The start date of Iditarod XXXVII is quickly approaching. Race organizers are attending to the last minute details of the Last Great Race.  The food bags have been sorted and distributed along the trail.  Mushers have their dogs in the “taper” phase of training.  Just like human distance runners they prepare for racing by putting in lots of mileage early in the season and then when it gets close to race time they significantly decrease mileage, saving energy for the big race.

The same is true of us in the Iditarod Education Department.  The Target^TM 2010 Iditarod Teacher on the Trail finalists are preparing for their 10-day, 24/7 interviews in Anchorage.  Diane Johnson, Iditarod Education Director, is putting the final touches on the Winter Conference with all of its fine speakers and fun field trips.  I have had a wonderfully busy time visiting schools in the Wasilla area, where I have been sharing Iditarod songs and stories with the children.

And now it is time for me to put on my real winter gear and cover my first race.  I have the distinct honor of covering the Junior Iditarod.  The Junior is a 150-mile race for mushers 14 to 17.  The trail stretches over the first 85 miles of the main Iditarod Trail to Yentna Station, where competitors are required to take a 10-hour layover, before returning home the next day.  The race is designed to teach young mushers how to travel long distances with their dog teams-a stepping-stone to the real Iditarod.  Follow these young mushers with me right here as we see how this year’s race unfolds.  Start time is 10 a.m., Saturday, February 28.