The wait was almost painful. Those hours spent in the truck with the dogs felt like years. It was really that long, I guess, but it still felt far longer then it was.
Once I got to Anchorage, I got a good look at the competition. I saw several men with sledges of pure bred Huskies and Malamutes. There was a woman wearing a large furred hood with a team of mix bred dogs on one side of the camp.
I was directed to a tent on the far side of the camp and began to settle down. Most of the dogs were told to sleep outside. I let my dogs stay with me in the warmth of the tent. My sledge wasn't half as fancy and new looking as the others. But, it was my Dad's so hopefully it'll bring me some of his luck...and not his bad luck.
I woke up early so that I could get ready. After getting changed and getting the dogs into their harnesses, I came to the, suddenly, realisation that I was about to run the Iditarod Dog Race.
It was cold but not to bitter. I got the
Sledge ready and got to the start line. There was a huge start sign above the start line with the words 'The Last Great Race, 1049 miles, Iditarod Trail Race, Start'. Above this where many different colourful flags. And, all the dogs.
There were so many different breeds and colours. They leapt up and down, raced back and forth and barked up to the heavens. I closed my eyes. 1...2...3... Go.