Dr. Tedford praised Seavey’s guidance and savvy knowledge about dealing with adult learners. The veteran musher emphasized that Dr. Tedford needed to create a secure environment for the dogs. “That’s essentially what everybody wants, isn’t it? If you can create an environment that’s secure, the dogs will know what’s going on and what’s expected of them,” said Dr. Tedford. “They’re more relaxed. They’re just happier animals, and you sort of fall into that pack structure with them.” Leaving the dogs after the 10-day race, he said, was hard.

Now back at work in Vancouver, Dr. Tedford said it may be a while before he attempts another long distance run, but he is determined to help promote the sport. He reflected that running the race was a peak experience: “At those limits of fatigue, hunger, and even cold, you really just feel charged by it. It’s remarkable to be out there, to see the northern lights and to be with the dog team in areas where no one else is.”

Regimen on the Trail

Dr. Tedford’s usual race routine was to run for five to six hours and then rest for five hours. During that rest period, he fed his dogs, bedded them down for their rest, and treated any injuries with massage or compression wraps. After those tasks, he usually got only two hours of rest per stop.

Dr. Tedford applies ointment to a wrist before wrapping it during a rest stop in Pelly Crossing. Photo/Julien Schroder

Homemade soups and stews, frozen flat in one-gallon-Ziploc bags, comprised his most common meal items. He ate two times a day, once during each stop, after reheating the meal in the water he boiled for the dogs’ meals. He also carried a large tube of peanut butter in his jacket, along with lots of chocolate and trail mix for snacking on the move.

Still, he lost about 15 pounds during the race. “With the cold temperatures this year, it was hard to keep weight on,” he said.

The temperature often dropped to -40 degrees Celsius, said Dr. Tedford. He wore multiple layers and a good-quality down parka and overalls, kept his hands warm with a high loft mitten, and also used hand warmers. However, when the temperatures are low and the snow is coarse, the musher has to put protective booties, thick canvas sacks with an elastic-Velcro strap that tightens just above the wrist, on each dog to protect their feet. Putting these booties on requires dexterity requiring no gloves or a pair that will not stick to Velcro. “In any case, you are wearing no gloves or thin ones, so putting 56 booties on was a slow process in -40 degree Celsius temperatures,” Dr. Tedford said. “I often needed to reheat my hands in my armpits to prevent frostbite. When you are tired, cold, and hungry, the little things can wear you down mentally. If you let them, they’ll sit on your shoulder and nag you until a small problem seems like a catastrophe. Learning to shake off that feeling is a skill. Mitch had a way of reminding us to stay focused that I really appreciated. ‘Just mush,’ he would say. It was like a reset button; a way of returning to the things that really mattered: how the dogs were running and their health. As the training progressed and during the race, it turned into a positive self-talk mantra for me.”