Knik 200 - Pre-Race Notes

Our first attempt at a qualifier is the Knik 200 starting on Jan 3.
This is a 200 mile race from the Knik bar out to Skwentna Roadhouse for
a 6 hour mandatory lay-over and then back to the Knik bar.

The team is looking good, but we are not as conditioned as I would like
to be. There are several reasons for this. 1. The dog truck took some
extra attention in Sept. 2. I have several rookies, so we stayed at
smaller teams for awhile in order to teach everyone how to run together
and what they are supposed to do. This required some extra attention.

The plan is to run a very conservative race, with the goal of finishing
and hopefully within qualifying time.

We will run about half way out and camp for 4 hours and then run the
other have into Skwentna for the mandatory 6 hour rest. Then do the
exact same thing on the way back. I plan to carry straw on the way out
for the 4 hour break and use the same straw on the return trip. This
way the straw is already spread out and can be used a second time
without having to carry more straw.

The team will be: Bear, Luna, Gabby, Amizette, Timber, Zia, Hawkeye,
Lasar, Thursby, Chypers, Tolby and Mae. Velma will be an alternate if
someone gets injured in the next week. The race rules state you can run
a max of 16 dogs, but for my first distance race in a couple of years, I
will stick to 12. I have been running 14 dogs on sleds.

Apollo is still out with a shoulder injury. Bogey is back from his
shoulder injury, but only up to 15 mile runs and Alli just hurt hershoulder/back in the Chugiak 50 Race we just ran this weekend.