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Journey Continues
August 16, 2006
“Though no one can go back and make
a brand new start, anyone
can start from now and make a brand new ending.” - Carl Bard
I love beginnings. They are full of such hope and promise. I took
a class from a professor who started every student with an “A”
average. It was then up to us to either keep the A or lose it. I love
the attitude and in that vein we started training a championship team
last Sunday morning.
The first run of the season is always interesting. Everyone has been
lying around since last March, playing couch potato and getting bored.
Then the temperatures drop and anticipation starts to build. Every
morning it is the same question. “Is it time yet?” I start
getting things ready – check the 4-wheeler, check the truck
and dog box, load harnesses, lines, poop bucket, etc. into the dog
box and with every step the anticipation builds. Finally the answer
is “yes” and I could not create more excitement walking
through Anchorage passing out $100 bills.
Even though 7 of 9, Java, Worf,
and Quark are not part of the team, I can’t stand to look at
them and tell them they can’t run. At 9 years old, with a chronic
left wrist problem, 7 of 9 bounces up and down like a puppy waiting
to go. It would take the Grinch himself to leave her behind. We always
start short and slow on the 4-wheeler, building muscle to protect
the joints. As long as these guys can keep up and want to run, I’ll
let them go. When Bonnie joins us and brings her 6 we have 27 dogs
to run, and split them into two very nice teams.
To avoid the heat I am training early in the morning, before sunrise.
To stay in the neighborhood I load the dogs the night before and they
sleep in their boxes. With all the rain we’ve been having that
isn’t a bad idea anyway. At 4 am I’m up, brush my teeth,
grab breakfast and meet Bonnie at the track at 5.
Eric watering
the dogs after the first run of the 2006 / 2007 season.
From the left it is Sisco, Dukat, Basil, Dijon, Throttle.
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You would not believe the commotion
as we unload the truck. All the excitement and carrying on, trying
hard to remember how this is done. And that is just the people! Some
of the dogs are so excited they try to harness themselves –
frequently upside down and backwards ;-). Finally the dogs are harnessed,
the 4-wheelers ready and the lines laid out. If you thought it was
crazy before you should see the dogs as we hook them up. Each person
can only take one dog at a time, and everyone left behind is desperate
to go. We get all the dogs lined out and they are bounding up and
down like demented pogo sticks. “We got to go, Dad.” “We
got to go now, Dad.” We release the snub lines and you wouldn’t
believe the difference. All the noise and jumping is instantly converted
to forward motion and we are off. This is what it is all about.
The run itself was uneventful, the mark of professional dogs. We only
ran two miles and paused half way for a breather. It was 53 degrees
and everyone was hot. They got a quick bowl of cold water when we
returned, then time to cool off before breakfast. Rosemary and Thyme,
two new dogs, were too excited to eat breakfast and will be hungry
tomorrow. This is something I need to work on. The dogs need to learn
to eat when food is put in front of them to avoid getting too thin
during Iditarod.
Keep ‘em Northbound
Eric
© 2006 All rights reserved
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