Finally, autumn training here! 

Many mushers, us included, are slow and steady starting up again. After a easy summers with a decrees in training and for some perhaps non, it is time to get started with the next season. It feels good to be back for both two- and four-legged as the weather is slowly getting cooler.

Most mushers, agree that the key months for training are the winter months, November to January. That is when training volume really increases. Focusing on specificity, metabolism and race oriented training. 

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Rarely, August or September will be defined as some of the crucial months for long distance sled dogs, but perhaps are these first weeks of the season more important than what we might think? 

It is without a doubt easy to get too eager as we step into the harnesses again. The transition from inactive and lazy days to intense training, many times a week, can sometimes be a bit sudden. 

With that in mind, it could be worth highlighting three crucial principles in the training diaries: Progression ( a gradual and adapted increase in training intensity), continuity (frequent training without any unnecessary breaks) and quality  (optimal execution and development on each session).

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They say " It is impossible to win a long distance-race the first day. Ruining it, is however, very possible". That is exactly how it is with autumn training. You can easily wreck a season the first 8-12 weeks. Are the sessions too intense, too long and too often, it can quickly set you back with injuries or wear and tear later in the season.

With this in mind we are running into this years season, head on, reminding ourselves of quality rather than quantity!