As if it wasn't already noticable, as the countdown comes closer to the start of the Iditarod, anticipation grows to an overwhelming high. To keep from going absolutely crazy there are a few ways to keep the excitement up, without the insanity of the upcoming race overtaking you!
Iditarod.com is a fantastic resource to get up-to-date with the race, as well as relive past races. Rereading their blog posts - and this year they're doing a 40 year retrospective - rewatching Insider videos also keeps one excited. And this weekend we get to get our Jr. Iditarod on with free access to the GPS trackers! Oh, and don't forget Jeff Shultz awesome pics of the day/week. His facebook is also a FANTASTIC way to see the race.
Speaking of Iditarod Insider - every fan of the race should get themselves a copy of their Iditarod Documentary: "Purely Alaskan." With this being the 40th Iditarod, it's the perfect DVD to watch gearing up for the historic event. This goes through most of the history of the founding of the race up to present day (2010). It's a FANTASTIC way to get into the Iditarod mood. After that, watch the DVDs of previous races.
Tweeting with friends and mushers is another great way of getting the anxiousness under control. We chat about what we plan to see, who we're cheering for, who we predict will do well, remembering past races. It's a small fandom, but it's a knowledgeable and FUN and FRIENDLY fandom. How many sports can say that the fans generally get along?!
Reading the blogs, sites, and facebooks from the mushers this time of year is also exciting. Most are good about at least pretending to know what they're doing on the internet, other's have completely embraced it. There are some coming into the digital age kicking and screaming (but that's why they hire no lifers like me who love social media applications).
The easiest way for me, however, after teh Insider videos and DVDs is definitely a few of the great books on the Iditarod and their participants. You can see my top picks here, but there are many others that are just as good.
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