Training Philosophy and Goals

    While we are on the subject of teamwork and teams...
    Every musher has sponsors. They may give money or they may give time...but we couldn't do it without them. I was asked on a sponsorship application to outline my training philosophy and goals and thought I'd share the result:

    Greetings! Fall training has begun and this year we’ll continue to move forward towards the goal of finishing our Iditarod/Yukon Quest qualifiers. Like any large project, the goal – the Iditarod – can seem very far away but like any distance race, my team and I take it one mile at a time.

     It all started out when I was ten – for several years I ran Seppala Siberian sled dogs before I was won over to distance racing. The dream that was kindled when I got my first little Siberian came back full force and led me to entrust the remnants of my team to my family for a winter while I handled in Alaska for Aaron Burmeister's Iditarod kennel. It was there that I learned how to really train a sled dog team.

    Last year, with a team of veterans, we completed two Iditarod qualifying races. The highlight of the season was being honored with the Best Cared for Team at the Eagle Cap Extreme. I say “we” because it takes a team to get to the finish line; I could never do it without the support of my family, sponsors and mentors…or the amazing athletes that show me time and again that I’m the weakest link.

    With this in mind, my philosophy has continued to develop as I look towards the coming year – filled with a new set of challenges. I love working with yearlings; they are enthusiastic and as they learn, it’s hard to get upset with them because they try so hard to be “big dogs”. But it means a slightly different approach to training. Rather than maintaining the trust built over years, a new bond must be formed with each of the young dogs. And then there’s the heart-wrenching decision of which yearlings will race and which will need that extra year to mature…but that’s hundreds of miles down the trail at this point.

    Last summer when a friend entrusted me with the litter of pups that are this years yearlings – I promised myself that these would be trained right. They would learn that there is no limit to what they can do and that I’ll never ask more than they are capable of giving. With such high-energy attitudes and drive as they show, it’ll be my responsibility to manage it.

    It’s not really a new philosophy, just a different angle. I’ve fully embraced the training principles I saw implemented in Alaska by Scott Smith. Fall is a time of building strength – not speed. It takes patience to go 7-8 mph while so many lower 48 sprint teams are going 10-12 mph, but the fact is that I’m actually building speed into the dogs for the end of the race.

    Training is about so much more than miles. I’ve come to a new appreciation of this because this year I completed a ½ marathon – it helps me understand a fraction of what sled dogs go through in a long distance race.

    With that said, my goal every year is to get 1,000 miles on the team by January 1^st. To get there, it means we’ll have to do many 6-7 hour runs and when the dogs can handle the time (not so much the distance – because it will come) they’ll be ready for some camping runs.

    Last year, with veterans, I could focus on long distance runs and didn’t need to do more than two camping runs because they knew to rest and checkpoint routine. With yearlings it’s the opposite. Rather than pushing them to the mental edge for a long march, yearlings need to realize that they can stop and go – and that we’ll stop again. Next year they will be mature enough for those long marches.

    For the yearlings the entire season will be about instilling good habits. Eating, tight lines and no chewing are a few principles I require in the team. When the dogs are happy and confident, there’s little fighting. In a long run it’s important for the dogs to be able to run with anybody and get along comfortably. I also train them to be patient and under control – they have to respect that we don’t go until I give the command; if we need to stop suddenly, turn around or change course at a moments notice, they have to trust me to keep us safe out there.

    And then there’s the other side of training – the diet. Because of the abundance of beef in my area, I typically feed meat heavily. However, due to the warmth in the lower 48, it can spoil in drop bags and this year I plan on mixing in a bit more kibble and including some meat mixes that will increase palatability. In distance racing you want options and last year a single type of kibble and meat was not adequate for optimum performance.

    New this year, I’ll also be training three Alaskan Husky puppies that have been born at my kennel. I’ve not had pups in the yard (that were born here) in three years and to see them already getting comfortable on their short runs is rewarding. They are the future and although they are just a few months too young to make the race string with the yearlings, next year they’ll be ready to go.

    As I watch the team mature and look back at where it all started – a ten year old girl and her little Siberian Husky – I realize I could never do this alone and I’m thankful to all who have given their support. It’s been a pleasure to meet and work with so many wonderful people brought together by the common love of dogs…and I look forward to working with my sponsors this upcoming season as we blaze new trails together.