Your First Race

You’ve entered the race and now you’re there. Make sure you attend the Mushers Meeting. Useful information on the trails will be provided by your Rally Organiser. If you can, and have the time and the energy, it is always useful to walk or cycle the trail beforehand.

Park your vehicle carefully, with concern for others and the surroundings. You may want to stake out your team, in which case, look for a spot where they can do least damage and well away from passing teams and vehicles. Always clear up after you. Chances are the Rally Organiser lives close by, so don’t let him have to deal with complaints from the locals after the event. Think of others, both at the rally venue and out on the trail.

Now, take a look around you and find some friendly faces. They’ll all be there, gossiping dogs and techniques, get to know your fellow competitors. Introduce yourself, offer to help the Rally Organiser and they’ll be your friend for life.

It’s nearly time! Remember to prepare carefully and methodically. Your rig will have been checked by the Scrutineers when you arrived (remember to take the required equipment up to the Scrutineer early – it’s one less thing to think about later on). Check what you need. Take a spare lead with you – you might be grateful of this as well as you Snub Line. A coat in case. Gloves if you are that way inclined. Check the course surface with the Rally Organiser and decide whether to boot or not to boot your dogs.

Be in good time at the Start point, but don’t arrive there too early. Your dogs will not be at their best if they have spent the last fifteen minutes howling at each and every other team starting off, keep them well back until their allotted time. But on the other hand, make sure you jolly well are there and within hearing distance of the proceedings.

Don’t flap – you’ve checked everything previously, so all you have to do now is concentrate on where you are going. Check lines and clips as you put the dogs into the lines. A two dog team need not be clipped in until, at most, one minute to start, better still 30 seconds. This may sound an incredibly short time, but it will be enough. If you feel happier, ask for help from the other team managers and support staff to hitch up. Better too many than not enough. The less time the dogs are stripping their pads at the start line the better.

Mentally prepare yourself and make sure you are comfortable. Remember this is NOT the start of the Iditarod. Let sense rule the proceedings.

Your dogs are ready, you are ready, and all you can do now is to wait for the Time Keeper to get ready. Concentrate on the Start line and listen. Keep an ear on the countdown and then you’re off! You will begin to realise what it is all about. Best of luck!

Date:01 Oct 2000