Preparing for Fall Training – Equipment and Exercises

Turbo and Grace first day of fall training 2014

Fall ATV training is just around the corner in just four weeks! In northern Minnesota our usual start date is right around September 15th plus or minus seven days. Our kennel cutoff is 50-52F for harness training and 55-58F for free running depending on the humidity. Regardless of harness training or not we are out there moving by mid-September.

NOW is a great time to get all your gear in order making sure your harnesses are in great shape, your snaps are functional, your ganglines are safe and not worn, and your ATV is fully functional. Doing a little work now can save you tons of time and headaches later down the road. We work closely with Windigo Kennels and Outfitters they tend to get a mass rush of orders in the early fall. If you wait too long you could be waiting for weeks as they are busy filling orders along with many other supply companies.

None of these suggestions are lighting strike ideas but it may motivate you to get prepared.

Harnesses

The first thing we do is wash our harnesses. Usually they are clean and washed before we store them for the summer but with 100+ harnesses hanging in the shed you can always find a dirty one. Inspect every single harness for wear on the webbing ,padding, and tug loop(s). If your harness is clean Windigo can repair it for you at a minimal cost. Depending on how wet and muddy the trail is we usually wash them every 9-15 training sessions during fall training to keep them fresh and clean. They’re much easier to inspect for wear and tear.

Dog Collars

Check every dog collar by inspecting the stitching and hardware. They get very dirty during fall training so our dogs get new collars every year once we have good snow. If you cut off the webbing and save the hardware Windigo can make you new collars for nearly half the price of new ones.

Cable gangline sections from Windigo Kennels and Outfitters

Ganglines and Snaps

Check all of your gangline sections for wear and fray. We use cable ganglines for training they are much more durable than the poly rope lines some have lasted 5 years of seasonal daily training. Go over each and every tug and neckline if it has the smallest amount of fray now is the time to replace it. Make sure all of your brass or bronze snaps are functional. WD-40 cleans them well letting the springs move freely. If they are frozen sometime soaking them in gas will free them up. Use a rag to wipe off the excess and lube with a metal protector, we prefer Amsoil Metal Protector.

Inspect all of your snaps on your drop chains or picket line, clean and lube those too.

Replacing axle boots on our Arctic Cat ATV

ATV Maintenance

Your ATV needs to be in tip top shape for the safety of you and your dog team! If you tow a trailer grease your axles and inspect all of your lights.

• Change the oil and filter
• Install new spark plug(s)
• Clean your fuel filter
• Check your air filter
• Flush your radiator
• Make sure your battery holds a charge
• Inspect your axle boots, replace if they are cracked
• Inspect your headlights and tail lights
• Inspect your brake lever and locking mechanism – ours is worn, it will be replaced this year
• Inspect your brake pads – change them if there is less than 2mm of meat left on them – mud, sand, and water can wear them down quick
• Inspect your tires – check for cracks and or leaks – if you have a tire that doesn’t hold air or has a slow leak fix it now
• Inspect your gangline tether – absolutely vital for not losing your dog team on the trail

Dishes and Buckets

Wash and scrub all of your water training dishes and buckets, no one likes drinking water out of a dirty dish.

Training Trails

Summer activity on trails could potentially change your speed or direction you run the trail. Mow the grass, cut back brush, fill in holes, remove downed trees. We bring a spade shovel, brush saw, weed wacker, and chainsaw out with us to take care of trail maintenance.

The Musher or Handler

Our sport is physically demanding there’s no doubt about that. Make sure you’re fit enough to handle crazy dogs and their low end torque power especially in the first week of training. I’m not talking Olympic fitness caliber but if hooking up 8 dogs wears you out and you’re sore for a few days these exercises can help you.

Dynamic Stretches – stretching, strengthening, and balance control through movement. Pick a space 10-15 yards long do each exercise forward once and then back. Here is a GREAT VIDEO demonstrating some of these stretches.

• Walking lunges. Take a large step forward alternating each leg making sure your back knee lightly touches the ground. Go slow and keep your upper body vertical. Do your distance stop, then go backwards it’s much harder. This will stretch your hip flexors and hamstrings while strengthening your butt and quads.
• Walking quad stretches. Take one step forward while the other legs heel goes to your butt. Pause and grab your ankle stretching the back leg and quad. Do not bend forward stand straight up. Try not to lose your balance or take balance steps in between. Go backwards after you’ve reached your distance.
• Frankenstein walk. Walk straight legged with arms straight out in front of you. Try to kick your fingers with your toes. This stretches your hamstrings. Go your distance and then go backwards.
• Walking hip stretch. Take one step forward and bring the other legs heel toward your groin while the knee goes out. Grab your knee and ankle and lift up stretching your outside hip. Go your distance and go backwards.
• Walking butt stretch. Take one step forward and bring the other leg up to your chest aiming your working knee towards the opposite shoulder and hold for two seconds. Alternate legs with each step forward go your distance and then go backwards.

Once you’ve mastered these after a couple weeks add weight, twists, or combine a few of them into a complex movement. I have many many more if you’re looking for new ones.

Our backs get really sore with all the bending over that we do putting on and taking off harnesses and especially booties! Tight hamstrings and a weak core are the #1 causes of lower back pain. Stretch out those hamstrings! Dynamic stretches help a lot but sometimes it’s good to get down and do an old fashioned hurdlers stretch.

Core

Our core muscles are isometric stabilizers that flex and hold unlike our biceps which are best used for concentric and eccentric movements.

Planks are great core stabilizers. Try front, side, and back planks. Once you can hold a plank for two minutes you’re ready for advanced planks. Try them on a fit ball and with one leg. Raise and lower that leg you’ll be crying uncle in no time!

Upper Body Exercises

I like to start with the large muscle groups first and work my way down to the hands.

• Push ups. There’s nothing more cool than doing a lot of military form push ups. Space your hands on the floor just outside of shoulder width. When you go down tuck your elbows in at a 45 degree angle from your body. At the bottom your thumbs should be able to touch your nipples. If this is too hard start out on your knees. Do 3-4 sets of how many you can.
• Pull ups. Tough, very tough. Beginners start on your back body horizontal lying on the ground with the bar above you. As you get stronger slowly raise the bar making less of an angle each time until you can do 5 pull ups. Some gyms also have assisted pull up machines which are good too. Do 3 sets of as many as you can.
• Upright rows. These are great shoulder exercises. I choose dumbbells over a bar it gives a greater freedom of movement. Lift the weight straight up keeping your elbows out and up and above your wrists. Lift up to your chin and lower slowly. Do 2-3 sets of 15-20 reps.

It’s important to be consistent in your training as you would expect from your dog team. Try to work out 3-4 times a week this full body workout only takes 35-45 minutes each time. Your first couple times will take a little longer until you get into a good routine. Find a partner, mix up the routine, add or subtract exercises, have fun with it!

If your body is fit and stable it will make your experience that much better.

Good luck with your fall training! Be safe, have fun!