A simple 12-day Iditarod schedule

Last year, I drafted a basic 12-day Iditarod schedule for a couple of teams that wound up running near the back of the pack. It was nothing more than a simple goal, a framework to hang a journey on. I thought I’d post it here for anyone who thinks it might help.

This schedule is not for those hoping to finish in the money. You don’t get to Nome in 12 days and expect much of a paycheck. But here’s what the schedule does: It helps a rookie, for example, see how to manage his or her time in a way to make the best use of daylight. And it helps them see the need for predictable run times and predictable rest times — critical elements for the dogs’ attitudes. Once those dogs can bank on the fact they run run about six hours at a pop, it eases their minds as the journey progresses. They can also bank on a nice long rest between those runs.