Preparing for the Iditarod

My name is Tarah. I am from Takotna, Alaska and I grew up with one dog. I got my first real sled when I was 12 and the first time I rode it I crashed in to a garbage can and killed my neighbor's cat.

I am 21 years old. I've raced in the Iditarod 3 times and the closest I've come to winning is 13th place. Last year I received the Red Lantern Award and I was slightly discouraged. I asked one of the volunteers personally if I could have bib number 49, due to Alaska being the 49th satae, to see if it would give me better luck this year.

The first thing I did to prepare for the Iditarod is find several different breeders to order 18 dogs. I only use 16 of the dogs but I always but more than I need in case any of them get injured before the race begins. I always have my dogs with my family while I race. My two younger siblings train them with my old sled.

Next, I usually go to a specialty store to purchase harnesses and booties. I always buy new booties for m dogs each year because the current booties are always weathered down too much to use next year. I also buy Red Paw dog food because it increases muscle mass, energy and endurance.

Next, I go to REI to get nice thick clothing to keep me warm in the Iditarod. Then, I look to see what obstacles I should avoid. The first thing to keep in mind is you want to drop any unnecessary weight in Shaktoolik because you'll soon be crossing a section of an ocean and you don't want to go through the ice. Another thing to be cautious about is trees since they're all over the course.

Now I must go get some sleep so I can fly into Anchorage tomorrow morning.