Re: Are LD miles Endurance miles? was Re: NOT FLUFF

["Joe Long" <jlong@mti.net>]

On Fri, 13 Mar 1998 00:27:09 EST, SandyDSA <SandyDSA@aol.com> wrote:

>In a message dated 98-03-12 16:00:13 EST, you write:

><< So, should the miles from ten mile "fun rides" held at an Endurance
> events count, too?  How about riding once around the camp?
 
> Try a little experiment.  The next time a Marathon is held in your
> area, go and sign up.  But tell them you're only going to run 13
> miles, and that you'll come back next week and run the other 13.  See
> if they'll give you credit for running a Marathon.

>I don't believe that this kind of sarcasm engenders positive, warm feelings in
>new riders or prospective riders. I don't think this opinion from this post
>has been lost on anyone. Enough of the "I got mine, now buzz off" stuff. Okay?
>Thanks!

<sigh>

I didn't enter this discussion to hurt anyone's feelings.  My first wife had a
bad heart (which killed her at age 52) and never had a chance to ride 50 miles.
But she did manage, with great effort and determination, to complete a 25 mile
ride.  We were both proud as could be when she did that -- I know what it took
for her to even try!

But, frankly, I've lost patience with the perrenial demands of a few 25 mile
riders to be *given* the recognition of being an endurance rider, without doing
what is required to earn it.  So I no longer care if I hurt their feelings.
They are trying to cheapen the achievements of every one of the thousands of
real endurance riders and horses by demanding that a 25 mile ride be counted as
an endurance ride.

When I see a horse *earn* his 1,000 mile medallion, I want to know that he
completed an honest 1,000 miles of *endurance* rides.  The same for rider
mileage patches.

So, *NO*, my attitude is not "I got mine, so buzz off."  It is "I earned my
endurance miles and if you want the same then you should earn yours too."  And
as anyone who's ridden with me knows I'll bend over backwards to help you do it.
Just don't ask for it to be given to you without earning it.

-- 

Joe Long
jlong@mti.net
Business Page  http://www.mti.net
Personal Page  http://www.rnbw.com