It was the last race but also the toughest and the most fun one we entered, a roller coaster skijor. If Marley is still keen to run next year, I will not miss this event.
It was organized in the Wakefield hills, a fantastic location where to enjoy a warm winter sunshine.
We waited a long time for our turn. I was surprised by the 5 minutes laps between teams and thought it was a little long...until I was on the course and understood how inconvenient it could be to pass someone while screaming down a steep hill, across a narrow bridge or a tight corner. We left tenth, so Marley had to hold her horses for fifty minutes, a challenge for an exited puppy.
Marley is becoming quite famous for her controlled starts. The routine is clear, she knows she's about to run and is happy to sit and concentrate on a final "stay". I think she figured out the countdown, she now gives me a brief look and slightly lifts her bum of the ground when it starts.
And off we went threw the gorgeous rolling hills of Wakefield for a 4 mile ski/run. Up, down and around...what a ride. The snow was fast and Marley happy to run. If only I could stay on my feet we could do great. I unfortunately passed a few gravity storms, most of them on fast down hills. For some reason, each time I realize we were picking up speed I ended up feet above head.
The down hills went on for ever. It seemed to me like we were going down, down a little bit up and down again...to much down. I little alarm triggered as some gain and loss rule is quiet clear about having to go back up as much as one went down to get back to the same point. Nasty hills...walls I'd say. It's not fair to have to go so much up when your legs are about to give up. They close to the end of the course, someone had some nasty fun setting up this trail, probably giggled making us go threw that...oh well, isn't challenge what it makes it fun?
I did have my giggles on the course too. On most intersections some Christmas trees had been layed down across the trail to be avoided . I would see the intersection soon enough to instruct Marley on which way to go. Close to the end of the course in a wooded area we came to a split which I didn't notice as the Christmas tree wasn't laying across but planted in the middle, hiding the trail and looking fine in a forest setting. I didn't give any instruction to Marley and she picked the wrong trail. All goes fast, but when she realized her mistake, Marley ran over to get back on front of me and our line, now tangled in the branches, threw the tree on the ground between Marley and I, and over our tie. I felt somewhat silly, tangled with my dog in a Christmas tree on a race.
I was asked why Marley picked that trail with a tree in the middle of it. Well, I believe this confirms what I have suspected in previous races. Marley follows her nose. She was slightly to the left of the trail, the side of the wrong trail and even though it wasn't physically wide open Marley saw a scent highway, just like we had been following, the tree was meaningless to her.
Typhaine and Sam were there again, they had there adventures too. Typhaine's harness broke and she had to finish holding on to the line. Nice style :)
Well, this is it for racing this winter but as long as Marley is happy to do it we keep skiing and biking together. She needs to burn her energy some way.
Back to the weekend hikes now.
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