Hi Everyone,

What an exciting time in the race. The winner will be in soon. Who do you think will win? It’s going to be a close race all the way to the finish.

Anyway, I thought this would be a good time to bring up setting and achieving goals again. (If you just started reading the Zuma blog during the race, you can read about goal setting by going to K-9 Gypsy reporter and go to the goal setting articles that were previously posted.) What do you think leaders Lance Mackey’s and Jeff Kings goals were when they started the race? Do you think it was to win? What kind of plan do you think they had to meet their goals?

Not everyone’s goal is to win. I’ve had several comments the past few days from readers who have been disappointed that their musher isn’t in the lead. Most mushers are in the race for the personal goal of finishing the race. If they have run the race more than once, their goal may be to finish this race faster than they finished in the past. So If your musher is in 50^th or 60^th or 70^th place, don’t be worried or think they aren’t doing well. They may be meeting the goal they set for themselves.

If you are following a musher, I’m sure you have done some research on him or her. Did they say what their goal may be. If not, what do you think their goal is? Is it to win? Is it to finish? Or something else?

Mushers decide early what their goal is going to be. Then they make a race plan. This plan is usually made several months before the race. This plan includes, when they hope to be at certain checkpoints, how long they will rest, when and where they will take their 24 hour mandatory stop. Once the plan is made, they will decide what and how much to pack in each drop bag. The drop bags going to the 24 hour rest checkpoint will have more supplies in it than a drop bag going to a checkpoint that the musher isn’t planning on staying long at. So the plan affects all parts of the race and is very important.

What could keep a musher from reaching his or her goal? Think about some of the things you have learned during the race. Could weather or trail conditions affect the goal? Illness? Injury? What else?

How are the goals you made for yourself coming along? My goal to be a leader on my team is going slowly. I have been running as a swing dog and I have learned so much. Remember, I wanted to make my goal by next fall, so I’ll just keep showing my human what I have learned and hopefully, I’ll get to try lead really soon.

Hope you continue to enjoy the race. Remember when the winner comes in, the race is not over. There are many mushers still on the trail hoping to reach their goals.

Happy trails,

Gypsy