January 6th to February 24th
Canadian winters can be tough and maybe even a little depressing at times. Shorter days, less sunshine, and extreme weather conditions take a toll on all of us. As soon as the winter holidays end, the dreariness of the dark, wet, and seemingly endless cold days hit us like a tonne of bricks. Naturally, feeling motivated to train and have fun outdoors with other people and our pups becomes increasingly difficult. Because of this, Kendra had the brilliant idea to spearhead a new virtual event to motivate herself and the ZENFULdog Training community with ZENFULdog’s first-ever virtual long-distance challenge: The ZENFULdog Canisport Ultra Race!
Your dogs are already great motivators to get you outside all year long, but the ZENFULdog Canisport Ultra Race gives participants that extra push during the hardest winter weeks when you might find yourselves staying inside a lot more. Getting outside more frequently during winter helps maintain better physical health for you and your dogs while also improving mental health and general well-being.
Meet The Teams
The Country Waggers—Stephanie Kinnear with Leo
Houndsky—Kevin with Ivy & Ginny
Monster Sisters—Eva with Lily & Tessa
Sigr—Kathy with Jett
K9woofpack—Mercedez with Nixon
Snowflake Trekkers—Elena with Piper
Team Yeehaw!—Jane with Skeeter
Dreamland Farm Team—Louise with Nala
Retriever Rambles—Clair with Huck & Harvey
Happy Tails—Melanie and Nick with Bella & Meika
The Ruff Bunch—Natasha and Steve with Ozzy & Lucey
The Bark Bunch—Francine and Mike with Maverick & Mathilda
Shepski & Sholie—Erin with Aria & Bentley
Rowan Tree Ramblers—Jan with Lightfoot
Downtown Divas—Alex with Georgia
Paws & Paths—Kristina with Odin
Poodle Paws—Leah with Molly
Snowcoyote Darlings—Kendra with Ren
The Mighty Mutts—Crystal with Ajax
20. Pawsome Pack—Wendy with Elly May
21. Wigglebutts—Karl with Aria & Bentley
22. Masies Miles—Bryan with Massie
Accountability
Virtual races Kendra has enjoyed participating in helped inspire the creation of the ZENFULdog ultra race. As well-organized as those events were, Kendra wanted to add accountability to her version. Kendra knew that participants would be more inspired and motivated by sharing proof of daily accomplishments over social media platforms. Being held accountable allows participants to cheer each other on while fostering a healthy spirit of competition and camaraderie. That friendly competitive edge might also spark motivation on a day when a participant feels like taking the day off until they see another participant post a 10 km route then suddenly they find themselves covering 3 kilometres instead of none. It is also self-motivating to see actual distances covered on maps as it allows participants to visualize just how much ground they covered so they can feel proud and keep challenging themselves.
Flexibility
While the ZENFULdog virtual race requires accountability, it is still a very flexible challenge! Participants can choose which canisport they want to do for each activity they complete with their pups. There are many canisport divisions from which to choose: walking, hiking, canicross, kick-sledding, bike-jorring and/or even ski-jorring! You can participate in your own way to cover the challenge’s mileage over the virtual events’ time frame.
The ZENFULdog community is also mindful of the importance of acknowledging and respecting the body’s limits (canine and human). This event, like all ZENFULdog events, is a safe space and everyone is equally applauded for prioritizing well-being as they are for completing objectives.
Participants can also earn bonus points by sharing proof of training or fitness exercises done at home which is helpful on the days when weather prevents outdoor training. This was an especially fun and rewarding aspect for Kendra who sees results of homework through improvement during training but, thanks to the challenge, she had the privilege of viewing participants and their pups engaged in homework in real time through videos and pics online.
Participants even receive bonus points for extra components like ‘the selfie challenge’ where they have a blast commenting on each others’ pics capturing the dogs’ personalities, moods and relationships with their pet-parents!
To further facilitate the long-distance challenge, Kendra also leads at least one weekly group hike that counts toward the virtual race mileage.
The first-ever ZENFULdog Canisport Ultra Race was a hit and Kendra is confident there will be more virtual challenges to come! Participants have been outdoors with their pups enjoying fresh air, getting exercise, feeling healthier and strengthening the community bond through the coldest and toughest winter weeks. As a plus, no matter the result, every participant gets a finisher’s medal at the end for their excellent camaraderie and participation!
That said, a special congrats goes out to the 2024 Winners of the ZENFULdog Canisport Ultra Race:
#1. The Bark Bunch—Francine and Mike with Maverick & Mathilda with 368.02 KM!
#2. Team Yeehaw!—Jane with Skeeter with 349.01 KM!
#3. Monster Sisters—Eva with Lily & Tessa with 333.80 KM!
Tips for Exercising Outdoors in Winter
Never skip stretching (light stretches before and after every physical activity).
Add physiotherapy to your routine (physio can be done outside to make it more interesting and if you do not have a therapist, safe exercises can be found online).
Know when to trade your outdoor routine for indoor (or cut down) on extreme weather days (wind chill extremes can make exercising outdoors unsafe, for you and your pup, even with warm clothing).
Water-resistant (or better yet water-proof) clothing and equipment are a must. When you get wet, you are more vulnerable to the cold.
Know the signs of frostbite and hypothermia (frostbite is most common on exposed skin, such as your cheeks, nose and ears. Early warning signs include numbness, loss of feeling or a stinging sensation. Hypothermia symptoms include intense shivering, slurred speech, loss of coordination and fatigue).
Layers are your best friend!
Dressing in layers is ideal. You can remove layers as you sweat and then put them back on as needed. The first layer should be thin, synthetic material (avoid cotton for the first layer because it stays wet). Fleece or wool can be worn on top of the thin layer and covered by a breathable, waterproof outer layer.
Remember that your hands and feet need the most protection!
Wear reflective gear when it is dark outside.
Don’t skip sunscreen during winter months.
Goggles can be a helpful alternative to sunglasses.
Do you have Raynaud’s Disease or diabetes? Add chemical heat packs to your hands and feet.
Not as hungry in the winter but just as active? Opt for a high-protein diet.
Drink lots of water, and sometimes sports drinks, whether you are thirsty or not (especially before and after physical activity). Thirst is more difficult to notice in the winter and it is easier to become dehydrated when exercising in the cold.
Adjust your pace! (interval running/training is great for some but if you find the constant stopping and starting is hurting your joints or worsening any injuries, it is best to simply go much slower).
Add some complementary indoor exercises to your routine during the winter months (great examples suitable even for people with injuries or limitations: Tai Chi, swimming, physio in a heated pool, chair yoga (arthritis.ca) and/or set up a bike trainer).
Have fun with winter and stay safe! Good luck to everyone in ZENFULdog’s Canisport Ultra Race and don’t forget to follow ZENFULdog Training on Facebook to stay connected to your like-minded dog-loving community every day.
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