This years Sled dog world championship happened in Daaquam, Quebec. Some way I made, sneaked, my way to the competition. I say sneaked as sijoring is fairly new to me, I wouldn't of expected to race at the world championships when I started, two years ago. The events happened over a week, Marley and I were there four days. Our first race was a 16 km skijor....ooch. The second was a relay in which we entered a 8 km pulka leg. We stayed in a nice house with 5 to 8 friends, it changed over the week. More of the Canadian skijoring team members were spread in other houses or hotels but a few times we all got together at our house for some enjoyable evenings. It was a particularly cold week, which made our days outside exhausting...a few degrees extra is all I could of wished better.
I don't quite know how I justified to myself participating to this event. I said it was to run my Bouvier threw a world class event, a bit of a joke. It was clear we had no chance to get anywhere near a podium, we are not world class caliber, but I was still on for the challenge of running the course and arriving with my head up. To do so I had to set myself a clear goal and I'm happy to say that we reached our objectives. What were they? It doesn't matter, because what I found out my gains threw this event were much else.
First there were the people; maybe should I even say: mostly there were the people.
So what was it about them? Something strange...we were all those competitive monsters, all of much divers strength, but set in this race environment where, at this point, non of us could expect to win. We were all there to do our best and all wished the best for each other. I felt a real team spirit with those people who I had just met or, up to then , known as acquaintances. Strange thing competing in a sport that is rather solitary. I felt a strong team spirit from the morning wake up until bed time, as much on the race site as at the house. Such a group of different people but all so fun and generous.
Next there was the challenge.
I discovered a different way to face competition. Up to now, for me, competition meant winning. I'm not saying I always win but not being the best has always caused me disappointment. I think we are all a bit like that, but doesn't this attitude cause us to level our challenges from the bottom? Lower the challenge, most likely we are to win. This time I felt like I threw myself in a competition so clearly above my level. I wasn't going to train to win but needed to train so I could make it. Failure wouldn't of been to not win but to say "I can't do it". Marley and I worked hard and we made it!
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Everything that could have gone wrong has, amazingly we still had fun
It was a last minute decision to go to the Warren race. Marley had about 80km of running in her paws from the previous week so I couldn't expect too much. Luckily I didn't...the whole weekend has seemed to be a disaster trap.
Friday was a rush to pack up and get last minute chores done. I loaded the car in the morning with the intent to not forget anything. Believe it or not on the previous weekend during the skijor camp I managed to leave one morning forgetting my dog behind. Marley was not going to let that happen again. She had made her mind, where the skis were was where the dog was going to be. At 11 am the skis went in the car, the dog followed. Impossible to get her out before depart. We left in a rush at 2:15. The house was a mess, worst than a mess. To bad... Mark was away and not supposed to get back before Monday, I had plenty time to clean up at my return.
We traveled with Susie and Oden, an other friendly skijor team. We shared a hotel room and drove up together. I made it at Susie's home at about 3:30 and we left downtown at about 4pm, just in time for traffic. 20 minutes down the highway, Susie realized she had forgotten her dog food. Turn around and go for a bit of extra city driving, the best...
Lot of laughs and giggles along the way, all and all we had a nice drive until a police officer decided I was driving a little to fast....arrgg. Apparently I was going 104km/h in a 70 zone. Honestly we were quite busy chatting and I couldn't say I wasn't driving that fast but the speed sign must of been very well hidden because even on the return (in day light) I never found it. Oh well, pay the fine and let it go...
We got up fairly tired on Saturday morning. The dogs had barked a lot during the night, lot of movement and unusual sound outside. First step of the day, pick up our bibs. We got to Warren to late for the bib draw on Friday evening, but were expecting it and both had specified we were not going to be there for the draw but had received a confirmation that we were going to be included. Well, we hadn't....so we were placed at the end of the starts...I was a bit ticked but I not difficult so go for it....
The morning was very very cold, too cold.... Staying warm was the big challenge on Saturday morning, the whole pre-race time is a little confused in my mind. I think things were confused in general. I 'm not sure what happend, where or when was the misunderstanding but Susie and I showed up late at the starting line....confusion and more confusion, our start was given 7 minutes late, Susie first and me after. I cougth up on Susie pretty fast, Oden was dilly dallying and waiting for Marley in hope of some playing. Not seeing other dogs ahead is not as motivating for him. We ran half the race together with me ahead and Oden following. Sparing details, about 100m from the arrival, Oden ran into my legs and we all four went to the ground in a humiliating rumble...yes it was close enough to the crowed to be annouced by the announcer...great, at least we've put on a good show. There are things that are better being laughed at.
Crossing the finnish line was a bit of a releif. The run had been difficult, the cold made it hard. At -26C and the wind chill of speeds over 20 km/h, it's cold. Ritgh from the start, I felt my eyes ice up, my lungs close up and my ears freezing. The condensation threw my nose was quickly clogging my nostrels as it was forming ice. About two km in the race, I started getting better with the cold. I routiningly whipped my eyes and blew the plugs out of my nose, I was starting to catch my breath and my ears stopped bothering me.
After the race I hung out around the finnish line for a few minuts, awsering some peolpes questions and posing with Marley for pictures. The saturday race haden't been very successuful, started late, not very fast and ended by a crash. I did think anything could make it worst and wouldn't let it upset me. What else could go wrong now? A curious look from Susie, she staired at me and : Murielle! Your ear is iced up! My hands reachs to my ear. It's rock hard...so is the other one...I had just been telling Susie, before the run how I froze my ears when I was fifteen and would never let that happen again...arrrrggggg. I handed Marley to Susie and ran to the arena, run for warmth. Frozen ears are scary and painful. It's not any easier the second time around.
Back to the hotel there was a message from Mark, saying he was back home....oh no....the mess!!! I felt so little, the house was a disaster, as I left it, and he was there. Guilty, I plead guilty your honor...
This is starting to make it a long not so captivating story, I should try to make the rest of it a little shorter. To end Saturday, nothing else bad happened. We had a very enjoyable evening with all the skijorers getting together in our room for pizza and to complain about the cold. We had been a few to get frostbite.
I didn't get much rest Saturday nitgh, I tried to make a pellow out of my down jacket but even that wasen't soft enough to avoid my ears hurting. I hesitated about racing Sunday.
We showed up on time and were ready in advance for Sunday's race, no way I was going to be late again......the race got delayed....and delayed again. The run was rather uneventful. Marley ran very well for the first half and slowed down. I can't blame her, she had over 80 km over running in her paws for the past week and was ligit for her to run out of endurance. Susie coutgh up her minute on me but did manage to convince Oden to leave Marley behind. We ran again the rest of the race together.
We left Warren at about 2 o'clock and had a smooth non-eventful drive home. More giggles and more laughs, a long drive is much nicer in good company. Neverless, I was looking forward to get back to Mark and Mack. When I arrived home, the house was spotless and a nice meal was waiting for me. I got called Dumbo all evening but coming from Mark it can only make me smile.
To conclude with a couple mishaps, Susie found out on Monday that she had forgotten her phone charger at the motel. Not such a big deal, as the friendly motel owner offered to mail it back to her. The most upsetting part of the race, and I know I shouldn't let it bother me, but it does, are the posted results. The 7 minutes of our late start has been corrected on Suise's and an other runners time but not on mine. It does bother me as the posted times makes Marley appear as really slow on that first race, 7 minutes added to 22 minutes is a lot. I don't need to win, but I take pride in our results. These don't look so good, mostly a week before going to the world championship. I have been trying to get it changed but without succes.
The least I can say is that I will remember this weekend and that Susie and I will have stories for the upcoming week in Daaquam.
Full screen slideshow
Friday was a rush to pack up and get last minute chores done. I loaded the car in the morning with the intent to not forget anything. Believe it or not on the previous weekend during the skijor camp I managed to leave one morning forgetting my dog behind. Marley was not going to let that happen again. She had made her mind, where the skis were was where the dog was going to be. At 11 am the skis went in the car, the dog followed. Impossible to get her out before depart. We left in a rush at 2:15. The house was a mess, worst than a mess. To bad... Mark was away and not supposed to get back before Monday, I had plenty time to clean up at my return.
We traveled with Susie and Oden, an other friendly skijor team. We shared a hotel room and drove up together. I made it at Susie's home at about 3:30 and we left downtown at about 4pm, just in time for traffic. 20 minutes down the highway, Susie realized she had forgotten her dog food. Turn around and go for a bit of extra city driving, the best...
Lot of laughs and giggles along the way, all and all we had a nice drive until a police officer decided I was driving a little to fast....arrgg. Apparently I was going 104km/h in a 70 zone. Honestly we were quite busy chatting and I couldn't say I wasn't driving that fast but the speed sign must of been very well hidden because even on the return (in day light) I never found it. Oh well, pay the fine and let it go...
We got up fairly tired on Saturday morning. The dogs had barked a lot during the night, lot of movement and unusual sound outside. First step of the day, pick up our bibs. We got to Warren to late for the bib draw on Friday evening, but were expecting it and both had specified we were not going to be there for the draw but had received a confirmation that we were going to be included. Well, we hadn't....so we were placed at the end of the starts...I was a bit ticked but I not difficult so go for it....
The morning was very very cold, too cold.... Staying warm was the big challenge on Saturday morning, the whole pre-race time is a little confused in my mind. I think things were confused in general. I 'm not sure what happend, where or when was the misunderstanding but Susie and I showed up late at the starting line....confusion and more confusion, our start was given 7 minutes late, Susie first and me after. I cougth up on Susie pretty fast, Oden was dilly dallying and waiting for Marley in hope of some playing. Not seeing other dogs ahead is not as motivating for him. We ran half the race together with me ahead and Oden following. Sparing details, about 100m from the arrival, Oden ran into my legs and we all four went to the ground in a humiliating rumble...yes it was close enough to the crowed to be annouced by the announcer...great, at least we've put on a good show. There are things that are better being laughed at.
Crossing the finnish line was a bit of a releif. The run had been difficult, the cold made it hard. At -26C and the wind chill of speeds over 20 km/h, it's cold. Ritgh from the start, I felt my eyes ice up, my lungs close up and my ears freezing. The condensation threw my nose was quickly clogging my nostrels as it was forming ice. About two km in the race, I started getting better with the cold. I routiningly whipped my eyes and blew the plugs out of my nose, I was starting to catch my breath and my ears stopped bothering me.
After the race I hung out around the finnish line for a few minuts, awsering some peolpes questions and posing with Marley for pictures. The saturday race haden't been very successuful, started late, not very fast and ended by a crash. I did think anything could make it worst and wouldn't let it upset me. What else could go wrong now? A curious look from Susie, she staired at me and : Murielle! Your ear is iced up! My hands reachs to my ear. It's rock hard...so is the other one...I had just been telling Susie, before the run how I froze my ears when I was fifteen and would never let that happen again...arrrrggggg. I handed Marley to Susie and ran to the arena, run for warmth. Frozen ears are scary and painful. It's not any easier the second time around.
Back to the hotel there was a message from Mark, saying he was back home....oh no....the mess!!! I felt so little, the house was a disaster, as I left it, and he was there. Guilty, I plead guilty your honor...
This is starting to make it a long not so captivating story, I should try to make the rest of it a little shorter. To end Saturday, nothing else bad happened. We had a very enjoyable evening with all the skijorers getting together in our room for pizza and to complain about the cold. We had been a few to get frostbite.
I didn't get much rest Saturday nitgh, I tried to make a pellow out of my down jacket but even that wasen't soft enough to avoid my ears hurting. I hesitated about racing Sunday.
We showed up on time and were ready in advance for Sunday's race, no way I was going to be late again......the race got delayed....and delayed again. The run was rather uneventful. Marley ran very well for the first half and slowed down. I can't blame her, she had over 80 km over running in her paws for the past week and was ligit for her to run out of endurance. Susie coutgh up her minute on me but did manage to convince Oden to leave Marley behind. We ran again the rest of the race together.
We left Warren at about 2 o'clock and had a smooth non-eventful drive home. More giggles and more laughs, a long drive is much nicer in good company. Neverless, I was looking forward to get back to Mark and Mack. When I arrived home, the house was spotless and a nice meal was waiting for me. I got called Dumbo all evening but coming from Mark it can only make me smile.
To conclude with a couple mishaps, Susie found out on Monday that she had forgotten her phone charger at the motel. Not such a big deal, as the friendly motel owner offered to mail it back to her. The most upsetting part of the race, and I know I shouldn't let it bother me, but it does, are the posted results. The 7 minutes of our late start has been corrected on Suise's and an other runners time but not on mine. It does bother me as the posted times makes Marley appear as really slow on that first race, 7 minutes added to 22 minutes is a lot. I don't need to win, but I take pride in our results. These don't look so good, mostly a week before going to the world championship. I have been trying to get it changed but without succes.
The least I can say is that I will remember this weekend and that Susie and I will have stories for the upcoming week in Daaquam.
Full screen slideshow
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