I would like to note that from the hours of 5:00 am- 11:00am EST is 1:00am-7:00am for Rob in AKST. Alaska is 4 hours behind NY time. We do ask that you contact him AFTER the hour of 11:00am EST so he can get his well needed rest. Thank-you!
 Grandma Worden and Chayse Rob and his wife Kathy, are proud to announce the arrival of their first grandson, Chayse Patrick Finnerty. He was born February 17th, 2012 at 10:27am. He weighed 9lbs 7oz and was 21 1/4 inches long. Chayse and Mommy Taelyr are resting and doing well.
 Chayse the day he was brought home. [In an outfit from his AUNTS/UNCLES in CO :)]
"After finishing the ExxonMobil, and several additional 20 mile runs; I see the dog team getting stronger every time! The dogs are in great condition [body weight, muscle tone, feet, overall health]! So, knowing each individual dog, I am confident I can put together a team to finish the Fur Rondy. Although, we still are not to our full potential..there are still 4 main dogs [leader and point dogs] that will not be running; Rose, Jed, Murdock and Oden. Despite that, I am excited to be racing with the top open class drivers in the world, it will be a great experience for the...no name from Mexico, NY [laughter]. For all of you who have been wondering and waiting: Let's Rondy!" Get more details about the Fur Rondy @ FurRondy.net
Listen to LIVE RONDY COVERAGE @ KHAR590.com
The dogs in Rob's line up for the Fur Rondy include (NOT IN ANY PARTICULAR ORDER except Barney and Jewel):Barney (L) Jewel (L)
April Daisy (R)
Holland Austin (L)
Cooter(R) General Lee (R)
Mrs. (R) BumbleBee (R)
Ballsy (R) Elenor(R)
Deno (L)Dallas (R)? Rose (L)?(L)- Leader
(R)- Rookie
?- Unsure on runningStay tuned: the next blog will have all the details on what running the Fur Rondy entails for a musher, preparations and about the Fur Rondy Festival February 24-March 4 2012! A moose is on the loose!
Rob called me yesterday and said,"I am no longer an Alaska 'green' because I have chip in my windshield and I had a moose run through my team today--we are officially broken in! [Laughter]" Rob said that other mushers had warned him about a moose in the trail about 1 mile from the end of the run. He expected that by the time he would get there, the moose would be gone. Sure enough about 15ft ahead of him on the trail, there stood the moose in the middle of the trail! Rob stopped his open team, hooked down and grabbed his whip. He started making loud cracking noises with the whip and yelling loudly in hopes to scare the moose away. The moose started to turn around and walk away but then turned back around! Heading straight for his team, the moose was in attack mode! Kicking at the leaders Jewel and Barney, and trampling through the point dogs, April and Daisy. The moose's feet got caught in the lines, stretching the lines. Rob ran off the trail (and sank immediately in waist deep snow) and hid behind some brush. The moose ran off between the sled and Rob's hiding spot, leaving Rob untouched. Thankfully no dogs were injured but it certainly was an experience of a life time. Rob said, "Boy was my adrenaline going and I was just hoping he wouldn't hurt the dogs!"
Despite the moose encounter, the 16 dog team ran 20 miles in 6 minutes less time than the previous two 20 mile runs! The dogs enthusiasm and condition after the run was considered when Rob decided to run the 2012 Fur Rondy!
Here is to an exciting 'celebrity status' week filled with tomorrows' bib drawing, school presentations throughout Anchorage, "Meet The Mushers" and MORE for the Fur Rondy Festival 2012!
GO TEAM PAWPOWER!
 Rob's new sled: A Spyder Pro! As I am sure most of you already know, Rob posts updates on his Facebook! So if you want the details instantly, please feel free to add Rob Worden as a friend on Facebook.
Rob on the ExxonMobil Day 2:
"My main man Barney and 9 year old Jewel. Not the fastest dog, but this dog is a perfect command leader. She is one of our first litter of dogs. I owed it to her. She probably won't be leading any more races in the open class. Only because my open leaders are on the rebound(Deno, Austin,Oden) She will be moved to lead the second team. Rose lead the open with Barney for day 2. This was her first time leading in a race. She did a very good job. We only ran 10 dog on day 2. By far the smallest team, Size and number of dogs. I cant wait till I have team back together."
20 mile training run:
"I decided to run 18 dogs today on the spyder pro. What a blast!! It looks like Deno is in the best shape of the six dog team from last week. Jed and Austin were looking a little sore at the end of the run, but are looking good after the second drop after the run. A very good sign. The dogs did better then expected. I would leave 2 of the dogs of if was a race. It looks like we are starting to gel. :)" (February 14th)
After the run, the two injured dogs were (1 of which was previously injured) were Austin and Rose. Although their injuries are not impending, Rob has chosen to let them rest. "I cannot take any chances on hurting the dogs," Rob said.
 18 dogs after a 20 mile run! Woo hoo! The video time for the run is not accurate. Rob's GPS shut off. He didn't want to mislead anyone with that 'stellar time.' He did say he was averaging about 15mph.
Today, Rob took out an 8 dog team at Montana Creek for an 8 mile run, which turned into a 12-14 mile run. There was an injury on the trail from a previous team, leading Rob to get caught up and miss his 8 mile run turn. Even after the unexpected miles, Rob stated, "the dogs were looking nice! Murdock still leads like a son of a gun! [Laughter]." Rob also said, "this was a great opportunity to play around with some of the younger dogs on the team; potential leaders and point dogs in the making. It's all looking very nice." I am happy to hear such an excellent outlook for Team Pawpower, as the season has just begun! (Weird to be saying that in the middle of February!)
As of right now, Rob is planning to run 22 dogs on the open trail at Montana Creek in Willow, tomorrow. He figures that if the 8 dog team can run the open trail they are ready to be plugged back into the open team! He is also planning 3-4 more smaller runs before he will be making the decision in the next week as to if he and his team are ready for The Fur Rondy. Rob is definitely working steadily to be competitive in the ONAC: Open North American Championship.
 Pre-Open Race Photo! (Thanks for thinking of us, Rob!) Hey everyone! Wanted to give you the details on Rob and the dogs from day one of the ExxonMobil Race in Anchorage, AK!
Rob finished 18th the first day of the open class; with a time of 64:16:00. _Although they are not used to being at the bottom of the pack, Rob is very happy with the run. "I am exactly where I thought I would be...but bummed because I am not used to being down there. We don't even have our best dogs," Rob stated. There are 9 rookies on his team today, proving this to be a great opportunity for them. Rob said, "The ExxonMobil has been excellent for the dogs!" He went on to talk about the wild excitement of the 21 open teams being hooked up and the moment when he looked back at his team and they "were calm and collected--rookies and all!" This is very important for the PawPower Racing team he explained, "It takes about 45 minutes for me to get 18 dogs ready, harnessed and hooked up. The wait time makes it necessary for the dogs to stay calm; so they don't waste their energy getting all excited for the race." On top of the all the excitement, the spectators, a loose dog on the trail, tunnels, and car passes are just a few more obstacles the team was faced with today! Rob reported, "The trail is closer to 17.5 miles, than 16.5." He is optimistic about tomorrow and is hoping for a clean run!
The open roster:
Jewel Barney
Rose April
Ballsy General Lee
Luke Cooter
Holland Daisy
Name ----
Mrs. Eleanor
*Dogs in green are rookies.
*Dogs being dropped from the team for day 2.
The 6 dog team was pretty impressive, coming in 7th with a time of 0:28:48! Rob wasn't very surprised by their success because, "this is the front end of my open team, bouncing back from small injuries." Rob said excitedly, "I will be running the open class and the 8 dog class from now on, to make sure that all the dogs are kept in shape. But, today's 6 dog looked great, so some dogs on the open team will be out of a job here pretty soon! And I will have my team back!" The 6 dog team did come up against a troubled team on the trail, forcing a small tangle in Rob's team, losing 47 seconds. Here's to making up for it tomorrow!
The 6 dog roster:
Austin Dino
Jed Dallas
Beau Shelby
*Dogs in green are rookies.
Good luck on day 2 teams!
 Jewel, open race leader! How are you liking Alaska? "I probably could live here [laughter]. I like the people, they are friendly where ever you go. I enjoy the slower paced atmosphere, gives you time to take it all in. But I'm just getting used to waking up and having it dark out. Before I was like, "Holy crap! It's 9 o'clock?!" These passed couple of days I've been able to wake up at 6-7am and be ready for the day. I like to see the mountains everyday. It's just like, "WOW!" I am constantly impressed with them and you know what, it looks different everyday! I definitely look forward to seeing the other seasons."Any stand out experiences so far?"Probably the first stand out would be when I was at Tongass National Forest, just off the ferry in Juneau. I was really taking in the view, trying to take a self portrait of myself and I saw a car signal over and stop. It was a woman who had stopped to see if I needed assistance. Back in NY, I am not sure they would do that. So, the biggest thing that has stood out is the people are friendly and helpful. Oh! Talk about a standout moment, the big dipper stands on it's handle up here--back home its looks like the Big Dipper looks like it's pouring! The first time I saw it I was like, "What the heck!?"Have you seen the Northern Lights?"Nope, I've stayed up once near the Talkeetna turnoff because the sky was clear. I was hoping to see something, but I didn't. But I have a while, I've got to go to Fairbanks yet, so..."Are you ready for your 1st race since opening "PawPower Pet Supply"? "Not really, because I am not going to be as competitive as I know I can be. I am going to try not to be bummed out about my placing but--[chuckles]...I am probably going to be bummed out about my placing! But, you know.. I am not going let it bring me down because I know where we are in training. I am here this year to have fun and enjoy Alaska!"How many days/miles in the open race?"The race is 16.5 miles for the open, Saturday and Sunday."What is the line up for your open race team?"Jewel and Barney will definitely be in lead. She is 2nd to the slowest dog on the team, but by far the most dependable leader; Barney is 2nd. Jewel is just flawless...flawless, [chuckles] except for speed."Do the dogs have enough training under their belts to be successful in their first race?"Yeah, we'll get through the course with no problem. I don't know. I've never raced up here, so I don't know how to compare race times here. After a 14 mile run, they seem pretty chipper, settling in at 17.5/18 pace. But I have only been on a couple good trails. This will be the first time that I will be asking a little bit of the dogs. I haven't even tried calling them up [increase speed] yet during training. I am looking at this as being more training for further distances and the obstacles we haven't seen (the people, tunnels, bridges...) There are about 9 dogs on the team that this will be their first race. So, we'll see what happens. But you know what I keep getting from other mushers is, "you have really well behaved dogs." so hopefully that will translate to obedience on the trail."What are you expectations this weekend?"I am going out 19th, 3rd to last...so the trail will be torn to hell! Ah well, that's how it goes. I am planning on positioning myself for the next day. Just looking to get through without stopping the team. I will probably have the smallest team in the lineup, that's just a guess. I am thinking I will go with 12 dogs. There are 5 rookies, the bottom 5 haven't ran this race before."There are a lot of big names in the lineup (Ellis, Reynolds, Kornmuller, Chezik and more), are you at all intimidated?"Shoot there are more big names than that: Tetzher, Conn...but no, I'm not intimidated because I know I don't have a team. This is probably my least experienced team since I started racing open class. Let's put it that way. But oh yeah, I am absolutely the bottom guy but you know what, I am just going to go and have fun! It's probably the best way to sum it all up. I know I don't have a competitive team this year but we will make it through the races happy and healthy and I will have a well behaved team! There are 21 teams in the open class...that's the biggest class [Shocked]. In the states, the biggest classes are the 4 and 6!"
Rob is also entered in the 6 dog for his B team to get a taste of racing, as well!
For race information and updates please visit ASDRA's website:http://www.asdra.org/exxonopen_info.htmlRob would like to thank:
"My lovely wife, Kathy. She is home taking care of puppies and adult dogs. She has her hands full....at work and home and the store. Thank you, I am extremely grateful for your to do this for me. I love you so much."
"Josh, I really wish you could have got a chance to stand on the runners this year for all the help this summer and fall. You did all the work and didn't reap any of the benefits. I am thinking of you often, up here! Thank you for your help!""Thanks to Matt, for helping out when we need an extra hand."
"To Regina for starting the blog and Marrissa for helping report the daily grind. You guys are doing a wonderful job! Thank you!"
"The patrons of PawPower Pet Supply, a HUGE thank you for donating your hard earned money to "Rob's Quest for Rondy Fund" and believing in me! We raised $2032.53!"
There are several other people he would like to thank but his mind is on getting ready for the race, right now. Please know that if you were at all involved with making this possible, Rob is extremely thankful and grateful for all of your hard work and support!
Hey everyone! Sorry for the delay in updates. I had some computer problems and have started a new job!
Rob has been training hard for the ExxonMobil Open Race this weekend, at both Tozier Track and Montana Creek! Both teams A & B have equal training runs at both tracks. Good news is the "B team" is shrinking and the "A Team" is getting larger. Many of the injured dogs on the B Team have bounced back to near full recovery. So the A Team now has 12-18 dogs and the B team about 8-10 dogs. The dogs that do not make the open team will be put on a smaller team and also ran in an 8 dog.
Greg Sellentin met up with Rob and told him where he and Egil Ellis would be running (Montana Creek) so Rob has trained a few times there. Rob noted the difficulties of participating in the sport alone, as he looks around and sees the handlers getting the dogs ready and the mushers getting the equipment prepared. Where as he does it all, the "one man open show." In my experience, with my father, this only further fuels his fire to want to be that much more competitive, despite the circumstances. He has an excellent attitude and it's obvious! He said while hooking up his open team, the dogs were all very quite and well behaved. Not until the last couple of dogs were hooked up did they start to get anxious to leave. Once on the trail he said that the moose have really been quite prominent in Willow and are taking advantage of walking on their groomed trails. He reported the trail at one point was very windblown and difficult to navigate at times, a true Alaskan trail! Overall, each run with both teams increases in speed and distance, with little hesitation from the dogs. They come back from their runs wanting more!
There are a couple of dogs that are out for the season which include: Murdock, Cloud, Beau and Odin. Jed, Austin, May and Herbie were moved to the B Team for closer evaluation. Jed potentially stepped in a moose hole but is expected to recover quickly. The dogs that have moved to A Team include: Dino and Barney (with Austin, Jed and Dallas rotating in and out of A and B Team)
The A Team is on fire! Rob literally has to stand on the drag mat the whole time to slow the dogs down, maintaining the runs at about 17-18mph. Rob noted that he is currently running on old runners, that are wax free. So, we can anticipate that the dogs will increase in speed when the runners are waxed and new! He also was reflecting on the dogs and made note that he has an older team, on average the dogs are 8 years old.
The ExxonMobil track is about 2/3 the Fur Rondy track, which has sparked the potential for running the Rondy--after all, if you finish the race you get your entry fee back! Although you won't see Team Worden on the roster for the Rondy just yet, we'll have to see how the dogs do this weekend. From there, a greater distance (25 miles) will be run in hopes of seeing which of the dogs are potential for a Rondy team.
Because of a slow winter start, Rob is still in the process of developing and placing the dogs on his teams. Mixing and matching to make sure the most compatible dogs are running side by side. There is a science behind sled dog racing, as in any other sport. It's easy to over look the mushers strategy, as we think the dogs do most of the work. But they are team and one could not be without the other. It's a beautiful relationship mushers develop with their dogs, especially ALONE in Alaska! Be sure to check out the YouTube videos @ Mrpawpowerracing
 Montana Creek Willow, Alaska  Self-Portrait Montana Creek Willow, Alaska
Hi Everyone! Regina here. Just wanted to point out to those of you that may not know, Pawpower Pet Supply has video of Rob's team in action posted on their wall! First race is this weekend!
Hey Everyone! I heard NY just got some snow! How are you all liking it? It's 60 and sunny here in Boulder, CO! Such a nice day! :) I have some updates on Rob and the dogs:
As of today Rob has announced that his first official race will be: The Exxon Mobil Open (click to read details about the race) 1/27/2012: His first run on Tozier Track (To view video of the trail: http://www.asdra.org/trailreport.html) was a success! He is running two 12 dog teams. We decided last night to call them "A Team" and "B Team". Although, right now 6 of his MAIN dogs on "B Team" are bouncing back from small injuries and are soon to be on "A Team". (In the order that they run)A Team: B Team: Jewel Rose Barney Austin
Daisy April Odin Jed
Cooter Ballsy Murdock Dino
Elenor Mrs. Brave Holland
Name Javelin Herby General Lee
Luke Kit Bumblebee Shelby
Subs: Dallas, Beau, Kaia, CloudGREEN: 6 MAIN dogs bouncing back to Team A The first run at Tozier Track was the first time the dogs had been hooked up in a month because of conflicting weather. "A Team" ran about 8.4 miles and "B Team" about 6.4 miles. "A Team" was more than ecstatic to get out on the trail, Rob said that he had to stand on the drag mat with both feet, the whole time to try to slow them down. Rob also said that for most of the trail you cannot see your first 4-6 dogs because the trial is very "twisty, turny like a son of a gun"! Ahhh, the sweet taste of Tozier Track! The Tozier Track is known for tunnels, car passes and a man bridge that the dogs cross. Rob happily reported that all but 2 dogs went over the obstacles with no problem. The two dogs are also brothers, we noted with curious intent. Austin, on "B Team" balked at the car pass the first time through and on the way back he was just was not having the tunnel. So to show him the tunnel was nothing to be afraid of Rob stopped the team and gave it some time. Barney, the faithful tank pulled him through the rest of the way to head for the truck! Despite some with minor injuries and not having many hook ups on snow; both teams came back from the fast, hard trail wagging their tails and happy. One spectator commented, "It looks like they could go another 6 no problem." Rob agreed with her; optimistic about his dogs performance and potential! To be sure not to overwork the injured dogs; he chose not to run "B Team" the 2nd day. But he spent a lot of time stretching, massaging and giving the dogs a look over to be sure they are injury free. After putting his hands on all the dogs he is happy to report that that there is only one dog (Austin) that has some minor feet issues and that Beau may be out for the season. He brought "A Team" for a 10 mile run the next day (1/28). And was happy to see that they were wagging their tails and wanting more yet again! The second run for "B Team" was yesterday (1/29). Austin and the passes/tunnels were still not getting a long. Rob stopped the team again, to further show him he is safe. But that didn't work either so he moved Austin back in the team and let Odin run in lead! Sure enough Barney and Odin brought the team home, happy and healthy--ready for more!
After the 2nd run at Tozier Track Rob has determined that he has 9-10 leaders and 6-7 of them are gee/haw! That is impressive! He is now in the Willow Area, letting the bustle of the passed couple of day settle in. He has met great mushers so far, noting how nice and helpful they were to help in anyway they could!
 First Moose sighting: WIllow, AK (Reports of numerous moose attacks at this weekends race in Willow--not a force to be reckoned with!)
In case you missed Rob's comment on the last blog:
"Dog are very happy and eager to run. A couple are rebounding from late fall injuries very well and will run for the first time in a little over a month. I will be going very slow and for a short distance and see how they look. Lets keep our fingers crossed.A couple small scuffles on the high seas, with no major injury's. Dino has a puncture on his left forearm, healing very nice should be ok in a couple more days. In Whittier Luke,Herbie,Ball z jumper out of the top boxes right on very hard ice. They NEVER jump out. I think Herbie re aggravated an old injury.
No straw or shavings were aloud, so bare boxes. Good thing I had the truck isolated with closed cell foam spray. Just got done strawing the boxes and feeding. Time for me to eat. More to come."
 Wasilla, Alaska Rob drove from Anchorage to Wasilla yesterday; commenting on how big the mountains are, he said, "You are literally just surrounded by mountains. Always his first concern, the dogs--the first stop was at the Alaska Industrial Hardware store (http://store.aihalaska.com/) for straw. Rob said, "The people at AIH were some of the friendliest folks I have ever met. It's like I’ve lived here my whole life.” We shared a mutual feeling about Alaska, in the sense that I had the same impression when I visited in 2005-2006. I am happy to see he is just as exhilarated to find that the people of Alaska are wonderful! One thing he commented on too, is that even in Alaska people comment and applaud his free drop method and how great he is with the dogs. (I am glad he is getting that recognition and praise because he puts a lot of time and hard work in the dogs; and its nice to get a pat on the back once in a while.) At the Alaska Industrial Hardware store, the crew directed him to Palmer (about 20 minutes East of Wasilla) to get straw. After picking up straw, he drove back to Wasilla and drove around trying to find a place to park the truck for the night. Not only park the truck but PLUG the truck in too, or else you run the risk of not being able to start the truck in the morning due to the cold weather (one of the things I had to do with the dog truck I drove in AK). He ended up parking behind AIH and catching a few hours of sleep. He did note that the temperature outside was about -10 to -15 degrees and because of the dogs body heat it was 37 degrees in the truck. His very own space heaters!
As for this weekend, he is heading back to Anchorage (getting a comfy hotel room) and is planning on running the dogs this weekend at the Norma Rasmussen Memorial Challenge, 1 day event. It is put on by the Rasmuessen family and Alaskan Sled Dog & Racing Association (ASDRA). He is getting a couple limited teams together to gain trail experience (through tunnels...etc) potentially for the Exxon Open and although not this year, The Fur Rondy! There are zero expectations for this event, as he has said some of the dogs are bouncing back from some injuries and the others haven't had much hook up time because of the high temperatures and lack of snow. He is just looking to have fun and to let loose on snow for the first time this season! Here's to having a good time, Rob! Still following Rob's Route? Go to: http://g.co/maps/wrvnd
 Good Morning, Wasilla!
UPDATE: Just spoke with Rob! He is in Anchorage at Cordova Hill. (Note: A typical winter day in Alaska, taken at around Noon.) He is heading to Wasilla, AK, as it is a central location for trails and mushers! He is still in excellent spirits and is continued to be amazed by the people and scenery in Alaska. I just got a call from Rob, he is passing the Virgin Creek, near Girdwood, AK. This is also known at the Alyeska Resort area. He briefly reported that the views are just, "Wow, amazing!" It's exciting to hear him say that because when I was in Alaska, a group of friends and I spent a day at the resort. I remember commenting and thinking the same things, "This is the most beautiful place on Earth!" It is breathtaking to see endless mountains alongside a beautiful waterway almost the whole length of AK-1. I will report more later but for now, all is well. The dogs are healthy and happy to be on land! If you want to follow Rob's route visit: http://g.co/maps/wv8t2(HINT: To see the actual street view: Click the link below. Click and drag the little orange guy to wherever you want on the blue highlighted route. From there use the navigation buttons at top left to look around!)
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