Canicross Race 1 - CDR Rust Buster 3K, April 2022

 I'm a little late getting to this one, I guess I am out of practice writing race reports! 

A couple of weeks ago now I took part in my first official in person canicross race. I did one official virtual race last season, but that was it. 

For a few years now I have been helping the local harness dog sport scene in the Maritimes by serving on the board of the MAHDS, which serves to oversee harness dog racing's growth and safety. My role outside of the board had been mostly hosting events for other racers. After last year's 50K Ultra challenge, I wanted something new this year, so short and extremely fast it was!

First off, I didn't race with my dogs. They are 4 lbs soaking wet. Instead I borrowed a trusty new friend names Solo from my New Brunswick friend Val Michon. Solo is a big 80+ lb Eurohound and he can move. Val had a new dog in her stable and was going to run with him for this event. 

This race would be short and fast. 3k long but it included access roads, deep mud, rolling twisty hills and rooty sections. In some areas this would be close to canitrail racing (canicross on technical single track). 

I went out for a reconnaissance and warm up run to explore the course. It was going to be a fun run for sure.

After choosing my shoes (super grippy On Cloudventure Peaks), I got harnessed up and met up with Solo, so we could have a little bonding time. 80lbs of determined dog is not easy to control, but he was pretty good at not just towing me around too much.

As race time was getting close we all started to line up. While some canicross races are mass start, most are on tight paths and go in a time trial like fashion, with either 1 or 2 races starting at that same time and a small gap before the next start. This race was a 1 up start with 15 seconds between runners. I was starting 11th.

The excitement was growing, the dogs were howling, and the runners were starting to take off.

Soon my time came and I was off. A quick zip for 100m up a dirt path and then onto an access road for a moment where you can really gain some speed. I peaked out at a 2:35 min/km pace for a bit then settled into an easy (?)  3 min/km pace through twists and turns and mud. I quickly started ot catch and pass other runners and Solo was flying.

I knew we would be fast, and assumed I would catch a couple of people per kilometer, but wasn't quite ready to have worked my way up to the 6th place starter with 1.5km. Now, this is when things got "fun." The 6th place runner was Val and Solo was very happy to see her and decided he wanted to run with her instead. Ah, dogs, you just can't always plan what they will want to do. 

I kept running, though his heart wasn't in it as much. Finally we got far enough ahead that he started to pick it up again and we were flying. But then we ran into Sarah W, and while she was totally willing to let me pass her and Eddie, Solo didn't want to be rude. Finally I convinced Solo it was good idea and we took off again. 

Our final 1.5km was not as fats as our first 1.5km on the race, but the good news it wasn't for a lack of fitness. We both had a lot more to give. What we lacked was training as a team, and this sport is about being a team. Some dogs will pull anyone with no issue, some dogs won't pull anyone but their training partner. Solo just needed some more time with me I think to build that trust level.

We crossed the finish line running hard, which was great and made me happy. My 3K on a dead flat no turns crusher dust trail last year was a 9:30 with Asil (she's one of those run with whoever let's go kind of dogs). This run on a a twisty turny, muddy, hilly, rooty, course was a 10:08. And considering the last bit wasn't us working at our best, I am happy with that result. We did have to wait to see who won the race because it was a time trial start. Ultimately we did by just a little bit over Sarah P and Loki.

 

That mud on my shoe was actually Solo's foot print. I did say he was a big boy. 

Next up is the canicross race in Moncton.