Iditarod 37 -- Restart at Willow

This is the real thing!  Mushers, dogs, and spectators are more serious.  Willow is about an hour and a half north of Anchorage by car.  The volunteers arrived at about 10:00 AM for a 2:00 PM start. 

This gave us a chance to see the dog trucks arrive.  Here you see a pretty typical vehicle -- some are fancier, some are pretty basic.

Here you can see that these dogs are really not very big.  They weigh an average of 50 pounds, but they are focused and tough -- truly amazing animals.  Scientists have discovered that sled dogs are capable of greater endurance than previously thought.  Research conducted by Michael Davis, a vet at Oklahoma State's Center for Veterinary Health Sciences has demonstrated that sled dog physiology is superior to other mamals in three key areas.  They have a huge aerobic capacity, adapt well to exercise, and are highly efficient in their use of food -- particularly fat -- as fuel.  

After a few days on the trail, the dogs develop an enhanced ability to pull nutrients out of the blood stream so that exercise that was energy depleting on the first day is sustainable on day 4.  To quote Davis, "at that exercise level, with proper nutrition, it renders the dogs (almost) fatigue-proof."  They can only make this adaptation if they get sufficient calories  ''... upward of 12,000 calories a day"  (compare that with Michael Phelps at three times the weight of a sled dog and consuming 8,000 to 10,000 calories a day when training).  This research was presented at the American Physiological Society last year and is accessible on the web for anyone interested.

We CAN be patient

...but now we're ready to GO!

Nothing will stop us now...

... and they're off.

Here is Dee Dee Jonrowe heading for Nome (this is her 27th Iditarod)

... and Jeff King

... and Lance Mackey

 So far this has been Lance Mackey's race.  He is at least 5 hours out in front of the pack with 15 dogs.  He commented to one of the interviewers that he really doesn't need all 15 to get to Nome, and that it is more work for him to feed, bootie, and prepare beds for so many dogs. However, he feels that as long as his dogs are in good shape they deserve to stay with him to the finish.  He also noted that in the "vet checks" that all dogs go though at checkpoints, the only deficiency a vet pointed out was that one of his dog's toenails were slightly too long.  Mackey said he "... laughed hysterically".

Of course this is a sled dog race and anything could happen.  I heard on the news report this morning that a musher fell asleep on his sled and was picked up on the trail by another musher who returned him to his team which had continued on down the trail.  As Cowboy Jim says in the Iditarod Trail Song Its a gruelin' race with a lightnin' pace ...