We are back for day #2 of “S” and it’s all about STRATEGY! At this point in the race, every single decision made can mean the difference. Travis Beals has made his move and is currently sitting in 2nd place with Paige Drobny nipping at his heals. At the moment he is resting betwen Unalakleet and Shaktoolik with Paige only a few miles back. While Travis went through Unalakleet, Paige spent 7 hours resting, so only time will tell how both duke it out in the coming miles. Travis’ team looked alert and ready go. Paige admits she is running out of miles to secure some distance between them. She isn’t speculating on her next moves as she says it depends completely on the time it takes to get places. She is snacking often with beef fat, pork belly, and chicken skin to get them the required 50% fat her dogs need. She states that she finally feels like she’s in the perfect daytime/nighttime run /rest schedule. All need to react at this point however to Jessie Holmes. He is still leading and is relaxed with his position, not overchasing the win. He stated that he doesn’t feel the teams behind him are as hungry for it as his is. He is superbly confident in their desire. He says he isn’t chasing the finish line though because it means it’s over. He signed up for the tired, the pain, the joy, the misery. He’s getting what he wanted. That is what makes the suffering bearable. When speaking to media, he says that the ultimate joy for him is putting the dogs second to himself. That is when he feels greatness. He is however, questioning all the supplies he brought along and hasn’t used. It’s time to sort through it and shed some of the extra weight. For now, he’s now avoiding the busy checkpoints, choosing to rest at spots like Tripod, Old Woman Cabin, and Blueberry Hills Cabin. He is sacrificing his own comfort for what now needs to be done. I think we can all feel the success of this year’s race though when we look at the list of scratched mushers. We are so sad to have seen Jaye leave the race, but almost shocked at the continued perseverance and good fortune of all the other mushers. To get this far into the race and have so few scratch is sensational!
Second Day of “S” Studies!
- Synonyms- Perfect opportunity to work on any and all words related to the Iditarod, Alaska, dogs, dogsledding, mushers… then focus on brainstorming other words that mean the same thing.
- Syllables- Take those same words you just worked with in synonyms and practice dividing syllables.
- Social-Emotional Learning- Empathy- Caring for the dogs: Give students scenarios such as dogs look tired, storm is coming, trail is icy, been running for 7 hours, sore shoulder, etc. and have students decide what the musher should do and why that decision is best for the dogs.
- Supply and Demand- Use the oppotunity to discuss what happens to prices in native villages when there is little to go around and everyone needs it!
