Ridecamp: [RC] Training Ride (Ready for 55 in 2.5 months?)

Well, yesterday I was planning to do the Fort Valley Roundtable II ride. 
Until I found out I had to be on call for my job. One of the rules for 
being on call is to be in town. No endurance ride for me. So I cancelled 
my plans several weeks ago.

But I decided to ride yesterday anyway. Just closer to home. :)  It took 
me forever to get ready, but I finally arrived at the Northern trailhead 
of the Natchez Trace Parkway horse trail around 10:15 AM. I saddled up 
and laid out easy boots for Tanna's front feet. A couple drove by and 
stopped to talk to me. Asking me all about my strange saddle (Abetta 
endurance softee), wierd stirrups (Western Safety Stirrups), and what 
kind of horse shoes are those??? So I got to explain all sorts of 
things. :) After they left, I pulled Tanna's easy boots on and grabbed 
my orange-covered helmet. (It's a crocheted cover...to help keep me from 
getting shot by a hunter).

About 3 or 4 miles out Tanna threw his right easy boot. Fortunately, I 
noticed quickly and found the boot quite soon. I let Tanna eat grass 
while I muddied my hands and wrapped his foot in vet wrap and put the 
boot back on. Then we boogied on down the trail.

Tanna was feeling great. Trotting up and down the hills, throwing a 
canter in at will. We flushed 3 turkeys and the silly things ran along 
the trail in front of us for awhile before peeling off one by one. My 
usually spooky horse just kept moving. In fact, now that I think of it, 
he didn't spook once. Just was a little hesitant to go into the tunnel I 
asked him to (it was on the trail. But he did it with minimal urging.).

I pulled out my earpiece to listen to some music while we were riding. 
It was a nice fall day and we were doing fine. We passed landmark after 
landmark. Here's where Laura and I turned back that time we went riding 
together up here. Here's where Tanna hurt his heel bulb and I had to 
call Daniel and have him come pick us up the first time I ever came 
riding out here. Here's the 10 mile mark.

At one point along the trail, I met two endurance riders, Roger and Eva. 
They had just returned from a Mississippi ride and were out training 
another horse. Eva was running. Whew. She's got more stamina than I do! 
It was nice chatting with them.

I reached a good turnaround spot 13 miles out and then we started back 
toward the trailer. Around mile 16 or 17, Tanna was tired and said 
enough. So we walked for a good ways, but it was getting dark quicker 
than I had anticipated (darn that clock change anyway), so I had to 
hurry him on. He didn't drink as well as I would have liked, but he did 
drink some. I think he's too used to our shorter 12 mile rides. He needs 
these longer rides to let him know he's not quitting, so he might as 
well drink.

We finally made it back to near our trailer. I dropped off and loosened 
his girth and let him eat some of the grass for awhile. 26 miles. Whew, 
he was ready for a bath. Anybody else's horse get muddy instead of 
sweaty? Tanna's sweat seems to mix with the dirt in his coat and ends up 
coating him with a sweaty mud. Yuck. Or does it have something to do 
with the tacky tack saddle pad I use?

I was disappointed with our average speed. Only 4.4 mph. Not fast enough 
for endurance speed. However, we are still in training and we hadn't 
done a ride this long before. So I need to concentrate on getting his 
training more consistent. I was working on a training schedule for the 
next 2 months to get us to do a 55 in mid-January. I think doing a 30 is 
too low a goal, but if we don't make the 55 miler goal, there is a 30 
miler the next day and we could do that one if I felt we weren't ready 
for a 55. Anybody think I'm shooting too high to get to do a 55 at a 5 
mph speed in 2.5 months with an 8 year old (HORSE, not KID) with a good 
base? Or should I just forget doing a 55 and do the 30 the next day? The 
55 I'm looking at doing is the Gator Run I at Osceola National Forest on 
January 16 in Florida.

Thanks for any advice.

I'm excited, too, I have a heart rate monitor (VMAX Enduro-C) waiting to 
be picked up at the post office and I ordered EZ ride stirrups that 
should be coming this week, too! I am giving my western safety stirrups 
to my husband.

April
Nashville, TN


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