Running the Race Dogs

    Late last night Aaron and Scott returned from the Knik 200. I was glad to hear that neither of them had to drop any dogs and none got injured. The dogs ate relatively well and spent the night in the truck, just to help them recover. This morning they were very perky and gobbled up their morning water bait.
    The Knik 200 was a training run for the race dogs, as they will be heading off early next week for Bethel, AK and the Kusko 300. Remy actually led for Scott, while Aaron was pleased with King and Ruger who led him almost the entire way. Inuk was so happy to be racing, that he not only gained weight on the race but chewed a neckline (he's not done so all season)!
    Leila also had a great run, with no injured or dropped dogs. One qualifier down, one to go!

    It warmed up considerably today, after -25 yesterday it jumped to 15 above! However, it was windy and we are expecting more cold temps (-40...again) Thursday through Sunday...which just happen to be the training days for the race dogs.
    Although not all musher's agree with laying dogs off after a race, Aaron is a firm believer in resting them three days after a hard run - whether it is 3-5 days in a row of training, or a training race like the Knik 200. This allows the little niks and dings that the dogs inevitably accumulate to completely heal before the dogs are taken on a short, fun run to stretch out (on day four from race). It also gives the dogs a chance to rehydrate and regain lost weight.
    So, today was laid back. Aaron plowed out around the house and then we took a load of meat into Fairbanks to the airport to be shipped to George Attla in Huslia...yes, THE George Attla. He's still racing - won a race last weekend, in fact - at 78yrs old!
    It's an hour drive in and out, so I had plenty of time to ask questions and find out the details of the Knik 200. Apparently they saw everything from -25 to 20 above and there was a lot of trail breaking through several inches of snow. A great training workout for the dogs! Aaron ran it in two legs, stopping for the mandatory 6hour break at the halfway point but only stopping to snack every three hours during the rest of it. This is simulating what he'll be doing in the Iditarod - long 8-10 hour runs.
    I was able to talk with him about leaders and had my opinion confirmed - although basically all the dogs here will lead, there are only five or six real leaders. Aaron's definition of a real leader: a dog that will lead regardless of conditions.
    He talked a bit about Taos, his great leader. Unfortunately, Taos died of cancer in 2008, and you can tell that he is sorely missed, but he was one of those once-in-a-lifetime lead dogs.

    What really made my day, however, was the opportunity to take five of the race dogs with my team this evening on an 18 mile run. Griz, Vasser, Skunk, Saffron and Finn didn't race last weekend and they made up the front end of the 12-dog team I ran tonight. It was refreshing to do a run in the dark and leave Rowdy and Kanuti behind - without them the boys were much more focused! Those five dogs are just amazing athletes and so, so responsive. They settle into their pace immediately and it was good for the yearlings to run behind them.
    With the warm temperatures, I stayed toasty warm (almost too many layers!) and even had a freshly groomed trail, because Aaron went out in front of me to groom the 18 mile loop. It was a good day...