NSK yearling training journal. Sunday, November 27, 2005 Since Iım taking this year off from competitive racing and from Iditarod, I havenıt thought anyone would be too interested in our ³training². However, this fall has been the most successful training season Iıve had so I decided that maybe some of you would be interested. Thus, here it isthe NSK yearling training journal. Kim Kittredge is busy training the adults for Iditarod so I have been able to concentrate on the yearlings. These guys (5 females/3 males) are doing awesome. Iıve been working them all into lead and so far all have responded really well. All the time spent training them this summer and building their confidence is paying off. We are now running 25 miles and are on a sled as of Thanksgiving day. My plan is to run them in the Knik 200 if we have no disruptions in training. Rich has to have some pretty serious surgery on Wednesday, Nov. 30 so we may have to take a break from training for a few days. If we have too many days off weıll set our sites on a later race. The plan is to make sure these guys have the time of their lives in these first few races. Kim is on a sailing trip so his dogs are sitting for awhile, but theyıre looking good and have over 500 miles on them. He still needs a 300 qualifier so heıs looking at either the Klondike 300 or the Don Bowers 300. For those of you who havenıt heardKim Kittredge, who helped me train for Iditarod 2004, is running the No Snow Kennel adults in Iditarod 2006. One of the sad parts of racing sled dogs is that dogs get older and some dogs just donıt enjoy the long, fast runs anymore. That being the case, sometimes we need to find other homes for those dogs with more recreational mushers. The good news isthatıs how I got started in mushing. If someone hadnıt been willing to pass down older sled dogs that knew what they were doing and could teach me, I would never have had the opportunity to run Iditarod, let alone enjoy life with dogs. That being saidI have to tell you that Argentina (a 10 year old who has finished two Iditarod and finished with me in 2004) and PJ (a two year old who just doesnıt have the propensity to stay serious about running) have gone to live with a lady who is just learning to run dogs. She adores the dogs and will take great care of them. Of that I am certain or I wouldnıt have given her the dogs. Both of the dogs are the sweetest dogs on earth and Wendy and her famlly are blest to have them. We will miss them immensely. It is so hard to part with these guys, but much easier knowing theyıre in good, loving hands. Truly only well trained dogs can teach someone what mushing is about. Please wish PJ and Argentina the best in their new home. Anyway, on a more positive notethe trails are great, thereıs lots of snow and itıs cold!! So.weıre in musher heaven.