Incredible dogs--coming into Tal Vista 150 miles !Can you find my missing dog? There are supposed to be 11 !
Well I managed to get sleep...thanks to ambien...woke up early and did the last minute preparations and then we loaded up the dogs and off we went. We got there plenty early and I started the process of packing my sled. I laid out a tarp and everything was laid out on it. Being first at the start was quite a bit of pressure on me. I wanted to have time to actually walk out to the start and look it over. It has a nasty near 90 degree turn and a burm to go over on the inside of the turn...and I know that turn well as it dumped me last year and I drug for a quarter of a mile (or so it seemed !)
The race marshal came over and started talking with me and he was very long winded...I wanted to concentrate on my getting ready as I was already feeling the pressure. I had to be ready at 10:00 sharp or go to the end of the line and we had a musher's meeting that we had to attend. I was worried about the length of the musher's meeting. I got the sled packed and then started laying out the harnesses for the dogs. I had a friend helping and it ended up that he got some of the harnesses mixed up and he booted up the dogs....which I usually don't want anyone to do. I have learned from past experience that I like to be the one responsible for the booties when they come flying off...
Me and Roan...one of my wheel dogs
(myteam is to the left in the background...Amber is looking at us)
Well, it was really stressful start, just getting to it on time. A snow machine came and hooked up to my snow hook to help control the team and we made our way to the start. Then off I go...across the street and then the sharp turn...which my left runner was soon up on that burm and with a death grip on the sled, I dump ! But it was different from last year...lol...I would have loved to see the footage...I could see people running to help and I immediately flipped my sledand we were off and running. Ted later told me that he saw my head disappear and then it popped right back up.
Kathy was told about my dump...lol...and with that on her mind she too dumped her sled, however she drug for a while and was helped with herteam as she up righted her sled and continued down the trail. When we got to the first check point we shared out experiences and had a good laugh.
Being out in front has its pluses and minuses but I didn't need to worry about that as it didn't take too long before my first pass...actually I was kind of relieved as now my dogs had a scent to follow. I didn't' take it to heart with all of the passes...I was expecting that. This race was full of Iditarod veterans who have grown up on runners and who have rather large kennels and incredible dogs to choose from. They are known for their speed.
The sad part of this race was all the pressure that the race marshal had put on us few rookies. For me personally it took most of the joy out of day one. The concern was for my dogs...I was going to be pushing them harder than I ever would have. We were going to run 75 miles with just short breaks of quick snacks. No camping. The other lingering worry was knowing that we would be withdrawn if we didn't average 8 mph. That was a real stress for me. It got to where I was thinking that even if I don't qualify on this race, I want the opportunity to finish it. I did not want to be withdrawn. I was already going through dialog in my head as to what I would have said to the race marshal to convince him to let me stay in the race if he was to withdraw me.
I just lost an hours worth of blogging ! How frustrating...I had you all the way to Tal Vista. I will continue again later.
The race marshal came over and started talking with me and he was very long winded...I wanted to concentrate on my getting ready as I was already feeling the pressure. I had to be ready at 10:00 sharp or go to the end of the line and we had a musher's meeting that we had to attend. I was worried about the length of the musher's meeting. I got the sled packed and then started laying out the harnesses for the dogs. I had a friend helping and it ended up that he got some of the harnesses mixed up and he booted up the dogs....which I usually don't want anyone to do. I have learned from past experience that I like to be the one responsible for the booties when they come flying off...
Me and Roan...one of my wheel dogs(my
Kathy was told about my dump...lol...and with that on her mind she too dumped her sled, however she drug for a while and was helped with her
Being out in front has its pluses and minuses but I didn't need to worry about that as it didn't take too long before my first pass...actually I was kind of relieved as now my dogs had a scent to follow. I didn't' take it to heart with all of the passes...I was expecting that. This race was full of Iditarod veterans who have grown up on runners and who have rather large kennels and incredible dogs to choose from. They are known for their speed.
The sad part of this race was all the pressure that the race marshal had put on us few rookies. For me personally it took most of the joy out of day one. The concern was for my dogs...I was going to be pushing them harder than I ever would have. We were going to run 75 miles with just short breaks of quick snacks. No camping. The other lingering worry was knowing that we would be withdrawn if we didn't average 8 mph. That was a real stress for me. It got to where I was thinking that even if I don't qualify on this race, I want the opportunity to finish it. I did not want to be withdrawn. I was already going through dialog in my head as to what I would have said to the race marshal to convince him to let me stay in the race if he was to withdraw me.
I just lost an hours worth of blogging ! How frustrating...I had you all the way to Tal Vista. I will continue again later.
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