...4 short weeks from now: that I opted out of Ozark Trail, discretion being the better part of valor n’ all?
Perhaps those vaunted 20:20 hindsights after a failure, or (last bit not least) the slim possibility that Baraq & I might triumph? My B-boy was so happy with the tiny slice of Extra Mom Attention, he was posturing & puffing himself up last night as he threatened poor Kizzy, backing up to fire kicks!
Of course I know he can do it, it’s ME who’s the Weak Link. Day 1 didn’t go too great, with no exercise & nachos for dinner. That just won’t fly, my lil’ chickadee! (Reviews Gavin’s handout again: arugula, parsley, need to go buy some beef...) Athletes are made in the kitchen as well as in the gym.
You shouldn’t do it out of some misplaced sense of obligation - don’t make MORE work for Linda by hauling up there & washing out! Make it an honest try or quite frankly, give it up - you’ve questioned your “Endurovet” identity for some time now. Think it through!
A New Record...
Monday, March 21, 2011
...for me is having the anxiety dream ONE FULL WEEK before the event!
My next half-marathon is now 6 short d away, yet last night I dreamed I couldn't find my new SHOES - I was searching frantically through my older pairs, trying to decide which one could carry me through 13.1 mi...
I know I'm ill-prepared, but more worried about my son - I don't know at this point whether I should just forbid him to even try?? I know in worst-case scenario, we can walk it out in less than 4 hrs, but he'll still be in for a lot of misery. Strange how, almost 13 yrs into this voyage, I still have doubts about this motherhood gig! I know we've both been running on fumes for the latter part of our magnificent Spring Break, but he seemed ESPECIALLY irritating as he hounded poor Maddie yesterday until I raised my voice in frustration (& that STILL only bought me a few precious moments of peace!).
He accompanied me to the gym on Sat for a short workout; I believe he knocked out 2.5 mi while I did 4... I was going to count that as my tempo run & do a long run (6 mi) back-to-back yesterday, but opted out w/pain in my L knee & R ball of foot... So today I'll do my own long run; hopefully the cushioning pad I bought for the R ball of my foot will help. Guess if I can get my boy to do 1 or 2 more 3-mi training runs he'll be good-to-go!
In other words, I have to take care of #1 & hope that the rest falls into place...
My next half-marathon is now 6 short d away, yet last night I dreamed I couldn't find my new SHOES - I was searching frantically through my older pairs, trying to decide which one could carry me through 13.1 mi...
I know I'm ill-prepared, but more worried about my son - I don't know at this point whether I should just forbid him to even try?? I know in worst-case scenario, we can walk it out in less than 4 hrs, but he'll still be in for a lot of misery. Strange how, almost 13 yrs into this voyage, I still have doubts about this motherhood gig! I know we've both been running on fumes for the latter part of our magnificent Spring Break, but he seemed ESPECIALLY irritating as he hounded poor Maddie yesterday until I raised my voice in frustration (& that STILL only bought me a few precious moments of peace!).
He accompanied me to the gym on Sat for a short workout; I believe he knocked out 2.5 mi while I did 4... I was going to count that as my tempo run & do a long run (6 mi) back-to-back yesterday, but opted out w/pain in my L knee & R ball of foot... So today I'll do my own long run; hopefully the cushioning pad I bought for the R ball of my foot will help. Guess if I can get my boy to do 1 or 2 more 3-mi training runs he'll be good-to-go!
In other words, I have to take care of #1 & hope that the rest falls into place...
A Fool's Errand...
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Seems even more likely this weekend, when I threw my back out hauling my gear into the clinic this AM...
I staggered up, set down my tray of hoof tools to open the door, turned sideways to lean over & pick up the tray again & WHAM! a tremendous muscle spasm seized my lower back, so bad that I couldn't straighten up for a few moments...
All I can say is, thank God for ibuprofen & muscle relaxants - I had clients waiting on me, so bowing out to go to my chiropractor was NOT an immediate option. I took a handful of pills, stretched gently for a few min, & as I slowly kept myself moving the muscle spasms gradually eased up. (still giving me the occasional twinge here)
Crap! At least that's better than my poor girl Maddie; apparently her minor hip strain was actually a subluxation - she is undergoing surgical repair today** This means 6 wks on crutches, probably 6 mos before she can get back to riding again.
**her mom took her to the doctor yesterday; she hurt herself in an awkward dismount from her mare a couple of wks ago, but compounded the damage when she continued to try to run track events in school!
Yesterday I was trying to knock out one more training run, but after 1.5 mi I had to pause & rip the cushion out of my R shoe - it wasn't helping my foot pain one tiny bit, actually aggravating it. I limped through another half-mile before giving it up entirely... Another major problem was something I should have known better - exercising on a full stomach! Major indigestion, not a pretty sight.
My "friend" was there & it was hard to find the energy to even give him a pleasant smile - not that he would care in the least as I glimpsed the puffy, red-faced sweating clown in the mirror. More likely to scare him off!
I'll be able to go by my chiropractor over lunchtime, maybe try the elliptical but my prospects appear to be dimming by the moment...
I staggered up, set down my tray of hoof tools to open the door, turned sideways to lean over & pick up the tray again & WHAM! a tremendous muscle spasm seized my lower back, so bad that I couldn't straighten up for a few moments...
All I can say is, thank God for ibuprofen & muscle relaxants - I had clients waiting on me, so bowing out to go to my chiropractor was NOT an immediate option. I took a handful of pills, stretched gently for a few min, & as I slowly kept myself moving the muscle spasms gradually eased up. (still giving me the occasional twinge here)
Crap! At least that's better than my poor girl Maddie; apparently her minor hip strain was actually a subluxation - she is undergoing surgical repair today** This means 6 wks on crutches, probably 6 mos before she can get back to riding again.
**her mom took her to the doctor yesterday; she hurt herself in an awkward dismount from her mare a couple of wks ago, but compounded the damage when she continued to try to run track events in school!
Yesterday I was trying to knock out one more training run, but after 1.5 mi I had to pause & rip the cushion out of my R shoe - it wasn't helping my foot pain one tiny bit, actually aggravating it. I limped through another half-mile before giving it up entirely... Another major problem was something I should have known better - exercising on a full stomach! Major indigestion, not a pretty sight.
My "friend" was there & it was hard to find the energy to even give him a pleasant smile - not that he would care in the least as I glimpsed the puffy, red-faced sweating clown in the mirror. More likely to scare him off!
I'll be able to go by my chiropractor over lunchtime, maybe try the elliptical but my prospects appear to be dimming by the moment...
The Day Before...
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Here I sit, cooling my heels at the paintball field as I let Z & a couple of his buddies work out their pre-teen aggressions...
Then I'll drive boys home & we'll go to the Expo to pick up our race packets for tomorrow's half!
It's such a beautiful weekend; wish I felt better about this thing... At least I've had no further nauseating twinges of knee pain since Tues.
(Note to self: bring lawn chair for next session; these benches are HARD!)
May also have to resort to bribery to get Z out on the course in the morning; I'm torn between just leaving him in bed if I meet too much resistance vs what I'd planned on anyway, which is getting Z a new TV for his room...
I'm open to suggestions, & tired of typing on this tiny ph keyboard.
Hope to post one more pre-race update later.
Thanks to all my SF's for their unwavering support!
Then I'll drive boys home & we'll go to the Expo to pick up our race packets for tomorrow's half!
It's such a beautiful weekend; wish I felt better about this thing... At least I've had no further nauseating twinges of knee pain since Tues.
(Note to self: bring lawn chair for next session; these benches are HARD!)
May also have to resort to bribery to get Z out on the course in the morning; I'm torn between just leaving him in bed if I meet too much resistance vs what I'd planned on anyway, which is getting Z a new TV for his room...
I'm open to suggestions, & tired of typing on this tiny ph keyboard.
Hope to post one more pre-race update later.
Thanks to all my SF's for their unwavering support!
My Perfect Number...
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
...appears to be "7.5" - the rough estimate of the hrs of decent-quality SLEEP I got last night!
I finally got everything arranged w/proper temperature (the weather turned cold again, so I had to put an extra thermal blanket on the bed & put on pajama pants! also got dogs arranged just so ;-) - only had to get up ONCE to urinate (stopping hydration efforts after 8 PM), & lay awake for a relatively brief time @ 2AM, NOT letting my anxieties/worries get the better of me...
I woke up a half-hour before my alarm was scheduled to go off, & lay there in a pleasant doze w/lil' warm doggies by my legs, quite the treat! Hubby never went beyond a gentle rumble w/his snores either...
But anyway, I know everyone is anxious to hear about my "race", the Dallas RNR Half (I put race in quotes bcz it was about the farthest thing FROM a race for me).
As I mentioned, in the end I left my son at home - he had never put in any significant training, there was no point in making us BOTH miserable! I thought I had everything sorted out w/my painful R foot: new shoes, a thin coating of lotion, new Thor-lo socks... (over the past few wks, I have tried various pads & cushions which only seemed to aggravate this corn - of course w/my 20/20 hindsight I SHOULD have gone to my podiatrist beforehand)
The pain caught up w/me before I'd even finished the first mile... I shuffled along at my usual slow jog for the 1st 10 min, then tried to do my "Galloway intervals" of 90 sec jog/30 sec walk... Everything was fine EXCEPT the damned foot: in retrospect, I think it's bcz I "spoiled" myself w/too many TM miles - when I had to start watching my steps on uneven pavement, the pain flared up.
Things got a little better in the middle segment, when we cruised through Highland Park (a wealthy enclave in the middle of Dallas) - no broken pavement THERE! (Also porta-potties that still had TP :-) I kept on telling myself that if I quit, I would STILL have a painful foot, but no medal to show for my efforts & besides, what would I be teaching my son?
"Be a quitter" when our whole motto of endurance riding is: "To Finish Is To Win"... No, ya gotta believe in something so I choose to believe in that!
Watching that SAG wagon out of the corner of my eye got very tempting at times; it's funny bcz I don't REMEMBER seeing a SAG wagon at previous RNR events?? Maybe it's just bcz I have never been this far back in the pack?
I actually wasn't that far off pace - even though I had set a pie-in-the-sky goal for myself of 3:15, crossing the finish line in 3:37:54 only put me approx 7 min behind last year's time!
www.asiorders.com/view_u
ser_event_video.asp?EVENTI
D=75571&BIB=15041
Hope the link works - it's humorous for me to watch my gait change from a Grade II to a Grade III lameness as I transition from a shuffle-jog to a hobbling walk...
But hey, at least I FINISHED! My sweet boy even rubbed Perform pain relief gel on my poor sore foot afterwards, & I await whatever magic my podiatrist may be able to perform on Thursday...
Final statistics:
Finishing time = 3:37:54 (16:34 pace)
Number of porta-potty stops = 4
Number of porta-potties w/out TP = 1 (fortunately just for Number 1)
Blisters, chafes, or other fresh wounds = 0 (thank you Body Glide!)
Metabolic grade = A (no significant muscle soreness, cramps or stiffness; I drank Cytomax, Body Balance & took 3 Gu's during the event)
Overall, sweet success & another handsome medal to hang in my collection!
I finally got everything arranged w/proper temperature (the weather turned cold again, so I had to put an extra thermal blanket on the bed & put on pajama pants! also got dogs arranged just so ;-) - only had to get up ONCE to urinate (stopping hydration efforts after 8 PM), & lay awake for a relatively brief time @ 2AM, NOT letting my anxieties/worries get the better of me...
I woke up a half-hour before my alarm was scheduled to go off, & lay there in a pleasant doze w/lil' warm doggies by my legs, quite the treat! Hubby never went beyond a gentle rumble w/his snores either...
But anyway, I know everyone is anxious to hear about my "race", the Dallas RNR Half (I put race in quotes bcz it was about the farthest thing FROM a race for me).
As I mentioned, in the end I left my son at home - he had never put in any significant training, there was no point in making us BOTH miserable! I thought I had everything sorted out w/my painful R foot: new shoes, a thin coating of lotion, new Thor-lo socks... (over the past few wks, I have tried various pads & cushions which only seemed to aggravate this corn - of course w/my 20/20 hindsight I SHOULD have gone to my podiatrist beforehand)
The pain caught up w/me before I'd even finished the first mile... I shuffled along at my usual slow jog for the 1st 10 min, then tried to do my "Galloway intervals" of 90 sec jog/30 sec walk... Everything was fine EXCEPT the damned foot: in retrospect, I think it's bcz I "spoiled" myself w/too many TM miles - when I had to start watching my steps on uneven pavement, the pain flared up.
Things got a little better in the middle segment, when we cruised through Highland Park (a wealthy enclave in the middle of Dallas) - no broken pavement THERE! (Also porta-potties that still had TP :-) I kept on telling myself that if I quit, I would STILL have a painful foot, but no medal to show for my efforts & besides, what would I be teaching my son?
"Be a quitter" when our whole motto of endurance riding is: "To Finish Is To Win"... No, ya gotta believe in something so I choose to believe in that!
Watching that SAG wagon out of the corner of my eye got very tempting at times; it's funny bcz I don't REMEMBER seeing a SAG wagon at previous RNR events?? Maybe it's just bcz I have never been this far back in the pack?
I actually wasn't that far off pace - even though I had set a pie-in-the-sky goal for myself of 3:15, crossing the finish line in 3:37:54 only put me approx 7 min behind last year's time!
www.asiorders.com/view_u
ser_event_video.asp?EVENTI
D=75571&BIB=15041
Hope the link works - it's humorous for me to watch my gait change from a Grade II to a Grade III lameness as I transition from a shuffle-jog to a hobbling walk...
But hey, at least I FINISHED! My sweet boy even rubbed Perform pain relief gel on my poor sore foot afterwards, & I await whatever magic my podiatrist may be able to perform on Thursday...
Final statistics:
Finishing time = 3:37:54 (16:34 pace)
Number of porta-potty stops = 4
Number of porta-potties w/out TP = 1 (fortunately just for Number 1)
Blisters, chafes, or other fresh wounds = 0 (thank you Body Glide!)
Metabolic grade = A (no significant muscle soreness, cramps or stiffness; I drank Cytomax, Body Balance & took 3 Gu's during the event)
Overall, sweet success & another handsome medal to hang in my collection!
Grim News from Podiatrist...
Friday, April 01, 2011
...which has completely deflated me; I barely have the energy to type this:
Yes, that is a callus near the center of the ball of my R foot (there's a small one on the L too, but it's not painful YET) - but it's actually caused by the collapse of my 2nd metarsal arch. I have completely flat feet; in my radiograph there's not even the slightest HINT of an arch - but I've always known this, since childhood... My parents had me in fancy orthopedic shoes as a kid; I've had several series of the custom-made orthotics, always searching for that perfect shoe (I gave up on wearing practically anything BUT running shoes years ago)...
My podiatrist recommended surgery - an osteotomy which would put me in an orthopedic boot for at least a month - no DRIVING (R foot remember?) & we didn't even get into the implications of how much time I could reasonably expect to be able to stay on my feet (most of the time around here it's about 75/25, but there's a lot of wild n' wooly days where I'm hoofin' it from 9 AM until 6 PM - take just the other day for example!)... Of course I could take a week off, I can ask my husband to do a lot of driving - but bottom-line is I'm terrified that this is one small step on the road to decrepitude, I'm already researching nonsurgical alternatives, gonna start trying to build up the muscles in my feet (weight training for those toes ;-) !
& I wonder IF all these years off & on in orthotics have actually WEAKENED my feet instead of supporting them; I'm going to wear the fancy new "barefoot" shoes my son talked me into buying for him this weekend & see how those feel...
But for now I'm going to hit the elliptical; it doesn't hurt & neither does cycling (hubby & I took the bikes out for a brief jaunt in yesterday's beautiful weather). After all, Dr H didn't advise me to quit exercising!
Yes, that is a callus near the center of the ball of my R foot (there's a small one on the L too, but it's not painful YET) - but it's actually caused by the collapse of my 2nd metarsal arch. I have completely flat feet; in my radiograph there's not even the slightest HINT of an arch - but I've always known this, since childhood... My parents had me in fancy orthopedic shoes as a kid; I've had several series of the custom-made orthotics, always searching for that perfect shoe (I gave up on wearing practically anything BUT running shoes years ago)...
My podiatrist recommended surgery - an osteotomy which would put me in an orthopedic boot for at least a month - no DRIVING (R foot remember?) & we didn't even get into the implications of how much time I could reasonably expect to be able to stay on my feet (most of the time around here it's about 75/25, but there's a lot of wild n' wooly days where I'm hoofin' it from 9 AM until 6 PM - take just the other day for example!)... Of course I could take a week off, I can ask my husband to do a lot of driving - but bottom-line is I'm terrified that this is one small step on the road to decrepitude, I'm already researching nonsurgical alternatives, gonna start trying to build up the muscles in my feet (weight training for those toes ;-) !
& I wonder IF all these years off & on in orthotics have actually WEAKENED my feet instead of supporting them; I'm going to wear the fancy new "barefoot" shoes my son talked me into buying for him this weekend & see how those feel...
But for now I'm going to hit the elliptical; it doesn't hurt & neither does cycling (hubby & I took the bikes out for a brief jaunt in yesterday's beautiful weather). After all, Dr H didn't advise me to quit exercising!
A Pleasant Surprise...
Saturday, April 02, 2011
Since I was absolutely DREADING the concept of taking Baraq-o-rama out on the trails by himself this AM, I dragged my feet as long as possible: lounging on the couch this morning (where I'd sought refuge from Hubby's snores around 5:30 AM), accepting his peace offering of breakfast... & not loading up & leaving until after 10 AM.
The problem is that Baraq is not the kind of horse who is FUN to ride; it's constant vigilance unless my boy is in his Favored State - in companionship w/"HIS" mare - Maddie's Amira. Even then, he's a born follower, happy to trail along in the mare's wake...
Fortunately there were lots of other folks out to enjoy this pleasant day on the trails - Baraq was preoccupied w/cracks in the earth's surface, wildflowers waving in the breeze, butterflies fluttering by!! but we caught a glimpse of another party, probably half a mile ahead. Then I was able to concentrate on CATCHING UP - even better, they turned out to be endurance-riding buddies of mine! Talk about your lagniappes... from then on out, we had smooth sailing - Baraq was happy to have found companionship, so I was able to relax & actually enjoy this ride.
Another happy coincidence was that it turned out to be Robin's B/D, so after our jaunt we piled into a local Tex-Mex place for a meal. Almost made up for the fact that my boy wasn't home - I've got to put his mule through her paces tomorrow, which should be a pleasant duty.
The problem is that Baraq is not the kind of horse who is FUN to ride; it's constant vigilance unless my boy is in his Favored State - in companionship w/"HIS" mare - Maddie's Amira. Even then, he's a born follower, happy to trail along in the mare's wake...
Fortunately there were lots of other folks out to enjoy this pleasant day on the trails - Baraq was preoccupied w/cracks in the earth's surface, wildflowers waving in the breeze, butterflies fluttering by!! but we caught a glimpse of another party, probably half a mile ahead. Then I was able to concentrate on CATCHING UP - even better, they turned out to be endurance-riding buddies of mine! Talk about your lagniappes... from then on out, we had smooth sailing - Baraq was happy to have found companionship, so I was able to relax & actually enjoy this ride.
Another happy coincidence was that it turned out to be Robin's B/D, so after our jaunt we piled into a local Tex-Mex place for a meal. Almost made up for the fact that my boy wasn't home - I've got to put his mule through her paces tomorrow, which should be a pleasant duty.
Surgery: Hell no we won't go!
Monday, April 04, 2011
Now that I've had a little time to do some research, I am more hesitant than ever to even CONSIDER the possibility of surgery - at least not before I have exhausted every other possible option!
"...one half of the patients continued to have some degree of pain and most patients had limitations in footwear. Overall results were disappointing, and patients who are offered this procedure should be advised of its limitations."
One HALF = 50%?!?!? those look like pretty crappy odds to me, so I'm buckling down w/a mini-5% challenge to myself; that boils down to 10.8 lbs. If I'm too damn pathetic to step off this plateau, then I deserve all the misery that surgically cracking into my metatarsals nets me...
20 min on the elliptical = no pain from R foot. (I carefully peeled off the bandage Dr H had applied last night; it was getting pretty grody.) So far, so good. "One small step for man..."
"...one half of the patients continued to have some degree of pain and most patients had limitations in footwear. Overall results were disappointing, and patients who are offered this procedure should be advised of its limitations."
One HALF = 50%?!?!? those look like pretty crappy odds to me, so I'm buckling down w/a mini-5% challenge to myself; that boils down to 10.8 lbs. If I'm too damn pathetic to step off this plateau, then I deserve all the misery that surgically cracking into my metatarsals nets me...
20 min on the elliptical = no pain from R foot. (I carefully peeled off the bandage Dr H had applied last night; it was getting pretty grody.) So far, so good. "One small step for man..."
True Friends...
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
...don't attend an important ride without even MENTIONING it to ya, do they?!?
(No of course they don't)
I thought I had all my issues about my so-called "friend", riding buddy, & erstwhile Tevis companion worked out - we've exchanged a couple of emails over the past couple of wks (she had a bad experience at the ride Z & I opted out of attending, the last weekend in March since that conflicted w/my "Race of Pain", the Dallas Half - her horse was disqualified @ 40 mi)
- but I still felt a sinking feeling when I got my latest issue of our "Endurance News" magazine last night to see L listed amongst the finishers of the MS ride I opted out of at the end of Feb: I was in the process of investing in new truck & trailer, and the weather had been so variable I didn't want to take a chance of hauling out into the teeth of the last of the season's winter storm(s)!
Ah well - no harm, no foul**. It doesn't do to waste my energy wondering "WHY" L would have it in for me - I keep reminding myself it isn't ME, it's HER - no real difference from when I yelled at Hubby a couple of wks ago over another lack of communication... Our tiny Chihuahua Buddy had disappeared one night - I went racing outside to check the barn, the outbuildings, the chicken coop, coming back to the house w/a heavy heart (a small dog = coyote bait in our neighborhood; I DON'T leave the little dogs out after dark!) only to find that Hubby had checked Z's room & found Buddy peacably asleep w/him, but for some unknown reason didn't bother to stick his head outside & inform me??!!??
**Today I feel a pleasant soreness throughout most of my sinews (neck, spine, shoulders, legs) after my 1st 50 in over 3 mos... Baraq-o-rama performed admirably; a little time off doesn't seem to hurt HIS performance! But the sudden onslaught of heat & humidity last weekend nearly did ME in - I was suffering; w/out the support of my friend Al (who was riding Maddie's mare, Baraq's Best Buddy) & the foresight of ride management to leave an ice chest packed w/PEOPLE water at the out-of-camp horse trough, I would have washed out...
I was running out of water on that 4th loop - a 25-mi rider also gave me a Gu packet which did me a lot of good (psychologically at least). When I got back to the trailer I drank a pint of Gatorade but I still had to walk out most of that last 7-mi loop...
Now a new dilemma awaits: Al said he would also exercise Amira at our next ride which is April 23; I've already been asked to help out w/pre-ride exams, but that's also my dad's B/D! (in my family we tend to make a big deal out of such things) I'm hoping when I double-check my legal documents I can exercise my right to keep Z on Holy Thurs since Good Friday is a school holiday; that way we could take Dad out on THURS night, leaving Fri & Sat free for another horse-camping trip...
(I really have to take advantage of the training opportunities at each & every ride from here out if I have any reasonable expectation of heading out to Tevis this summer)
(No of course they don't)
I thought I had all my issues about my so-called "friend", riding buddy, & erstwhile Tevis companion worked out - we've exchanged a couple of emails over the past couple of wks (she had a bad experience at the ride Z & I opted out of attending, the last weekend in March since that conflicted w/my "Race of Pain", the Dallas Half - her horse was disqualified @ 40 mi)
- but I still felt a sinking feeling when I got my latest issue of our "Endurance News" magazine last night to see L listed amongst the finishers of the MS ride I opted out of at the end of Feb: I was in the process of investing in new truck & trailer, and the weather had been so variable I didn't want to take a chance of hauling out into the teeth of the last of the season's winter storm(s)!
Ah well - no harm, no foul**. It doesn't do to waste my energy wondering "WHY" L would have it in for me - I keep reminding myself it isn't ME, it's HER - no real difference from when I yelled at Hubby a couple of wks ago over another lack of communication... Our tiny Chihuahua Buddy had disappeared one night - I went racing outside to check the barn, the outbuildings, the chicken coop, coming back to the house w/a heavy heart (a small dog = coyote bait in our neighborhood; I DON'T leave the little dogs out after dark!) only to find that Hubby had checked Z's room & found Buddy peacably asleep w/him, but for some unknown reason didn't bother to stick his head outside & inform me??!!??
**Today I feel a pleasant soreness throughout most of my sinews (neck, spine, shoulders, legs) after my 1st 50 in over 3 mos... Baraq-o-rama performed admirably; a little time off doesn't seem to hurt HIS performance! But the sudden onslaught of heat & humidity last weekend nearly did ME in - I was suffering; w/out the support of my friend Al (who was riding Maddie's mare, Baraq's Best Buddy) & the foresight of ride management to leave an ice chest packed w/PEOPLE water at the out-of-camp horse trough, I would have washed out...
I was running out of water on that 4th loop - a 25-mi rider also gave me a Gu packet which did me a lot of good (psychologically at least). When I got back to the trailer I drank a pint of Gatorade but I still had to walk out most of that last 7-mi loop...
Now a new dilemma awaits: Al said he would also exercise Amira at our next ride which is April 23; I've already been asked to help out w/pre-ride exams, but that's also my dad's B/D! (in my family we tend to make a big deal out of such things) I'm hoping when I double-check my legal documents I can exercise my right to keep Z on Holy Thurs since Good Friday is a school holiday; that way we could take Dad out on THURS night, leaving Fri & Sat free for another horse-camping trip...
(I really have to take advantage of the training opportunities at each & every ride from here out if I have any reasonable expectation of heading out to Tevis this summer)
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