Well, right off the bat, I had the chance to pass someone...and it was a miserable pass...kind of discouraging as I have never had the opportunity to pass someone in training. Last year on the Don Bowers race I had the some issue. I was bib number 10 and that was my starting number as well. This race was full of big names in mushing and many Iditarod mushers. One of the rules is when you are being passed, you stop your team. So, being in the top 10 starters, I had nearly 30 mushers starting after me. They start you in two minute intervals.
Very soon in the race, the fast mushers start passing...it seemed like I was forever having to stop and set my hook and then restart. Once the fast ones passed, then I was holding my own. Pretty soon I was wondering what was going on with my sled. It was no longer the driving sled that I experienced on my training run. I couldn't figure out what was going on...but I could hardly drive it. It was all I could do to control it down the step hills and around the sharp turns. (on one of the sharp corners, I actually cut a corner and nearly took out a bush, and it was amazing that I didn't turn the sled over.) I was wishing that I had my old sled...finally I noticed a strap that was broken that kept the sled from over flexing while you are driving it...that was why there was no control. I stopped my sled on the trail and pulled it off to the side. I thankfully had my leatherman's tool and I grabbed my stuff sack that was inside my sled bag. I cut off the draw string and then set about making a makeshift strap for the back of the sled. Three mushers passed me as I was repairing my sled. Bummer.
After the repair, my sled was much better. Then came a moment of confusion...My dogs started to take a turn. I thought that it was the wrong way and I stopped them and got them back on track...so I thought. As I was heading down another trail, a race musher was heading my direction...Oh My ! Now I wasn't sure what to do...I set my snow hooks and looked behind me on the trail. There were three mushers at the intersection and they were all pointing down one trail and then the other....It was like they were having a board meeting to decide which way they were all going...then they all went down the trail that my dogs originally took....then a 4th musher turned down that trail...We were two miles from the finish...that hurt ! If only... but that is mushing.
Well, I was second to the last...a discouraging place for me to deal with. I knew that I would have been 7 places up, if I hadn't had a broken sled and if I hadn't gone the wrong way. I also had one of the smaller teams on the race. And to top it off, I was running on training plastic, due to truck issues in the morning and having a time issue as a result. we didn't put on new plastic.
Well, I went home still very happy that I had successfully finished the day. (I was actually on a high...but nothing like the one I experienced on day two !) When we got back, Ted set about fixing my sled...he looked at me and said "This is the second sled you have broken... !" Then he smiled...I had also broken a stanchion...the bolt broke off. Well, he fixed the sled and also put on new plastic. I was set for day two.
DAY TWO OF THE ALASKAN EXCURSION...Well, I woke up at 3:45 and couldn't go back to sleep. Ted woke up sick and it was up to Paula and I to load up all the dogs and all the gear. We still had the sled to put on top of the truck. I was slightly panicked at the thought of just the two of us to do all of everything. We worked like clock work and we got everything done and dogs loaded and we left on time as planned.
I drove to Big Lake and when we arrived at the race start we got one of the best parking spaces there. It was a straight shot from the truck to the starting line. That was like a omen...we both said it was going to be a great day.
When I talked with Ted the night before, I was telling him of my difficulty of passing. I had Tok and Otter in lead...He said no wonder...Otter likes to check everything and every dog out as you pass. He wasn't ready to lead in that capacity. I decided to run Thornton and Tok in lead. I knew that I was was going to have to do a lot of passing. I knew that I ran faster that a number of the teams yesterday, but because of my coming in second to last, I would have to start second to last... not fun if you aren't good at passing.
Well, I had decided to remove a layer of polar fleece pants and also my under jacket of synthetic down. I was hoping that wasn't going to be a mistake...but I knew that I had a lot of hills to run and it wasn't quite as cold as it was on the first day. I also decided to run 10 dogs...and I took out the bag of rice.
We had two daughters of a mushing friend's to help up with the team on the start. It was wonderful with the extra help. I was able to stand on the sled as they hooked the dogs up to the gang line. The dogs were raring to go. We took off and at the first sharp turn, I dumped the sled and immediately got it upright and kept right on going. In no time, I saw Perry Solmonson ahead of me...we had already made up almost the two minutes that he had started before me...I called "TRAIL" (which is what you call when you want to pass...then they have to stop their team and let you by.) Tok and Thornton did a beautiful pass. I was elated... ! Not only because of the great pass, but because Perry is the Iditarod Veteran who trained me my first winter in Washington for my first race ! Soon I could no longer see him behind me.
It wasn't long until I came up upon another team...and another beautiful pass. And another...and another. I lost track of the passes. I was whistling almost the entire race. I would tell the dogs how awesome they were. Ted would die if he knew how I sweet talked his dogs...I did dump the sled at least two times...and I really think that it was 3 times. I would quickly brush off the snow...so I didn't look like a snow ball on the back of my sled... and who would want to advertise the fact that they have dumped their sled?
There were lots of very steep hills. You would have to be on your brake and then you would have sharp turns. It was quite challenging. When on the flats, I would grab my drag (piece of snowmachine track that drags between your runners) and hook it to my handlebars. When I would do that I couldn't use the drag or my brake. Made for some fun situations. I would try and force my heel down into the snow and keep my toes on the runners...a bit of a challenge. One time I came to a steep hill far too fast and I didn't have my drag down...I did a human drag ! I hung onto the handle bars and let my body drag down the hill...hoping that the sled would stay on the trail. It worked beautifully. I am sure that it looked rather hysterical.
Well, the dogs did great. I only snacked them once today and it was a quick one. I cleaned feet of the dogs who had lost a bootie...much quicker than re booting them. After I had passed every one I passed, I no longer saw any mushers behind me or in front of me. When I came to the turn that I missed the previous day, I went the right way. When I was about half a mile from the finish, my friend Kathy passed me. She had dogs in heat and I had at least one male that really wanted to check her out. She had some tangles and I ran to the front of my team to hold my leaders out so that she could pass me and away she went.
Well, we crossed the finish line and it was Awesome. I knew that I had done so much better than day one. I snacked the dogs and watered them and then loaded them back into their boxes. Packed up all the gear and loaded the sled on the top of the truck. We were ready to go home. I could hardly wait to get home and check the results out online. It seemed like it took forever. I decided that I would do my dog chores. I told Paula that I was going to give each dog that I ran a massage. She said to do it before Ted comes out to check the dogs. lol ...they all seemed to love being massaged and it gave me time with each dog. They all got watered and then back to their houses. I fed the dogs and gave them poultry skins. They loved that.
Well, when I came into the house I got the news !!!!
MY TIME FOR DAY TWO WAS BETTER THAN AN IDITAROD CHAMPION, AND TWO IDITAROD VETERANS.
WHAT A DAY ! WHAT AWESOME DOGS ! ! !
Ted was proud of me...and he took me to his sled shed and opened the door and pointed to a wooden sled in there and he told me to let him know if I wanted to run that sled and if I wanted him to have a sled bag made for it. How awesome !
Way to go Jan. Sounds like it was very exciting run. Jeff
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you had quite an adventurous first day!
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