This 8 week plan is specifically designed for people who have already got the canicross bug and now wish to train hard to run their best 5k time together! You will have sessions to focus on training effectively with and without your dog, as well as strength, stretching and yoga. The total weekly average volume is around 4-5hours and covering roughly 40-45km.*
It is aimed at intermediate to advanced runners, who already are or want to be more competitive, and can already run up to 60mins (without the dog) and are comfortable with around 40km in distance per week. You have already raced 5k in canicross and are looking to get stronger and faster together.
The plan includes structured workouts both without the dog and with the dog in canicross. There are normally 5 sessions a week, 3 ‘dogless’ and 2 canicross. In additional there are 1-2 strength sessions each week, plus stretching and yoga specifically for runners.
The 8 weeks is quite intense training but designed specifically for you to get in great shape to try to run your 5k PB in canicross, with the final week being lighter and finishing with a double race weekend (Saturday and Sunday 5k efforts) to practice for what most of the traditional sleddog races are like.
*Please note that the 'dogless' runs are set up in duration - so you can see the weekly totals in minutes. Then the canicross sessions are built on distance - so you can see the weekly totals in km (total distance per session is only 3-6km, the rest is from dogless warm up and cool downs). Therefore to understand the overall volume of this training plan you need to add the duration AND distance together. As mentioned earlier this is 4-5hours / week and around 40-45km depending on your pace.
I coach athletes of all abilities in (trail) RUNNING, STRENGTH and specialising in CANICROSS (the sport of running with your dog attached in harness).
I help athletes achieve their goals, but also keep them motivated whilst making the training fun and rewarding.