Nativia Challenge closing season race

I fulfilled my big dream – to start in one race with the whole family and all 4 white adult canicrossers and it was an incredibly GREAT feeling.

It‘s true that there were moments, when I was not sure it will work this time (Erik‘s hurt leg is still not 100% OK, I had Antibiotics until 2 days before the start – should have had even much longe, but who would want to statr on ATB, right? And the girls‘ coughs and colds are as a boomerang). But finally everything worked well and we all enjoyed it very much. Even the youngest Caroline (3) had a great time and maybe for the first time in her life laughed even when she fell down.

But it was not such an idyll, as it seems. Since the early morning the rain poured down heavily, temperatures not much above zero. The weather, when even the dogs don‘t want to go outside. The forest track used to have nice paths, but now it reminded of a skating ring and in parts of a paddling. And where tre track was not damaged by rain, the bikers and scooters with dogs, who started first, finished the job. But wil not let anything spoil thei fine day. And it‘s only 5 km, so we can make it even with a pond in the trainers. Otherwise the track was nice, through autumn countriside with no extra steep hills, so what to wish more.

Erik with Axel went first. Erik tried to explain Axel that his leg is still recovering from the twisted ankle and this should be more like a light run to test the leg, than a race in full speed. But as Axel came to the starting corridor, heard the starter call 3..2..1.. START, he did not hear anything, he did not see anything, he just sped through the course as fast as he could, dragging Erik behind him.

Then the women‘s cathegory came. I set one very ambicious goal for this season, that I wanted to finish at least one race in the pace under 5:00 min/km😁. So did it finally work? Yes and no. The oficial time was 24:36, that‘s the pace 5:08, BUT I stopped in the middle of the race for a few minutes to help a girl who fell down just in front of me and hurt herself and her dog wanted to continue in the race. So I helped her with the dog, calm her down from the shock and helped her to crawl to the side, then I ran off to the organisers to get help… But my sports watch show the time of movement, which is the time I ran in the race, and that was 22:49, which means the pace was 4:46 min/km, so I did it!!!

Finally, at the very end of the day, it was the children‘s turn. Natalie and Vendetta ran for their life. Vendetta understood what she is supposed to do and towed like mad all the way (1,2 km). Natalie fell down a few times in the difficult terrain, but always got up and continued. She is a tough girl. She cried a little at the end partly from joy, that she survived, partly from shock. But a minute later she was fine and went to support her sister. Caroline chose Frozen for the race, she is a very smart mushing dog, I think the only one I was willing to let go in the race with Caroline. The others are too crazy when in harness. Even with Frozen I took another leash and held it in my hand to be able to slow her down when necessary. But everything was fine. Caroline ran all the way smiling, even when she fell down twice, she even overtook some other racing babies.

All in all it was a very pleasant day. Just one thing bothers me a little. When our fifth dog grows up and is able to race to, who will take her? I guess we need another runner in the family.