Alaska's Last Great Race | Golden Skate

Alaska's Last Great Race

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
We're down to just over 7 days until it's my favorite time of year again. To save Golden Skate from being inundated with the vitrol and misinformation of spammers that hit my posts every year, I just wanted to let you know that you can follow the race on my blog (or better yet their official website, which I will link shortly on my blog, so that, again this post doesn't get hit with stupidity causing mods non-skating headaches LOL). I have updated with lists of the teams to watch - broken up by gender just because it was too big to post all together. I will try to blog as much as possible during the 2 weeks it should be going on... so long as it doesn't interfere with my job (still waiting for word back on my taking the offer. I know this is busy crunch time, but they waited to the last minute not me lol).

blog address: http://tonichelle.blogspot.com - you don't have to sign up or sign in to comment, and I hope you do participate and give feedback!
 

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
heading out tonight to catch the action this weekend. blogging will end until Sunday evening (late) will try to tweet and facebook but can't be sure how much time I'll have...

I D I T A R O D is here!
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
I'm looking forward to seeing you back on GS, but meanwhile, I'm enjoying reading your FAQ about the history. I knew about Seppala and Togo, because we wrote about them for an educational project. It's great to know that it's Togo who's the mascot for the race, though of course Balto is a wonderful story as well. (I've seen the statue of Balto in New York, and it's quite impressive.) One thing that always amazes me about the story (besides the terrain and the temperature, of course) is the fact that in January, when the original run took place, it would have been night most of the time the dogs and mushers were on the trail. A heartstopping thought. Yet no lives were lost in the race, man or dog, isn't that correct? You folk up there must be made of different materials from us pantywaists down in the Lower Forty-Eight.

You write wonderfully, by the way: your prose is very clear and vivid, yet sinewy. You're going to be such a star in your new job. Remember to link us so we can follow your exploits and those of your mushing family and their team(s).
 
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Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
If dogs died during that serum relay run, I don't think it was recorded. Dog teams still typically run at night. The cooler temps are better for them. If the mushers get too tired or cold they run alongside or behind the sled... or they ski-pole :) Dallas Seavey does this quite a bit, and he's in first place with just about two days before the finish.
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
Cooler temps? You mean, cooler than zero Fahrenheit? Cooler than forty below? Whatever your answer is, I'm agog. What amazing dogs and humans.

Go, Dallas Seavey!
 

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
The dogs like to run between -10* and about 5 above Fahrenheit. For the dogs above teh arctic circle or west coast, they like it even colder... like -20
 

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
DALLAS WON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :rock: I am so excited for him!
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
Hope you get to watch your other sport, skating, sometime!

Does Dallas know that he has a whole bunch of fans from the skating world?
 

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
I'm not sure! He's gotten a TON of fans over this last race, and I don't know if he's even slept yet. He actually doesn't give me TOO much of a hard time about figure skating - which is surprising. The Seavey's are very athletic and competitive and gymnastics was a sport a few of them did for a while so I think that helps... but man the costumes are definitely a turn off for Dallas. THAT he'd give me a hard time about...

Also I know one of the BIG arguments that the anti-race people make are that the mushers sit fat and happy while the dogs do all the work. That may have been 40 years ago, but most of the mushers have at least a little athletic ability. Most (in the case of the guys) are smaller than the average male (on par size wize, I think, with figure skaters actually). Dallas actually RUNS or "paddles" (that's where they kick and push with one foot) or "skipole" (use ski poles to push). He worked hard. Mushers also do not sleep or eat regularly or well... teh dogs eat and snack on a schedule and they sleep on a schedule at LEAST four hours, normally more like six. Until the very end Dallas rested his team on average six hours every time they stopped. Dallas MAYBE got half an hour sleep on those short rests. He slept a little bit whenever he took his mandatory rests but that's only after the dogs are cared for and fed.

I made this graphic to show the difference 9 days on the trail for the human makes (the dogs look so much better!)
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/419344_10150728493820664_733500663_11601638_21589068_n.jpg
 
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