Training again, here's a team with yearlings. In lead Linda and Clover.

After a disappointing Rondy weekend we are back in training mode again for future challenges. The team has had two training runs since the Rondy race; they look and feel perfectly normal. We, along with several experts have spent the week analyzing every detail imaginable without really coming to any clear explanations as to why my team hit the wall on Saturday. We haven’t done anything different this weekend than previous races. This season our training has been great, the team members are experienced, the new food is awesome, and everyone has been healthy and strong. Maybe we’ll never find out, maybe we will.... life goes on…. ONAC next. See you there!
Big thanks to everyone who sent encouragements and support our way, greatly appreciated!
Yesterday we harness broke 14 puppies, they are now 6 months old and time to learn how to perform in a harness. They did great and we will run them a couple of times per week now increasing the distance slowly. Days are getting longer and time to start to think “garden”. My geraniums that spent winter in my greenhouse needed to get new soil and I also trim them and take cuttings. Also planted a lot of lily bulbs. Lilies thrive in my garden and I love them. Next week I will start tomatoes, a friend has mailed me a variety of tomato seeds. This will be fun to try out this summer.
Today it feels like summer is far away, it’s snowing and the sky is all grey. For dinner I will prepare salmon. Bon appetite!
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Jockey - a promising yearling.

Egil playing with the dogs after training yesterday at Montana Creek.

Dixi is a pretty girl with amazing blue eyes.

Our friend John Stewart from Scotland came to visit, he's here to run the Iditarod.

Listening to the radio instead being on 4th Avenue in Anchorage...

What a weird feeling, sitting in the kitchen at home in Willow listening to the radio coverage of the third and final day of 2010 Rondy instead being on 4th Avenue and see and listen to the action live… preparing the team to start…
Well folks, we had to make a though decision last night after Egil had his worst race day ever. We decided to scratch from this years Rondy race. First time ever during our 20 years of racing to quit a major championship race and it really sucks…
The team had looked so strong coming into the race but already the first day we saw that something wasn’t OK with the dogs. We dropped three that did not take their treats and looked most tired after finishing the first day. Egil took off with a 13-dog team on Saturday. He had a terrible day with three dogs alternating in the sled bag and the team finally reached the finish line at a walk with several dogs stumbling across.
It was not fair to the team to ask them to go out a third day. Something is wrong and now we have to figure out what it is.
Anchorage Fur Rendezvous Open World Championship was as always a fantastic event and now when I have done both, listening to the radio coverage at home and been in place on 4th Avenue I highly recommend all dog mushing fans to come to Anchorage and experience a fantastic event. Not that there is anything wrong with the radio coverage, it’s fabulous and Charlie Champaine did an awesome job as expert commentator but nothing beats to be in town for the race! Tonight we need comfort food I will prepare noodle soup for us… Bon appetite
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Ruby our fantastic leader gave us everything for two days...

Ruby and Casper will need to rest a couple of days before they get back in the harness.

Rondy is one of Americas biggest winter carnivals.

Mushing Magazine media crew, Jane Sellentin, Greg Sellentin and Andrew Welsh.

Greg Sellentin from Mushing Magazine interviewing Egil before the start. Check out www.mushing.com for interviews and race updates.

The race is on… 1 st day, sixth place and all is well but could be better. The climb is on... tomorrow we got to start climbing upward. Will make a few changes in the team and we will be ready - again. After the 7-inch snow fall yesterday the trail was pretty soft and slow most of the way.
Egil started out with 16 dogs today, Ruby and Casper in lead with a team mixed with 3-8 year old dogs. They ran fast and strong for the first 20 miles but did not come home as solid as they have done during longer training runs. Could be a mix of stress and all the obstacles along the trail that got to them. Tomorrow we will drop two dogs that did not take their treats after today’s run and were the most tired.
Even though Egil started out with bib number 2 the trail was very soft he could just imagine what it looked like for the teams with lower starting numbers.
Tomorrow, Saturday it will be reversed start. Slowest teams start out first and the leader goes out last and same procedure on Sunday. This makes for a real compact and exciting finish.
Weather forecast is for light snow and slightly warmer weather. Looking good if you are a spectator, maybe not so good if you are a sled dog.
Check out first day results plus info how to follow the race on radio and online at http://www.asdra.org
Tonight our host Carina prepared a delicious dinner, mustard/soy baked salmon, mashed potatoes, crunchy apple-pie with ice-cream for desert… Bon appetite
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Egil ready to start...	All teams get help to the starting line from a snow machine. Its impossible to stop a hard pulling sled dog team on the snow that covers 4th Avenue!	Getting crowded! Its such a buzz on the Avenue, that is just amazing. This is sled dog racing at its best...	Big news this year, dogs from all teams will be drug tested. Here is one of three "pee crews" on the Avenue this morning.	Talking about last minutes fix! Jo Wood fitted with a needle sewed on a sponsor logo to Ed's sled.
Egil checking his sled before the start.	Giving his crew of dogs a last pep talk, Egil walks around the dog truck and talk to all the dogs.	This is what you want to see after the first day of racing - all dogs eating...	I had to take a photo of the amazing pizza Bev Stevens made for us Wednesday night - and I tell you it tasted even better then it looks...	Carina made this colorful and tasty salad for us tonight. Blue cheese dressing... love it.

Egil hands out Pepsi Rondy race advertising at Northstar Elementary School today.

Tuesday February 23 and the Rondy race is on – last night we went to Crowne Hotel in Anchorage for sign up and bib draw.
31 musher had signed up prior to the deadline but only 25 teams were ready to race come sign up. First to draw - all the mushers who had signed prior to deadline and second group to draw - all rookies. 20 mushers in the first group and five rookies. Egil drew start number 2. He will start out after Brent Beck from Canada. You will find the complete starting list for Rondy at http://www.asdra.org
Today, Wednesday, all mushers went out to different schools in Anchorage. Our school to visit and show our dogs at was Northstar Elementary School. For over an hour kids came to see the dogs, pet them and to ask us questions about the Rondy race. What a great way to introduce young kids to our fantastic sport.
Tomorrow Thursday it will be yet another busy day, starting out with Mushers and Media Breakfast at Tudor Bingo 9.30 am. When we are done eating its time to drop dogs and at 11 am it is the Driver’s Meeting at the clubhouse.
Tonight we will have a pizza dinner! Our friend Bev Stevens has invited us to come for dinner. She will prepare her grand mothers famous pizza, what a treat… Bon appetite
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Rondy bib draw at the Crowne Hotel...	Ernie Hall one of the fantastic people behind the new great Rondy race!	A lot of people contribute to a successful race. Dixie and Bill Wadell got an extra treat last night, mugs with their photos on and "life is good"! Dixie is timing the Rondy and Bill is dedicated to trail work.	All mushers get their photo taken, here it is Eddy Dayton.	We took the dogs out for an hour of free running in the middle of Anchorage today... actually it's a fenced inn area and the team loves to play here...
Young kids at the Northstar Elementary school petting Ruby and he really enjoyed it...	It so much fun to see how interested young kids are in sled dog sport, they asked us hundreds of questions...

Us in the studio at KTNA in Talkeetna.

When we were asked if we wanted to come and do a radio interview with KTNA in Talkeetna focusing on Rondy we immediately said yes… to promote Rondy and sprint racing is always high priority for us. Check out http://www.ktna.org and download the interview we did for “Nuggets”.
It’s only three days now until Rondy starts and we are getting so excited. This is what we have planned, trained and focused on since Egil came across the finish line on 4th Avenue down town Anchorage a year ago.
Our dogs feel it too, they are ready to race and today we took them out for a final, easy training run. They did awesome. It was warm, 40F, but they handled the heat well. Forecast is for slightly cooler temperatures towards the weekend and that will be a relief for all the dogs running in the Rondy for three days.
Egil will have 16 dogs on the starting line, with main leaders Ruby and Casper and by tomorrow night we will know what starting position he will have. Sign up and draw for starting positions is at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Anchorage at 6 pm. You will find all about Anchorage Fur Rendezvous Open World Championship on http://www.asdra.org
I will update this website and you can also follow us on Facebook.
Tonight I prepared a quick and easy meal, Salmone in Cartoccio - salmon in parchment paper with a Soffritto. It cooks within 15 minutes. Bon appetite
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Egil playing with the dogs after todays training run.	Egil and our friend Linus took out a 16 dog team with yearlings today.	The trail at Montana Creek is almost perfect. Maybe in the best condition we have seen this winter.	Tikko waiting for Egil to come back from the training run.	Cowboy is enjoying the warm weather!
Gala, one of our young females wanted to be one of the dogs on our blog today.	I just had to make a pizza with sourdough and it was delicious.