dy have dropped out.On Tuesday,Nike Free Run 2, Iditarod veteran Sonny Lindner was the first to leave the Nikolai checkpoint,Nike Air Max 2015 Womens Pink Black, more than 700 miles from the finish line in the old gold rush town of Nome. Participants say this year's trail conditions are grueling, including stretches of bare ground. Throughout the race, mushers will keep a close eye on their dogs.Here are some other key things to know about the four-legged competitors:IT TAKES A TEAMMushers must have 12 to 16 dogs at the starting line. They must have at least six of those dogs to finish the race. If they don't have enough dogs at the end, too bad. Race rules say no new dogs can be added on the trail.YOUTH VS. WISDOMMost Iditarod dogs range in age from 2 to 7,Nike Free Run 3 Womens Black, but some dogs as young as 1 1/2 and older than 9 have participated. With a good mix of ages, mushers get frisky youngsters and seasoned veterans. It's the older dogs that have come to memorize the trail. ''Like, once a guy's been in the NBA finals, he knows it,'' race marshal Mark Nordman said.SUPER CALORIE BURNERSOh, to have the metabolism of an Iditarod dog. These are not huge animals, generally ranging from 35 to 55 pounds. Yet each sled dog burns through at least 10,000 calories on the trail, continually snacking besides the three squares a day.CANINE TRAIL MIXThe Iditarod diet used to be heavy on meat and fish, with some kibble thrown in. But the past decade has seen a reversal. Where it was once a combination of about 30 percent commercial dog food and 70 percent meat and fish, it's now the opposite for many teams, thanks to the development of increasingly high-quality commercial dog food. ''It's why the pet industry has enjoyed the race so much, because they learn so much from the dogs that they can pass it on to the general community of pets,'' Nordman said.DOG TEAM VITALSSome dogs still die during the race, including a dropped dog that died of asphyxiation at a checkpoint last year after it was covered by snow from a severe storm. But dog deaths - slammed by animal rights activists over the years - have dramatically declined. Last year's death was the first since 2009. Dog care is a huge focus, with an average of six veterinarians assigned to each checkpoint to assess the animals' health through such indicators as heart rate, hydration and appetite. Warning signs vets look for include off-kilter gaits and attitudes.---Follow Rachel D'Oro at -https://twitter.com/rdoro
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - Punishing conditions along the early part of Alaska's nearly 1,000-mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race have brought many mushers literally to their knees, knocking some out of the running altogether.Advertisement As of Thursday morning, 12 mushers had dropped out - at least one with a broken bone - and one was withdrawn, leaving 56 teams on the trail. Long stretches of bare ground made conditions treacherous hundreds of miles from the finish line in Nome on Alaska's western coast.The trail gets better, then worse, with rumors among mushers of more icy patches with little snow on the final leg along the wind-whipped Bering Sea coast. The icy conditions are making for a blazing fast trail - some say swifter than usual. Less snow means faster running but less traction.Here are some key things to know about the rough ride:WHERE'S THE SNOW?Spare snow and bare rocky ground made for an icy, treacherous trail between the checkpoints of Rainy Pass and Nikolai, more than 700 miles from the finish line. Many mushers crashed their sleds. Veteran musher Hugh Neff, who won the 1,000-mile Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race in 2012, broke the brake pad and had to get a replacement sled. Something people might not realize, he said, is how much faster and uncontrollable it is crossing uncovered terrain. ''This is the craziest trail I've ever seen,Nike Air Max 2011 AU,'' Neff said in McGrath, where he completed a mandatory 24-hour layover Wednesday.MUSHERS BANGED UPA hefty share of mushers were bruised, scraped and battered over the steep or rocky sections of the trail. Ten of the mushers dropping out were announced in Rainy Pass. Among those with serious i