Max and Malik were still eating, drinking, peeing and pooping at the Middle
Camp check. We electrolyted them there also. I had brought one huge tub for them
to share as they have always seemed to eat better out of one tub and if we have
two, always try to get into each other's, so I figured we only needed one. For
whatever reason this time, sharing was out and we had to reprimand them more
than once for bad manners. This ride I added soaked alfalfa cubes to their beet
pulp and cob mix and they LOVED it....Malik likes finding the ones on the bottom
that aren't totally soaked and still have some crunch left in them. Not to
mention the treasure hunt for carrots and apples!
CRIs, guts, muscles, gaits and everything were good...all As with some Bs.
Malik's CRI was 11/11. I was happy with how we were doing. Still hadn't realized
yet how fast we were going though I realized we might be able to top ten. I gave
up my heart monitor watch for Nelson to use on the hand held monitor (what a
godsend!) so was sort of dazed and confused without it...not unusual anyway.
:)
As we left Middle Camp, it started to rain...lightly. It got heavier. In
places it had "substance" as Paul liked to call it. I call it SNOW. The trail
got slicker. It got colder. We got WET and MISERABLE and still we went FAST.
And it rained even harder. And the trees got
heavier and wetter! We made the ten miles back to the Pines check in one
hour! We were still having a ball though...yee haaing, whooping it up. This
trail is FUN even when it's wet! :) I LOVE it! (Jenny described the rain this
way..it was big, fat rain and small, stinging rain, rain that came in sideways
and even some rain that came straight up from the ground....obviously she has
watched too much Forrest Gump!)
At this last check, the beloved crew devised the strategy that Maggie and
Malik ought to make a run for it and gain some time in order to be in contention
for BC. We were only about 30 minutes behind the front runners at that point.
Max was getting a little sore in front and Ruby's CRI seemed to indicate she
might be fatiguing a bit. Good strategy...but nobody told the horses. Malik
started out slowly, pulling away from Max until we were out of sight...very hard
for a mom to do to her daughter. I HATED it. Malik was acting fatigued and his
heart wasn't in it. If only I had known about the psych out routine!! Soon Max
and Ruby caught up to us and since Ruby seemed to want to remove Sara's arms
from their sockets, she went on ahead and Malik suddenly had the same energy he
had had when we STARTED the ride! I let Sara go ahead so I could check on Jenny
and when I decided to go on with her, Malik was off like a rocket. I won't fall
for that trick from him again!! Poor Jenny was fighting Max, trying to slow him
down and help him. I mentioned this to Nelson at a pit stop along the trail and
he suggested it might be better to just let him have his head so we decided to
tell her to let him go...she did and caught up with us within minutes and Max
looked great. Obviously he FELT great!! He is such a tough little horse. We
traded off leading here and there among the three of us but the horses paced so
well, there was no need for anyone to go faster or slower...we crossed the
finish line together doing the last 12.5 miles in 1:17 though we were careful to
go slower on the hills and the slick spots. It was only ten minutes slower than
the first 12.5 miles. I am STILL amazed at these horses. I'm also amazed at
myself...Jenny is younger than I am, Sara is small and far more fit than I will
ever hope to be and I am quite "fluffy" (though I DO maintain that muscles weigh
more than fat and I KNOW I have them because every last one of them hurts right
now, including the ones in my scalp!!!!). Overall, Sara and Ruby placed 5th (4th
lightweight), Jenny and Max placed 6th (5th lightweight which also qualifies her
for the National Championships in October if we decide to go) and I placed 7th
again (2nd heavyweight)....all in all what I consider a very successful and
satisfying ride in spite of the pain I am in now. Nelson is a top notch crew and
I know he did a good job showing Paul the ropes...and Paul is a quick study.
Hope he is along on more rides. I also hope we have the opportunity to ride with
Sara again...we had FUN. And I appreciated her encouragement and compliments on
my riding capabilities which I am always fretting about. Apparently I DO ride
very centered and balanced and boy, did I need to hear that. Thanks, Sara. I
always worry about being a heavyweight rider but hope trying to improve my
riding abilities helps negate some of that weight.
We did stand for BC though the 45 minutes the front runners had on us at the
end hurt us some. I don't care.... How awesome and beautiful my horse looked as
he trotted out after 50 miles, looking as if he could go out and do it again.
What a feeling!! An even better feeling was DRY clothes, a warm trailer and
blanketing those gorgeous horses...we gave them a warm, liniment wash on their
legs and a nice warm mash of beet pulp, a little cob, a few crunchy snacks and
carrots and apples. They ate and ate and ate and then snoozed comfortably in
their warm, dry blankets.
The Grand Island trail is beautiful and FUN... wooden bridges and streams to
cross, uphills and downhills and twists and turns and trees and meadows.... and
I hope to someday try that 100 miler. I am soooo glad we didn't try it this
year. I don't think I could have made it through that rain and miserable
weather. Maybe next year the sun will shine and with more conditioning, that 100
will become a reality for us. Many thanks to ALL the volunteers who made the
Grand Island ride possible....this was their 25th anniversary and I hope to be
there in another 25 years!!!
I would also like to add that I am very proud of Jenny for taking such good
care of her horse at this ride....not that she doesn't at other rides but this
year she is not a junior and it is not easy having me for a mother and wanting
to be on your own. I have always felt responsible for her and her horse ALWAYS
and worried if she would know what to do and this time, it was difficult for me
to leave her behind...I was worried that she would be angry at me if I left her
and angry at me if I didn't...double edged sword. She uttered words that made me
very proud of her..."I have to take care of Max and do what's best for him and
not worry about how I place"....something to that effect. I was very pleased
because I know she is very competitive. I feel she did eventually make the right
decision in catching up and pacing with us and Max came out looking better than
a lot of 50 milers do at the end of 50 miles! He may have been sore but he was
not lame and he was HAPPY....he looked great. Jenny did a good job with him and
Max took good care of her as well. I think I should also take time to thank
Carol Lambert of McBain for having not only the foresight to breed this
spectacular little horse but also the foresight to name him Maximum
Potential....he is showing us some now and I can't imagine what his "max" will
be!
And I couldn't do ANY of this without hubby Nelson....his patience and
perseverance when I am crabby and in pain or just plain ornery. His skill and
handling of the horses, knowing what we need, when and where we need it. He is
always there waiting for us, cheering us on. He believes in us and our horses
even when we don't believe in ourselves. He is awesome, too and I thank God for
his presence in our lives because we would not be here without him! It's that
simple.
Woo hoo and yee ha!!! Our next 50 will be at Hopkins Creek in June and I
can't wait!!! :) Stay tuned!!!
Maggie and Malik
