I have been gone  from home since Monday the 7th of January.
I left on the Morning of the 7th and arrived in Lincoln on Tuesday night. The Seeley race started on Friday. It was a drastic change in weather as it has been a cold fall in Yelleoknife so far this winter.
The race went well. I decided that I would not "race" and simply go on a 200 mile training rune. I plugged in 6 "new dogs" to the team to see how they ran here. I left out 6 of my best- Edenei, Lena, Dobie, Apache, Maynard and  Goblin. The dogs did well, 200 mile races are generally very competive so if I really wanted to go for a win, I would have run my best 12. as it happened, I finished only about a 1/2 hour behind my buddy Tom Thurston, he has a number of Swingley dogs and really was going for the win. One of his leaders is a Ricky X Filbert son- Tony he was very impressive.That is an amazing combination, that does not surface very often.
I ran the first 100 miles sstraight through, having to stop at the fist check point to check in and bag check, It cost me a but of time that was not put towards my "mandatory rest" , so in the end I had to make it up, again.
I also stopped  for a 20 minute break on the trail, to break up the run, in hind site--- Always 20-20.. I should not have stopped, because it did not count twards my final rest.
I have to break trail for 50 miles towards Lincoln- My dogs perform best in adverse conditions.I have a good run over and still posted decent times.
I rested 6 hours in Lincoln and rand back to the whitetail ranch for another 4 hours rest. I had a late starting position, so I only could take the 10 hours of rest ( as opposed to the fist team taking 11 1/2 hours to make up for the start differential.)

The dogs were a little sick  on the run in from the whitetail th Seeley , but seemed to recover on the run and really speed up in the last 12 miles or so, clocking 5 minute miles!.
Finishing so close to the leaders, and having a very fast finish, and finishing with 12  was a great way to polish off the training run. I  established that some of the spare tires I have are maybe not the best in 2- or 300 mile races but will be great in Iditarod. they ate well, did not need booties and had a great attitude.

I am now working on Food drops, and will be doing 200 mile camping trips, first one will be tommorow( Depart Sunday back home on Monday night. )
I will keep you all appraised.


Warren