This is the time of year when one season begins to wane and another begins to bloom. It’s time to transform wondering into doing. That can only mean one thing; it’s Iditarod training season. It’s the time of year when Iditarod teams begin to get prepared to compete in the 2010 version “The Last Great Race on Earth.” Mushers will begin walking through their kennels and (earnestly) begin the process of assessment. Which members of the kennel will ultimately be a part of “the team?”
4 Time Iditarod Champion Martin Buser refers to this transference in an interesting way. He talks about how his priorities begin to narrow intensely as he begins to count down the days to race start.
“You start out the year with your priorities ranging from your family, to your friends, to your kennel and finally to yourself. As you begin the process of training for the Iditarod your focus begins to grow more intense until that moment when your focus… your priority… is only about as wide as the runners of the sled you’re standing on, and as long as the team that is stretched out in front of you.” Says Buser.
Like each competitor in the field (and the field is very deep), Buser has to begin assessing logistics, training schedules, team make ups, and a huge list of “What Ifs.” The What Ifs” are all those unknowns that range from training injuries to weather conditions to trail conditions.
This year’s rookie class will also be focused. The 20 rookies that have signed up for the 2010 Iditarod represent the first class that has to have completed their mandatory qualifiers prior to signing up for the race. But they know the Iditarod is not like any other race they’ve ever run. For this rookie class, the ability to prepare, and be prepared for anything that they might confront is will undoubtedly be a very big part of their training schedule. For Iditarod rookies the race narrows down to working toward and implementing a plan to finish the race in a competitive manner keeping safety at the top of the priority list.
Another big part of preparing for the 2010 Iditarod for all mushers is their ability to develop their own mental toughness. They’re accountable to and for their team. They are the coach, the dietary technician, the veterinary technician, the navigator, and the group counselor. That training is probably the toughest training of all. But it’s the kind of training that will take many teams in this year’s field to Front Street in Nome Alaska, as official Iditarod Finishers.
The season is changing and the time to prepare draws near… March 6th 2010 can’t get here fast enough!
4 Time Iditarod Champion Martin Buser gets down to business quickly at the Finger Lake Checkpoint. (March 2009) Image captured by Iditarod Insider