The New Bike Fund

I recently added a fundraising widget to the homepage of this site. I don’t really expect anything much to come out of it, but I’m not above begging for donations! I really need a new bike to run the dogs with. The bike I currently use is falling apart. The brakes only work thanks to some extensive duct taping. The gears don’t switch right. The chains are falling off. Honestly, it was never a great bike to begin with. It served me well for what it was worth, but now I need to move on to better things.

I did buy a new bike. Right before the Fair Hill Challenge, I bought a brand new and better version of my old bike. Big mistake. For those who don’t recall, the bike fell apart during the race. The chain fell off and the brakes came loose – all problems my current bike suffers from. All problems that I thought were due to lack of tune-ups and general maintenance. Nope, apparently they are just crappy bikes.

Thankfully, I was able to get my money back on the crap bike. But that left me with my old, equally crappy bike to work with. So I duct taped it up and have been using it ever since. Does it have the control and stability I really want and need? No. Can the dogs pull me on it? Yes.

I’ve come to terms with the fact that I’ll need to spend more than $200 or $300 to get a decent bike. I’ve heard great things about Trek bikes. Of course, the model I narrowed my search down to costs over $450 (Trek 3500 Disc Bike). It’s hard for me to justify spending that much money, especially when I do have a rig I could use. I don’t necessarily need a bike at all.

The thing is… I truly love biking in general, even without the dogs. It’s always been one of my favorite activities. I’m not especially good at it. It’s not something I’ve ever been competitive in. Hell, I’ve never even been on a “street” bike. My love is partly for nostalgic reasons. Rolling along on a bike on a warm summer evening brings me to a happy place.

You can only imagine my excitement after discovering bikejor – a sport that combined my love of biking with my love of dogs. Rolling quickly through the Pine Barrens, behind two crazy dogs, doesn’t stir up the same feeling as my nostalgic summer rides, but it brings me to another equally happy place.

If anyone decides to throw some bucks towards my bike fund, I’ll be eternally grateful. This year, I’m trying to cut back on spending. After all the mushing-related expenses last year (well over $1000, not counting the truck I bought to make everything possible), I will have to wait on the new bike. I’m going to sell some stuff, as well as take on some freelance work, in hopes of making some extra bucks. My goal is to set aside $500, not from my paychecks, by this fall. If I can buy a new bike without using my normal pay, I will have succeeded!

Too Hot for Cold Weather Dogs

We had a very low-key weekend here. I had big plans of scoping out the D&R Canal and possibly running five or six miles of it, but with temperatures in the fifties, I decided it wouldn’t be worth dragging all the gear out. So while our friends competed in upstate NY at the Massena Dash, we were back in NJ, sweating our butts off at the Watchung Reservation. 

February is very early for our first hike of the year. The Watchung Reservation is only about 20 minutes from us and provides a very nice area to hike. This time of year, there’s not a whole lot of color. And with the recent weather, the trail was pretty muddy. 

Thank goodness AJ came along, as I’m fairly sure I couldn’t have hiked with all three dogs. I started out with Dexter and Denali on a two-dog y-line and AJ had Knox. Since Dex was more than a little distracted, we decided to switch him with Knox. The pup needs some experience being attached to another dog via neckline, so I figured this would be a good opportunity. 

Holy crap, did he do well. The two of them took off with me stumbling behind them, trying to keep up. They made the uphill portions of the hike very easy… but downhill, forget it. Halfway through I ended up switching off with AJ. He weighs a bit more than me, so he could easily manage their pulling through the unstable terrain.
Dexter trotted around and did his usual marking and sniffing, but whenever AJ and the huskies got too far ahead, he got anxious and wanted to catch up. I’m hoping this will carry over to his in-harness runs, once Knox can join.
Other than our hike, we didn’t do a whole lot. I made a make-shift flirt pole out of a branch and an old rope toy, so that provided the dogs with some entertainment. Knox is also working on his frisbee skills. He’s the only dog I have that will play fetch without getting bored, so I’m thinking I might be able to train him to actually catch a frisbee. We need something to do in the summer, after all.
I included this weekend’s hike in our training mileage because the dogs worked their butts off. We’ve hit the 90 mile mark, so there’s no doubt we’ll hit a 100 before it gets too warm. I’m still hoping for a late season blizzard… I really want to get back on the sled. Even cold temperatures would be nice – Spring-like weather is pleasant and all, but not in February!

2011-2012 Mileage to Date: 90.45

Supplements for Sled Dogs

Someone has a fire pit going and it smells wonderful through my open window. Not exactly what I’d expect for February 1st, but there’s nothing we can do about it. Snow dances and inside-out pajamas have proved futile.

It was 50 degrees when I woke up this morning and the thermometer hit 60 by mid-afternoon. I decided it would be a good day to rest the dogs. They’ve had four consecutive days of running and fast-paced walks, so a day off can’t hurt. We spent a good portion of it outside in the yard, where Denali and Knox decided to run laps anyway.

Since I don’t have a run to document, I figured I’d talk about the supplements I add to the dogs’ diet. I’m still mostly experimenting with what works and what doesn’t, so keep that in mind. What works for some dogs won’t work for others, and you should always consult your vet before adding something to your dog’s diet.

Fish Oil Tablets - Fish oil contains omega-3 fatty acids. I give each dog a tablet in their morning food mixture. Fish oil is said to help promote skin and coat quality, a healthy immune system, cardiovascular health and healthy brain development. Right now, I just give them drug store brand tablets, but I will be trying Alaska Naturals Wild Alaska Salmon Oil once they run out.

Probiotics - I began adding probiotics to the dogs’ morning food in response to Knox’s frequent dewormings. When dogs are dewormed, they lose a lot of good bacteria from their stomach contents. All three are prone to upset tummies as well. I used to give yogurt on a regular basis, but the dogs lost their taste for it. The capsule method seems to be doing the trick for now. I ordered a special variety of Alaska Naturals Salmon Oil that includes a probiotic blend – so after the capsules run out, I’ll rely on the oil.

Cranberry - Another supplement that started based on Knox’s needs. A suspected UTI lead to daily cranberry capsules being added to the morning food. All three seem to really like the cranberry, and no UTIs to report since!

Garlic  - I began adding Bug-off Garlic to the dogs’ dinner food mixture to ward off fleas and ticks. Despite the bad breath, the powder offers a lot of good things for the dogs’ bodies. It’s an antioxidant and stimulates immunity, among other things. Plus, it keeps away vampires.

Raw - At one time, Dexter was on a 100% raw diet. Unfortunately, I’m not confident enough in my ability to properly balance his food intake to meet all his needs. However, the benefits of some raw foods are too good to completely avoid. I often give liver, tripe, heart, ground beef, turkey necks, and egg as treats.

NUPRO Silver - I just ordered a five pound tub of NUPRO Silver, which contains a Glucosamine complex, MSM, and Ester-C. This supplement is recommended for active dogs and helps promote healthy joints.

All of the above is given in combination with Canidae dry kibble and Wellness canned dog food (I’d like to get them on a higher protein or no-grain kibble soon, but for now, this works). I closely monitor the dogs whenever I add something new to their diet and stop after any ill effects. For the most part, I’ve only had success or no obvious change. If I find a supplement isn’t hurting, but isn’t helping, I tend to discontinue or limit its intake. No need to bog them down with powders and pills if they’re not doing anything. And no use spending the money on something that isn’t working.

Rickety Rigs

Distance	Moving Time	Average Speed	Maximum Speed
3.99 miles	0:27.44	8.62 mph	14.16 mph

We got some nice training opportunities in this weekend. On Saturday I biked with Dexter and Denali around our usually trail. It was still VERY muddy but we managed. Afterwards, I walked Knox on his own – man, that little puffball can pull!

This morning we were all packed up and ready to go to the Pine Barrens, but I couldn’t find my damn keys. I finally found them – in the first place I had checked, I just didn’t look hard enough. We hit the road about 40 minutes later than I would have liked, but we made it down there.

Today was our first run with the dry land rig this season. They pulled hard and fast while they were chasing another team, but really pooped out towards the end. Overall not a bad run – I just need for them to pace themselves a little better. It’s definitely harder to pull the rig, since I’m not pedaling along the whole time. I do kick off the ground to help them out, but for the most part, they’re on their own. They were eager to get back in the truck after their run, so I suppose they were satisfied!

Back at home, I took Knox out for some basic puppy training. Denali’s x-back harness finally arrived, so I was able to pass on the adjustable puppy x-back to Knox. I hooked him up to the rig with one leader line and I held the other. At first he was determined to run back and sit on the driver’s spot on the rig – silly pup. I let him get acclimated with the big, metal contraption, so he wouldn’t be nervous when it was barreling behind him.

Eventually, I got Knox out in front of the cart, pulling it slowly and following alongside me. The cart is super light, so it was barely any work for him. He didn’t seem at all afraid of it as he toddled along. Good pup!

2011-2012 Mileage to Date: 83.34

Soggy Week

I don’t have much to blog about lately. I haven’t been on a run since Sunday, when we still had snow on the ground. Monday, temperatures were in the 50s, so everything melted. Combine all that snow melt with the rain we’ve been getting, and you’ll get some pretty soggy woods. All that standing water has been freezing overnight, making for some pretty treacherous biking conditions.

Since the trails around my house are such a mess, I have been canicrossing with all three dogs to keep them active. I also sprinkled in a little regular leash walking, since they’re all pretty atrocious at that. If anyone wants to lend a hand and walk some dogs with me, just give a holler. I can’t regular leash walk them by myself, since they’re all over the place without their ganglines. And sure, I can (and do) walk them one at a time – but I like getting them all out at the same time, too.

This weekend is somewhat up in the air. I have the opportunity to bring the dogs to Delaware State Forest in Northeast PA for something – either a hike or bikejoring, depending on the trail conditions. However, a few things are deterring me. I’ve been warned about bears, large coyotes, and hunter’s traps along trails. All things I wouldn’t want to run into alone in the middle of unfamiliar woods. I’ve also been looking forward to trying out my rig in the Pine Barrens, so I may just go down there instead.

I wish there was snow somewhere within two hours of me, because that’s definitely where I’d be. I’m not sure what to do about Tug Hill. I want to enter the limbo class. At the very least, I want to go up and watch the races and practice on an unused trail. But it’s so hard to tell if there will be suitable snow. I’d hate to enter and have the race get canceled. Not to mention booking a motel room and getting stuck with a cancellation fee. I’ll have to make some phone calls and see how much notice I can give.

It doesn’t look like we’ll be making it to the Massena Dash. My handler (haha) will be busy with the Super Bowl, and I’m not sure it’s in my budget to make the trip. Maybe next year!

Anyway, that’s enough disappointing news for now. Hopefully next season will be snowier, and we’ll have a bit more in the budget in terms of traveling.

In the mean time, I set up a Facebook page for Blue Eyes & Spitfire. Go ahead and give us a “Like” – I’ll be on there quite a bit, instead of flooding my personal Facebook with dog sledding stuff.

Snow Days

What an awesome weekend! We finally got some snow on Friday night into Saturday morning. It was only a few inches, but enough to get the sled out.

I put the dogs out on the picket line and got the sled ready for its first voyage. The plan was to just take it up and down our dead-end street, since the snow was nicely packed on it. Of course, as I was hooking everything up, the plow came through and scraped the street. I swear, I’ve never seen a plow do its job so well.

After the plow finished, the street wasn’t in the best shape for sledding. There was a bit of exposed pavement, ice, and some areas of compacted snow. But we had come too far to give up now! I had originally planned on walking the sled up and down the street, so that the dogs could get used to pulling something lower than the bike. I had also planned to hook Knox up, since it was only going to be at a walking pace (I just got my new 4-dog gangline and I’m eager to try it out). That plan went out the window, once the street became ultra slick.

I dropped Knox and had him walking on a leash (held by a friend), kept Denali in lead, and left Dexter behind her in wheel. Not the set-up they’re used to, but the run wasn’t too bad. We went down my street and down some side roads… nothing crazy, probably less than a quarter mile total.

On Saturday evening, we decided to give it another go. It began to flurry some more, so the road was looking a little more accommodating. I hooked Dex and Nali up with their usual 2-dog leader section and they managed a lot better. We ran as far as we could, unhooked the dogs, and carried the sled over the areas without snow cover (parking lots, mostly). Luckily, I had plenty of “handlers” there to help.

We made it to my little wooded area and really got to test the sled out. It was getting dark and pretty cold, so the dogs were on fire. I took them around our usual loop and they looked amazing. Well, as far as I could tell – towards the end of the loop, we were going so fast, I could barely keep my eyes open against the flurries. Definitely gotta bring my goggles! After my run, I let my friends try it out and I’m pretty sure they all loved it.

Sunday morning, AJ and I went out again with Dex and Nali. With temperatures expected the reach the upper forties/lower fifties this week, I figured it may be my last opportunity to mush on snow. It was already a bit warmer, so the dogs weren’t as amped as they were the night before. Still, we got in some good runs and had quiet, sleepy dogs for the rest of the day.

I’m estimating we ran a little over five miles between all our runs this weekend. I didn’t bother tracking with my phone, since my friends were taking turns on the runners, and this wasn’t serious training. I needed the practice more than the dogs!

2011-2012 Mileage to Date: 75.18

70 Miles

Distance	Moving Time	Average Speed	Maximum Speed
1.83 miles	0:13.20	8.22 mph	12.75 mph

Our run today broke the 70 mile mark for training this season! Well, technically we were already over 70 – there’s been a run or two I forgot to record mileage for. But we’ll pretend my numbers are totally accurate. Either way, pretty damn awesome! It should be fairly easy to make it to 100 miles before it gets too warm. Not bad for my team of newbies.

The weather has been pretty decent the past few days. Nice and cold without the biting winds. The muddy spots in the woods have been frozen for a few days now, which is nice. Parts of the Northeast will be seeing some snow tonight, but I’m pretty sure New Jersey will only get a few flurries. There’s some hope for this weekend, although it could change over to mostly rain. Either way, I hope I can make it down to the Pine Barrens for a run.

Back to today’s run: it when pretty well! I found that if I become Dexter’s personal cheerleader, he runs a bit better. I yelled, “Dexter! Hike! Hike!” and waited for him to show any increase in speed/motivation. And I mean ANY. When he lifted his head and focused forward, instead of sniffing, praise. When he moved with Denali, instead of pulling away from her, praise. When his trot became a full run, praise. Repeated this non-stop for the entire run, and he seems to be doing a bit better. Or it might just be the colder temperatures that motivate him. Well, whatever it is, I’m not complaining.

2011-2012 Mileage to Date: 70.43

Dogs at Sunset

Distance	Moving Time	Average Speed	Maximum Speed
1.42 miles	0:10.06	8.43 mph	12.3 mph

Our run today was short and sweet. Thanks to the recent cold snap, both dogs are looking better in harness. I took all three out for a canicross walk last night, right at sunset. It was about 20 degrees Fahrenheit and Denali pulled harder than I’ve ever felt on a walk. All three did well, and I admit, I had trouble stopping them! It won’t be long before I cannot take all three out at the same time – at least, not in their x-backs.

I decided another sunset outing might be a good idea, only this time on the bike. It was a little warmer this evening at around 32 degrees, but the run still went quite well. Dexter was a little bit distracted, but he did break into his old run along the way, which I was happy to see. And as usual, our woods loop went well. There’s some ice at the very end of the loop I have to be careful of, as both nearly lost their footing.

So it seems temperature effects Dexter’s runs more than I had anticipated. He’s got a short coat – I used to bike with him in the late summer and early fall without issue. I guess he’s just gotten picky.

We’re supposed to see some rain this week, which is disappointing. I’m so eager to try out my new sled, but temperatures are not cooperating whenever precipitation is on its way.

I ordered a new four-dog gangline to use when Knox is ready to join the team. I could have easily purchased a two-dog team section and added it to my leader y-section, but I wanted something new and with a little bit of color. My new lines will be black and green, so they’ll be a bit easier to untangle amid all my black lines.

I’m also awaiting Denali’s custom made x-back harness, so that we can pass the adjustable puppy x-back on to Knox. I won’t have him run until he’s 6-months-old (March), but I’d still like to get him into the x-back for canicross walks.

As you can imagine, I’ve got a lot I’m looking forward to. I cannot wait to be behind a three dog team out on the snow. It may not happen this year, but it’ll happen, for sure. Hell, I can’t wait to be behind a four or six dog team, but that will have to wait awhile.

This weekend I’m going to the Pine Barrens to train, probably Saturday morning. I’m going to bring my rig, if all goes as planned, and run the big dogs with it. Denali has never pulled a rig before and I want to see how she does. Fingers crossed for really cold temperatures, as I’d like to do a real long run!

2011-2012 Mileage to Date: 68.6

Blue Eyes and Spitfire

Friday is my short work day, which means I don’t get a chance to run the dogs during my lunch break. My only opportunity would have been early this morning, but we were being pelted with freezing rain, hail, and a little tiny bit of snow (no, it did not stick at all). Not to mention some monster winds. I decided it was in our best interest to sleep in and avoid that mess.

Since I don’t have a run to write about, I figured now would be a good time to explain our kennel/team name. “Blue Eyes and Spitfire” is the second line in the Gaslight Anthem song, “Bring It On”. The song has nothing to do with dog racing. Whenever I heard anything referring to “Blue Eyes”, I automatically would think of Dexter.

When I started running Denali, nothing could really describe her better than my little Spitfire. OK, by definition she’s not a spitfire – she doesn’t have a “fiery temper” and she’s not “prone to outbursts”.  I’ll use a more positive reinterpretation of the word. She has a fiery spirit and outbursts of pure energy. She’s ferociously motivated. Maybe she’s more like the British fighter plane.

There really isn’t anything else to it. Once I got to know Denali’s temperament, especially in harness, I knew the name “Blue Eyes and Spitfire” was meant to be. 

Yesterday's Run

Distance	Moving Time	Average Speed	Maximum Speed
2.4 miles	0:23.07	6.24 mph	11.8 mph

I didn’t get a chance to write about yesterday’s run, but seeing as it’s raining, I can use today to catch up. I started the dogs off with our typical trail. I put on the brakes up until we hit the woods, where I let them cut loose. Dexter did alright – still not as “into it” as I would’ve liked, but getting there.

On our way back to the house, I decided to test out another portion of the woods. There’s a small stream to get across and it’s only worth going if there’s been a period of drought – otherwise, the whole area is a swampy mess.

I knew it would be relatively dry, due to the lack of rain (up until today). Still, I managed to get my foot stuck  in about 6 inches of pure muck while crossing the stream. Once on the other side, it’s a toss up. During the spring and summer, it’s nearly impossible to navigate due to all the plant life. There’s a fairly large field between streams, with tall, Savannah-like grass. After a few good frosts, the grasses die and keel over, making the field a bit more accommodating.

I’m jumping ahead. Before any of the field business, I ran the dogs along the major stream system that cuts the woods in half (the stream we cross over is a trickle compared to this other stream). It’s not a very far run, but it’s relatively challenging. It’s by no means a groomed pathway – technically, no one is supposed to be back there. It really tests the dogs’ gee and haw ability as we try to find suitable pathways through the trees. There is a pretty solid path about three quarters of a mile into the woods. Then it’s gone.

After going as far as we could, I turned the dogs away from the stream towards the field. There isn’t much of a trail at this point, so the dogs worked out the most navigable route. The dead grass got really thick in a few spots, so I had to get off the bike and walk it through. Although it’s not really a smart trail to take (or a trail at all, for that matter), the dogs really enjoyed bouncing through the grass and figuring out which way to go. And it’s nice to see them working together.

We eventually made our way back to the stream trail and followed it back out of the woods. On the way in, both dogs managed to hop the stream without getting muddy. Not so for our exit. Both Dexter and Denali decided to stand in the stream to cool off their feet, resulting in black-footed dogs.

All in all, yesterday’s run made for one of our longest at-home runs. I think the longer we go, the better Dexter gets at focusing – as long as I change up the routes. I shouldn’t forget that he’s always been a bit distracted at the beginning of walks, so runs aren’t much different. After he gets his initial sniffs/pees/poops out, he’s usually a lot more willing to get moving.

2011-2012 Mileage to Date: 67.18