A Very Thin Line

I love thin lines. Thin lines in politics. Thin lines in business. Thin lines on the river and on a bike. But, the thinnest line I’ve come to know between man and dog starts and ends with Jeff King. Jeff King is professional musher and as I head to bed on Tuesday night, still a four-time winner of the most famous dog sled race in the world, the Iditarod. But, if you call Jeff an athlete, he’ll be the first to correct you – “I’m a coach!” he says proudly.

He’ll tell you that his real “athletic” work during the race starts as soon as the team arrives at rest areas – getting the dogs fed quickly so they can get some sleep is critical in 1,000 plus mile trek across Alaskan tundra. As for the “work” that gets done while the sled in his motion, Jeff is paying attention to the team – how they’re “getting along,” working together, and ultimately determining the best combination that will allow his team to finish strong.

But for Jeff and his family, the Iditarod is hardly a race. It’s way of life. And one that doesn’t stop. Nearly every touch point in this man’s life connects with his passion for living and this is where that thin line gets thinner. In fact, one of the coolest things we did on one of our Alaska trips was to visit his kennels, which thousands of people do each year. While many would view this as one great business operation, Jeff sees it as a way to acclimate the pups to large crowds - another opportunity to gain an edge, do better, and simply keep learning.

When we visited his kennels just outside of Denali in 2006, Jeff couldn’t wait to start talking “performance” – every aspect of performance you could imagine – physical training, mental preparation, nutrition, alternative training methods, and equipment technology to name a few. The conversation weaved back and forth between humans and canine so many times, it just eventually blurred into one. Which is where I believe Jeff is most comfortable and at his best too.

People ought to have more thin lines in their lives – they are good for your perspective and good for your soul. Thin lines are places where “passion for living” happens.

Sometime between when most Americans went to bed on Tuesday night and when they woke up on Wednesday morning, the 2008 Iditarod’s first and second place positions on the podium will be known. Jeff will have finished in one of those two spots and of course, the margin between first and second will have been, by all Iditarod standards, a very thin line. Where else would you find Jeff King?