Hi Everyone,
What an exciting time in the race. The winner will be in soon. Who do you think will win? It’s going to be a close race all the way to the finish.
Anyway, I thought this would be a good time to bring up setting and achieving goals again. (If you just started reading the Zuma blog during the race, you can read about goal setting by going to K-9 Gypsy reporter and go to the goal setting articles that were previously posted.) What do you think leaders Lance Mackey’s and Jeff Kings goals were when they started the race? Do you think it was to win? What kind of plan do you think they had to meet their goals?
Not everyone’s goal is to win. I’ve had several comments the past few days from readers who have been disappointed that their musher isn’t in the lead. Most mushers are in the race for the personal goal of finishing the race. If they have run the race more than once, their goal may be to finish this race faster than they finished in the past. So If your musher is in 50th or 60th or 70th place, don’t be worried or think they aren’t doing well. They may be meeting the goal they set for themselves.
If you are following a musher, I’m sure you have done some research on him or her. Did they say what their goal may be. If not, what do you think their goal is? Is it to win? Is it to finish? Or something else?
Mushers decide early what their goal is going to be. Then they make a race plan. This plan is usually made several months before the race. This plan includes, when they hope to be at certain checkpoints, how long they will rest, when and where they will take their 24 hour mandatory stop. Once the plan is made, they will decide what and how much to pack in each drop bag. The drop bags going to the 24 hour rest checkpoint will have more supplies in it than a drop bag going to a checkpoint that the musher isn’t planning on staying long at. So the plan affects all parts of the race and is very important.
What could keep a musher from reaching his or her goal? Think about some of the things you have learned during the race. Could weather or trail conditions affect the goal? Illness? Injury? What else?
How are the goals you made for yourself coming along? My goal to be a leader on my team is going slowly. I have been running as a swing dog and I have learned so much. Remember, I wanted to make my goal by next fall, so I’ll just keep showing my human what I have learned and hopefully, I’ll get to try lead really soon.
Hope you continue to enjoy the race. Remember when the winner comes in, the race is not over. There are many mushers still on the trail hoping to reach their goals.
Happy trails,
Gypsy
25 Comments
Konnichiwa from M. C. Perry School in Iwakuni, Japan. We are tracking our mushers on the Iditarod race. We want to know why Rodney Whaley scratched out. Was it because his dogs were too tired?
Did you ever run in the Iditarod? If you did, who was your musher? How old are you?
We are also working on the Idita-Read program. Some of the students have already read all the way to Nome!
Keep on mushing and be warm! Second Graders
My musher is in fourth place Zuma! WoooooHooooo! Eric
I know that every musher must take a 24 and 8 hour stop. I also know why a musher needs to take his or her 24 our stop. But, what I don’t know is why a musher needs to take a 8 hour stop. Well, got to go, BYE BYE!
Lots of smiles,
Regan P.S. Keep on rock
You really are a cute dog.What is your favorite color?Is it hard answering peopl’s questions?You are cute just like the dog I used to have
your new friend ,
Mikaela
Thank you Mikaela, My favorite color is blue. Sometimes, I have to look up information before answering a question. It’s been lots of fun to read the comments and letters from everyone. Gypsy
Hi there in Alaska!
This year I’ve had a real great time following the Race; every morning the first thing I do is to look at the positions ! Great to follow them by the GPS. Of course I follow the Norwegians Backen and Ekran with special interest! But also the fight around First Place ! Thanks for alle the interesting reports and nice photos.
Åshild
Hi Ashild, Thanks for writing. I’m glad you are having fun following the race. Gypsy
hi its kyla again and we told all our friends about the Iditirod and now they are interested in the race too. I wish you could come to our school. But we are clear in Southern Nebraska.
P.S I wish you the best in the future!
love Kyla and Derek
Hi Kyla and Derek, I glad you enjoy following the race. I wish I could visit your school also but you are a little far from where I live. Look on a map so you can see how far New Hampshire is from Nebraska. Thanks for writing. Gypsy
Dear Zuma,
Hi. My name is Lauren. I am in second grade. My teacher is Mrs. Hyzy. We go to Walnut Trails Elementary School in Illinois. Our class has been in the newspaper, Paw Pals, because we write to our class dogs. The newspaper lady is coming back to take more pictures for the paper because she thinks it is cool that we follow the Iditarod.
Are you sad that you have to stay home instead of going to headquarters?
Make sure you check out Paw Pals.
Your New Friend,
Lauren
Hi Lauren, Sounds like your class is having lots of fun following the race. I am sad about staying home this year but my human says that we should be able to go next year.
Thanks for writing. Gypsy
My musher Kelly Griffen she is doing pretty well in the race she might not be first but I am still proud of her its getting late Bye Bye ashley
ps you are so cute
pss your keyboard maid for you is the cuteist
Hi ashley, sounds like you are enjoying the race. Keep following your musher. Gypsy
hi zuma, great job Lance Mackey.but i voted for scott smith i thought he would win and come in first but not.danielle
My guy is in second place. I’m having fun following the race. I am from Kelly Lane School. I like writing to you alot. What kind of feeling to you get when you get the comments? I bet you feel happy. I have another question, what is your favorite food to eat? That’s all I got to say. Kristal
Hi Kristal, I do like getting comments. My favorite food is my doggie kibble with salmon soup on it. Have fun following the race. Gypsy
My musher came in 11th place yahoooooooo! Madison
So, I was wondering how long it took you to get to Nome on your first time in the Iditarod???
I have never been to Nome as I have never run the Iditarod. I’m a K-9 reporter who runs on a recreational team. Gypsy
hi me and my brother Derek have been following the race since day one. WE admire all the the dogs who run the race.
Hey, I’m glad you are enjoying the race. Gypsy
My name is Heather. I can’t belive that Lance Macky won the race! He won it last year! The person that I am following (Heather can you guess why I picked her?) is in 77th place right now. Not bad I guess. Shes doing ok I guess.
The Iditarod race is soooooooooooooo AWESOME!
Keep following your musher and enjoying the race. Gypsy
Hi Gypsy!
Are you really mrs. Kristines dog? Does your handler
work at regional hospital in the field of dentistry? Yes, I’m Dr. Robert Kieth Smith II MD ’s girl. Hi mrs. Kristine! Just don’ttell him I have an email account.
Sorry, I’m not Mrs. Kristines dog. You must be thinking of another Gypsy. Gypsy
Speaking of “goals”, I have to hand it to Blake and Jennifer Freking in this year’s race. First off, Siberian Huskies are s-l-o-o-w by 2008 doggy standards, but Jennifer and Blake run them anyway quite probably because they love them every bit as much as I do - though in that special Red Lantern sort of way
Secondly, Jennifer’s racing with a broken hand thanks to an incident in a previous race, and lastly - a snowmobile ran straight through her team as they camped out on the Yukon ice, killing her dog ‘Loren’ and doubtlessly doing a number on the morale of the both the Frekings and their dogs.
With all of that (and probably more we’re not privy to) - they kept their ‘goal’ of reaching the burled archway intact, and continue to soldier on in pursuit of that goal. Despite the ongoing modernization of the race into a high-tech, high stakes, professional sport — mushers like Freking will always be what the Iditarod’s about to me.
Andy Hill, Vancouver B.C.
Hi Andy, Jennifer Freking has certainly overcome unbelievable obstacles to reach her goal. The Siberian teams are in the middle of the pack. A full team of Siberians may never win the Iditarod, but that is not the goal the Siberian mushers have set for themselves. Thanks for writing. Gypsy
Hey I love the story of goals, my musher is in 296th but she is meeting her own goal. Keep Rockin!
Paige
Hi Paige, thanks for reading and writing. I’m glad you understand that goals can be for something other than winning. Keep following your musher. Gypsy
I can’t belive the 2008 Iditarod is coming to an end. I still think someone is in the begining.I’m I right or i’m I wrong. I think i’m right…..RIGHT.Sorry I went WILD. Well I think the 2008 Iditarod is going to to be the BEST EVER,don’t you? Well Zuma the 2008 Iditarod is almost to an end. Bye Zuma’see you later
the first person is in Nome. I’m still thinking the first person is NOT going to win,for some reason, but i don’t know why. Do you?
I am glad Lance Mackey won the iditarod 2 times in a row. He finshed with 11 dogs!!!!
WOW! My musher was Art Church Jr but he drop out.:( Whos is your Musher?
Sincerly,
John
Why can’t you carry a dog in a basket. why can’t you help others? Why can’t you take medicine. why do you have to let people pass?
Hi, just like in all sports, there are rules that have to be followed. The rules made to provide safety and fairness. Not everyone is going to agree with every rule but they must be followed by everyone. Gypsy
Hows it going? Guess what?! My musher is in 19th place. But sadly Lance Mackey won. He was obviesly not my musher.
Your new friend,
Lexi
It’s very fun learning about the Iditarod!Can you really write?
Did you ever race in the Iditarod before?Well ruff,ruff!(Well good bye)
Hi, I’m glad you are having fun learning about the Iditarod. I type on a special keyboard. I also howl my story to my human and she helps me type. Gypsy
What is your favoriate part of being with dogs?
Since I am a dog, I like playing with my kennel mates much like you like playing with your human friends. But my favorite thing to do is to run on my family team. Gypsy
Yo dawg,
What’s you’re fave part of the Iditarod?
I love hearing all the stories coming from the trail. Gypsy