Ep 223: Growing up on canicross: Daisy, aged 13 on racing, strength and her Pointer

Most of us found canicross as adults. Daisy has been at races since she was a toddler, and now she's lining up at the Nationals with a 30kg dog of her own. This week we hear what junior racing is really like, from start line chaos to sore legs on the downhills.

Daisy is 13 and has grown up in the canicross world. She did her first race at around 4, attached to her mum, and now races in the junior category with Wizzy, a dog her family bred themselves. She came second at the Nationals.

Timings

- 00:01:27 Growing up watching her mum race, and her first race at about 4 years old

- 00:02:57 Her dogs: Sky, the German Shorthaired Pointer she started with, and Wizzy, Sky's grandson, picked from the litter for being "a bit spicy"

- 00:05:53 Racing a 30kg dog: wild on the start line, brilliant once he's going, and tough on her legs downhill

- 00:08:15 How she trains: 3K to 5K runs after school, strength work with her mum, and swimming

- 00:09:27 Why strength training made her knees feel better, and what that means for older runners listening

- 00:12:01 Racing the Nationals, coming second, and how few juniors there are right now

- 00:15:29 Why junior racing is fun: racing friends, hanging out after, and growing in confidence

- 00:20:18 Fitting training around school, and running in the dark with a head torch and a light-up collar