“All the, small things.” – Blink 182 (caution: earworm potential)
A 1000-mile or a 350-mile race, those are big numbers, awesome achievements. Often we focus on the miles that have been traveled or the speeds maintained (or not), but what are some of the small things that help each athlete achieve or at least attempt these awe-inspiring feats? Like motivations for doing the race, many small things are unique to individual racers, but there are some common practices that you learn through experience.
For example, food and water. We’ve shared about the various food motivations and calorie needs. Food becomes more important than almost anyone who hasn’t experienced food insecurity can imagine. People have different metrics for ensuring they eat and drink. Some calculate their expected caloric expenditure and then how much they’ll be able to take in throughout the day and will parse out exactly what they’ll consume and when. There are others (perhaps like myself) who are less methodical but will commit to drinking every hour or taking in calories every two hours. And those foods will be whatever sounds good at the time. Diversity is key because taste for many foods sour along the trail. Peanut butter pretzels taste good on day two but by day 10 they are sawdust in the mouth, and one is tempted to feed them to the ground squirrels.
Everything must be done with intention. From the beginning, well before the race, you pack your gear carefully. You practice with it. Much like soldiers developing muscle memory for military exercises, athletes must do the same with their gear. When weariness and the cold take over, your body must almost act without thought. I know my extra-big puffy jacket and puffy pants are in the yellow bag. When I stop to bivy at night, I do some jumping jacks to get the body warm. I put on that puffy jacket and pants and then I stomp down the snow, lay down the ground tarp, set out my bivy sack with my sleeping bag already in it. Everyone has their own routine or ritual, the small things that ensure gear doesn’t get lost, skin doesn’t freeze, rest can be had.
Mental games are constantly played along the trail. Assessing is this a good bivy spot? Is it protected from the wind? Off any type of trail? Are spruce boughs nearby? Is it off a cold spot like a river or lake? If the winds are high and it’s cold, where can I go to the bathroom? Is there any place that’s protected? Do I have a good sight line for snowmachines or dog teams?
For our athletes now, they are constantly assessing how to move and operate in high winds and frigid temperatures. The National Weather Service issued another Severe Weather Alert today. A wind chill advisory is in effect until 1pm AKDT on Wednesday with dangerously cold wind chills that could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes. North winds of 15 to 30 mph are expected along the West Coast with the strongest winds and lowest visibility from the north at Shaktoolik and between White Mountain and Safety. Each racer will have to determine how to deal with this cold and wind within their own boundaries of safety and feelings of preparedness. Does it mean foregoing eating and drinking and just pushing through as fast as one can, or waiting out the cold until the afternoon when it’s less severe?
We already know that Miron and Tyson faced a harrowing journey to Koyuk late last night. They pushed through a serious headwind and brutal temperatures. This stretch has been described as some of the most intense experiences on the Iditarod Trail. The winds can be so strong as to snatch bikes right out of the hands of riders, and any loose gear, forget about it! Lost to the wind and the sea ice without another thought.
Miron and Tyson have made the wise pledge to travel together. It’s not always about winning. It is simply just surviving. That’s not hyperbole. It’s a fact. Miron and Tyson are on a mission but with a solid plan they are executing. They have each other’s experience and support. They left Koyuk this morning after probably only a few hours of sleep. They’ve now pushed through Elim. They have less than 150 miles before they reach Nome. Nothing is a foregone conclusion. But they have proven that they are paying attention to the small things, taking care of one another, and with intention relentlessly moving towards Nome. (As an aside and an acknowledgement to Miron’s intentions, Miron rides not just for himself but also to raise awareness for the importance of wild landscapes and the people who live on and respect them. Here’s a link to the Defend the West Su Instagram page, a group pledged to protect the historic Iditarod Trail from those who would make it into an industrial access road for foreign mining interests.)
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4YVCiCpZEr/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4Y2XbLSHe5/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Our lead female athlete, Kinsey Loan, along with her partner, Mark, saw some amazing speeds yesterday. They reported more than 14mph. That’s enough to make a foot athlete jealous, or at least this one! They’re about 39 miles out of Unalakleet as of this writing. Will they push on through or stop at Old Woman Cabin for a rest? I guess it’ll depend on that tailwind. We’re wishing them some fair winds to take them all the way to Unalakleet and some of that delicious Peace on Earth pizza and a well-deserved rest before pushing on to Shaktoolik.
Leah took a nice long rest in Galena along with Asbjoern. She hopefully was able to catch up on sleep and replenish those tens of thousands of spent calories. (Rumor has it Leah ate nine eggs for breakfast in Ruby, protein deficiency is real, especially as a vegetarian!) She’s pushing on to Nulato today, with about 11 miles remaining until she can get another rest and find some respite from the cold and wind. Us Wild Winter Women are sending her all our hopes for a wonderful rest and a huge dinner this evening that is everything satiating.
For Faye and the others on foot, it’s been a slog (like a 20-hour one from Ruby to Galena). With the onset of calorie deficit and the concomitant “hungries” along with the sheer exhaustion, muscle memory is even more important than ever. But by now even if Faye hadn’t trained beforehand (which she obviously had from her stunning performance to date), she’ll have gotten her training on the trail. She’s been resting in Galena now for over four hours at the Bed and Breakfast in town. A good shower and the ability to do laundry can make all the difference. We’re rooting for Faye as she gathers the resources she needs for the next 50 mile stretch to Nulato.
Sunny is hopefully bringing all the sun and warmer weather with her as she makes her way up the trail. She’s gaining on Petr, less than 10 miles separate them now. And she’s only 25 miles away from Ruby and (optimistically), a nice, warm, comfortable bed. Sunny’s average moving speed is 2.9mph and she’s averaging 31.2 miles per day. She has traveled over 474 miles (nearly half the distance of Miron and Tyson at 840 miles), largely alone, dependent only on herself and her immense knowledge of how to survive in this harsh environment. If/when she crosses the sea ice, she will be the only one responsible for deciding whether it’s safe to stop to eat or drink or even go to the bathroom, all the small things. We have no doubt that she can manage it all. Keep on relentlessly moving forward you Wild Winter Women!
Author: Carole Holley
Photo credit: Miron Golfman, Mark Moeller