Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

This is the epilogue to Jayel Super's
story of the Old Dominion.
(with apologies for the long delay but
overseas business trips
and personal obligations delayed my
getting back on ride camp)
Super suggested that I compare the ride
with the 4 "P's" that
I talked about at the pre-ride clinic
and in the Preface to his story
(see ridecamp archives - June 17).
He particularly wanted  me to point
out two big mistakes.
-not reading my map at the first vet
check which cost us
several extra miles
-stumbling on foot down the last mountain
in the dark and 
falling in a ditch when I should have
been taking
advantage of Super's better night vision.

The Four P’s are:  Patience, Practice,
Pacing, and Pulse.

Patience.

Patience was definitely key this year,
particularly after the extra 
5 miles or so leaving the first vet
check.  We had to slow down
to allow for the fact that our horses
had to have enough reserves
to do the OD 105.  Charlie with
the help of Sue was very good
at reminding Super and Stagg to key
a steady pace. 

Patience was also necessary when Super
lost a shoe before
the 4 th Vet check and we lost time
while he was being reshod,
particularly since other horses arrived
in the vet check.  Sue
helped me fight the tendency to want
to speed up too much.

As an aside, having another horse to
ride with in a 100
is a tremendous benefit provided the
horses are well matched.

Practice.

At the first check I forgot part of
my normal practice which is
to always look at the map so I have
a good idea of the
next section of the trail.  Well
most of the ride paid for that
mistake as station management sent all
of us out the wrong
way.  Sue and I probably did close
to 5 extra miles while
other riders did somewhat less.  Moreover
we gave up
the lead we had earned in the climb
up from McCoy's Ford.
Had I looked at the map, I would have
realized that we should
have gone the other way and pointed
that out to the
station managers.

Also while I had practiced running on
foot down Hickerson
Hollow, I never tried doing that at
night.  Turns out running
down a dark woods trail with uneven
footing is far more difficult
than I thought.  I fell in a ditch
at one point and stumbled frequently
going down the trail. I suspect Super
was laughing at me given
he can see much better in the dark than
I.  In retrospect it would have
been safer and I probably would have
made better time
by staying on Super.

Pacing.

My goal was to take about 3 hours into
the first check (just
over 8 MPH) and then adjust accordingly.
 The pace
would have to slow down over the really
rocky sections
of the course and the steep climbs.
 Sue and I came
into the first check just shy of 3 hours
as planned.  We stayed
on that pace through the second check
and then slowed down
after that due to a combination of
- the terrain, 
-having done the extra milage, 
-and being in the lead and so could
ease off the pace.

Pulse.

Pulse recovery is the best indication
of whether the pace is right.  
At each check Charlie and Super were
both able to go straight
into the pulse check as soon as we dismounted
and checked
their pulse, indicating that the horses
were well able to maintain the
pace.

End of Super's OD Story.