Re: First 50 miler advice/high altitudes

[rides2far@juno.com (Angela C. McGhee)]

 If you knew then what you 
>know
>now about going from ld's to 50's what advice would you give me?

When I first started, I would let my horse trot like 90 the first 12
miles, and we'd come into the vet check right with the pack...probably
10mph.  The second loop, we would steady out to our own pace...probably
about 7mph.  Then the kicker, the 3rd loop was always a drag, I guess I
thought "trotting is trotting" and we would do it at about 5mph, and I'd
be soo tired and it would last forever.  Then the 4th leg, he'd sense the
end and go 7.5mph.  It was amazing when I compared my ride cards from two
different years of doing the War Eagle ride.  My times were this warped,
both years...each loop within 2 minutes of the year before.

It took me a long time to figure out that doing the first section as fast
as I could, didn't speed up my overall finishing time.  For that
particular horse, it wasn't good.  It took me missing the start at a
ride, and doing the first section without the stampede to find out I
could finish faster by pacing the entire race evenly.  I think it was
when I quit getting tired on the third leg, that my horse quit getting
tired there.  When you're mentally tired, you let up, and the horse lets
up.

Angie

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