Training
/We’re hitting the stage in training where a 50 mile run is a standard distance, and the dogs are muscled up and beautifully fit. Just walking around the yard, their muscles ripple under their shiny coats.
Just out of curiosity, I did a quick Google search of canine V02 max. The internet was quick to come up with an answer. I’m not claiming this is fact, but one website said Lance Armstrong has a V02 Max of 85 ml/kg/min, a race horse has 180 ml/kg/min, and a sled dog has a value of 240 ml/kg/min! After watching this ultra athletes work, it doesn’t surprise me.
We’re also hitting that time of the year when the sun barely crests the horizon. Our current length of day is four hours and eight minutes; however, with dusk and dawn, it’s light for an hour or two on either end. By the Winter Solstice on December 21st, we’ll lose almost 25 more minutes of daylight.
With the long nights, we spend a lot of time doing chores and mushing by headlamp. Unlike normal though, it has been WARM. We’ve had very few days below zero with several even reaching 25 or 30F above! It’s hard to imagine that at some point, we’ll be mushing in temperatures 70 degrees colder than it currently is! For now, we’re enjoying the warm weather and prepping for real winter.
