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preparing the dogs and myself for the 1993 Iditarod, I knew that our mental conditioning
would prove to be just as important as our physical training and conditioning. Some of the most helpful advise I got came from
Iditarod veteran Bob Hoyte. Bob said: "Think Nome' for siz months prior to the
race. Do nothing that detracts from getting to Nome." When you're at the
start line in Anchorage, Bob said: "Forget Nome." At this point the thought of
Nome becomes overwhelming. Think only of the next checkpoint. If conditions
are rough, think only as far as the next trapper's cabin or other landmark."
My preparation was to eliminate
the unknowns. As a rookie, I knew it was necessary to read books and talk to
experienced Iditaroders. Fellow mushers in Canada and the lower 48 were extremely
helpful. Their information provided a foundation around whichwe could structure a
training schedule and race strategy. It became apparent that I had taken the step
from dreaming of racing the Iditarod to committing all my resources to race from Anchorage
to Nome!
FOCUS ON THREE GOALS
In preparing the dogs for a race three times longer than any previous course, I focused
upon my three goals:
- Finish with a healthy team
The first two goals were of equal importance. Therefore, our training focused on
endurance. It was necessary to expose the dogs to varied terrains and adverse
conditions. Many of the team members had been exposed to weather adversity in Labrador. At
home, we intentionally ran in the wind, rain, and hail to try and instill that "run
no matter what" mentality in younger team members. |
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Our trails out
of the kennel provide great flexibility in training. Trails on the property are
hilly, varying from sand and gravel roads to roughed-in paths of boulders and pot holes.
The latter may not be good for speed training; however, they do wonders for
teaching the dogs how to pick good footing and what the word "easy" means.
This became quite important in the Buffalo Tunnels after the Rohn checkpoint on the
Iditarod itself. Running the rural
road system from the kennel proved appropriate for us. It exposed the dogs to flat
monotonous runs - a training equivalent of Alaska's river system without ice and snow.
It also taught the dogs to stay keenly tuned to the driver, to stay gee on the
"trail," to deal with passing "teams" (cars) , and to stay focused
despite unexpected occurances on the trail. A stray dog may not be a moose, but the
principle is the same.
Logging roads adjacent to the
kennel provide thousands of acres and hundreds of miles or trails. The terrain is
gently rolling with enough long, steep hills to get in the necessary conditioning for both
team and driver. Early work on these trails were runs of 12-18 miles emphasizing a
steady pulling pace, muscle conditioning and short recovery periods.
Fourteen-dog teams were pulling about 600 pounds of machine and driver. The
engine was left off for 50-100 percentof the run. A lot of hill pulling was done.
Later runs stretched from 20-50 miles to determine "staying" ability,
build pulling endurance, and practice camping skills.
Performance on these runs would be important in determining which of the young dogs
were selected to round out the experienced team. By January 1, the dogs' accumulated
mileage varied from 700-1100 miles.
ARRIVAL IN ALASKA
Our physical and mental training shifted to a new mode on January 31st when we arrived
in Alaska. The flood gates were opened and information and advice were available
everywhere. It was like being in a kind of candy shop. Everything a musher
could want is there - snow, trails, stores with every conceivable type of mushing gear
and, most importantly, othr mushers to swap stories with....
Published in the RSH
Fall 1993, Vol. X No. 5. To purchase a copy of the complete issue, contact Barbara
and Richard Petura of Heritage North Press or submit an order on-line at http://www.workingdogweb.com/OrderForm.htm
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