Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Taking a Rest

Mike and the dogs have made it to Takotna where they will take their 24 hour break.  I am so impressed with their performance.  If you look at Mike's run times they are nearly as fast as the fastest teams in the race.  I can tell that Mike is running carefully and making sure the dogs get what they need.  This has allowed him to bring all 16 dogs to this point in the race. 



Mike got to Takotna t 1:22 PM on Wednesday, which means he will not leave until nearly 3 PM Thursday.  This will give all of us Iditarod junkies a chance to rest.  For Mike and the dogs, this will also be a chance to rest.  Mike will be feeding the dogs lots of kibble, meats, and fats and stretching and massaging them. 

Photo Sebastian Schnuelle

Photo Sebastian Schnuelle

Mike was asked at our meet and greet whether he gets a chance to bathe during the race.  Sorry Maria, there will be no shower on the agenda in Takotna.  Mike says that 3 days worth of dog stink adds 10 degrees of warmth. 

Photo Sebastian Schnuelle

I look forward to a good night's sleep without temptation to hit refresh on the computer or guilt over thinking about Mike's sleep deprivation.  It begins again tomorrow when Mike will cross to Ophir and turn North towards Cripple.  These will be long runs as he moves towards the Yukon River. 

2 comments:

  1. Mike, You're looking great. I'm so excited for you and your team. Mush on!!!!
    Mary Ellen
    Following from Maine

    ReplyDelete
  2. Keep going Mike!!! We're all with you... and with your dogs of-course! We're watching you all the way from Switzerland!

    ReplyDelete