I've got a bunch of posts in draft status, some of which are pathetically only a title with a date and maybe a few brief notes. School and work have been keeping me swamped and I just haven't had time to write on my blog. But thankfully I pretty much HAVE been riding! Diego and I are both doing better and better and continuing to make improvements.
As ride season is getting underway, I find myself torn between wanting to get out there and get our first few AERC rides under our belts, and waffling on if I feel that we are ready or not. Diego and I haven't done a longer ride (over 10 miles) at anything resembling a ride pace since a 20-miler in February. We have done a pretty quick 10-miler, where he was JUST feeling "settled" and ready to keep going, about the time we were done and back in camp. We've also done a few harder, longer - but pretty much walk-only slower, rides that have varied between 10-15 miles and he never felt tired at all on any of those. But I'm still not sure he's ready for a 50...
Back in December I had posted a tentative ride schedule. Here's where we currently stand with that:
Rides of March - probably the 30-mile LD, this will be our first official AERC ride and the LD is sufficiently difficult that it should be a value-added experience for Diego.
Hubby and I ended up going to San Diego for a business conference this week and I wasn't in town. No ride.
High Desert (mid-April-ish) - Diego's first 50.
I just don't think he's going to be ready for his first 50 this weekend. I've also decided that I'd rather do my LD-distance training rides either at home or at a NEDA ride (which costs around $40) rather than pay AERC fees. We're planning on skipping it.
Washoe in May - probably only one day, these are good tough rides.
Was going to maybe do his first 50 here. Now I'm thinking about doing back-to-back LD rides instead. I won a free entry to one day, which means the AERC rate would equal about what I'm willing to pay to ride that shorter distance over two days... Also, with my previous horse, I had found that doing back-to-back shorter distance rides to be an excellent indicator on if we were ready to move up in distance. Thoughts???
Considering maybe an earlier June 50 - Cooley Ranch, NASTR?
Manage the Nevada Moonshine Night Ride June 26-27th
Tour de Washoo (July 3rd) - This ride was Sinatra and I's first 50. Would really like to ride the 50, maybe do some camping and such in the early summer to get Dig legged up and ready for his first 50 here as well. Not an overly difficult ride, but can be pretty tough due to the heat. We'll pencil this one in...
Bridgeport in August - this one I've wanted to do for YEARS but it has never worked out with my schedule. Hopefully this will be the year. I've marked trail on the first 20-mile loop before and it's just a beautiful ride in the Twin Lakes area of California. Lots of good friends usually attend this ride as well.
Still on the schedule.
High Desert in October (mid-Oct-ish) - Final two days to get the blankie, 50/50 each day
Still would like to do one and/or both days of this ride.
4 comments:
Hah, last night I spent way too much time in Google Maps working out exactly how far away every ride is and picking the ones I'd ideally do for the rest of the year. Your wish list looks about like mine!
I want Dixie to do a whole LD with her brain at least halfway engaged, and have her finish without being exhausted - then I'll think about moving up.
Instead of NASTR or Cooley, I was thinking about doing one day of Wild West. It'd be really pretty and it's not too far away. If I'm riding Moonshine, I'm skipping Tour de Washoo. I put Bridgeport on my list too, and I'm thinking about Patriot's Day in September - that looks like pretty country too.
Come do both days of LD's at Washoe with me! Dixie will grow a brain by the second day I'm sure. =)
Wild West is really pretty and great terrain. I'd like to do a camping trip down there. I'm not a huge fan of Ribley rides, they tend to not be marked that well (the only two times I've ever gotten lost/off trail) and fairly spendy for what they offer (i.e. $100 but a potluck dinner).
For Moonshine, you can ride or volunteer. If I get really hard up for volunteers, I may beg you to come help, or do like a friend of mine did a couple years ago - ride the LD and then come hang out with me at the finish line when you're done to help keep me awake! =)
Hrrrrrmmmm... You do have a point. By the second day she won't be so excitable anymore. I can probably swing that!
I don't mind getting lost to see different pretty terrain. If I don't think it was worth the extra $$ I just won't go back, but I think I'd like to go at least once.
I can probably ride and stay up with you at Moonshine :)
Not that I am an expert on endurance but from a conditioning standpoint, it would seem to me doing the two day ride with the distance of a one day should be a good indicator of whether he's ready for the one day. It seems to me it also would be a useful tool in building up to that one day ride since a horse builds more stamina when it is worked then cooled out.......and worked again, than when worked in one session the duration of the two.
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