But I'm not a runner!

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about my journey into canicross and wanted to share, in the hope it might help others start their own journey.

The teenaged running hater

I never thought of myself as a runner when I was young. Yes, I enjoyed sport, but it was racquet sports, five-a-side football and cricket that was more my thing. For someone with a parent who ran cross-country and steeplechase in his schooldays, that running gene definitely seemed to have skipped a generation.

The loathed gym knickers - a 90s schoolgirl's most hated item of clothing

I remember with a smile now how I hated cross-country at secondary school, lining up with the other girls in my horrible gym knickers (girls still not being allowed to wear shorts at this point in the 90s) and freezing temperatures while our PE teacher, wrapped in a nice warm puffer jacket, shouted us on. My hatred of running was only compounded by comparing myself to the athletic girls – who also happened to be the daughters of our PE teachers – who seemed to breeze round the cross-country course in the winter and continue to sail round the track in the summer, while I puffed and panted away at the back of the pack.

That awkward teenager could not have possibly imagined that she would come to enjoy running outdoors as an adult, and yet here I am now not only enjoying it, but helping other people start their own journeys into running with their dogs.

Body image and getting in my own way

At this point, it’s important to recognise that body image issues were a big factor in my attitude towards running.

I was forever jealous of these PE girls for their athletic physique. Body image was always a difficult thing while I was growing up. I was by no means built like a 'racing snake' and seeing slim, athletic girls with legs up to their armpits was not great for my self-esteem. In relation to running, the idea progressed like this – because I didn’t have the right body, I wouldn’t do well at running and if I wasn’t going to do well, what was the point? A pretty unproductive way to look at things and yet this self-defeating attitude held me back for many years, well into adulthood.

Finding the love with the help of a canine companion

So, what changed? A couple of things.

The first thing was getting my first dog, my lovely boy Loki. As a first-time dog owner getting a German Shepherd / Husky crossbreed was a steep learning curve – this boy needed to work and finding ways to channel his boundless energy was a task! Taking him to local training classes helped, as this was where I found out about canicross. One of the trainers had been trying it out with her young border collie and invited Loki and I out to give it a go ourselves. Letting a dog with that sled dog drive do his thing was fantastic – I loved the fact that he got so much pleasure from pulling me along behind him over the hills.

Loki doing his favourite thing - finding a good muddy puddle to lie in

Then, as time went on, I came to realise that my perspective of myself was changing. I was still not slim, and my legs had stayed annoyingly short, but I didn’t care about that anymore.

I loved going out on weekly runs with my social group, experiencing the joy of the fresh air, beautiful countryside and exhilaration of being active with Loki – and later with my younger dog, Nanook. I even went to take part in races across the country for many years. I knew that I would not be the fastest runner on the course, but this wasn’t about competing with other people, it was about competing with myself -setting a personal challenge and working as a team with my dogs. Words can’t describe how wonderful it feels when you and your dog are in synch with each other out on a trail, negotiating the terrain and feeling the wind on your faces.

My mission now

That’s the goal I have now with Actidog – spreading that feeling to all the new canicross teams out there.

Once upon a time, because I didn’t ‘look right’ and wasn’t leading the pack, I would never in a million years have considered myself a runner. Now, I absolutely do and want to reassure anyone else out there doubting themselves.

At Actidog I strive to make our sport accessible to all - it doesn’t matter how fast you go or what body type you have. If you have a dog and would like to try canicross, come along to a taster session and get a gentle introduction at a pace to suit you.

As a final thought, I’d encourage anyone struggling to filter out that negative self-talk and remember this simple motto: If you’re running, you’re a runner.

Want to get started? Join me on a taster session - check out the booking calendar for upcoming dates and to book your place.

Laura x