| It was a medium day in Alaska. The sky was a bit | | | | Mike.She nodded.He continued: "I used to imagine that |
| overcast. The air was cool.Frantic activity was visible | | | | I would lose myself if I gave myself away and keep |
| in all directions as the drivers prepared for what could | | | | myself if I hid myself away, but now I know that |
| arguably be called the toughest race in the world.The | | | | the contrary is true. If I could do it all over again, I |
| Iditarod Trail Sled Dog race is an annual event in | | | | would.""I admire your faith," she said."It's because I |
| Alaska. Mushers and dogs cover 1,100 miles. It can | | | | have learned to love what I do. When you have |
| take them 8, 14, to 21 days to complete the | | | | love, faith comes, sadness passes, and solitude |
| distance.Teams must race through blizzards that | | | | breaks. Even when I lose, I love, and rather than |
| cause whiteout conditions, subzero weather, and gale | | | | finding myself in hell, I find myself in heaven.""That's |
| force winds.The trail runs through Alaska, from | | | | all a person needs," she agreed. "Faith, courage, and |
| Anchorage in the southeast, up the Rainy Pass of | | | | love.""Yes, " said Mike. "I refuse to fall down.""That's |
| the Alaska range, through the sparsely populated | | | | what I love about you, Mike. If you fall down, you |
| interior, along the shores of the Bering Sea, and finally | | | | refuse to stay down. If you get pushed down again, |
| reach Nome, in the northeast.Musher Mike's marathon | | | | you raise your heart to heaven and make the |
| runner stamina and mountaineering strength and | | | | impossible, possible.""Let's get some hot coffee," he |
| ferocious agility were evident as he ran through the | | | | said. Hooking his arm in hers they walked toward the |
| gangline, harnessed them, and hooked them to the | | | | coffee shop to make plans for the next |
| four wheeler's gangline. The dogs were happy and | | | | Iditarod.Saleem Rana would love to share his inspiring |
| enthusiastic, all psyched up and ready to go. He undid | | | | ideas with you. Hunting everywhere for a life worth |
| the retainer hook and they were off like a speeding | | | | living? Discover the life of your dreams. His book |
| bullet.Then 17 days later, the Iditarod was over, and | | | | Never Ever Give Up tells you how. It is offered at no |
| he had lost, for the third year in a row.He had | | | | cost as a way to help YOU succeed. |
| crossed over harsh and starkly beautiful landscapes | | | | Copyright 2004 Saleem Rana. Please feel free to |
| under the Northern Lights, through tundra and spruce | | | | pass this |
| forests, over hills and mountain passes, and across | | | | article on to your friends, or use it in your ezine or |
| icy rivers.His wife, Clarissa, came over. Her sky-blue | | | | newsletter. It's a shareware article. |
| eyes were smiling."Well, she said."Joy will come, "said | | | | |