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[RC] how to rate a ride - Donna Deyoung<<<One thing that I have trouble with is pacing. I know the pace I On pacing...I had asked around before my first ride and never got a really good answer. At the pre-ride meeting we were given a trail map and it showed trail markers we would come across and how far each marker was from the other...
Night before the ride, I used my cell phone calculator and figured out the EXACT pace I would have to go to get to each marker and make the cutoff time. I figured in the 45 min vet ck plus 30 minutes for any hold ups - my safety buffer.
So I had 6 hr minus 1 hr 15 min or 4 hr 45 min to "complete" the 25 mile ride. or a pace of 25/4.75 mph = 5.26 mph
It becomes an algebra problem...If we left at 8:00 am, what time should I be at the 4 mile marker if riding a 5/26 mph pace? the 8 mile marker? the 15 mile vet ck? and so on.
5.26 mi/hr = 4 mi/x hr 0r divide your mile marker (4 or whatever) by 5.26. This equals 0.76 hr. You must then convert to minutes by multiplying by 60... and wa la... 46 minutes. I should be at the 4 mile marker at around 8:46. If you figure the 15 mile marker... equals 2.85 hr or 2+ 0.85 or 2+ (0.85x60) or 2 hrs 51 minutes. I should be at the 15 mile marker at 10:51.
If the vet ck was at 15 miles... then add your 45 minutes plus any extra hold time for the rest of the ride. The 25 mile finish line would happen at 25/5.26 or 4 hr 45 min - plus 45 min...wa la,,, you've just finished at 5 hrs and 30 minutes w/ 30 minutes to spare.
I did this for all the markers. I knew if I was running ahead, say, by 15 minutes. Then by 30 minutes. or If I was "right on time"...
I rode w/ another lady for awhile who was concerned about over-riding her mare who was acting up. I yelled out how we were doing as we passed a mile marker. and She said only a CTR type would know how to rate like that...
All I know is that I couldn't sleep and the next day having those numbers figured out gave me confidence on the trail. Now, why didn't anyone suggest that?
Donna
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