RE: [RC] [RC] LDs Are Different - Lynelle Robertson
As usual you are right (I hate it when you do that LOL). No one is going to tell me what I can and can't do anymore. Mentally the 25miler was a mental milestone. I had fear of the start and all the crazy engery thing. But to my surprise it was ok and so was my mare. I was as they say loaded for bear for the Gold Country Ride. I have never been made to feel any less for doing LD. There is a place for all of us and you must start somewhere. Some times I think long time competetors forget what it was like in the beginging and take what they know for granted. My only question is why does it take so long to get the results and photo's back. I have e mailed twice now Save Mt Diablo and they keep saying they are coming. I'll say it again "so far I have not met an endurance rider I didn't like"
--- On Sun, 7/6/08, Ranelle Rubin
<raneller@xxxxxxx> wrote:
From: Ranelle Rubin <raneller@xxxxxxx> Subject: RE: [RC] [RC] LDs Are Different To: jlong@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, "Ridecamp (E-mail)" <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Cc: "sherman" <sherman@xxxxxxxxxxx> Date: Sunday, July 6, 2008, 12:22 PM
Well said Joe!
I think every person has their own set of limitations, mostly the ones they set, but occasionally, like your wife, ones set for them. The same is for horses.
My friend Lynelle, who just did her first LD (the hardest one in the region mind you) at Mt. Diablo on the 21st of June is a testament to just this fact. A year ago, a 10 mile ride was a challenge for her. She rode in jeans and boots. She cruised through the 25 with a smile and almost all A's on her vet card. It was reported to have been 104 degrees that day. She is 58 years old and a gastric bypass patient who has lost 135 lbs! She learned over the last year to take care of her horse, herself, and what it took to complete a ride with a healthy horse..she can't wait to do her first 50.
She is now fit, happy, and bummed that the 50 miler she wanted to ride this weekend was cancelled due to air quality in smoky N. CA. Now try telling HER she is a second class
citizen!! HA! Go-Mare and I know better. I know for a fact she is delighted with the endurance community and how she has been treated, especially coming from showing at the National level in another discipline.
Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway. ~ John Wayne
530-885-3510 home office 916-718-2427 cellular 916-848-3662 fax
> Date: Sat, 5 Jul 2008 23:37:16 -0600 > From: jlong@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > To: ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > CC: sherman@xxxxxxxxxxx > Subject: Re: [RC] [RC] LDs Are Different > > > I see that this perennial argument has come up again. I haven't read > all of the posts on this, but from the sampling I did read it seems > like the same-old same-old all over again. > > Here is how I see it. > > We have a sport that is a form of distance riding, of which the AERC > sanctions certain types of events. The AERC breaks these down into two > categories, Limited Distance and Endurance. > > There are
actually three broad stages of distance vs. the amount of > talent, preparation, commitment and pacing required. > > We have the LD rides of 25-35 miles that require the least: most horses > on pasture that are ridden occasionally can successfully complete an LD > ride, and most people who ride occasionally can do the same. The level > of talent, preparation, commitment and pacing required is relatively > low. Please note that I did not say "all." Some horses that are > overweight would need to lost some weight first, for example. But most > horses can do it. > > We have the endurance rides of 50 miles an up that require more. Most > healthy horses can be conditioned to successfully complete a 50 mile > ride without a large amount of time and effort, and most healthy people > can prepare for and ride them as well. Personally, I'd like to see the >
definition of an endurance ride be longer than 50 miles, at least 60 > miles -- but that's not going to happen. > > Then we have the 100 mile rides. Actually, the distance that represents > the biggest change in difficulty is about 80 miles, but with our English > measurements the 100-mile one-day ride has a lot of tradition going for > it. Not all horses or people can succeed at 100-mile rides, no matter > how much training and conditioning they have. The level of commitment > for the rider is significantly higher. The success rate for those > attempting it, even with proper preparation, is significantly lower. > > Nevertheless, there is a greater similarity between the 50 mile distance > and the 100 mile distance than there is between the 50 mile distance and > the 25 mile distance. > > Now, there are some people and horses for whom, due to physical
> limitations or handicaps, 25 miles is the most they can ever do. A 25 > mile ride can be more difficult to accomplish for these people or > horses than a 100 is for others. That does not make a 25 mile ride the > same as a 100, though. We don't define the level of challenge by the > limitations of some participants. It does mean that someone with such a > handicap can, and should, take pride in what they ARE able to achieve. > My first wife had a heart problem and for her to ride 25 miles was not > only more difficult and stressful than for most of us to ride 100 miles, > she literally risked her life to try it. She did try it, once, and no > one was more proud of her than I was when she crossed that 25-mile > finish line. But we both knew that it was an LD ride and wouldn't dream > of calling it what it wasn't. > > In my opinion the AERC has wisely
developed two separate categories for > these distances, with LD and Endurance. LD miles and Endurance miles > simply are not comparable. The bottom line: if you really want to ride > endurance rides, ride 50's and up. > > Does this make LD riders "second class citizens?" I don't think so. > They are just different events. I've been around our rides a long time, > in over 25 States, and I've never seen any LD rider treated like a > "second-class citizen." I have encountered a few (very few) who make > themselves feel that way. > > Now let's get back to riding. > > > -- > Joe Long > jlong@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > > =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= > > 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 > > Ride Long and Ride Safe!! > > =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= >
