Is 100 miles in one day too much? RE: [RC] [RC] WEG 2006 - Steph Teeter - oddfarm
Ultra runners, FREAKS? Well, that's a tad strong
but they are a different lot. But they ENJOY running and for the most part
Steph, an Ultra run it just that. Running until the end. Yes, it is competitive,
but speed, well most are not going much faster than a 9 minute mile pace.
And they are so very well prepared for weather, terrain, illness, injuries,
(have you ever seen their treatment tent? It looks like a dang triage) they
got it covered. And judging by the finishing results, most all DO finish.
It's not always pretty, though. As a matter of fact, I have been running since
the early 80's and I can't say that I have seen a lot of DNF's at races. Maybe a
handful out of 100's of runners.
Not like the WEG, or WEG or even our own Tevis. Why
is that? Maybe 100 miles is too far for the pace that is being set. It is so
much easier for a human runner to know when to slow down, or how they feel at
any given moment. But time after time, we see and hear stories of horses that go
through a vet check and get perfect scores only to crash before the next check.
So even if we have put in our homework, there are some things about horses we
just can't understand yet. We can be as diligent in our observations as possible
and still miss things.
I liked Kat's idea. You wouldn't have to *win* but
as long as your team finished you could try again the following year. More
emphasis on horse welfare. On the other hand, it is a race.
I like the excitement of racing. I like racing the
clock, racing myself for PR's and racing the race. But I love horses
more so I hate seeing what happens when things go wrong. We can't have it
all.
I like the 100 mile challenge. I agree with Kim
that changing that would be a last resort. That is endurance. Ms. Kim, are you
suggesting that we race 25 miles as in an LD?? OH NOOOOOO! :) Who cares if it is
a spectator sport, I mean really? This has never been, IMO a "Watch me!" kind of
a sport.
I have always told my kids, try to be the leader
and lead by example. If you are going to be a follower, make sure you
follow the right people. The wrong people will only lead you down the wrong
path.
Maybe we are following the wrong people. Maybe we
should take the lead? Ya know, set an example.
