It's All About the Dogs

Running the Mid Distance Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon
Day 95, December 5, 2010
Team Buzzsaw / Stewart Taylor Printing

Today was the best day of the 95 I have spent working, thinking and living this sport. It was good because I finally understand what this sport is; It's about the dogs. It's about connecting and understanding with each dog in your team and what that dog is doing and how that will affect him later in the run. Timing, holding them back, slowing them down, letting them run....there's a feel and a science to running dogs. I don't have that feel yet, but I do understand that it is there. I understand now that it is truly about the dogs. It is about becoming one with your team and working together to accomplish the perfect run, with the perfect speed, with a true feel of what that speed is suppose to be. Conditions of the trail, the weather, the hills....both up and down. You have to feel the run as your dogs would feel it and run them accordingly. It's about the dogs. It's not about winning or even running in a race. Take care of your dogs and you will enjoy your run.