Thursday, March 16th: Training for the Junior Iditarod

SHE GAVE KAREN MEYERS A
LOOK AT HOW SHE HAS TURNED HER
HUSKIES INTO A LOVE FOR
COMPETITIVE SPORT.
LARA: THIS IS CAPTAIN.
JEDI.
KAREN: LARA RENNER'S DAY CENTERS
ON HER DOGS, MOST OF THEM NAMED
AFTER STAR WARS CHARACTERS.
LARA FELL IN LOVE WITH THE BREED
WHEN SHE WAS FIVE, AFTER FINDING
THIS STUFFED ANIMAL, A HUSKY, IN
A BOX IN HER BASEMENT.
LARA: IT HAD BEEN MY DOUBTS WHEN
HE WAS A KID.
I STARTED DOING EVERYTHING I
COULD TO GET MY OWN HUSKY.
KAREN: AFTER WATCHING THE DISNEY
MOVIE, "NOBODY'S -- SNOW BUDDIES
" SHE GOT HOOKED ON SLED DOG
RACING.
LARA: I DID ALL THE RESEARCH I
COULD, TALKED TO PEOPLE ABOUT
IT.
I WOULD LINE UP MY ANIMALS THAT
I'D GOTTEN THROUGH THE YEARS.
IN MY BASEMENT, I ATTACHED A
CARDBOARD BOX AND WOULD PRETEND
WE WERE MUSHING.
KAREN: FINALLY, ON HER 10TH
BIRTHDAY, SHE GOT STORM.
HE HAS NOT LEFT HER SINCE.
NOW, AT 14 YEARS OLD, SHE LEADS
A TEAM OF HUSKIES.
BRACING FOR ONLY THREE YEARS,
AND ALREADY A SHELF FULL OF
TROPHIES AND AWARDS.
>> FOR SOMEONE TO BE HER AGE TO
DO IT, IT IS A BIG DEAL.
KAREN: WITH 14 DOGS, IT IS A
FULL-TIME JOB.
LARA: WE DO NOT EVEN GET A BREAK
IN THE SUMMER.
IT IS SOMETHING THAT I LOVE
DOING.
KAREN: IT IS ALSO A NECESSITY,
SOMETHING BETWEEN RUNNER AND
DON.
LARA IS HOMESCHOOLED,
ALLOWING FOR MORE TIME TO TRAIN.
WITH HER EYES ON THE JUNIOR IT'D
ROD -- IDITAROD IN ALASKA, SHE
IS UPPING HER GAME.
♪
TRAINING NOW FOR HER FIRST 100
MILE 10. RAISE -- 10 DOG RACE IN
MAINE.
LARA: I KNOW WHEN I GET TO THE
STARTING LINE, I WILL BE
TERRIFIED.
THEY CAN SINCE WHAT YOU ARE
FEELING, WHICH DEFINITELY
AFFECTS THE RUNNING.
KAREN: LARA SAYS HER HUSKIES ARE
READY TO GO, ALWAYS EAGER TO HIT
THE TRAIL.
LARA: THEY LOVE TO PLEASE THEIR
OWNER.
IT IS INCREDIBLE TO ME WHAT THEY
CAN DO.
KAREN: SHE BUILDS HALF
MARATHONS, BUILDING UP STRENGTH
AND STAMINA SO SHE CAN JUMP OFF
THIS LED -- THE SLED AND RUN IT.
LARA EVERY ENERGY YOU CAN SAVE
THE DOGS HELPS LATER.
RIVAL.
KAREN: LOADING THEM UP FOR
INTERVAL RUNS IN NEARBY NEW
DURHAM.
THEY WILL DOUBLE SLED, PROVIDING
EXTRA RESISTANCE.
LARA: WINDHAM. HAVE ME ON THE
SLED, IT IS SO MUCH LESS WORK
FOR THEM.
KAREN: ONE OF LARA'S FAVORITE
PLACES TO BE.
LARA: YOU CAN JUST FEEL THE
HAPPINESS RADIATING OFF OF THE
DOGS.
I CANNOT REALLY EXPLAIN IT TO
SOMEONE WHO HAS NOT FELT THAT
BEFORE.
KAREN: NOT EASY FOR HER FATHER
TO LET HIS DAUGHTER INTO THE
WINDOWLESS -- WILDERNESS ON HER
OWN.
>> I WAS WAITING AT THE FINISH
LINE.
TEARS OF JOY THAT SHE HAD MADE
IT AND SHE HAD DONE SO WELL.
SO MUCH PRIDE IN HER AND THE
DUCKS -- DOGS.
SHE IS A TOUGH KID.
AND BRAVE TO GO OUT AND DO THIS.
KAREN: WHEN LARA IS NOT IN THE
WOODS OR THE KENNEL, THE DOGS
HARDLY LEAVE HER SITE.
JUST CHECK OUT HER BEDROOM, T
PAINTINGS OF THE DOGS.
SHE JUST CAME IN SIX OUT OF 16
COMPETITORS FROM ALL OVER.
THE YOUNGEST RACER IN THE -- AND
THE TOP FEMALE.
NINE HOURS, 17 MINUTES AND 50
SECONDS.
SO PROUD OF HER DOGS AND STORM
RIGHT THERE IN THE PACK.
LARA: I ALWAYS WANTED HIM ON MY
SIDE.
HE WILL RUN WITH ME IN IT IT RUN
-- IDITAROD NO MATTER WHAT.
♪

Thursday, March 16th: Training for the Junior Iditarod

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