A pair of staffie crosses (and their human)

Tracey, Dixie, and Dollar

I ran away from the Fens, and I ran back to my beloved home county of Norfolk. For a year I was once again, dogless.  I couldn't keep up the running.  I realised that I can't run without dogs.  I had to join a gym, but it's really not the same.  You see, I consider myself a biophilliac.  I really get a kick being outside, out in Nature, with dogs.


I met Tracey.  Two dogs lived with Tracey.  Two Staffordshire Bull Terrier crosses.  They wanted another human and got me.

Look at them sitting there.  I could give these dogs some new experiences.  Take them out of the ball park so to speak.  And I have.  I moved in.  Okay, I wasn't really a Staffie person.  But I am a Dog person, very much so.  I introduced them, and Tracey, to canicross.


Now ... as I said in my last post, although I had been training canicross on and in recent years, I hadn't really been free to explore the organised canicross world since 2010.

Me and Wolfy at Cannock Cross meet in 2008

Back then, almost all of the Canicross meets / races were being organised by a business based in Western England.  Some independents groups were just emerging, but there were NO meets or races for Canicross anywhere near East Anglia.  It was still very much a new sport and recreation.  A little better known and more popular than bikejoring, but not well known.


Now, ten years later .... as Tracey was to find out when she looked on Facebook, there were runs, training sessions, groups, park runs, for canicross ALL OVER EAST ANGLIA!  I really didn't know how Canicross had taken off in the UK over the past ten years.  Result.  There were even regular winter fun runs organised in a woods a few miles from where our pack lives, wow!  I use to have to travel to Staffordshire, Wales, Kent, and Yorkshire for the closest organised canicross competitions with Wolfy and Belle.

Wolfy and myself at Paws in the Park, Kent, 2008

So, in 2017, I entered my first organised cani-cross run in many years, and only had a ten minute car drive to get there.  I ran with Dollar, and Tracey with Dixie.

Horsford Woods, Norwich 2017

Only problem was that I wasn't ready.  I sustained a knee injury that took me out the rest of the season.  Tracey carried on for another three canicross meets across Norfolk.  But then she also suffered an injury.  Much worse than mine - she broke a bone.  This cani-cross lark needs preparation and training or can be a bit dangerous.


Next post - returning to recreational bikejoring, first with the staffs...