ASK THE MUSHER VOL 16: Martin Buser

[Buser]

We'll try to reply to posts as quickly as possible.

Don't worry and don't hurry We are a patient audience who will stay here for as long it takes to reply to all our questions ... and when that's done, we will still be here the days after that

So; you were born in Switzerland. Do you travel to Europe often?

I'm born and raised in Finnmark, Norway and now live near the capital Oslo (not far from Robert Sørlie). My husband (aka Kitchen King) is danish, and we go to Denmark now and then. What he experiences, is that he after 20-some years in Norway, feels a little like a stranger when back in Denmark. At the same time, every one in Norway can hear from his accent that he is danish. Kind of no-homeland situation Does it sound familiar to you?

I don't get to Europe often. I rarely travel anywhere unless I have to. My best days are the ones I don't go out my driveway. I feel very Alaskan and appreciate the warmth and spirit of Alaskans. Since Alaska is a relatively new state, many of us are from somewhere else and so we tend to know the feeling of being foreigners. The state of Alaska is the largest small town in the world. So many of us are connected to each other in a variety of ways.

[Buser]

Martin and Kathy, thanks again for offering your time and insights to this group!

Others have asked more specific race questions and I look forward to your replies.

We already know that the Redoubt volcano complicated your trip home from Nome. Have you had to take special measures since being home to deal with ash-fall?

I am concerned about the Iditarod Air Force being squeezed. Their service is critical to the Iditarod. What can we in the "public domain" do to show our support for their mission?

Congrats on another great race in a very difficult year.

Breeze

So far, we have had only one dusting of ash here at the kennel. We haven't had to take any specific precautions yet, except make sure the dogs have fresh water and try not to get them excited. Luckily, it snowed after the dusting of ash which kept things somewhat contained.

I'm not sure what to say about the Iditarod airforce. I don't feel I know enough on the subject to comment. I think Iditarod and the FAA are trying to come to a compromise.

[Buser]

Hey Martin
How are things
Congrats on your race this year.
Only got a comment,then one Question
I love the way you let your dogs free at your rest stop in the race,they must loved the free time that you gave them.How do you do that?Lots of dogs would run if the chance is given.
Thanks for your time
jplife
Alberta

One of my favorite things to do with my dogs is free running. We load groups of 20 in our dog truck, and drive to hay fields near our home and let them all out. I walk, run or ride a bicycle and they come with me. We start teaching them to come when called and get along when they are puppies. They get walked in groups and have a blast. I can pretty much let them loose anywhere. It makes getting out of tangles on the trail much easier. In training I often stop and let them all go just for fun. No one has ever run away or not come back to the team - some do freelance for a little longer than others.

Thanks for noticing!

[Buser]

:D Martin it is a wish come true to have you visit our forum! Thanks so much for agreeing to do this & welcome to our little family of "Iditabuddies"!

I had only followed the Iditarod for a couple of years when you got your historic win in '02. It was so moving to see you go through your citizenship ceremony under the arch with your family gathered close!

-Would you please share some of your feelings at that time and the reason you felt moved to become a US citizen?

-Also wondering if time or money were no object, what would like to do besides racing?

I enjoyed catching glimpses of you and Kathy on Governor Palin's campaign trail, do you have any interest in entering the political arena someday?

Here are some questions for Kathy as well, how have you adjusted to your first year away from teaching? Do you feel a pull to return to the classroom or are you enjoying the change of pace?

Thanks for your reply!

The ceremony in Nome was extremely moving, a highlight of my adult life ~ my friends, the weather, the atmosphere. And at the time I didn't realize it, but it was probably a major reason for me setting the record for the fastest Iditarod. It gave me an added demension of energy that I probably would not have had.

I would probably train dogs and not race them because I love being out there with my team, shaping them, and having fun and not putting them under pressure. I would also finish my "house project". We call it our project because it is ongoing. We are building a house on a hill near out current home. The house on the hill has an almost 360 degree view of the surrounding mountains, including Mt. McKinely. We plan to convert our current house into a B&B and move up the hill to our smaller place.

I have NO interest in entering the political arena but I will support fair minded people who sacrifice themselves to public service.

I miss being with my students and friends at school. Young children have a way of infecting you with innocence, pure delight and enthusiasm. I do substitute regularly at Midnight Sun, where I taught and it is a blast. I love my pace of life now. I keep very busy with logistics for racing and working on our tour business. But I don't go to sleep exhausted like I used to. I love being able to go to the bathroom whenever I need to (teachers can relate) and I had so much fun doing dog stuff this year.

[Buser]

Welcome Martin and Kathy! We are SO honored to have you here! You have lots of avid fans here on the forum, with me being one of them

In the summer of 2005, I was lucky enough to meet you at the Musher Sign Up Picnic and then the following day was able to take a tour of your great kennel. I was so impressed with the dogs, your fascinating and entertaining tour, and how willing you were to share your time. You were very gracious and answered every one of my many, many questions. It definitely was the highlight of my trip to Alaska. I often wonder if the tiny little puppy you put in my arms to hold is one of the incredible athletes on your team. I certainly hope so.

Here are some of my questions.

I saw on your website that Caribou was dropped due to a sore shoulder. I noticed that you dropped brother Elk at the same time. What happened to Elk? Was Elk also ailing or does he just not like to run without his brother? I know they were two of your main leaders. How did dropping them early on affect your race?

Do you do anything special when training to help the dogs learn to forge through the horrendous winds like you had this year?

We all want to know your thoughts on the Quest. (We loved being able to follow you in both races this year. Congratulations on your rookie run! ) Do you think it helped or hindered your Iditarod performance? What were your goals in running it? And will you do it again?

You used to write detailed reflections of your Iditarod experience in years past and post them on your website. Do you still write down your thoughts after a race, but just keep them private? Does that help you analyze the race and plan next year's strategy?

This is probably a silly question, but I've always wondered. Every year many teams struggle with problems from a dog in heat. With all the difficulty it causes, why wouldn't it be worth either fielding an all male/female team or just drop the female in heat? Even if the female is a superstar... if she makes the boys nutsy, how can that help? (Just curious!)

This last question is for Kathy. Did following Martin along the trail during the Iditarod and Quest make you worry more or less this year? Is it easier following at home with minimal knowledge of what's going on out there?

Thanks so much for sharing your time with us. We love it!

Go Team Buser!!!

ELK & CARIBOU (alias booboo) Both boys were ailing a bit from the run ont he Quest. Dropping my boys was one of the first big blows of the 09 race. But you have to just get over it for all the other dogs in the team. Then it's comforting to take them out on training runs, like yesterday, and see them training again. I tend to drop dogs at the first sign of a problem rather than having a potential of long term problems.

Wind -We don't typically have those conditions to train it but because of the bond that I have with my dogs, they trust that I won't put them in a situation that they can't handle. That's the reason I stayed in Shaktoolik so long this year. I wanted them to be ready when the time came.

Story - I am going to write a detailed reflection for 09. We are working on compiling all our Iditarod stories in a book for publication. The reflections do help me process each race but I also need to digest the race before I write about it.

Kathy here - following the races made me worry so much less!!! Although in this year's Iditarod it was hard to see Martin and the team working so hard and not being in the position he would have liked to be in. I would rather be an eye witness any day than wait at home for any morsel of information. In the early days, I'd be so happy when Martin was in the top 10 so I could see his name on the 6:00 news and maybe a quick interview. Those were PRE-Insider days.

[Buser]

Welcome Martin and Kathy!


I love watching you race and love the way you interacted with the BSSD Kids in the interviews. Thank you so much for joining us here.

I have several questions for you:

What types of food do you enjoy on the trail?

What is the dogs favorite snack?

Any other races this year?

My food - Every year we keep refining our gourmet menu. My wife prepares the best food on the trail. I gravitate to shrimp, pasta, fresh corn and peas from the Mat valley. Kathy always makes poppyseed cake and prebutters each slice. I do consume butter on nearly everything. Swiss chocolate is my treat.

Dogs favorite snack is temperature dependent. This year they liked the chum salmon when it was warm at the beginning of the race and the poultry fat when it was cold.

I had tentatively planned to run the KOBUK 440 but will take a break from the 440 this year.

[MotorWerk]

Good Golly, I feel like I'm in the presence of a deity...

Hi Martin, and welcome to our little community.

Northern or Southern route - any preferences?
How long will Magnus be at your kennel? Maybe he'll convince you to take a trip to Norway and race in the future?
In your opinion, are there any CP places that could go well as a girlie name?
I went through your excellent website looking for anything about your sleds, but couldn't find anything - do you build them yourself? Or do you purchase and modify?

Thanks for your time and all the best to the whole team.

Stig Olsen/Norway

[Buser]

Thanks for joining us.. Congrat on your race. I will always remember your effort to go and meet at the finish line with every race finisher after your win a few years ago. It impressed me very much and is one of the reasons I am a fan of yours. My question: How many diferent types of runners do you have for the sled with you during the race? Thanks again for being one of the champions who is still willing to visit with his fans.

I have 16 sets of runners of at least 4 different types of plastic. One kind for rocky and hard ground, the others for certain temperatures.

Thanks for the kind words.

[Buser]

Martin, thanks so much for agreeing to be on this forum. It means so much to us fans! I've really appreciated your sense of humor and positive attitude in everything you do. I still have a picture of you doing the hula after a particularly grueling run a few years back. The picture reminds me to keep a good sense of humor, no matter what. And your "flying GPS" story is legendary around our house. Here are my questions:

1. What is your secret to keeping a good attitude and sense of humor, no matter what?

2. I loved your comment during the Quest about missing Eagle Summit. What was your impression of Eagle Summit? What surprised you the most about the Quest?

3. Looking back over this years' Iditarod, what would you do differently and what would you do the same?

4. You mentioned that you are hoping to take part in some different races in the future. What are some races you are considering? Any in the lower 48? Can you post your schedule on your website ahead of time so some of us lower-48-ers can come cheer you on?

5. Kathy, what did you learn and/or what did you find most surprising about the Iditarod during your tour this year? I loved your blog updates and photos.

Thanks so much.

Marcia (emwcee)

My attitude on this year's race was a little crabby and I know it shouldn't have been. I apologize to anyone in the checkpoints for my behavior. I usually work to see the big picture of life, the glass being half full and I know it affects my dogs' attitude. I try not to take myself too seriously. My wife called me Pollyanna when we first met.

Eagle Summit - steeper than it looked with no trail, no footing for the dogs, soft deep snow. Loaded down with a huge load to go from Circle to Two Rivers.

What surprised me the most about the Quest was that people cook for the mushers at the checkpoints and even in between the checkpoints. Delicious steaks, soups, breakfasts, etc.

Looking back - I would train differently. Clearly this was not the year to hang back because of the deteriorating trail conditions. It worked pretty well in 08 but every race is different. The thing I would do the same is to put the dogs first and focus on them rather than the competitors.

We haven't decided on any races yet. None on the horizon right now but my wife and I were good traveling partners so it may come to pass someday and we would post it on our website.

Most surprising for me(Kathy) was how hard it is to stand up in the wind in Kaltag, how cold your face gets when it's 20 below and windy in Unalakleet, and how amazing the dogs really are. It's not just a cliche.

[Buser]

Martin and Kathy~
We are so very excited to have you join us here. Congratulations on your Quest and Iditarod runs this year. I'm sure everyone is glad to be home getting some much deserved rest and recovery time. How long does it take before the sleep deprivation wears off and you start to feel back to normal? Do you try to get back to a regular sleep/work pattern or does the impossible happen and you have the luxury of sleeping as much as you need to to catch up?

How do the dogs "decompress" after they return? Lots of sleeping and eating or are they looking for a nice run right away?

I see from your website that you had a wonderful meal of fresh crab when you were finished. Maybe Kathy should answer this one...do you fix the guys a favorite meal before and/or after a big race? If so, what is the family favorite?

Do you have a favorite spot on the Iditarod trail that you always try to stop at? If so, can you share where it is and why it is special to you? I'm also interested in hearing what your favorite memory is out on the trail. Obviously, cruising in first under the burled arch four times is tough to top but there have to be special times on the trail that just you and the dogs share.

Also, we are hearing some entertaining stories about strategic "efforts" that have made a difference in a race (Lance's sneak out and now Dallas' head lamp dimming). Do you have a strategy that you used in a race that shook things up and changed the race a bit?

Wishing you the best and thanks for sharing.

My life these days allows me to sleep as much as I need to. This year it's taking a bit longer to recover, probably due to the Quest. People over 50 shouldn't be allowed to run Quest and Iditarod.

Dogs recover much more quickly. They deserve a week or so off and get lots of snacks, pets, love and attention. Then after a week they want to go again and enjoy short fun runs.

Our prerace meal on Saturday night is always prime rib, fresh valley peas, Gryuere scalloped potatoes, egg mustard salad and fruit salad.

Crab in Nome is ALWAYS the meal of choice in Nome and Pat and Sue have had crab for Martin, one way or another.

I try not to have a favorite place otherwise most of the time you are in the wrong place. I try to make whatever place I am special, just like I don't have a favorite dog, but the one I'm petting at the time is my favorite.

Race strategy is pretty complex but I won one Iditarod by sneaking out of Kaltag. I travel a lot without a headlamp on to be in a stealth mode.