go!" rather than the usual course briefing shenanigans. However, it was lovely and friendly. Si was offered tea and coffee while he was waiting, and each runner got a goodie bag (one per dog so we got two) at the end. This contained a tennis ball, 2 bags of treats, a bottle of lucozade, a frisbee as well as a bottle of water.

The route was sign-posted by high vis arrows, and the odd marshall. It really was impossible to get lost. Is consisted of a mainly off-road terrain and paths with a couple of small hills (but nothing major) thrown in for good measure. We were also running along the edge of some of the ponds which was great for the dogs to have a quick paddle to cool down. Blaze always picks up a gear after having a quick dip. I'm sure we probably make up for the time lost. They also had water both for dogs and people at the finish area which we ran through on each lap.

Blaze ran really well and seemed to actually enjoy doing laps and picked up speed pulling towards the finish area on each lap. Hes started flattening at the end of CaniX events and I'm assuming its because he is always running into people hanging about at the end, spectators and of course the end marshalls and music. Great for those waiting, but not for the more sensitive dogs. Today we stood by the finish watching some of the other runners and Blaze was screaming and pulling wanting to carry on. Next time we'll do the 10k!

After finishing we headed off to the Robin Hood Game & Country show that was just 20 minutes away. We took Blaze and Rex in so they could have a go at Dock Dogs (forgot the camera so no pics). Blaze wasnt totally convinced as he much prefered to chase a ball, have a good run and then jump in. Rex was the opposite; although he would retrieve the ball he was in the water before I'd got a chance to throw the ball LOL

Thunder Run 10k

Today saw us participate in a slightly longer canicross event over at Catton Park - The Thunder Run 10km. It was also our first non CaniX event.

Catton Park is venue we've been to for several agility shows before and I naively thought it would be relatively flat. It wasnt. But it was picturesque and challenging and we certainly enjoyed ourselves.

The route itself was very well marshalled, clearly taped off and there was a lovely atmosphere. There were less people than I expected, and only 16 dog runners, but the main event was the Singletrack Enduro 6 happening later in the afternoon. There was one water station, for both humans and dogs, positioned about half way round and a couple places on the course where the dogs could get a drink. Not quite as many bowls on the course as CaniX events but then its not primarily a dog event.

The dog runners set off 20 minutes after the normal runners and we were quickly winding our way up through the bluebells in the woods and snaking our way along the paths. It was rather humid, and the challenging course definitely took its toll on me. However, we enjoyed it and made it over the line in just over 1hr 6 mins. Lots of room for improvement but we certainly enjoyed our first longer canicross event.

Bracelands CaniX

Last weekend we went to the Forest of Dean for what was, for us, the last CaniX weekend of the season. It was a challenging, but fun hilly 6.1km course complete with muddy sections, some steep downhills and a killer up hill to the finish. It was great fun and a fantastic way to end this season.

I love the more technical courses. I'm still miles off my fitness pre-sprained-ankle but we were running well as a team and I felt like I had my confidence back on the downhills and in the slippy mud. Needless to say the inevitable happened on Sunday and I tripped on a tree root and took a tumble down a hill grazing both arms, my knee and managing to cut my face as well as bashing my shoulder. Thankfully it wasnt anything more serious, but I wont lie - it hurts!

We also managed to come away with a 3rd place which was a bit of a surprise, but a welcome one. I'm more surprised by the fact we managed to beat 2 Xtreme female 2-dog teams on Sunday despite my fall. This shows we are improving, albeit slowly.

I'm really looking forward to next season. I've got several events entered throughout the summer months with an aim to lose weight and improve my running. I've even entered the ballot for next years London Marathon. I doubt I'll get in, but we'll see.

Scotland 2013

A couple weeks ago we headed up to Scotland for a weeks break with the dogs and Will. As usual we stayed at Wauchope Cottages in the borders, just outside of Bronchester Bridge. We've been going there since the days of just having Rex and Pippa. Joy & Alan are very welcoming and its great knowing some of the local walks, and as usual the outside dog shower was much appreciate; Pippa and Inca are forever rolling!

We visited the Borders last may, staying in the same cottage, Hill View. It was slightly surreal to be taking Will when it was during our last trip that Si felt Will kick for the first time.

This time they were doing some thinning work in the adjoining forest so only the short red loop was open and the rest of the forest was inaccessible. This did mean we werent able to do our usual long walks from the house but we still got to enjoy our usual walks at Craik, Newcastleton and Keilder. I had planned to do a couple long runs during our week away but with tracks closed I ended up doing 5 short runs instead.

Its also the first trip that we managed to return pad injury free. Usually at least one of the dogs, usually the spaniels, manage to cut their pads. Where we usually walk the ground is fairly soft but the forest trails up in the borders consist of slatey shingle - a nightmare for pads. This time round I purchased several cheaper boots from Emily at K9 Trail Time - the Non Stop Solid Socks Dog Boots and Pawz Dog Boots. We've used the Ruff Wear Dog boots previously but they're expensive and Rex has very slender feet (like a rabbit) so they're a nightmare to keep on. I didnt use the Non Stop ones, but we used the Pawz boots for our runs and we came back injury free on both spaniels. Result!. We ended up throwing a couple away, but all got used multiple times. Not bad for £11.99 for 12. I'd certainly recommend them.

Sence Valley CaniX

On Sunday there was a one day CaniX event at Ibstock. The course was the same as the January event so my main goal was to beat my January time . Bizarrely, it is the first CaniX event I've got to compare my time to a previous event (all the venues I've attended more than once have had the course altered somehow), though this is probably a good thing given how unfit I am at the moment.

Si was working over the weekend so this meant a day trip was on the cards for me leaving Will and the other dogs at home with Si. Thankfully CaniX doesn't start as early as agility so I needed to leave at 7.30 as it was just under 2 hours in the car. The briefing was at 9.30 and the first runner was off at 10. Despite over sleeping I managed to arrive at 9.15 which gave me just enough time to get me and the dogs ready, toileted and warmed up.

I felt much more confident over this course than last time when we ran in fog and ice. I still felt my grip giving slightly down the switchbacks but I pushed on more over the rest of the course and we certainly felt like we were running better as a team. Pippa was again really up for it, as she was at Pembrey, and Blaze...well Blaze is Blaze, but he was happier at our faster pace. He gets bored if I'm not running fast enough but he was certainly pulling more. We completed in 26 mins 8 secs, which is over 3.5 mins faster than last time.

I've got a long way to go before my fitness, and my weight for that matter, is anywhere near what it was before my ankle and Will but we're getting there, and we're enjoying it which is what matters. This morning I ran 5.02km up the dyke - up one side and back down the other. It took 27 mins 59 which is a personal achievement. Its a very boring route and the dogs dont usually run that well there either, but today it was a fantastic run...I'd like to say the fact I didnt feel that knackered when we finished was down to my fitness level but in reality it was down to dog power!

Pembrey CaniX

This Easter we broke with tradition and didn't go to an agility show, instead we headed to Pembrey Country Park for 4 days of CaniX. We last attended Pembrey for a 2 day event back in Oct 2011. I really enjoyed the course, and the big spacious beach and adjacent forest was perfect for walks with the others after.

The 4 day event consists of a night run on the friday night, where competitors have to come equipped with head torches and high vis vests. The last night run I did at Kielder was good fun, but we ran when it was still quite light. Pembrey was properly dark and my head torch, which I thought was quite adequate, evidently wasn't. Or at least not as adequate as the majority of the other runners who seemed to have a flood light attached to the top of their heads. I was just grateful that I didnt run with my last head torch! Blaze and Pip were nuts, and really ran their socks off, although I was a little more cautious as I didnt want to trip on one of the many tree roots...I've been down that path (excuse the pun!) before!

The Saturday and Sunday courses were both over the long course. It had changed somewhat since I last did Pembrey and now included a rather large and steep hill. Hard work to get up, and slightly scary to run down. It was steep and sandy, and the dogs took full advantage of their 4 wheel drive. Some of the course was the same as before, but they had been cutting trees down in the area so the smooth rolling dunes were somewhat littered with debris, roots and tyre tracks which made for much harder work.

On the monday it was the mass start beach race. The bikes and scooters set of first, up the beach around the rocks and back again. When they had all returned it was a mass start for all the runners; male, females, one and two dogs and the kids. Again, up the beach to the rocks and back again. It was mental, the dogs were hyped, it wasnt easy to get Blaze to run in a straight line without a track to follow, but it was good fun....well, when it wasnt hurting LOL. Monday was the worst day for weather. We'd had lovely sun for 3 days, but this day was grey, cold and windy. We had the wind behind us up to the rocks but on the return stretch a horrid headwind.

I really enjoyed Pembrey despite my lack of fitness, and was pleased to complete all 4 days. I ran Pip and Blaze all 4 races, and they still had plenty of energy to frolic on the beach chasing seagulls and playing with the others after. I wish I had their energy!