Fall training and conditioning are often used interchangeably - but are most definitely two completely separate items. Fall training incorporates - just that - training. Training certain commands or behaviors and re-enforcing ground work that you have already worked on - or hope to get a good start on. This would include teaching line out, haw, gee, sit, stay, etc…

Fall conditioning - means the speeds, pulling, weights and distances that you need to set for your goal in the season and work towards. For this article we will focus on conditioning.

You will need to start by really evaluating where you would like to be at the end of the season. Depending on the type of running you are planning on doing - you need to figure out what races - if any - that you plan to attend, the mileages required for those events and how you plan to get there. Some people do up charts and schedules and follow them religiously. Some just hook up and hope for the best. Others have a set routine and follow it strictly. No matter what your usual style of ‘training’ both you and your dog(s) will benefit from some basic training & conditioning rules.

Some simple basics to follow:

Don’t push too far too fast, any ground you think you are gaining will backfire when the team sours on you or if the accelerated pace causes an injury. Don’t worry; you will have lots of time to get your training in! Relax and have fun - guaranteed that any time you start a run off in a bad mood - chances are it will just go downhill from there. Always approach your training runs with a relaxed, happy attitude. The dogs will pick up on it and will react a whole lot better to your commands.

For race goals:

Once you decide what type of racing you plan to do (sprint/distance), figure out what the maximum mileage required for your class or event is. For instance if you know you will be doing an 8 mile race - train your dogs to run 10 - 12 miles as your final goal. Always try to run your dogs a few miles longer than your race class goal to allow for better conditioning, and should a course be longer than your estimated distance - the dogs will not be slacking or ready to quit at exactly the “8 mile mark” in this case. Never try to run your dogs the full distance - unless you have been continually doing so over the summer months.

Start off with a nice easy 1 mile run (2 kms) do that two or three times a week, for a couple of weeks until the dogs are running that distance easily, and banging in harness to go more. Don’t worry about speed at this point - since they can hurt themselves too easily this early in the season.

Gradually add one mile per every week - until you are at half your desired goal (in this case - 4 miles) and run the dogs at this distance for two weeks. Then continue to increase the distance at one mile per week. Once you have reached your goal - (8 miles in roughly 8 - 10 weeks) make sure the dogs are running consistently for two weeks. Then drop your mileage back down to half, and play with alternating distances over the course of the weeks following. One run do four miles, one run do 8, one run do six. This method keeps the dogs in great shape and keeps them interested - especially if you are running the same trail over and over again.

Once you have reached your distance goal - you can start to work them at full speed. The temperatures should be down and staying cool enough for some decent training runs, and they should be fairly keen to keep going. If you notice they are slacking or getting bored - mix things up some more - take them on a new trail, run the usual trail backwards, take a day or two off and start back at your basic 1 mile run.

There are two levels of thought here - one is keep them pulling consistently heavy weights and when they hit snow and sleds - the speed will come - or two - run them full out at top speeds all the time. Personally I like varying the routine once our mileage is up, more like interval training.

Until your dogs are able to run the full distance - keep them pulling weight. Load down your quad (lower gears or no gears at all - let them pull the dry weight in neutral) or the cart - with a minimum of 50 lbs per dog. At first the speed is really slow (no faster than 8 - 10 miles per hour) and controlled to avoid injury. This encourages pulling and serious pull training. You can use this method to short cut doing leash work - and it is very effective. Keep them pulling the weight up hills, around corners and everywhere along your trail. Once you hit snow - all that pull power will be released with speed - as they recognize that now there is NO weight on board - and they will be able to charge up hills and along trails with no hesitation.

A note about trails: Sprint races are notorious for being relatively flat. So make sure that you train your dogs to pull up hills and to handle corners - the stronger and more consistent they are on different terrain - the better they will be on a nice flat course. Of course - if you only train on nice level flat trails - then when you do hit a race that has some corners or hills- you will not do as well as you’d hoped. Select your race, and over train for the conditions.

Similarly - if you plan to run distance races and the ‘BIG’ race you have chosen as your ultimate goal - is being run on mountainous terrain and at altitude - you’d better make sure that at least half of your training encompasses training and running at that altitude - with similar weights as required for the actual race on your sled/cart/quad. Most people who train at sea level or low altitudes forget that the air gets thinner with every thousand feet in elevation you climb. Climbing or running when not acclimated to those heights can be deadly to you and to your dogs. This basic concept escapes a lot of people and they find out the hard way that they are not as well prepared as they should be for the big race. A bonus to training at altitude - if you can do it - is that after a few weeks of training at even 3,000 ft elevation - your own stamina and endurance is greatly increased and lasts for quite a long time after wards.

Keep it fun and keep it safe!