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

Hay there, April,
I wonder if you are a "type A" and I a lowly type F or G?
I have never been anxious about what mph my horse and I are achieving. In
over 2000 miles (not bragging, and I realize that is not a whole bunch) of
50's with a couple of 60's my horse has only been pulled once (rider
pull...she kicked herself 13 miles into our first 100).
I would advise that you relax, go out for long, steady paced rides with as
much climbing as you can find thrown in and go ride a 50 miler. Be aware of
your horse and aim for a steady pace. Don't worry about the speed. And I
will guarantee that you will have a fun time and arrive at the finish line
with a huge smile on your face.
Pat

----- Original Message -----
From: "AprJhn" <aprjhn@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, October 28, 2002 6:25 PM
Subject: [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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 Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
 Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp
 Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp

 If you are an AERC member - PLEASE VOTE in the upcoming By-Laws 
 Election!!!! (it takes 2/3rds to tango!!)

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