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When Blake and Jennifer Freking’s dog teams began their run at last year’s Iditarod, fans in Minnesota anxiously looked on. Jennifer's hand was still healing from an injury sustained only weeks earlier, during Beargrease '08. But when tragedy threatened to force the couple out of the Iditarod altogether, all eyes were on them. A local’s snowmobile accidentally struck two of their dogs, killing one and seriously injuring a second. Staring down their grief with almost a third of the course still ahead, they pressed on to the finish with no ambitions to win. To their surprise however, Blake's dogs set a purebreed record. And their real victory transcended mere athleticism: they chose to finish together as mushers, as teammates and as companions. Jennifer would go on to win an award for Most Inspirational Musher. Now, already into the '09 season, Blake spoke with us about mushing on the North Shore, how Iditarod has changed them and how they're making ready for Beargrease this weekend. How are you feeling about the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon this year? This is my 4th Beargrease. My first Marathon was in 2004, which I won as a rookie. I was in Canada and Alaska running the Yukon Quest in 2005; the 2007 race was canceled. I feel this is the most prepared I have ever had a team coming into the race. We are gearing toward Iditarod again so I am anxious to see how that preparation will work for the Beargrease. This will be Jen's 4th Beargrease as well. She finished 2nd in 2005 and 3rd in 2006, and had to scratch in 2008. How does the course compare with some of the other regional ones, like the UP 200? Most of the race takes place on the North Shore Snowmobile trail, so it is a very hard and fast trail. Many other races also take place on snowmobile trails, but the Beargrease has probably the fastest conditions. The North Shore offers some very interesting terrain that many other races cannot compare to. The short climbs and descents of the Sawtooth area can make for a tough race, especially for the uninitiated. Not everyone gets to have the race course run through their backyard. Do you feel your kennel's location gives you a competitive edge, like playing the home field? I feel it does give us a little advantage, but not in the way many people might think. We do not train on the North Shore trail because of snowmobile traffic. I feel the biggest advantage to being local is that our dogs get to sleep in their own houses until the morning of the race start. They are not stressed or fatigued from travel and also allows us a couple extra precious days of training instead of traveling. In light of the adverse weather and conditions, what's it like doing the same courses year to year? Does your growing familiarity make a big difference, when the elements play such a big role? Being familiar with the country we are traveling through is definitely an advantage. The dogs can feel our emotions and when we are confident in where we are going, the dogs feel that confidence. They also feel when we're questioning the proximity to a checkpoint or getting anxious. The weather elements are always a factor in distance racing. We are generally covering a substantial amount of territory and covering a longer period of time, so we are opening ourselves up to a variety of conditions. We just need to get along with Mother Nature and prepare for anything she may send our way. Last year, with Jennifer's injury in Beargrease and then the Iditarod accident involving Lorne and Aries... In both situations, circumstances seemed beyond your control. But have they changed the way you prepare or train? Have they changed the way you feel about racing? Last season was tough in many respects. The Iditarod trail allows a lot of time for reflection and consideration. We have always been very safety conscious, but since last year's Iditarod we have looked into all kinds of trail safety lighting and ways to avoid such an incident in the future. In the end, you can prepare as much as you can, but its difficult to cover everything. As Jen said at the Nome banquet, "You cannot control everything that happens in your life but you can control how you react." We really never know what is around the next corner, in a dog race and in life! Do you feel the incident will change the way the races handle spectators/security issues? I have not seen any significant changes in races. When covering a 350-1000 mile race course, it's tough to monitor outside influences. In places like the Yukon River, the Iditarod race trail is also a trail that people use to commute between villages. So there is a significant amount of traffic. In the hours after the accident, you both made the decision to finish the race together, versus withdrawing. But in the midst of your tragedy, your team would go on to set a record and Jen would be awarded Most Inspirational Musher. So a lot to take in, all at once... Would you talk a little about those last hours and what crossing the finish was like? Lorne died almost immediately after the accident; Aries was seriously injured but stable. We had to run another 5 hours to the Nulato checkpoint to seek medical attention for him. Once there, we worked with the Vets to stabilize him and prepare him to be flown out to an emergency medical clinic. We stayed in Galena for 13 hours and thought to ourselves about what we were to do. We were afraid that other dogs in the team were injured or had other unseen problems, but when we went out to feed them, they were screaming and leaping in their harnesses to go. We took this as our sign that it would be best to deal with this on the trail together and with the teams we have spent so much time with, rather than scratching and spending the next several days answering media phone calls about the accident. We went on with absolutely no competitive intentions, we rested a lot, talked to our competitors, locals and race staff. It was not until Koyuk that a race judge said we were on track to break the pure breed record. Because we were resting so much the teams were getting stronger with every run. Usually, teams get into a 'business as usual' routine when running a race of this length, but our teams were acting like crazy pups when leaving every checkpoint. It was like they were telling us to cheer up and get moving! Finishing is always a bittersweet feeling. It's tough to see an adventure like that end, but it's also nice to meet such a distant goal. Moving forward, what are you excited about for this season? Are you doing anything differently? Competing in any races that will be new to you? Our teams are looking absolutely awesome! I have modified my training signifacantly this year in preperation for Iditarod. I feel that will also work well in the Beargrease. I am only planning two more races for this year: Beargrease and Iditarod. Jen has plans to run several other races including the UP 200, Mid Minnesota 150, the Wolftrack Classic and the Red River Dog Derby. Any new winter gear you've been happy with? I'm always playing with new headlights and other gear that may give us a little edge or make things a little safer. I have found some nice safety gear made by Stuntpuppy and also working with them to design some canine gear. Last question... Boot liner preference: Wonder Bread, Roman Meal or Country Hearth bread bags? I've heard of people doing that...Sounds like a science experiment in the making.