We traveled 3,000 kilometers to race for 9 minutes and 27 seconds! That was the time that gave Manda and me the victory at the WSA Dryland World Championships in the United Kingdom, held on the last weekend of November.
A year of intense preparation
The preparations for the start lasted about a year. I trained under the guidance of Kacper Simiński (BePro Cycling), who created the entire plan for me. It had to be modified several times because plans and life don’t always align. However, I think I managed quite well to impose discipline on myself and complete the various stages of preparation. Before the WSA World Championships, I planned to also compete in the European Championships of another federation - IFSS. However, my category was canceled there due to too few competitors. That surprised me a bit because I expected the number of competing huskies in Finland to be higher than in other parts of Europe. Fortunately, my disappointment didn’t last long because I knew strong competition was preparing for the WSA. My small goal was to beat a competitor from the United Kingdom on her home ground. Which, as it later turned out, I managed to do. And even more.
Preparation for the start included not only training for me and the dogs but also organizing the entire trip. Originally, I was supposed to go with my husband Marcin, but to reduce costs, we traveled with the club. I joined Marita and Darek to cover the whole journey in one transport. We took only two competing dogs with us. Thanks to Marita, I didn’t have to worry about organizing things like accommodation or the ferry crossing. Our boarding of the ferry deserves a story of its own! From the moment of buying tickets to actually driving onto the deck. A trip of a lifetime with tears of laughter in the background. But back to the competition itself…
The World Sleddog Association (WSA) is a global federation of dog sled sports bringing together owners of northern dog breeds. You can compete with dogs of six breeds: Siberian husky, Alaskan malamute, Samoyed, Greenland dog, Canadian Eskimo dog, and Yakutian Laika. Dogs must have pedigrees recognized by the FCI. WSA in snowless conditions includes all sprint sled categories, from large teams to single-dog classes such as canicross, scooter, or bikejoring.
Unexpected changes in starting plans
As for the discipline I would compete in, the decision was simple for me: bikejoring. It was harder to choose which dog to compete with. I have three purebred huskies: Manda, Runa, and Kuzo. I decided to choose between the siblings, Manda and Kuzo, although all were prepared to start. Even Kuzo, who broke a toe 11 weeks earlier. After 6 weeks of treatment, he got the green light to train and quickly showed he still had top form. However, deep down, I felt he ran better before the injury. Not that he lacked endurance. I had the impression he was a bit less engaged. As if we had gone back to the times when he was still learning to run alone. Before the break, I was 99% sure about him; after, I lost that certainty. I did tests. I competed in races with both Manda and Kuzo. I also ran the same routes with them in training, constantly comparing results. Manda was better every time. She had better times and was more focused on the work. But I kept thinking that other top competitors would start with stronger males than a small female…
I really had a dilemma about which dog to start with for a long time. Almost until the last moment before departure. Even on the way, I wondered if I had made the right decision. As it later turned out, a very good one. Not only did Manda handle the course perfectly, but I’m just happy that I could participate in this competition with her. I’ve had her since she was a puppy and have trained her myself from the start. Throughout our “career,” we’ve had ups and downs, but with no other dog do I have such understanding as with Manda. I can trust her regarding directions, path choices, and decisions about which side to overtake on. I was very upset when Manda had stress problems at the finish line, where there were many people. I’m glad we managed to work through it enough that it no longer affects our finish. And most importantly, inside that small body is a really big will to fight and a heart for running. Maybe some life situations overwhelm Manda, but when we put on the harness, only the job to do matters.
It should also be added that in the WSA federation, dogs do not know the race course beforehand. Before the race, we can see the trail ourselves, but we cannot take the dogs on it. Manda handled a completely new and challenging course for her, with a really large number of turns, perfectly! A fast and flawless run earned us the gold.
A course full of challenges and emotions at the finish
Exactly—the course! One of the best I’ve ridden. Not only was it located in the incredibly picturesque Haughey Park, but it had everything it needed. In the first part, turn after turn, like on single tracks. Despite the winding path, I had no doubt where to go because the safety and markings were flawless. After the technical section, we entered a meadow—an open space with a fast descent and a tough climb. And at the end, a faster part in the forest awaited us. Here you had to be careful because it got muddy. The typically English weather made it just slippery and difficult but very satisfying! Fortunately, just before departure, my bike got wider tires, perfect for such conditions. So I had very good grip. After a cautious first day, I planned to go all out the next day. But unfortunately, Cyclone Bert had other plans for us. It’s just a pity we could race only one day because this course deserved more.
After riding the course on Friday, I knew you couldn’t make mistakes on this course. Other competitors would certainly take advantage of that. So I kept a certain degree of caution. My brakes completely gave out only when I saw Vickie Pullin on the open space, who started a minute ahead of me. She was the one I dreamed of beating. That’s why we covered the second part of the course faster. Extra watts magically appeared in my legs. Manda also sped up, as if she knew what I meant. We managed not only to catch Vickie but also to overtake her. Although her dog, as soon as he saw us, also gained extra strength and accelerated strongly. And since he was bigger and stronger than Manda, this time we were overtaken. And so several times, until the finish line. Sometimes we were ahead, sometimes they were. It was a wonderful finish! Moreover, Manda stayed fully focused until the very end and confidently crossed the finish line. I was (and still am) very proud of her. As soon as we got from the finish line to our stake-out, emotions won, and tears came to my eyes. This mix of feelings can’t be compared to anything. Fatigue, great joy, a bit of disbelief if it’s really happening. And that little dog who doesn’t even know she fulfilled your strange dream, just ran her race. As always. I had just calmed down a bit when I heard from Marita that I was first. I didn’t even check the time at the finish because I had done my job. And then another burst of emotions!
A time worth gold
Manda and I achieved the best result in our category, women’s senior bikejoring (up to 39 years old), but also the third-best time in bikejoring overall, regardless of age and gender. Ahead of us were two men from the senior and veteran categories, our compatriot Mirosław Banaś and Scot Roddy Milne.
But that’s not the end. The second stage was planned for the next day. Joy began to turn into stress. On Sunday, I was to start first, according to the times from Saturday. I wouldn’t have anyone to chase. The second, Norwegian Veronica Strand, was less than 10 seconds behind, so she definitely wouldn’t give up. British Vickie Pullin wouldn’t either. And the other competitors as well. I was very determined to give my all on the second day. Caution would take a back seat because there would be no room for it anymore. Besides, the equipment didn’t fail, so I could take bigger risks. Most of the night passed with such thoughts… which was still quite tiring because I went to this competition quite sick. So I had to motivate myself not only mentally but also constantly tried to bring myself to a usable state. However, in the morning, the news came that the second day’s starts were canceled due to weather conditions. At first, I was disappointed. Such a great course and so much pre-start stress for nothing. But safety first. Strong winds and falling trees are not something we want to experience during a race. Only after a while did it sink in that I had won! I just had to control another burst of emotions. Hearing the Polish national anthem while standing on the podium is something! My hands were shaking with emotion.
The entire Polish National Team performed excellently. Or rather, won medals! Poles won four golds (Mirek Banaś and Agnieszka Ignaszak in senior bikejoring, and juniors Filip Behlert in bikejoring and Olaf Behlert in canicross), one silver (Gosia Kita in SC2 NB2), and one bronze (Zbyszek Kunert in DR8). This gave us third place in the Nations Cup, behind the French and the British.
I don’t even know how the trip home went. We boarded the ferry much more smoothly, but the wind and big waves didn’t make it a pleasant journey… After returning, I had to recover and rest. It had been a long time since it took me this long. Now a short period of detraining and we start all over again. New goals and another season await!
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