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Home » Diet » The Real-Life Diet of an Iditarod Musher, Who Eats When His Dogs Eat – GQ

What is your fitness routine right now?

A typical training routine for me is two hours of cardio per day and one additional hour of strength training or core. I spend a lot of time at the Alaska Rock Gym. They have everything I need, from a StairMaster to a treadmill to weights. Then I reward myself after my workouts with some climbingits my treat for finishing my workout. Running on the treadmill facing the climbs is a motivator for me. I also do regular hikes in the mountains near my house.

What do you do for weight training?

Primarily legs and core. Tons of squats and crunches, which I do every day. I also do upper body a few times a week. I try to constantly do micro workouts. At work, every time I see a patient, Ill go into my office afterwards and do some curls before seeing the next patient. I also installed a pull-up bar in the clinic, so every time I walk by I do some pull-ups.

One thing I know about expeditions is that the food isnt exactly gourmet. What do you pack to eat to fuel yourself?

On the mountain there's a lot of meat and rice, some of which we get at tea houses on the way to base camp, and some of which our expedition cook makes. I bring plenty of snacks from home. Primarily things that give you energy. Im a big fan of peanut butter and Snickers bars. When the altitude starts to hit me, I find I cant choke down a Clif Bar or protein bar, so its usually softer stuff that Im taking in.

I assume that differs from your diet at home. Youre probably not eating Snickers every day?

Yeah, thats for sure. Ive been in training for the last year, so Ive really tried to clean up my diet a lot. I eat very little sugar. Mostly vegetables, lean meats, and protein shakes.

When youre mushing, youre responsible for feeding both yourself and the 14 dogs. How do you juggle that? Ive heard the dogs need roughly 10,000 calories a day when theyre racing.

On the Iditarod trail, I eat when the dogs eat. The dogs primarily eat beef and fish. Thats also how the dogs get a lot of their water content, because the protein is frozen, and we essentially make a goulash for them by heating snow until its melted and boiling. I cook their food in that. They usually eat four times a day. At that point, its easiest for me to heat vacuum-sealed meals for myself. Things like shepherd's pie, pasta, and soup. Im focused more on the dogs' nutrition on the trail.

Whats the biggest challenge associated with running in the Iditarod?

Sleep deprivation. Thats really the hardest part. I usually stop for six hours at a checkpoint, which is considered a large amount of rest; the elite mushers will take between two and four hours at a checkpoint. At least two hours of that time is spent taking care of the dogs and melting snow to get water. Taking care of each and every paw. Rubbing sore muscles. Just really obsessing over the health of the dogs so they can get you through this thousand mile adventure. You just don't get a lot of sleep. You also can't plan on storms that are going to hit and how that might affect your race plan.

A selfie of Daugherty.

How do you come down from events of this magnitude? A Netflix binge? A half-marathon?

Ill sleep for 12 hours a day for two or three days after the Iditarod. I feel like I cant get enough sleep and cant get enough food. I usually lose five to 10 pounds on the trail. And being a father of five whos gone for this event, coming down usually means reconnecting and spending meaningful time with my family.

Whats next after the Iditarest?

Im taking my daughter and her friends up Mount Rainier this summer. Then in June 2021, my son wants to climb Denali for his senior trip, and were training to do that together. Ive already climbed it once before. After that, I have a few more of the Seven Summits to do. From an adventure standpoint, those are my big goals right now.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Real-Life Diet is a series in which GQ talks to athletes, celebrities, and everyone in-between about their diets and exercise routines: what's worked, what hasn't, and where they're still improving. Keep in mind, what works for them might not necessarily be healthy for you.

John Karangis wakes up at the crack of dawn to train, then heads into the office to invent new Shake Shack menu items.

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The Real-Life Diet of an Iditarod Musher, Who Eats When His Dogs Eat - GQ

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Home » Diet » The Real-Life Diet of an Iditarod Musher, Who Eats When His Dogs Eat – GQ