Re: RC: Priorities

[BMcCrary27@aol.com]

In a message dated 01/11/2001 9:18:01 PM Pacific Standard Time, 
Howard4567@aol.com writes:

<< I think our sport is more of a mystery to a lot of horse people.  Until 
you 
 do endurance, you just have no idea what it's all about.  I found that out 
 two years ago and my life hasn't been quite the same since.   >>

I certainly agree with that.  When I tell  people what I do for "fun", they 
are mind-boggled.  They can't believe that anyone can ride 50 miles (!) and 
live to tell the tale.

At this point, I have to share my recent experiences, so that what I am doing 
may help others.  Point 1, I am a senior citizen and have all the aches, 
pains and arthritis that are my due as a result of a life spent doing hard 
physical labor.  Point 2, add on a few spectacular injuries (all horse 
related).  Point 3, this distills down to occasional back problems.  So I 
decided to sign up at a gym and go for twice weekly workouts, strength 
training on various cruel-looking machines.  I have been doing this for about 
three months and have become "addicted" to the exercise.  So we take 
ourselves down to Death Valley with the intent of knocking off a few 50 
milers.  I have no idea whether my body will accept this idea, but it's worth 
a try.  (We have not competed in about two years). In the end, we did only 
two days of the ride, but that was because of the horses, not me.  I felt 
pretty good after the first day, but the quads screamed at me the second day, 
which we did not ride because the horses looked a bit tired after the first 
day.  On the third day, I felt good again, and for me and the horse is was a 
very satisfactory day.  The point I am trying to make is: 1) the gym workouts 
are very beneficial for endurance riding, and 2) endurance riding for two 
days helped me at the gym workouts.  Increasing muscle mass also helps burn 
fat (very good).
My favorite machine at the gym is a device that strengthens the adductors, 
the muscles on the inside of the thighs.  I am pressing 100# on this machine, 
while most others I manage about 20-30#.  The coach says, "most of my clients 
who ride horses find this machine the easiest".  Guess which muscles one uses 
to stay on a spooking horse?  Just to share my experiences with other riders, 
and yes, stronger back muscles certainly helps alleviate the backaches 
associated with too much time spent at the computer.

Barbara