I love dog mushing. Ten years in Alaska covering races on the radio, photographing start and finish for the web, and enjoying the thrill and drama up close have given me a passion for the sport.

This interview from the Yukon Quest trail today reminded me why.

These men are leading the toughest sled dog race in the world. It winds through 1,000 miles of desolate territory, over mountains, on craggy ice, through constant wind, and in the midst of bitter cold. They don’t fixate on the moment. Moments can be tough.

When they look ahead, they see the finish line, but they don’t look past their teammates – the dogs.

Lance is a mushing legend. Allen is a veteran. These men know something about obstacles. They know even more about taking care of your partner.

They can teach us all a lesson on how to run together and finish strong.

This year’s Quest has been fantastic so far. You can follow race updates and live tracking on their website.

I am rooting for Lance.

He is the last familiar face I saw before departing Fairbanks for Wisconsin last September. He held the door for me while I carried some boxes out of the post office … only in Alaska.