The historic Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is known as “The Last Great Race,” where man and dog race 1,510 kilometers across the remote Alaska wilderness from Anchorage to Nome.

Racing the Iditarod has many similarities with a turnaround event. Planning starts early and includes getting a team together to support the many tasks to plan, schedule and prepare for the race. The process includes long-lead ordering, complicated logistics to get the dogs and sled to Alaska, and stage supplies for use during the event. The dog sled and equipment must be in top condition for the race, with all contingencies thought through. Much like a shutdown, the year of planning climaxes with 8 to 15 days of intense execution when the musher will find out if all the hard work of preparation will pay off. And not unlike a shutdown event, the musher must deal with uncontrollable factors like weather, equipment issues, hazards, and other “found” tasks that require real-time decision-making to ensure that the team can stay on their critical path.

Aaron and Ron will use storytelling from the Iditarod Race to explore experiences and lessons learned that will inform and inspire anyone involved in the remarkably similar journey of planning and preparation for these short and intense events.