Participating in FL-500 for the first time

Christine Karijord from Junkerdal Huskies participated in her first Finnmark Race ever and finished in style. Having come in as number 8, and a 6^th place in the Norwegian Championship, she became Rookie of the Year in her class. This is her own story about the race. It was first published on Junkerdal Huskies’ facebook page. (Photo: Niels Westphal)

The Finnmark Race 2016 – 542 km

When I started out of Alta on Saturday, I had no idea what was expecting me. Despite this I felt an inner peace, and started out feeling assured I would complete the race. I did not reflect much upon potential challenges, and was very much in the moment, yet determined that this was MY race. I would not pay attention to other teams and mushers.

 

 

Before the start in Alta. I had to pee the whole time, but had a strange inner peace the whole time. Quite surprising, actually. (Photo: Private)

The first leg quickly turned quite rough, with a lot of side wind and poor visibility. Suddenly, the sled and dog team was caught by a gust of wind. The team turned into a tangle of rope, line and dogs, and I tumbled over, hitting my head hard against a jib of snowdrift. Everything turned black, and my neck felt stiff. But with many years’ experience from the soccer field, I compared the feeling to the feeling of a hard heading, and concluded: Yes, I still have the game. At Jotka I got an Ibux and a Paracet from Sissel Vollan.

Meat soup together with competitor Sissel Vollan from Team Kvam at Jotka. With this I also want to congratulate this tough lady with the third place and eight healty dogs across the finish line. A great musher with a good spirit and a strong will! (Photo: Private)

After feeding, taking care of paws and the dogs, who had done great so far, it was on toward the next check-point after almost three hours. Again the team did really well. Steady and with a nice flow. I stood on the break, kept them trotting and stopped them from increasing the speed, even if they wanted to. I planned to save some of the steam. Coming into Jergul, I reduced the speed and let the dogs “jog” into the check-point. But something had happened to little Olympia. When the sled had fallen over, she had gotten one of the lines against her shoulder, and her bicep was sore and swollen. The Vet said it would be okay to let her go on further, but she quickly ended up in the sled. And what a circus! She most certainly did not want to be there. I think I used an hour extra, perhaps even more, on placing the hysterical bitch back in the sled.

I would catch up with other teams, pass, and then end up being passed myself. And this happened over and over again. But I was in a great mood. I have no idea why. This is just how things were.

On this stretch, I saw that Nelson was tired as well. He was not in as good shape as the others, and could not keep up. I decided to drop him together with Olympia, skip the planned rest in Mollisjok and continue with six dogs. Looking back, I actually mushed 392 km with the pulling power of the six dogs I made it to the finish line with.

Over the mountain plateau toward Mollisjok. Rexi in single lead, pulling determined in the right direction. I got to experience the potential that lives in this dog, and it is impressive to say the least! (Photo: Private)

On the leg to Karasjok, I pulled the stunt of the year. I saw that Tert was unable to keep up with Rexi in front, and put the young Nixon up front together with her. And did he go! Turned around a few times to see if mother was back there on the sled, before he sped up again. On the river toward the check-point we managed to pass two teams we had seen faaaar ahead, and lights we saw came closer and closer. It was a joy. I think the golden boy after Frøken and Spike grew a lot on the responsible.

We moved on for miles without seeing anything but the sticks. For periods we had strong wind, while the fog was thick other times. Photo: Privat

After rest in Karasjok, we headed out on the river toward Levajok. The tracks were heavy. I let Rexi, who had been in the lead until now, rest a bit a bit further back and put Dunder and Tert in front.  I sang to the dogs, encouraged and suddenly found myself in a strange modus where I was so tired that I saw things that were not there. The modern cabin area which appeared, supposedly does not exist… After hard work, encouragement, snacking every hour and lots of positivity, we made it to yet another check-point. And it was good to see mom and Leif there, waiting for us. The dogs had great appetite, but I spent more than 20 minutes over required rest time to get some nutrition, before heading toward Skoganvarre. A leg that, according to Leif, was slightly hilly. HA HA,  I have to say.

Here we met wolf. The dogs were almost anxious and did not pull as much. They looked back and sniffed in the air. Suddenly I saw the animal run away, big as a Husky. I moved on, calm and controlled, and let the dogs work in a steady speed. Gave them water on the trail, and to my surprise it was Zala who drank water all the time. My princess, who Leif meant perhaps would be to thin during a race, and that she could not last through a long race. Oh no! She is the best. Tight line from start to finish, and with a little bit of effort I managed to get her to eat just as much as the others. And her weight was just fine when we made it to the finish line.

After long hills and white for as long as the eye could see, it was amazing to have a view! Photo: Private.

In Skoganvarre there was a required vet control. All dogs went through just fine, ate and rested well. When we started out on the last leg toward Alta, I had a team which increased the speed when the trail would allow it. I felt I had done something right at the beginning of the race when I had taken it easy. I ran together with the dogs in all uphill areas and thanked all the work-out hours with “pushing sled on the 3D-mill” at Stamina and all the miles on the Junkerdal trails. We had a great speed, and this with a small team of six dogs who just gave it all they had!

At Jotka 2 I went straight through toward Alta. Rexi knew where we were headed. What a dog she is. And together with Dunder she made up a dram lead-team. Had I known what Rexi had in her when I bought her, I would have gladly paid three times the amount! She is truly unique. Determined, steady, strong as a bear, and so enormously confident. As I got closer to the finish in Alta, I saw small, fat sparrows on the trail. Everywhere! (Thinking back, I think it was booties and poop…) I dozed off for a few seconds, before I pulled myself together and worked on the sled, talked to the dogs, while only I knew that we were almost finished.

This little lady - Olympia – did not want to sit in the sled. Photo: Private.

I have experienced a lot in this race. I am more prepared to enter the Finnmark Race 2017. Little things will be adjusted and I will be even more prepared. The feeling I am left with is an enormous sense of gratitude. I am so proud over every single of the six dogs who made it across the finish line. 

Rexi: Steady as Dovrefjell, Dunder: Adaptable and fast as a warm summer breeze, Zala: Determined as an arrow from a bow, Nixon: As an antelope on the trail and faithful as one’s own child, Gerro: Will and strength from another world, and Tert: As clockwork, moving forward.

I have learned so much about myself these hours. I have cried in gratitude, laughed at little things that has happened along the way, I have taken care of each and every dog, been very focused the whole time and realized one important thing: I have to go this way myself. I can not learn something from other people’s race experiences. And the inner motivation I thought I had, I now know that I have. There is something real and authentic in doing the Finnmark Race. The closest experience I can think of is giving birth. It is painful, hard and infinite at times, but so incredible rich, valuable and fantastic. It is simply indescribable.