Do you REALLY RUN FASTER with a DOG? Canicross training tips...

[@melaniealessandrino3084]

Great vid! Agree with everything, training yourself is a must if you want the best results, can’t expect your poor pooch to drag you the whole way 😂. But wow! I have to say the added fuel I get is from the motivation and the ‘high’ that happens when I run with ‘Theo’😍. Some parts (usually boggy sand because he loves it🙄) I actually feel like I’m flying! ❤ Not a feeling you get often when you get past 50🤣 Also, I’m just rewatching your first vid and laughing at all the similarities between Dizzy and Theo…chasing sheep, rolling in grass (mid run) shoe chewing!!! Lucky we luv em😂❤

[@thatspottydogruns]

Thanks! Sounds like you guys are having a great time 😊 Haha those bits definitely all still happen 😂 they just don’t make it into the video! I should do a blooper reel video entitled ‘why it’s not faster to run with a dog’ 😆

[@bethandthedogs]

I am definitely the limiting factor in our canicross runs, I hoping to do at least one session a week solo as a speed session to work on getting faster myself.

[@thatspottydogruns]

That’s what I also do and then when it gets into the main bit of the season me and Dizzy will do the speed work together. Let us know how you get on!

[@BrianDorans-b3k]

Great video. Question: would running with your dog increase or decrease your own standalone 5k pace? In other words would you get lazy as you dog pulls you?

[@thatspottydogruns]

Interesting thought. I guess most people will get fitter and quicker as Canicrossing gets them more into running. Biomechanically, running with a dog is good for increasing your cadence too so you might find you get quicker as you are stronger and can move your legs faster. Plus all that cross country mud and hills will help too! But, Psychologically I know a lot of people find dogless running way harder now! So having the ability to push yourself right to the end could be diminished for sure. Of course it's such a different sport to dogless running it's actually tough to say. But most people I know (including world champions!) are getting quicker dogless.

[@jazmynyoungblood]

I’m finding keeping a pace is easier with my dogs. I’m paying more attention to them to make sure no signs of pain or exhaustion I don’t feel I’m dying while I run.

[@thatspottydogruns]

Great work 🖤🤍

[@BluefirephoenixJen]

I have a couple border collie X's puppies ( 11 mo) who I am training in tandem. Most of the summer has been training commands and learning to go in a straight line in harness. I am a beginner runner, doing this as part of a weight loss program ( 50 lbs so far about 80 to go) My heart did not handle interval training very ( a fib) but with the weight dropping I'm doing a few fast sections. I don't think they have any canicross races here. I'm in a pretty out of the way area. I just hope that as we grow as a team that might be in the future. I run at a slug pace right now but it's getting better. I've dropped 4 minutes off my mile since April. I am also hoping to work on learning to Xcountry ski as my weight comes down and I'm less top heavy I think i can do it. We have a ton of snow here in the winter. I snow shoe regularly. I love this sport I wish I had done this when I was younger. The puppies go absolutely nuts when we go out. We have trails and low traffic roads with good shoulders. I do up to 5k at a slow pace and breaks from pulling. They're well obedience trained so I can call them to heel at any time and they will back off. I do about 200 meters of pull and then heel for a hundred. Sit stay for a couple minutes if they're breathing hard, getting agitated or distracted. Both learned to pull in about 2 sessions. The female can do this all day, loves harness work and is very athletic. The male is less athletic and tends to pull off the left because of heeling training. His coordination isn't as good yet. He's getting better as he matures. He's very steady in effort and tracks straight

[@thatspottydogruns]

Wow! This is amazing, I love it. It’s so great that Canicross can help people with their fitness goals. I know I certainly wouldn’t be running without Dizzy!! Sounds like you have the training down! Really impressive, well done. Also, Sounds like what you are doing IS interval training, for both you and the dogs! I actually find the short breaks to re-focus (like you do) are a great way to train Dizzy too. The dogs respond really well to the short tasks. The X-Country skiing sounds mega!! Definitely give it a go. It snows about once every 3 years where we are in the UK so we don’t get a chance to have a go. Definitely let us know how you get on with the training AND the skiing!! It’s great to hear peoples stories involving Canicross. Thanks for watching and commenting 🖤🤍

[@jazmynyoungblood]

Wishing you the best in your future runs! It sounds like you’re a true runner at heart! I hope you stay enjoying it and if you do want to compete you may be able to find local 5ks and other races and ask if you can enter with the dog. Very few seem to care in the States for local events

[@jimmcbride6297]

Just have a few tries together with the dog and there will be no PB's with her. She mostly trots on our "runs" only breaking into a gallop when I put in a sprint effort, and the line is seldom taut. I am hoping our first event in 5 weeks will get her excited enough to actually pull me. A dog sledder suggested I run beside her while she drags a tire, to get her used to pulling.

[@thatspottydogruns]

Yeah, I’ve heard of the tyre thing before. You need to get your pull command in whilst the dog is doing it so they learn the command. Although, I guess it’s more about training to pull a dead weight too rather than towing a moving human. Giving her something to chase up ahead can work if you’ve got anyone who can help by riding a bike ahead of you. If you have a chance to run with other dogs who already canicross at all then that will help too. A race will be brilliant, Dizzy always comes alive at races! Our race pace is ALOT quicker than our training pace! Once she gets used to the idea of pulling, and sees other dogs doing it, it’ll be a lot easier to get her to do it. There are some good tips to check out here too… kzbin.info/www/bejne/qousZKCYjtN9fKM

[@MorganTuohy]

I always say it’s about 1 minute per mile faster at about the same effort with Koira, our GSP. Not that my legs can move much faster than that!

[@thatspottydogruns]

Haha! Yeah… and then take off another 25 seconds per mile for you guys canicrossing at altitude too 🤯 There is a whole new exploration into the sport right there!