As the nights grow colder and the first frosts appear, our training at Bearhill shifts again. With cooler weather, we can move away from exclusively polarised training and start building sustainable, moderate-intensity pulling sessions.

This is the middle ground—between the steady grind of the dog walker and the all-out effort of power pyramids. The goal is to have the dogs pull the quad for 30 to 60 minutes at a consistent pace—harder than a dog walker session, but easier than an interval. Think of it like the tempo runs or sustained bike efforts used in human endurance sports.

But here’s the thing—progress isn’t linear. This is a trap I’ve seen both athletes and mushers fall into: adding more and more work every week without giving the body a chance to adapt. Dogs, like people, need recovery to actually absorb the training load. Without it, you’re not building fitness—you’re just digging a hole.

That’s why I follow the “three steps forward, one step back” principle:

• Increase intensity or duration for three weeks.
• In the fourth week, deliberately step back—reduce distance, keep sessions lighter.

This approach isn’t a luxury; it’s essential. Physical condition gained gradually is lost gradually. Condition gained too quickly is lost just as quickly—and often comes with injury or illness attached.

Recovery is where the magic happens. Muscles repair, aerobic capacity improves, and mental freshness returns. For the dogs, recovery days might mean a short walk, an easy dog walker session, or even just resting in the kennel.

By the time December arrives, our aim is simple: dogs that are not just fit, but fresh, eager, and resilient. The foundation we build in August and September—the polarised sessions, the gradual progression, the planned recovery—means that when winter’s deep snow arrives, our teams are ready to run day after day, week after week, at their absolute best.

Because in the end, whether you’re coaching human triathletes or training sled dogs in the Arctic, the principles are the same:

Train smart. Progress gradually. Respect recovery. And always—always—keep the joy in the work.