We are going back!!!

Iditarod 2010, the dogs are one year older and we are one year wiser.Updated on Monday, Oct 5 2009 by Tom Thurston.

Iditarod 2010, the dogs are one year older and we are one year wiser. After a successful trip to Nome in 2009 with a young group of athletes we have decided to go back for more. This year we are hoping for a top 30 finish. More importantly we are focused on finishing with a happy, healthy team that will be entering their prime and ready to see what it is all about in 2011. The dogs have been active since June 1st. During the summer month's we either put them on the dog walker or taking them for hikes 3 or more times per week. This keeps them happy and excited. We do not see any benefit to letting them sit around. Our cart training started August 1st. This year we are training 32 potential athletes, 24 adults and the 6 most mature yearlings. Our friend Kris Hoffman is training up the remainder of the yearlings with a few older adult leaders. The current training schedule has been one day on with two day's off. On their off day's we put each dog on the walker for an hour and a half. We are currently doing 9 mile runs and will be stepping that up significantly in the next month. During August and September we do a lot of strength training at slower speeds to build a solid base on the dogs. We also use this time to set the basic expectations of being a sled dog. The younger athletes learn team etiquette and how to manage themselves. The adults help by setting a good example and demonstrating quality leadership.

As fall progresses we ease up on the strength training and allow the dogs to set a faster pace by going into a higher gear on the 4 wheeler. This decreases the resistance and allows the dogs to stretch out. During this time we increase both the distance and the frequency of runs. By the end of October we will be doing 20 to 25 mile runs with one day of rest and two day's of training. As November approaches we will do our longest cart training runs, up to 35 miles in 4 hours. During this time we really get to see who has what it takes. By the time we transition to snow each dog will have just over 800 miles of training. They usually are reaching the first major peak of the year when we start running with the sled. This has typically happened the last weekend in November. In our pool of athletes we have 14 Iditarod Veterans, more than half of which are 3 yrs old and under. We are using 18 different adult leaders currently and all six of the yearlings are leaders in training. I do not think it is possible to have too many leaders. Also in our pool we have the dogs who did not make it to Nome last year and the yearlings that were either to thin or to immature to go with us in 2009. We are very excited about what we are seeing especially since all but the 6 yearlings have all been through at least one season of distance training and have proven to us that they have the skills, the athleticism and attitude to make the final 16. We will keep you updated on how things progress.

Special thanks to 08/09 Sponsors, who help make a dream become reality.