Rob is back, safe & sound, in Mexico, NY. He is unwinding and trying to get back into the swing of things. Thank you Marrissa for your updates during his trip! They were very much appreciated and excitingly descriptive. Again, we appreciate all the support from our customers and his fans. :-) Until next time.... Regina
 Day 3-A drunk driver had driven down the slough and conveniently 'parked' (got it stuck) their car in the middle of the trail. Rob said, "they thought they were going to have to cancel the 3rd day because it took them a while to clear the track." *Note* This is Rob's Team at 26 miles on the 3rd day--those lines look pretty tight! Great looking team and a great shot!  George Attla and Rob on Day 3 of the ONAC (Attla is a famous champion of both ONAC and Fur Rondy...a true legend for mushing!) Congratulations Rob on finishing 14th in the Open North American Championship! Rob received "The Sportsmanship Award," given to him by his fellow open drivers. 11 of 17 open drivers voted for him to get the award. The award was in form of a signed limited addition painting, matted and signed by all the of 2012 ONAC drivers.  "Everyone keeps telling me how great my dogs look coming in. On the 3rd day, I had 9 dogs and 28.2 miles of track ahead of us. I am very proud of these dogs. We had 3 days of clean runs, not having to load a single dog. That is a big deal, considering we haven't had a clean run before then. Kaiya and Austin slowed up a little but not enough to effect our run. At the 24 mile mark Deno (one of the white leaders) turned into a tank. He picked up the pace dramatically and was by far the hardest pulling dog the rest of the way home. I am very happy with their performance and am looking forward to Tok." Rob's next race will be this weekend (March 24-25) for the Tok Race of Champions.  Fairbanks Scenery!  Rob finished day one with 14 dogs and is in 13th place (2 seconds behind 12th)! Great finish, team! He will be heading into the chute today at 1:26 AKST and 5:26 EST! LIVE times courtesy of : http://www.sleddogcentral.com/2012_onac/index.htm LIVE web cam: http://www.livestream.com/gcimanagedbroadband Radio station:www.kfar660.com His times: Danby out (3 miles): 10:05 Creamer's Out (5 miles): 16:23 Creamer's In (9 miles): 32:02 Henrick Court (14 miles): 46:32 Danby In (17 miles): 58:02 Total Time : 71:18.5 Rob's team for Day 1:  Reads from L to R. Names cut off: Deno and Barney (White Leaders) Were you happy with the dogs? I almost missed the start because a volunteer told me the wrong time. So I thought I had 6 minutes but it was more like a minute and a half. So when you have a start like that it can make for a rough day but it didn't effect us. I didn't stop once and I had a clean run [you could hear the smile on his face while saying this]. On a real icy section, I had a dog slip on a curve by the railroads (6 miles out). From there he started loosening up on the lines. We went around the entire course without him pulling. I thought about loading him but he was maintaining our speed at around 17 mph. Had I loaded him, would we have went faster? It's hard to say. "The slough" is a pretty tough spot for the dogs. On the way in, the dogs seems to have a little bit of trouble there. I was given advice not to talk to them much through that area because it causes them to push to hard and injure themselves. Some mushers come up and train specifically at the slough, so they can blow right through it. Our training has been really good, we have had no issues with anything that has been thrown at the dogs, as obstacles. With our trails and (lack of) training back home, I am very proud that my dogs have completed this with little to no effort. We just lack conditioning. Other than that, I am extremely pleased with the dogs performance. ONAC is a harder faster course, and that is better for us. There aren't as many obstacles as the Fur Rondy because I think the trail itself is the biggest obstacle. I was complimented by a top driver behind me in the roster, on our pass, that's always nice to hear. This was the first clean run since I've been here and that was encouraging. The team and I are just starting to come together, two to three more weeks we will be in peak performance. How are the dogs holding up? Do you think you can keep up the pace? I've got some pretty big dogs on my team, so we'll have to see. I will be dropping 2 dogs, maybe more, depending on how they look this morning. Bumblebee and Brave will definitely be being dropped. I was making myself keep my mouth shut and letting the dogs do the work. It's hard when you're in a competitive mode, you want to push the dogs and there are times for it (when they are conditioned) and then there are times that it isn't beneficial, which is the case here. As for keeping up the pace, if my dogs hold up, it's a tight race we've got there in the middle of the pack. It looks like there are a couple of drivers within a second from me...We'll see. Are the fans just as doting up in Fairbanks? Yes. People love mushers and sled dogs! The street was lined with people on both sides. There are a lot of people in the village, but not as many people as the Fur Rondy. I am actually a little surprised at how many people are routing for me. I had a couple of fans help me water the dogs and asked to help today, as well. A woman told me she would arrange a place for me to stay [in Fairbanks] the next time I come up. Isn't that great? The people of Alaska and the fans of mushing are so generous and caring.  Entrance to University of Alaska: Fairbanks March 16-18 – 67th annual Open North American Championship Unlimited (20/20/27.6 mi.) The race starts at 1:00 pm AKST (Rob will be leaving the chute @ 5:22pm EST) Get LIVE times and INSTANT info @: http://www.sleddogcentral.com/2012_onac/index.htm Listen LIVE @: http://tunein.com/radio/KFAR-660-s32581/ Rob attended the Musher's Bib Draw last night and got bib #11. "I've definitely learned a lot since I have been up here. The training runs were from 10-20 miles. I should have stayed with my schedule and continued to run 20 mile runs because the dogs weren't as conditioned. I thought the trails might have been in better shape than in Fairbanks but that turned out not to be the case. So, we got enough training in to have a good time in the ONAC. This race is going to be used as experience for the dogs and driver. There aren't as many obstacles in this race but it's a lot faster! As of now, 4 Rondy finishers will not be on the team. To be successful, you have to have a wide selection of conditioned dogs, slower dogs for Rondy and faster dogs for ONAC. My team wasn't competitive this year, because of the lack of hookups due to the weather, as I know it can be. At the same time, I am tired of doing this by myself. It gets old and it can be discouraging. In my heart, I know that I am in the right place. But it's much more fun to have someone to enjoy it with. Handling help is a huge component that has been lacking in our team for many years. With someone willing to devote time and energy, I know we could come up with competitive team. Our goal for the ONAC is to finish the race. This has been a lot of fun, learning to race a mid distance race at sprint speeds. I wish I had my team of two years ago. They were ready for this race. I've not even run the ONAC yet and I already want to come back."  ONAC Trail 2012 Fairbanks, AK Rob is in Fairbanks, AK! He has been training the dogs based on their capabilities and is very optimistic. Rob said, "Deno and Barney are right on and really coming together!" However, there are still two teams being ran. We are not sure as to what race Rob will be entering in next but as soon as I get the word, you will all be the first to know! Over the past week, Rob has sent me a variety of pictures ranging from the trail viewing for the Fur Rondy to pictures in Fairbanks. I wanted to let you guys in on a few of them!  Fur Rondy Trail Viewing 2012 Left to Right: Egil Ellis, Rob Worden, Ken Chezik And yes, Egil is giving Rob rabbit ears!  The truck is PACKED and they're ready to head NORTH!  Heading north on AK-3/George Parks Highway to Fairbanks!  Rob is in Fairbanks and is wondering, "Where is Santa"?!  Yes, that is a real wooden dog sled! So cool! Tune in next time for new pictures, videos and updates!
Sorry to keep everyone waiting!
It's a long process creating these blogs, as I want to make sure that I get the information spot on and accurate. A BIG congrats to Rob and the team for finishing "the worlds toughest open class sprint race" Day 1: 1:47:39 Day 2: 1:56:06 Day 3:2:04:14 Total: 5:47:59 Place: 22nd Rob on, "Day 3": "The last day seemed shorter than day 2. We didn't have a faster time but it was a smoother run. I had to bag Bumblebee right after the Airstrip and if I had bagged her earlier,--or not even taken her--it would have saved us time. I have definitely learned so much about racing from these 3 days." "The most memorable portion is when we were coming up Cordova Hill and a crowd of spectators and volunteers started chanting, "Barney, Barney, Barney!" It was very emotional for me because I cannot express how proud I am of him. He ran 44 miles in single lead. In the Fur Rondy...that's huge! Not only the miles but all the obstacles along the way--cheering crowds, BBQ's, people running along the trail and the trail itself. He was unphased by all of it until I was coming up over Cordova Hill. There was a woman that jumped out and started leading him, as if he was going off the trail. I kept saying, "Don't lead my dogs, don't lead my dogs." Barney lost focus after that and just as he got back into pace, a man started running along side the trail calling his name. It's really cool to see strangers knowing the name of my lead dog but it took him out of his groove again and definitely put us behind. What are you going to do? Anything can happen, to anyone. So, we ended up finishing with 7 dogs and 1 in the bag: Barney Eleanor Daisy Mrs. Holland Bumblebee Ballz Luke "I was greeted at the finish line by Egil Ellis' mom (who Rob cannot spell or pronounce her name but has permission from her to address her as "Egil's mom" haha) and Egil's wife, Helen. After 2 big hugs and Congratulations; Rob would like to thank them for their kind words and continuing support." Rob on, "The Mushers Banquet": "The Sheridan Hotel put on an awesome meal and the company was great! The banquet was fun, I got my entry fee back for finishing the race, along with a Fur Rondy bib with the place I finished and a picture of my team going out on the first day on 4th Avenue. It was really nice, considering my placing. It is still hard to say because I am not used to being at the bottom of the pack but with the Fur Rondy you have to be proud to finish." "A couple drivers came over to my table and said they thought Barney should have been awarded for his outstanding performance. I was surprised that there wasn't a Humanitarian Award or Sportsmanship award and things like that." "If we come up again, I will definitely be in need of some help at the kennel/handling. I am not as tired and sore as I thought I would be but this is very difficult to do on your own." "One thing that did touch me was something that Guy Girard (8th place finisher) said at the podium, "If you are a sprint musher and you don't race in the Fur Rendezvous; your career will never be complete." He went on to explain that out of every race he has entered around this world that "...the Fur Rondy is the most prestigious." I am proud of us...we weren't even going to run the Rondy. I managed to get solid training in at Montana Creek and Tozier Track; giving me the option of putting together a rookie team. I looked at it as an opportunity of a lifetime, best dogs or not. I came up here on vacation and racing the dogs in the Fur Rondy was just the icing on my BIG piece of cake [laughter]." Rob reports that the dogs look great and are enjoying their rest today. Rob is resting today, as well. He plans on heading back to Willow to train the dogs that were off during Rondy, at Montana Creek. From there, he is heading up to Fairbanks to start training on the Reynolds trails, preparing for the Open North American Championship race March 16-18th. Last but not least, "Thank you to Kathy, my wife, for holding down the fort and helping my dreams come true. I wish you were here to share it with me. I love you!" Sorry Marrissa, I just couldn't wait to say that we are proud of Rob for finishing the Rondy and with ONLY 7 dogs in the end. Congrats Rob and of course to the winner Ken Chezik too. :-) I'm sure we'll get a report from Rob and/or Marrissa soon.....
Day 2-The Flintstones: Barney and Deno! Big thanks to Laurel Shaw Wallace for posting/tagging the photos on Facebook!
Day 2 is over! With a finish of 1:56:06 with 11 dogs running, 1 (Austin) in the bag!
Eric Lancer, well known Rondy musher and radio reporter for KHAR 590 LIVE coverage of the Fur Rondy reported: "Rob Worden is running a single leader, he did have two white ones before. Looks like they have found a pace and look comfortable; albeit a little slower." Here are Rob's comments and thoughts for Day 2: 2012 Fur Rendezvous Open Class World Championship Race "I am learning an enormous amount in racing by stretching out the distance. It is nothing like running 14 miles. I can tell you that I definitely feel now that the wooden Chatmac isn't the best steering. I will be running the Spyder Pro for . 10 miles into the race I had to load Austin. For another 17 miles, the dogs had to carry a 65lb dog to the finish. I shouldn't have brought him. I got tangled with another musher on the trail. That held us up for quite a while. And when I was messing around with untangling both of our teams dogs, I should have made a couple switches around. I definitely could have saved some time. But what are you going to do, you live and learn! I am a first generation musher, here. It makes a big difference when your the 3rd, 4th or 5th. You get the little tricks and tips about the trade. I will definitely be seeking out a mentor or any solid advice." "Deno was giving me trouble from the start of Day 2, trying to get at Holland, a female in season. So I contemplated running Barney in single lead and I thought, "No body runs single lead in the Rondy, anymore." But, I know he is an exceptional dog and could handle the position. Barney ran 17 miles in single lead! Talk about an extraordinary dog. Might even be considering it for Day 3. It's going to be a tough day for us because we just aren't conditioned for this. But the dogs keeping up with Rondy are the ones in fall training that were sticking around the 4 wheeler when I free ran. Another mistake..a lot of my good dogs ran too hard, too long free running and they were out in November. One of the reasons Austin is being dropped, he's just not as well conditioned. I am running with 8 on day 3, dropping Jewel, Austin, BumbleBee and Luke." "I was quite pleased with my head on pass with Ken Chezik. To see my young team of dogs pass beautifully by the leader of the Fur Rondy is really something! I am very happy for Ken and Lori! They really deserve this win!" "I'm out there thanking all the municipalities for their service. All the volunteers and fans, too! I love to see the sport of mushing so well loved. Speaking of, one of the timer at the checkpoint says that I am her new favorite open team [chuckles]. She said, "I love the way that you handle the dogs and how well behaved they are!" She even wanted to buy one of the shirts we made to fundraise for me to get up here!" "And you know on the radio broadcast, when I heard myself say that the Fur Rondy was a warm up for ONAC...I probably sounded like such a rookie but you know ONAC is 20 miles for 3 days. I know the dogs that are finishing Rondy have that in them. So, strangely this is a huge training experience for all of us. And we really are having a great time. Working our tails off...but having fun!" Good luck, Rob and dogs on the FINAL DAY! Remember to tune into live coverage of the Fur Rondy @ KHAR590.com LIVE WEBCAM (REFRESH FOR NEW PICTURE) @ borealisbroadband.net  The calm before the storm! 4th Avenue, Day 2 of The 2012 Fur Rendezvous! "Congrats to my Dad and his team for not only finishing the 1st day at Rondy but finishing 4 places above where they started. Now, we all know that your team isn't up to it's potential and honestly, that's what makes me even more excited about years to come. So here is to Day 2 at the 2012 Fur Rondy in ANCHORAGE, AK! You make me so proud. I love you!"
- Marrissa What are your thoughts on day one? "I am about where I thought I would be. The team looked sloppy to me but I've also never ran 27 miles before. Everyone keeps telling me that my dogs looked good coming in. I ran my 9 year old leader, Jewel the first day. I wanted to make sure we would get through all the obstacles without any hesitation. The team was definitely a lot slower because of her. She slowed the pace way down at about the 15-18 mile mark. Ballz is turning out to be a terrific dog and his feet are ideal. And probably the best part of day one is Deno is back! He was strong on the tug line the whole race and several training runs before that. So, that settles it, I am putting Deno back where he belongs; leading with his brother, Barney." Did you have a clean run? "Right before the race I accidentally stepped on April's toe. As I was stepping out of the back of the truck, she had her two front feet on the back bumper and before I knew it, she let out a big cry! I was debating on whether or not to take her but she seemed fine and was putting pressure on the foot. I ended up taking her, just to bag her around 14 miles, so we lost time there. And, I was told not to bootie the dogs but Austin has had problems with his feet, so I bootied him. And let's just say I am not going to bootie the dogs tomorrow. Austin's bootie was shredded and might explain why he was running a little funny." How has your strategy changed for Day 2? "The day will be a little different because instead of going out of the shoot 1st-24th, we are going out 24th-1st. So, I will be going 4th out of the shoot tomorrow. I'm not going to hold the team back as much as I did today. But, I needed to make sure they weren't going to be too tired at the finish. Barney and Deno will definitely set a much faster pace and hopefully I won't have to load any dogs. I will be using my wooden Chatmac sled because the new Spyder sled is not customized to my liking, just yet. I decided that I will also be dropping Dallas and April. We got some snow in Anchorage overnight so I am assuming that will slow the trail down. And of course, we are just looking to have a good time!" How did you and the dogs handle the crowd? "Not a problem with the crowd at all, and it was about 1/4 mile from the dog truck to the start line. 4th Avenue was so fun! As the team and I headed down the trail, I waved to the cheering fans. There were a lot of people, waving, cheering and just so supportive. It was really cool. It made me think of and appreciate all the outwardly supportive mushers and friends from back home. I love to see the encouragement. Seeing friendly comments on the blog and Facebook really gives us a boost! Keep them coming and thanks for following us!" 
15 minutes until the start of the 2012 Fur Rondy Open Class Sled dog Race!
24 teams and 8 rookies will make for an exciting race! The best way to get your FILL of the Fur Rondy is by tuning into the local radio station KHAR590.com and get INSTANT times/results, interviews with the drivers, facts, history and more! Even call in and give a shout out to your favorite musher! Get ASDRA RESULTS: http://asdra.org/furrondy.html Watch LIVE feed [Refresh using F5 key]:http://www.borealisbroadband.net Last night as Rob was relaxing before the big race so I got a chance to ask him a few questions about the race: How was the trail viewing yesterday? "The trail viewing was fun! The trail condition is a lot better than it was for ExxonMobil...I mean the trail is so hard and packed that you can ride your mountain bike it won't punch through [laughter]. It's going to be a very hard, fast trail..which will be great for the dogs. Some of the corners are extreme but nothing like the corners at my house. It would be neat for future Fur Rondy trails to be more challenging for the musher. Bring on the "Jim Blair" trails at Burke Mountain, VT. Those trails are about showing off the dogs talent and the mushers talent!" Do you have the final line up? Barney (L) Jewel (L) Austin (L) Deno (L) Daisy (R) April (L) Holland Elenor (R) Cooter(R) Ballz (R) Bumblebee(R) Mrs. (R) Luke (R) Dallas (L)- Leader (R)- Rookie "This lineup is still without 5 of my main open class dogs; Murdock, Rose, Jed, Odin and General Lee. The Rondy is big but I have to look out for the dogs. I've got the ONAC on my mind, too." How are the dogs condition for this caliber race? "I haven't had much luck with clean runs, since I've been here. We're making great time but not clean [laughter]. We have been doing a lot of catching up on foreign training ground. Getting used to the trails up here is exciting but dangerous for the dogs. Some of my main dogs are out because of stepping in moose tracks in the trail. With that said, the dogs have had a week off. Good, bad or ugly..I needed to make sure we were ready. There was a lot to do for prepping for the race, especially deciding to run just a couple days before. The Fur Rondy is a huge deal and it was important for me to put a lot of time into cleaning up the truck. There isn't a car wash that my truck will fit in. I mean, the truck alone takes me 2 hours to clean. I've got a system down, disinfectant and all. The dogs needed new straw in their boxes after the truck was cleaned. They needed their nails clipped, feet checked, body massaged. Not to mention the daily feeding, watering, scooping, loading, unloading. 31 dogs and 1 musher. It's a lot of work but...the experience has been thrill seeking and exciting, totally worth it." What are you thinking as you look at the line up and see your name; Rob Worden, Mexico, NY!? [Technically it say's Ron Wordon...but we'll let it slide :)] "It's not easy for a new guy to be 'accepted' into this sport; to get the information you need to reach your potential and have fun. Many of the open class drivers in Alaska have made me feel comfortable and have been very welcoming. They have offered up training trails, hospitality and genuine love for the sport. It's a great opportunity for PawPower Racing to be running with the best in the world. And after all, "it's all about the dogs." Do you have a method, as a rookie, going into a World Class Championship race...dead last? "You know, I was thinking; I am perfectly fine with my bib draw. Going 24th gives me the perfect amount of time to get the dogs ready [out of the boxes, harnessed, lines, gear]. I'd like to be in the shoot 44 minutes after the first, "Go Driver," or whatever they say up here [laughter]. I will probably have one of the smallest teams, with the most rookie dogs. But I mean, there is no body 'bad' here; maybe 3 unrecognizable names. I am just going to try to stay at 16/16.5 mph. I am going to keep my mouth shut, and let the dogs do the work. I'll let them get into their groove and from there we're just having a good time. And even if we come in dead last, then I would still be the 24th best open class in the world [chuckles]. If you have any better sprint dogs... then come on up and enter the Rondy." How are your nerves? "I thought I would be a lot more nervous than I am. But, I know I am going to be running the dogs within their capabilities. Overall, I could say all this and have the exact opposite happen. As a team, we have never seen a crowd quite like this. I am positive Jewel (daughter of Speck) and Barney (son of Polar) will do the right thing. And, I have had a lot of encouragement from top drivers in the open class. Ultimately, we are here racing in Alaska to have fun, so that's what we are going to do! Let's Fur Rondy!" Knowing your team personally, I know that your team consists of all your own breeding's. Does that strike up any emotion for you? "It's a dream [chuckles]. We aren't as prepared as we could be but its been a long emotional road getting here. The conditions on the ferry got tough at times but because of the love and respect we have for each other, my dogs were very well behaved [chokes up]. Some of these dogs wouldn't even have made the cut but they are here running a world class race. I am so proud of them. This will officially be my girl, Jewel's last race. I need her great decision making and wisdom to lead the team. She is a terrific sled dog. Barney is up there for his braun. He is a hard, fast leader...he sets the pace. All the work, time, help and donations have paid off. Our goal is accomplished. We are in Alaska, racing The Fur Rondy. I am so thankful for all support I have had a long the way." 
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