tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17809123629533008922024-03-08T12:35:42.437-07:00Go PonyAshleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04720090581233703530noreply@blogger.comBlogger336125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1780912362953300892.post-25780250056476175182015-05-22T11:40:00.000-07:002015-05-22T11:40:08.060-07:00MOVING...ADJUST BOOKMARKSI am going to be moving this blog over to a new Wordpress domain, so please adjust your bookmarks to<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://gopony.me/">http://gopony.me</a></span></b><br />
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I will possibly add a re-direct from this page within the next couple of weeks; but at the very lkeast<br />
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Excuse the dust while I attempt to re-organize and re-structure.Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04720090581233703530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1780912362953300892.post-50097362080752291972015-05-08T08:00:00.000-07:002015-05-08T08:00:07.604-07:00Weekly Roundup<i>An experimental new series: my week's worth of random tidbits, discoveries, and things I found interesting.</i><br />
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<a href="http://www.horsenation.com/2013/12/27/i-like-big-ears-and-i-cannot-lie/">Does a mare's ear size have a positive effect on her performance abilities?</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.horsegroomingsupplies.com/horse-forums/homemade-saddle-rack-storage-barn-ideas-32286.html">This</a> idea for a homemade saddle pad drying rack.<br />
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Pam Smith's <a href="http://www.irunfar.com/2013/08/how-the-western-was-won.html">account</a> of her 2013 Western States 100 win. Some interesting tips and insight.<br />
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On the heels of yesterday's post about getting my running mojo back, I'm hoping my next race will be the <a href="http://www.aravaiparunning.com/big-pine/">Flagstaff Big Pine</a> in June. I was offered a free race entry, so now I'm trying to coordinate if I can get the weekend away. Given that it is high elevation, I will likely go for the 13k distance (as much as the small voice is saying 'Do the 27k and make the trip worth it").<br />
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In honor of the Kentucky Derby this past weekend, the movie <a href="http://www.amazon.com/50-1-Skeet-Ulrich/dp/B00TRAO8VQ/ref=sr_1_2?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1431031649&sr=1-2&keywords=50+to+1">50 to 1</a> was (finally!) just released on DVD; based on the true story of the 2009 Kentucky Derby and the long-shot winner Mine That Bird. Normally I don't watch horse movies -- they are either too depressing or too angsty along the way, but this one was really good with minimal drama and no tears...it's a great story and a thoroughly entertaining movie.<br />
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The battle within the <a href="http://www.outsideonline.com/1898541/insane-membrane">waterproof-breathable fabric market</a>.<br />
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Horse people always need <a href="http://www.animatedknots.com/indexscouting.php?crlt.pid=camp.GqK9QcNMHg80">knots</a>.Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04720090581233703530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1780912362953300892.post-90187075113031102092015-05-07T12:36:00.000-07:002015-05-07T12:36:24.858-07:00restarting the mojoIt's happened enough times now that I'm able to recognize a fairly distinctive pattern in how I operate, especially in how I tend to approach and deal with the aftermath of failure.<br />
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-- Immediately following '<i>x</i>' event, I'm still pretty gung-ho about giving it another go -- it may have beat me, but hey, it was a good learning experience and now I know for next time...and there will be a next time.<br />
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-- After some dwell time, I start brooding and feeling sorry for myself, and generally entertaining "why bother?" types of thoughts. Because I'm clearly not meant to do whatever it was I was attempting, since I failed at it.<br />
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-- I either get sick of my own attitude, or some outside force intervenes and drags me back into the fold of whatever I was distancing myself from, and I'm reminded of why I like '<i>x</i>' activity in the first place.<br />
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The latest event to throw me into this cycle was, of course, my DNF at the Crown King Scramble 50k. Not only was I physically broken, but my mental psyche took a pretty good hit, too, and I was having a really hard time remembering why I thought this whole running thing was a good idea in the first place.<br />
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I guess that's one of the hazards of the "jump into the deep end" approach...there's a greater risk of failure than a more cautious approach. But at the same time, I suppose I'm at optimist at my core, because I tend to have a "you don't know until you try" outlook.<br />
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And I will say, for the most part, on things I've failed at the first time around...I've come back to them again and been successful.<br />
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It was disheartening to pull from the first 50 I ever attempted...and to have to cancel my entry before the ride on my first two attempts to get to a 50 with Mimi...and to get thoroughly beaten by the trail at Man Against Horse...and to have a crappy running season...<br />
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But in the long run, I've managed to pull a lot of those monkeys off my shoulder and stuff them into a zoo where they belong. It took me seven years, but I got back to that ride scene of my inglorious first pull, and under similar circumstances (same trail, another borrowed horse), I finished it (<a href="http://gopony.blogspot.com/2013/03/old-pueblo-day-two-lets-do-it-again.html">Old Pueblo 2013</a>).<br />
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That first 50 with Mimi was a wonderful experience. By inadvertently being forced to wait (things like saddle fit and her getting bitten on the back), it meant that Dad and I would tackle that first 50 together...as so many of our trail adventures have been shared together, it seemed only appropriate that a big leap into endurance would also be shared.<br />
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2008 Man Against Horse may have been a disaster, culminating in getting pulled for "likely being overtime"...but I took everything that went wrong that year and funneled it into a "how to do better" approach...and in 2009, we had <a href="http://gopony.blogspot.com/2009/10/man-against-horse-2009.html">pretty much a perfect ride</a>. That finisher's buckle is one of my more treasured possessions. But after 2008, and two crappy back-to-back rides/pulls, I was ready to throw in the towel...in fact, I didn't even ride the pony for a couple of months. And then a friend offered me a horse for the 2009 Wickenburg 25, which I accepted...we had a great ride, Top Tenned, the fire to ride got reignited, and the next month, dragged the pony back into action fora successful 50-miler.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Three-and-half so-so miles still beats zero miles</i></td></tr>
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And last night, I ran for real for the first time since Crown King (end of March). It wasn't all that pretty at times...but it got done. And really, it was just my cardio that had suffered. Fortunately, I've still been walking the dog every morning...and I snuck a 3-day, 25-mile backpacking trip to the Grand Canyon in there. <div>
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I can easily fall into somewhat hermit-esque tendencies, especially when I'm hosting a personal pity party, so it does me a world of good to get out of the house, do something, and be around people who share a common interest.</div>
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Last night might have been a bit of a rough run, but good times with friends more than made up for it, and got me remembering why I thought this was a good idea...if not for the running itself, then for the community.</div>
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Having such an encouraging, positive, supportive environment really helps, too -- the "you failed" mentality is entirely of my own design, and all the feedback I've gotten has been positive encouragement that I even tried such a race as my first ultra attempt.</div>
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As far as coping strategies go, I'm not sure mine ranks in the Top Five Recommended Ways to Handle Failure...but at least I recognize how I operate? And that I eventually manage to get back on track?<br /><br /></div>
Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04720090581233703530noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1780912362953300892.post-12863557924368884322015-04-25T18:32:00.001-07:002015-04-25T18:32:20.236-07:00recipe for instant happy pony<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="font-style: italic;">Just add trail time</b>.</div>
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<br />Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04720090581233703530noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1780912362953300892.post-20014114263489796782015-03-30T21:06:00.000-07:002015-03-30T21:06:18.219-07:00Crown King Scramble 50k: My first ultra attempt and DNF<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I knew going in that it was an overambitious plan. An ultramarathon (anything over the marathon distance of 26.2 miles) is tough enough...but to pick the somewhat notorious Crown King Scramble, with its over 6000' of climbing, as a first? Well...see the quote at the top of this post.<br />
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Maybe choosing an "easier" 50k as a first ultra would have been the "smart" decision...but following "smart" decisions doesn't always result in fulfillment either. If I finished, it would be a major accomplishment...if I didn't it would probably at least net me a major learning experience and hopefully a good story.<br />
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It was a bit of both.<br />
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Ultimately, I pulled myself at the 26.5-mile point...so it was the unadvertised Crown King marathon, at least. ;) That is the absolute farthest distance I've ever gone (again, some might question the wisdom of starting an ultra when the longest run you've ever done was 22 miles), and definitely the most climbing. I ran out of body (lungs/legs) for the time I had left...if you look at the elevation profile, I still had the steepest point to cover -- about 1000' of climbing, in 3 miles, in an hour...at a pace that was netting me approximately 23-minute miles...even my tired brain could do the math and realize I wouldn't make the cutoff, especially since I was physically out of gas to be able to push myself any faster. I also had some IT band issues that prevented me from adequately being able to run the downhills (lost time there) -- and the last two miles was all downhill.<br />
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So you'll pardon me if this is a bit disjointed as I go through it...brain is still majorly fuzzy. I actually feel better than I have coming off of other races...the IT band at my left knee is the hurting-est part, and my forefeet are letting me know I need to reevaluate my shoe choices (again!), but muscle-wise, I feel good...and mentally, I'm vacillating between satisfaction at how far I did manage to get, disappointment at not finishing, a bit of feeling sorry for myself for failing, and lots of introspection.<br />
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I definitely learned a ton and got a good dose of reality (and ego smack-down) handed to me in that I can honestly say I was under-prepared and under-trained for what I was tackling. Sure, I didn't know what to expect, having never seen the course...but I greatly underestimated the elevation profile and the difficulty of that much climbing. I'm a strong hiker and decent, albeit slow, climber...but I underestimated how much the first 15 miles would take out of me, as I'm not world's strongest runner (since that's the "flatter" section, you have to make your time there, so you end up going into the climbing second half on already-tired legs).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Getting drop bags set up and food sorted</i></td></tr>
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The aid stations were spaced at miles 8.5, 15.3, 19.1, 22.3, and 27, and drop bags were allowed at stations 1-4. The first two were spaced further apart than I'm used to...I think the longest stretch I'd done at a race was just over 5 miles between aid stations, and I'm kind of a "needy" runner in that I require a lot of hydration and a decent amount of nutrition to keep going steadily. (It's the same reason I always carry so many water bottles on my saddle at endurance rides...I dehydrate quickly and physically cannot function on minimal hydration.)<div>
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So my plan was to wear my Ultimate Direction hydration pack, which has a 1.5-liter (50 oz) water bladder, and carry an <a href="http://www.amphipod.com/products/hydration/bottles-handhelds/handhelds/handheld-thermal-lite-20oz">Amphipod Hydraform Thermal-Lite handheld</a>. I have to say, this <i>is </i>my new favorite handheld. Definitely the easiest to carry of all of them I've tried, and I love the insulating sleeve that kept the whole thing cold. Plus the wide-mouth bottle is really easy to fill at the aid stations. I started the race with <a href="http://www.succeedscaps.com/products/amino/">Succeed Amino</a> in the handheld, drained it by mile 8.5, refilled it with water + more Amino, drained it about halfway by mile 15 where I topped it off with straight water, and then by mile 19, I was over the Amino and just wanted cool water in both the pack and the handheld.</div>
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For food, I had Honey Stinger gels, Honey Stinger chews, Honey Stinger waffles, Pay Day bars, Clif ShotBlocks, GU, Bonk Breaker bars, and a gel flask filled with a peanut butter and honey mix. Looking back, I thought I was doing pretty good, nutrition-wise, at the time...but now I know I really could have done way better, and I think it caught up to me by about mile 23. Out of my stash, I ended up eating one Honey Stinger gel, one pack of Honey Stinger chews, one Honey Stinger waffle, and maybe 1.5 ounces of peanut butter mix. I had real food at the aid stations: bean roll-ups, potatoes, pickles, and at mile 19, it was a brief moment of nirvana when they handed me an OtterPop. </div>
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But once it started getting warm, I had a harder time finding things that would appeal...so that's going on the drawing board of "Things To Work On" this summer, along with still messing around with shoes, and potentially hydration packs.</div>
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<i>(Honestly, I envy the "non-fussy" people out there that seem to be able to run through anything. I tend to nitpick my equipment to death, trying to get everything "right"...and when I'm in a bad mood about my abilities or lack thereof, I think "Maybe I'm just blaming my gear for my shortcomings when in reality I just kind of suck as a runner." It's the same mentality I grew up with when riding: "A truly good rider can ride in any saddle, so if your position is bad, it's just because you're not good enough." ...never mind the saddle might be a bad fit for you and completely putting you out of balance and unable to find a good position. I think the same thing goes here...there's a certain amount of discomfort you have to push through, but you hit a point where there's only so much lack-of-proper-function you can work with before realizing "Something needs to change.")</i></div>
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The start for the race was at Lake Pleasant. Normal start was at 6AM, and finish cutoff was 3PM. First cutoff was at the 15.3 mile aid station, at a time of 9:30. They also offered an "early start" option that started at 5AM; only caveat to that being you were only eligible for finish status, not any of the top prizes. </div>
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<i>(To which my comment was I doubt any of us that were doing the early start were in danger of setting a new course record and thus having an unfair advantage. I could write a whole post on the pros/cons of the early start and whether it's "fair" and blah blah blah...but the bottom line is, if the race offers it, then there's not a problem with taking it.)</i></div>
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Obviously, I opted for the early start option. My reasons were two-fold: one, I was worried about making that first 15 miles in the time cutoff, because that was right up against my comfortable pace limits, especially if I needed to have something left in the tank for later. Second reason being that we're experiencing some slightly unseasonably warm temperatures here...AZ hit the fast-forward button over spring and is beelining us straight into summer. So if I could get myself that much further down the trail while it was still pleasant out, all the better.</div>
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Major, major kudos to my dad, who got up at 2:00 <i>in the morning</i> in order to drop me off at a friend's house where several of us would be carpooling together. Since the race was a point-to-point, it involves quite a bit of coordination, cooperation, and multiple willing sherpas/pack mules/drivers/patient-and-wonderful people.</div>
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The carpool was on the road by 3:20ish, and at the race start at the north boat ramp at Lake Pleasant by 4:15, where we had lots of time to deposit drop bags, check in, pin/re-pin number bibs, and I worked on finishing off the breakfast (ham/cream cheese on a bagel) I'd been nibbling since the car ride.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigwZbA4UARc-FI_a8S43G4042RMrJQvZvdsYKCRhT1s_nEwYKpqTqpKn6kGEcBmKGczoTr12vID-OhWER5yyByCDdfP0jWVHu3pwz9ExQmy4lQdBeOsF_Y6OSuHeKuFnQgm9nRVK3TbnYZ/s1600/photo+(62).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigwZbA4UARc-FI_a8S43G4042RMrJQvZvdsYKCRhT1s_nEwYKpqTqpKn6kGEcBmKGczoTr12vID-OhWER5yyByCDdfP0jWVHu3pwz9ExQmy4lQdBeOsF_Y6OSuHeKuFnQgm9nRVK3TbnYZ/s1600/photo+(62).JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Before the start! I've met all of these wonderful ladies through<br />the Aravaipa groups runs and races, and it was wonderful sharing<br />the race and the weekend with them!</i></td></tr>
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You can see all of yours truly's gear above (far right): started with a Buff (which I then swapped out for a hat at the first aid station), headlamp (dropped at first aid station, but first four miles were in the dark), Kerrits IceFil tank, Kerrits IceFil sleeves (kept me warm enough in the morning and then soaked them down at every water spot available), Salomon XR running shorts, Dirty Girl gaiters, Salomon Speedcross3 shoes (swapped out at mile 15 for my New Balance Fresh Foam Trail...more on shoes later), and Ultimate Direction Ultra Vesta.</div>
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And see all that tape on my left leg? I had tweaked my IT band somehow during the Mesquite Canyon half marathon two weeks prior...the first half of the race was great, and then all of a sudden it hurt to run or even walk downhill (of course the rest of the race was all downhill at that point), and although I had been icing and slathering with arnica and foam rolling, it still wasn't 100% by race day and I was hoping holding myself together with large amounts of tape would be effective.</div>
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Sorry, I warned this would be a bit disconnected and all over the place.</div>
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Back to the start...right at 5:00, we were given the countdown and probably ~50 or so runner who had chosen the early start option were off in the darkness, headlamps bobbing and lighting the way out the same road we had just driven in on. The first mile was the pavement road leading out of Lake Pleasant and onto a wide, smooth dirt road that curved around the northwestern edge of the lake and then started heading north.</div>
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We had been told the first 15 miles was "extremely runnable"...but when the race director/source of information is an extremely hardcore ultrarunner, "consider the source" may be wise words to remember next time. Sure, it was runnable compared to the second half...but there were still some rolling ups and downs, and enough ups that walking was still a good option. If you look at the course profile, you can see if starts gaining in elevation the whole way...it just starts the <i>real</i> climbing halfway through.</div>
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I have to say I loved starting in the dark. For whatever reason, it mentally didn't feel like I was racing, and the first four miles kind of flew by before I even realized it...so it was a bonus to realize that much distance had passed.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP6OyzcfEuUtlWrD9_Oz3CtpsttFqgkJrZhlKyoUJ0r43wI5BmUIVeUKybNGrD8sa-PBHwzkyDZZmsjtuBsNt8GFGtI1TjlbokL6mhkcjdkc6xIn42s9eZJuhZo5szSe4-aLcFYOZ5Vava/s1600/IMG_3863.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP6OyzcfEuUtlWrD9_Oz3CtpsttFqgkJrZhlKyoUJ0r43wI5BmUIVeUKybNGrD8sa-PBHwzkyDZZmsjtuBsNt8GFGtI1TjlbokL6mhkcjdkc6xIn42s9eZJuhZo5szSe4-aLcFYOZ5Vava/s1600/IMG_3863.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>sunrise</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCfu1fkvXlPsShg6YGBLtTWclLoVNxHaj_T3rnXtyk31qr_eKoUzWE3v4ch1SOHHpevSVdtOvKQyMfmoo_kj-WqBsvTLt_fbV1CDmak5YY7ogwHQYN1uemotrYaTV1_PTKOEYwOXm1eBsI/s1600/IMG_3864.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCfu1fkvXlPsShg6YGBLtTWclLoVNxHaj_T3rnXtyk31qr_eKoUzWE3v4ch1SOHHpevSVdtOvKQyMfmoo_kj-WqBsvTLt_fbV1CDmak5YY7ogwHQYN1uemotrYaTV1_PTKOEYwOXm1eBsI/s1600/IMG_3864.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>getting passed by race support vehicles on their way to set up<br />the aid stations</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNUyYDonCOyQ_lUgkSIeWyyyGqxrKMRI2ypxUwRO3_tFewYkVCfkeCKvlruMbbBLdFC2WrcBZRHuyFkd3ShGDUxWuOsjJy6AsdH1DC1FDSnLjkCT5t6IKrAJMBpsyjQfIsP7wotFBXcsSB/s1600/IMG_3868.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNUyYDonCOyQ_lUgkSIeWyyyGqxrKMRI2ypxUwRO3_tFewYkVCfkeCKvlruMbbBLdFC2WrcBZRHuyFkd3ShGDUxWuOsjJy6AsdH1DC1FDSnLjkCT5t6IKrAJMBpsyjQfIsP7wotFBXcsSB/s1600/IMG_3868.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>looking back at Lake Pleasant</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4urprvnjBGAjOiMOLP4QwwspLcPo7w5e1RNVPjfBLHaTz6XNKKTwgiZrO8rAfy5aWncJbFX3QTwhoSpbScWFvwwIre32xkgz0ICbhRG6g8ZGE9hAZZtfei71LpoeIB3Z3vrPfQFUvMKbH/s1600/IMG_3870.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4urprvnjBGAjOiMOLP4QwwspLcPo7w5e1RNVPjfBLHaTz6XNKKTwgiZrO8rAfy5aWncJbFX3QTwhoSpbScWFvwwIre32xkgz0ICbhRG6g8ZGE9hAZZtfei71LpoeIB3Z3vrPfQFUvMKbH/s1600/IMG_3870.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>probably about mile 5 or 6</i></td></tr>
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One of my "mini goals" I had set for myself was to at least make it to the first aid station at 8.5 miles before the front runners from the regular start caught me...and I made it. They caught me almost immediately after...effortlessly running up a hill, looking barely warmed up.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC58quCDs14gWfrsUBaOR1dE2gO46pu63TSH9oWQ0JSJZEqEhZtNMf0IWCtdLG-6NZOJmy93v9QZTCYZ2lgtkyzaDpcsch3qXZghWZXp5ViN1ngqBPE9QNZbqFx4qLiMhSDoKHkO2ZVo71/s1600/IMG_3872.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC58quCDs14gWfrsUBaOR1dE2gO46pu63TSH9oWQ0JSJZEqEhZtNMf0IWCtdLG-6NZOJmy93v9QZTCYZ2lgtkyzaDpcsch3qXZghWZXp5ViN1ngqBPE9QNZbqFx4qLiMhSDoKHkO2ZVo71/s1600/IMG_3872.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>approaching Aid Station #1, Cow Creek AS, mile 8.5<br />someone has a sense of humor</i></td></tr>
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At Cow Creek, I ditched my headlamp, and retrieved my running cap out of my drop bag, refilled my handheld with more Amino, topped off my water pack, grabbed some potato pieces, and was out of there in I want to say under 5 minutes.<div>
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Unfortunately, my IT band had started making its presence known by a couple of miles in...it hadn't gotten much worse, but it was impacting how well I could run downhill.</div>
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The hard-pack road was also making me re-evaluate my shoe choice. I had started with my Salomon Speedcross3, which I am quite fond of...but they're more of a technical/soft-dirt type of shoe...as I was getting passed by people, I noticed there were a number of cushioned type of shoes like Altras, Hoka One Ones, and some of the other more cushioned varieties.</div>
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Partway through this section was a really lovely, green, shaded area with some old abandoned buildings. Very scenic, and some truly amazing rock formations.<br /><div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>yes, as a matter of fact, most of my running selfies do have me<br />looking somewhat skeptical...that would be the part of my brain<br />asking me how much alcohol was involved in this particular decision</i></td></tr>
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<br />At the mile 15 aid station, I had another pair of shoes waiting, since I've learned from past experience it never hurts to have extra shoes. I was definitely glad to have done the early start, since had I not, I would have been out for the time cutoff at mile 15...normal cutoff time allowed 3:30, and I reached it in 3:45...but since I had done the early start, I had the extra hour time buffer.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>the famous Crown King directional rock that points the way to go</i></td></tr>
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It was starting to get a little warm, since almost the entire course is exposed and lacking in shade, so at aid station #2 (French Creek AS, 15.3 miles), I grabbed my neck cooler I had stuck in a ziploc bag and added water ahead of time (a carryover riding item), and changed into differnet shoes -- my more-cushioned New Balance Fresh Foam Trail shoes. I also topped off my handheld and hydration pack, and grabbed a couple of bean roll-up pieces.</div>
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One of my running friends was working the aid station, so it was nice to see her cheerful presence and get a bit of encouragement, since I was already starting to feel a bit mentally frayed...one of my goals had been to actually make it to the second aid station within the 3:30, so to be slower than that had me demoralized.</div>
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Hindsight, maybe I should have stayed there a little longer and recovered better, but I get into a "constant forward motion" mode and feel like I'm wasting time if I linger at an aid station. </div>
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Almost immediately, the climbing started...and so did the road traffic. The course is on the 4x4 jeep/quad road that is the back way up to Crown King. And despite notices posted, and heads-up notices that had been posted on online forums, there was still a <i>ton</i> of off-road vehicle traffic...and in a lot of spots, you have to stop or move way over for them to pass, thus losing time and forward momentum.</div>
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I get it, it's not a closed course, blah blah blah...but it's just for one day out of the other 364 in the year...not even a full weekend...couldn't people go kick up dust elsewhere???</div>
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The climb between aid stations 2 and 3, miles 15-19, was awful, with 17-19 being especially brutal. It was the kind of sustained, steep climbs that kept on going, where your heart rate keeps going up, and you can never get your breath, and you just plod forward one step at a time.</div>
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Or maybe that's just flat-lander me, who got a humbling dose of real hill education that day.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>around mile 17-18ish, looking back on where we were</i></td></tr>
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<br />Mile 19, Aid Station 3, Silver Mountain AS, was a small piece or nirvana, as they greeted me with an OtterPop and scoops of ice that I stuffed under my hat and into my sports bra. (Finally, a use for the excessive boobage...I can hold a good amount of ice in there.)<div>
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I did stay for a few minutes there, getting my hydration pack filled with ice, and dumping the last bit of Amino out of the handheld and replacing it with just ice water. Aside from the OtterPop, I nibbled some potato chunks, a pickle, a bean roll-up, and a couple of ginger cookies.</div>
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I had been told the section between AS3 and 4 (miles 19-22) weren't as bad, so I was heartened a bit by that and set out again. The creek crossings also started shortly after this point, as the road wound through/across/alongside a small creek at the bottom of a canyon, and at every water crossing, I would get my arm sleeves wet, refresh my neck cooler, and dunk my hat/wet my hair. That made a huge difference, and I felt really good all day, metabolically. I was also religiously taking my S!cap electrolyes, starting with a schedule of one an hour in the early morning, then one every 45 minutes, and then one every half an hour as it heated up.</div>
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Around mile 20ish, my good humor started fading. I was unable to run the down sections (they were there) thanks to the sore IT band...and I was out of energy/strength to do any kind of sustained running on the flatter sections aside from a shuffle for a couple hundred feet. And uphill was reduced to a hike...not even the power-hike I had hoped for.</div>
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I came into Aid Station 4 (the appropriately named Fort Misery, mile 22.3), manned by the Phoenix group of Hash House Harriers, which, based on my understanding, is best described as "a drinking group with a running problem"...and they certainly lived up to the reputation, offering me both beer and whiskey shots. </div>
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They were super-cheerful, offering me the option of dropping there ("Highly overrated, this ultra thing...you could stay here and drink with us!") I politely declined, declaring it would be a waste of good whiskey since I would probably puke it right back up again, based on how I was feeling. I did, however, take them up on their handheld pump sprayer cool-down (and apparently I had the most enthusiastic reaction of the day to that offer), grabbed some chunks of watermelon, tried to shove my crumbling psyche to the side, and trudged out of there.</div>
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I had been warned to "not look up" during this section, but you know what happens when edicts like that are issued...I looked up. And saw the road winding around, switchbacking back and forth up the side of the mountain, to what looked like a pick-up truck and some easy-up canopies at the very top. Yep, that would be aid station 5...about 5 miles and 1400' elevation away.</div>
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The next couple of miles weren't as bad...but then at about mile 25, I was faced with another big climb...and then I rounded the corner and the whole road went downhill, meaning I would effectively have to redo that entire climb, plus more. </div>
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That was it. That was my breaking point. I couldn't do it. My IT band was hurting, my feet were hurting, I had no legs or lungs left for climbing, and the clock was running down. I trudged down the decline, where it ended at a water crossing where one of the very nice radio communications volunteers was hanging out. In a funny coincidence, it was the same gentleman who had been doing the radio communications at the aid station I had volunteered at during the Black Canyon 100k in February.</div>
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He was super nice, and sat me down on a rock in the shade, topped off my handheld with some fresh cold water, and had me find something in my pack to nibble on. I really appreciated that he didn't pressure me one way or the other -- to either drop or really push me to keep going. I sat for about 10 minutes, and right about that time, the last couple of runners and a couple of the other radio communications operators that were doing course sweep caught up to us. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
I was feeling better after nibbling on a protein bar (Bonk Breaker Cookies N Cream...actually pretty good), but my IT band and knee were pretty stiff and sore after sitting, I had done the math with the kind of pace I had been keeping, coupled with the time and miles and climbing left, and concluded that I would put a ton more wear and tear on my body, and still ultimately not make the time cutoff at the summit (mile 29).</div>
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<br /></div>
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So I opted for the ride out with the sweeps...and the way out was on the same road I would have been traversing as the course, and looking at it confirmed that it definitely got way worse before it got better, and I am positive I would have run out of time.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4nBk1JF0oVbOQlErzNSP87bBQ8oFJ6VxbIjgRHotIu3lksg40YD3btM7OK7z2_coBOYFCtJbcjY0QALz6fZW1b4RcVG20G2ZYsq5Ifj5MHxL6z5aa3l0HgUjsjR-bO_YCh-FDG4DbSkiQ/s1600/IMG_3881.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4nBk1JF0oVbOQlErzNSP87bBQ8oFJ6VxbIjgRHotIu3lksg40YD3btM7OK7z2_coBOYFCtJbcjY0QALz6fZW1b4RcVG20G2ZYsq5Ifj5MHxL6z5aa3l0HgUjsjR-bO_YCh-FDG4DbSkiQ/s1600/IMG_3881.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>the road on the right is part of the course</i></td></tr>
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<br />I was at the 26.5 mile point when I pulled, so I at least made it a marathon...and that's the farthest I've ever gone. <div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It's kind of a long drive back to Phoenix from Crown King -- at least 2 hours without traffic, and the road in/out is about 25+ miles of dirt road, some of it with some switchbacks and steep dropoffs that wouldn't be much fun to drive in the dark, so some of us had made plans to stay overnight and share cabins. That was a fun way to spend the rest of the afternoon/evening, hanging out with some of my running friends, and enjoying the way-cooler temperatures (down in the 40s at night, up at 6000' elevation in the pine trees) and clean mountain air. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyd6mUrDyt2ISUM3XlROZpDH4uheQ8yQmhsg9scGH4Yq6nPXNY5YeuM7m776VgMT4L5xndjbCjPWiJJnDP2eb49MaxabpuncHIB9qMnLccBdHwmyoXFwxf4kf0F7btF_mXafyDmpWqCy5e/s1600/IMG_3883.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyd6mUrDyt2ISUM3XlROZpDH4uheQ8yQmhsg9scGH4Yq6nPXNY5YeuM7m776VgMT4L5xndjbCjPWiJJnDP2eb49MaxabpuncHIB9qMnLccBdHwmyoXFwxf4kf0F7btF_mXafyDmpWqCy5e/s1600/IMG_3883.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>pine trees!</i></td></tr>
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Afterthoughts...<br /><br /><div>
Was I disappointed? Oh, hell yes. I've tried to be a "mind over matter" person, convinced that quitting or failing at something meant I wasn't strong enough or wasn't tough enough...you just have to dig deep and push through it. But that's not me. Maybe that means I'm a wimp, or not mentally strong enough to be able to break down all barriers and blocks. Part of me feels like I let myself down...I didn't train hard enough, or let my lazy streak get the better of me on slacking off physically and figuring mental fortitude would get me through.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
It was something I wanted badly, to be able to say "I'm an ultrarunner" and maybe I just didn't set myself up for success right from the start, with picking such a challenging course, and then my unscientific,<i> laissez-faire </i>approach to training and running in general.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
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I don't know...my whole running season, with the exception of a good 26k at the San Tans in January, has not been a rousing success...which is a risk one takes when one uses races themselves as long training runs, and figures out partway through that <i>x </i>piece of gear isn't working, and so on.</div>
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<br /></div>
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So now I'm going to take some time...let the IT band (which is commonly an overuse/too-much-too-fast injury) recover and heal, and then reevaluate. I still have enough stubbornness and ego that, when I get kicked down, I tend to pop back up swinging harder...so my game plan is to shoot for another easier 50k towards the end of the year (getting too hot now to do much) do I have the mental confidence boost that I can do the distance, train more at hills, and tackle Crown King again next year,</div>
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<br /></div>
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But for right now...I'm really tired of getting kicked down. My pity party will eventually pack up and move on, but for now, I think I just need some time to lay low and maybe not attempt anything with a success/fail option for a little bit.</div>
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Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04720090581233703530noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1780912362953300892.post-58090167165548337622015-03-19T13:53:00.000-07:002015-03-19T13:53:09.042-07:00learning to tell the storySo I'm a bit behind...I owe you guys three run write-ups, a 26k from Jan, a 35k from Feb, and a half marathon from this past weekend. The 26k was awesome, was just waiting on the forensic evidence pro photos...but the 35k was not-as-good...and those are the stories I struggle to tell.<br />
<br />
I've come to the realization I have a habit of either skipping the bad stuff, or giving it a footnote mention. Mainly because I'm not sure how to talk about it. Especially when it comes to endurance and the horses.<br />
<br />
Some things don't make the blog because they fall under the header of "personal" or "can't do anything to change it so not going to complain/talk about it." And other things...I don't know. Sometimes it's due to diplomacy (especially under the topic of "Other Peoples' Horses") and politics and politeness and being raised to not air my dirty laundry to an unsuspecting public.<br />
<br />
But the badder times on my own pony? I dunno. I realized I've never gone into major detail of any of my "pull" rides with her. Maybe because I was usually in a funk afterwards and didn't feel like revisiting them...or maybe because I didn't want to be judged/criticized/scoffed at.<br />
<br />
And that's a mindset I need to change...maybe I coulda/shoulda/woulda done something different...or maybe there was nothing I could have done to change an outcome...but they're all learning experiences, for better or for worse, and ultimately deserve their time in the spotlight. Maybe I screwed up...and maybe someone will learn something from it. (Or it'll at least serve as a Reminder To Self.)<br />
<br />
I'm not out to detail every blip or detail of my day (my life isn't that exciting/interesting, for one), and some things, due to the aforementioned reasons of diplomacy/politics/politeness, are better left for private conversations, but I think I can do a better job of learning to tell the story -- the good and the bad -- and embracing the learning experience.<br />
<br />
Sometimes I wish I had been blogging back when I first started distance riding. I sort of did, in a way -- a personal journal, the sort that will <i>never </i>see the light of day -- but I would have liked to have a more detailed record of some of my earlier rides. I have photos, and I have vet cards, and generally a "best of" highlights reel that plays in my head, but it's only been in the last few years I've started doing really detailed ride stories (mostly for my benefit, because I enjoy writing them, as well as for future reference...and I know how much I enjoy reading others' ride stories).<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOuCTZiKl2sineO_SU7SSYvU_4I7mJtvx7tZjn2QwUf_bGR6mjF67jK8RtjkRklE09_A7ySbTY0h8-hFYvT5WCqkfGD_-iuBWpTlz1r9yBLa6JIV6Uma2AJgrRL1nmlhi2h6VoZxb5ThBc/s1600/1909683_533797947571_7468_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOuCTZiKl2sineO_SU7SSYvU_4I7mJtvx7tZjn2QwUf_bGR6mjF67jK8RtjkRklE09_A7ySbTY0h8-hFYvT5WCqkfGD_-iuBWpTlz1r9yBLa6JIV6Uma2AJgrRL1nmlhi2h6VoZxb5ThBc/s1600/1909683_533797947571_7468_n.jpg" height="210" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>a waaaaay before blogging moment...Mimi and I at the POA<br />World Show in Spanish Fork, UT, July 2002...our last show ring<br />hurrah, and the final events/points needed to get her Supreme<br />Championship in the POA registry.</i></td></tr>
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<br />So that's my task...I've got the stories...now I need to tell them. :)<br /><br />Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04720090581233703530noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1780912362953300892.post-23802306970946299502015-02-25T12:13:00.001-07:002015-02-26T06:57:40.172-07:00Getting Started in Distance: It Doesn't Have to Be ComplicatedOne of the big obstacles I see/hear about when it comes to people getting into distance riding is that it's overwhelming, they don't know where to start, and don't want to "mess it up." (Hey, I'm still there on that last one.)<br />
<br />
I'm going to make it simple: <i>Start with what you have</i>.<br />
<br />
Seriously.<br />
<br />
The basics you need are (and this is just my opinion, FWIW, based on my own personal experience): A fit, sane, sound horse; a saddle that fits your horse and yourself; a tack set-up that fits and offers control; a way to carry water/snacks for yourself; a way to get to/from the ride.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b>The Horse</b>: Yes, Arabians are the most popular breed in endurance. They excel at long distance in that they have been bred, physically and metabolically, for this sport. That doesn't mean other breeds <i>can't</i> do distance. The record for highest number of Tevis completions is held by a Quarter Horse. Start with what you have, as long as they are fit, sound, and sane. Some breeds may need more, or different, conditioning than an Arabian. <br /><br />I would not recommend starting out with a horse with known physical or metabolic issues; distance riding is a challenge and managing a horse with known issues puts you behind the curve and makes it that much harder.<br /><br />But you also don't know what your horse can and can't do until you ask. I <i>never </i>imagined my show pony would could ever be a safe trail horse, let alone compete in distance riding.<br /><br />She proved me wrong. Ultimately, age and prior use caught up to her and ended her distance career far earlier than either of us were ready for; but she did me proud and I have no complaints.<br /><br />So before you rush out and buy a brand-new horse for a sport you haven't done, evaluate your current herd first and see what a good base of conditioning produces. (And then go horse shopping after you're hooked on endurance...many of us operate with more than one horse. ;))</li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgLsWM3AatoVrgCBrgSgBJJvt7T5de53A882qpxStXDbtgUDhWEY_26lcEI_JHfHIXAGKPflNog1jOrjqhMKKAZQGqzftz1n1NmX7qEsGKU4ZT3LAtc1OcMjuyN9majwpf8HUXzC9jhfHP/s1600/SCAN0005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgLsWM3AatoVrgCBrgSgBJJvt7T5de53A882qpxStXDbtgUDhWEY_26lcEI_JHfHIXAGKPflNog1jOrjqhMKKAZQGqzftz1n1NmX7qEsGKU4ZT3LAtc1OcMjuyN9majwpf8HUXzC9jhfHP/s1600/SCAN0005.JPG" height="210" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>"Non-Arabians can't do distance."<br />Really???<br />Mimi may </i>look<i> like a little grey Arabian mare, but she's a POA:<br />POA on her sire's side, and full QH on her dam's side.</i></td></tr>
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<div>
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<ul>
<li><b>The Saddle</b>: If what you're riding in works, <i>start with that</i>. There's no reason to rush out and spend money on a new saddle -- again, for a sport you may or may not like -- if what you are currently using fits you and the horse and is comfortable. There's a good chance your horse's body shape may change as he gets fitted up, and you may need to saddle shop at that point, but there's no point in spending the money before you have to. Or you may discover that your saddle that is great for a couple of hours isn't so great after 25 miles, but don't assume the worst right away.<br /><br />I started distance riding in my gymkhana saddle: a cordura-and-leather Big Horn. It fit Mimi, it was comfortable enough for me, it was secure, and I could attach gear to it. After I stopped showing, I sawed the horn off the saddle so I would quit poking my ribs into it on uphills, but I ultimately used that saddle off-and-on all through my distance career with Mimi, and I still have it as a young horse/back-up saddle. It's not the most comfortable for me -- very wide twist -- but it works in a pinch.<br /><br />I will confess that I have been through a number of saddles: Mimi kept outgrowing them, as the fitter she got, the more her back shape changed. (In between saddles, I kept going back to that Big Horn.)<br /><br />If you do end up saddle shopping, network around -- if someone near you has a style you're curious about, ask to sit in it or try it out. (I've been able to try more saddles that way and figure out if I like them or not.) There is also an extensive used tack network that exists in the endurance world, since we've all been or are in the process of being in the saddle shopping boat.<br /><br />But if you've been logging saddle time and conditioning miles in your current set-up and it's working, stick with that, at least through your first couple of rides.</li>
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<ul>
<li><b>Other Tack</b>: See above -- <i>start with what's been working</i>. The bright colors and matching tack is <i>so </i>tempting...and also not cheap. We all want to look good, especially when showing up to something new...but my advice would be to give it a few rides before splurging at the distance supply stores. All you really need is a halter/lead to tie with, a bridle that offers solid communication and control, and if you're going to be doing hills and have a saddle that potentially slips back, a breastcollar (of a crupper if it slips forward).<br /><br />I came out of the show ring, so most of my tack was leather, and some of it even silver-encrusted. Leather, although it smells wonderful and feels even better, generally doesn't do well in the salt-and-water-heavy endurance environment. In other words, you're going to spend as much time cleaning your tack as riding, if you don't want it to wear prematurely and weaken. I did have my day-to-day nylon training gear, and that's what I started with for conditioning gear.<br /><br />I will say that if you're coming out of a very different background (show ring, just for example), you may not have some of the necessary gear: like I didn't have a breastcollar, and Mimi's size difference meant the spare one my dad had for his horse <i>really </i>didn't fit...so I did have to buy that.<br /><br />But if you're going to have to buy something, search that used tack network. It helps if you're flexible on color, or start with a basic black. I know how much fun it is to try to decide what color is going to look the best on your horse -- believe me, I <i>still</i> like doing that -- but I would recommend holding off on spending money until you decide this really is the sport for yourself and your horse.<br /><br />(Some experienced people I know have their new horses "earn" their new tack/own color after a certain number of miles, once they know the horse will like and succeed at the sport.</li>
</ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii_LtazFIPWYJFcOP5gv1MDVA2ZldakujmbiV2-t-v_Jgjch6SVimQTwf0GQgZZdPO31OMAdbQQ1Tm-sMV-DBZp8cTHXy33UIHn4KJ9eR85nufB4exn-x6KKeWn7uEJ3n4Re3DfCFuQSTD/s1600/4198_720013001111_1430085_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii_LtazFIPWYJFcOP5gv1MDVA2ZldakujmbiV2-t-v_Jgjch6SVimQTwf0GQgZZdPO31OMAdbQQ1Tm-sMV-DBZp8cTHXy33UIHn4KJ9eR85nufB4exn-x6KKeWn7uEJ3n4Re3DfCFuQSTD/s1600/4198_720013001111_1430085_n.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>My first NATRC ride ever: borrowed an experienced trail horse <br />that came with his own gear; I just added newbie distance rider, <br />overkill saddle bags, and my own reins. The breeches, helmet, and <br />paddock boots were what I used for schooling.</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiaf-WBW1OHgf6EabFC6_-7wDUgp8DqEHsSSDG2-uf55W4QcS1-A9OzYTGWve4VDH0oRvS8XxnSSBBNcbSpdnzGNdPqSYW_l0OkY29bEKJX3005k3U0reJqFROzYViJ64b0KX8m-Hb_2Wv/s1600/ride+photos+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiaf-WBW1OHgf6EabFC6_-7wDUgp8DqEHsSSDG2-uf55W4QcS1-A9OzYTGWve4VDH0oRvS8XxnSSBBNcbSpdnzGNdPqSYW_l0OkY29bEKJX3005k3U0reJqFROzYViJ64b0KX8m-Hb_2Wv/s1600/ride+photos+001.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>By the time Mimi and i did our first ride, we were fairly well<br />put-together, but mostly through necessity of figuring out during<br />training rides that "What I Had Didn't Work."<br />I still have those basic black pieces of tack for future new horses<br />who have to "earn" their colors.</i></td></tr>
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<ul>
<li><b>Water/Snack/Gear Carrier</b>: For anything over 20 miles, you'll probably want some way to carry water and snacks for yourself, as well as a small on-trail kit (small first aid kit, bandanna, vet wrap, cactus comb if you're in the desert, carrots). This could be in the form of carrying it on your person, such as a Camelbak, or some kind of saddle packs. Endurance-specific saddle packs are designed to be bounce-free and low-profile, but some snaps and baling twine can secure standard saddle bags down in a pinch (I didn't know any better, so that's what I used on my first distance ride).</li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li><b>Transportation</b>: Most rides tend to be a distance from where people live, so driving there is a necessity. If you have your own vehicle/trailer, you're all set. Work with your horse so that they tie comfortably to the side of the trailer, have a bucket for water and some sort of hay delivery/containment method, and you'll be set. Once you decide this <i>is </i>the sport for you and your horse, you can explore other equine-containment systems such as high ties or portable corrals. (I hard-tied Mimi off to the side of the trailer for a number of years with no problems, and some experienced endurance people still prefer this method as one of the safest and most secure methods; since they have less space to move, you just may need to hand-walk them a bit more often.<br /><br />If you are truck-or-trailer-less, there is still a way. Back to that good old networking thing: see if someone around you may be willing to trailer-pool to the ride. If you find someone willing to share their ride with you, it's nice to: offer to split travel expenses, have a horse who is a well-mannered traveler (why I actually <i>don't </i>like trailer-pooling in other people's rigs: Mimi kicks, and has scuffed or torn up a number of rubber wall mats), be ready in a timely fashion, and be organized and have all of your stuff condensed together as much as possible.<br /><br />Because my dad and I did all of our rides together, we were our own "trailer-pooling" entity, but I've also done some rig-sharing when riding other people's horses, and it can be a lot of fun. Good company makes a (sometimes long, boring) drive go by a lot faster (and it's nice to have a free set of hands to raid the cooler, and open bags and water bottles), and two sets of hands make camp set-up go smoother and faster as well.<br /><br />You also don't need a fancy living quarters trailer to do this sport: for years, we successfully used a 2-horse slant-load trailer, and a combination of the dressing room, back of the trailer, or back of the SUV for sleeping arrangements. Yes, living quarters are a nice luxury -- but there are a lot of people who still pitch a tent. You will see all sort of set-ups at a ridecamp; everyone figures out what works for them, their budget, and their camp needs.</li>
</ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcZWgSyx_TGxIrFnopMTehxomkHsR1MBlNZZwPmw6Ur37NPNzOc_aZpoUbNR6K2EC2gcD-_tdx1CC_qzAFv_FII8WsGq9eFnUEc03ygc88L951Av5WtDxJvsKwrUFm2ekPY2J6FVrbvBwC/s1600/76_533798092281_10044027_34858312_5851_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcZWgSyx_TGxIrFnopMTehxomkHsR1MBlNZZwPmw6Ur37NPNzOc_aZpoUbNR6K2EC2gcD-_tdx1CC_qzAFv_FII8WsGq9eFnUEc03ygc88L951Av5WtDxJvsKwrUFm2ekPY2J6FVrbvBwC/s1600/76_533798092281_10044027_34858312_5851_n.jpg" height="215" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Before I eventually got a Hi-Tie, Mimi successfully hard-tied to<br />the trailer for years; and that was all Dad's two horses ever did.</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>"Roughing it", endurance-style: I slept in the front dressing room<br />of the trailer; Dad set up a cot in the back. Coolers/food table<br />was also set up in the back, and tack was spread between the rear<br />tack compartment and the front dressing room.</i></td></tr>
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The biggest "takeaway" advice I have to give is that really, there is very little out there that is a "right" way or "wrong" way if the end result is a fit, sane, sound, comfortable endurance horse, and a comfortable rider. It's the ultimate in "just because everybody else (or what seems to be like everybody else) does it, doesn't mean you have to." Sometimes there is a reason for the popularity of something (like the sturdiness and ease of cleanup of biothane tack), but it never hurts to ask <i>why</i> and the reasoning behind a particular action.</div>
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I <i>certainly </i>don't have all the answers, of even half of them...just my own personal experience to draw on and relate to others. I've made mistakes, and I've done things right...pretty much like the most of us who dip our toes into the distance riding pool and decide to swim. :)</div>
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(PS: If anyone has an endurance questions they want to ask me, I am always open to email inquiries -- see the 'Contact' sidebar towards the top of the page.)</div>
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Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04720090581233703530noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1780912362953300892.post-85768697788934300632015-02-24T10:55:00.001-07:002015-02-24T10:55:15.384-07:00cross-trainingComing out of the show world, I'm a huge proponent of cross-training for the endurance horse. It's not just about getting them fit and going down the trail: I expect my horses to be responsive to seat, leg, and rein aids, to give to the bit, the use their hind end to provide impulsion, to carry themselves comfortably, and be solid and comfortable at a walk/trot/canter.<br />
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It probably helps that I actually <i>like</i> doing schooling and arena work. There is something predictable and immediate about it...a mix of instant gratification (well, sometimes...) and long-term results. I'm not talking about just drilling endless circles around the ring...that's boring. I'm talking about mixing it up, incorporating things like trot poles, cones, barrels, and other brain exercises into schooling routines that help create a more supple, responsive, endurance horse.<br />
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I've been fortunate enough that all of the barns I have boarded at have been performance oriented, so I have always had access to things like cavaletti poles, jumps, cones, barrels...and arena space. Some places have had larger arenas than others...currently, I have access to about a 180'x75' sand arena, which is plenty of space to do w/t/c drills, as well as all sorts of trot pole patterns or weave cones.<br />
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Basically, the faster you want to school, the more space you need...but basic trot poles can be done at a walk in a pretty small space...and if you're just starting out, most of what you're going to do is at a walk or trot anyway.<br />
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I've pulled a lot of inspiration and schooling exercises from patterns learned during my time in the show ring. Reining and gymkhana patterns, or modified versions of parts of them, are great bending and suppling exercises.<br />
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Traffic cones and trot poles are usually the easiest things to come by, and take the least amount of room to store, so that's what I've used as my illustrations. For trot poles, I like finding the heaviest wood ones that are still manageable -- they're less likely to bounce and roll if the horse hits them, and I've had enough occasions where a solid whack of the hoof on the pole was enough to get them to start lifting their hooves. PVC gets brittle here in the sun -- one tap of the hoof and it will shatter -- plus, they're lightweight and roll at the slightest tap, so you'll be constantly resetting poles.<br />
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It's really nice to have a helper on the ground when it comes to setting poles, but after a time or two, you'll learn what the best spacing is for poles and what your horse's stride length is most comfortable at. I don't get too worked up over having things perfectly spaced and aligned, either...because I'm also trying to teach them to pay attention to the ground and their feet, and adjust their stride accordingly, which may mean imperfectly spaced poles/uneven ground surface.<br />
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Just some (bad) illustrations of some of my favorites: (Disclaimer: My horse-schooling skills are better than my Paint drawing skills.)<br />
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<b>Flat Poles</b></div>
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The basic flat trot poles: Great for working on straightness, paying attention to their feet, and using their hind end for impulsion. The spacing given for each gait is a rough guideline and place to start: you may have to fine-tune the spacing for your individual horse's stride.</div>
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<b>The Circle:</b></div>
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This one is fun. Great for working a circle, and on bending and impulsion at the same time. The faster you go, the larger you'll want to make the circle/space the poles. Definitely a challenging one...start slow and work up.</div>
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<b>Staggered Poles</b></div>
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Similar to the straight poles, but really gets them lifting their feet and driving forward. Having jump standards or pole blocks of some sort really work the best here to lift the end of the pole. In a pinch, I've scraped sand into a pile on one end, or have used concrete blocks (just be aware that if you stick the pole in the inside of the block, it won't go anywhere should the horse hit it and they could trip/catch themselves).</div>
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<b>The Box</b></div>
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<i>Endless</i> possibilities! You can do loops around and cross through the box, stop inside of it, work on turns inside, use it as a transition point (walk in/trot out, trot in/canter out, and the inverse -- which is harder to go fast and then slow down). One of the best all-around exercises and leaves a lot of room for creativity.</div>
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<b>The Fan</b></div>
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Like a combo of flat poles and the circle...works them on foot awareness and lifting their backs. Would only recommend at the walk/trot...spacing on these is <i>really</i> tricky at the canter and requires a lot of room.</div>
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<b>The L</b></div>
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Stolen from the dreaded trail course back-through obstacle, if spaced wide enough, can be walked or even trotted through, or use the poles as trot poles and make loops and circles around/over the poles.</div>
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<b>Figure 8 Cones</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvXsvntbI8njKvx4RpHMwQh1bjz6hX_eHHuyMPYiH4suRcNtFAbnv4qWrSBQL9Vidv69aZpLK5qSMkDT6t-dDx3RZFsnm2xytXrimKHJ_1YI4BYeZd5VdRwX8hcZ8-j3u1cQ0VDKy2I8E4/s1600/cone+figure+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvXsvntbI8njKvx4RpHMwQh1bjz6hX_eHHuyMPYiH4suRcNtFAbnv4qWrSBQL9Vidv69aZpLK5qSMkDT6t-dDx3RZFsnm2xytXrimKHJ_1YI4BYeZd5VdRwX8hcZ8-j3u1cQ0VDKy2I8E4/s1600/cone+figure+8.jpg" height="320" width="304" /></a></div>
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The cones aren't really necessary to do circles and shapes schooling, but sometimes it helps give a good visual aid, especially on keeping circles even and consistent.</div>
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<b>Circle/Spiral Cone</b><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg74a7hR70do0mndUjWYPi_GhAHZwOV0S_5V2iIKphiOFcC9JmGIE7qiOIWgPBGruW5wC-Ulk-EWkSliCNkCdz0JvmrIrsxx0Cm4AgK2EgCuXaIGrGDSeUVz-0vVW6LNJ_DSxVeF-cL4ACP/s1600/cone+spiral.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg74a7hR70do0mndUjWYPi_GhAHZwOV0S_5V2iIKphiOFcC9JmGIE7qiOIWgPBGruW5wC-Ulk-EWkSliCNkCdz0JvmrIrsxx0Cm4AgK2EgCuXaIGrGDSeUVz-0vVW6LNJ_DSxVeF-cL4ACP/s1600/cone+spiral.jpg" height="320" width="304" /></a></div>
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The basic exercise is just a circle around the cone -- work on consistent size and even distance from the cone. Great for flexibility, bending, working off leg, and even pacing. To make it more challenging, start at the cone and gradually spiral out, then spiral back in.</div>
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<b>Weave Cones</b></div>
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Two exercises, one drawing. The light purple path shows an exercise that will work on more exaggerated bending and straightening, while the light green path would be more working off leg and efficiently moving through the cones. Goal on that is to get close to the cones and move off of leg, versus over-steering with the reins. (May save your knee from slamming into a tree trunk.)</div>
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Not illustrated is the rail exercises (which do need more of an area/larger space: the beauty of a lot of suppling/pole work is unless you're working at speed, it can be done in a smaller space): a common one I've encountered is to speed the horse up on the long side of the area, then ask them to slow on the short side. This is supposed to help with the speed up/slow down requests on trail...Mimi, in typically Mimi fashion, likes the speed up part...but not so much the slow down part.</div>
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I also do a lot of circles off the rail, direction changes, leg yield off the rail and back on, ride deep into corners to work on bending, lots of transitions and gait changes...basically, try to keep things interesting and make an arena schooling session count towards "putting something in the bank" that will be beneficial on the trail.</div>
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If you have questions/need clarification, let me know...and if you have your favorite arena exercises, please share!!</div>
Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04720090581233703530noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1780912362953300892.post-35081543526353081642015-02-19T15:17:00.001-07:002015-02-19T15:17:15.843-07:00Pronouncing Arizona: A How-To Guide<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>This is meant to be a tongue-in-cheek post stemming from good-natured humor and the observations of a native Arizonan. I promise not to name names or point fingers...this is all in good fun. ;) </i><br />
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A Public Service Announcement: "You're saying it wrong."<br />
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A source of almost-constant amusement for me is the pronunciations and inevitable mispronunciations of the names of places and things around the state of Arizona. You can almost always tell if someone is from out of state by how they pronounce certain names. Many names around the state can be attributed to either the Spanish language influence ('double-l' makes a 'y'/'ee' sound, for example) or Native American names and language.<br />
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Here's just a few of my favorites...<br />
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Spelled "Prescott," it's actually pronounced "Pres-kit." It was Arizona's original territorial capital, and is still a very fun city that has retained a ton of its Old West charm and character. Off the top of my head, this is probably one of the most mis-pronounced cities in AZ. (Although Tempe, just two cities over from me, is a close second. It's "Tem-pee" with a long 'e', not "Tempeh" or "Temp-ay".<br />
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Behind the pony is just one part of the Sierra Estrella range. That's "Es-tray-yuh." Not "Es-trail-la" or "Aus-trail-a." I have also heard "Es-tray-lee-ya". (They're a truly rugged, magnificent range and I cant seem to find a good overview shot of them within easy access in my photos. I've done a number of rides out here -- phenomenal trails.)</div>
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This is just one of many varieties of cholla cactus. "Choy-yuh." Have most commonly heard "chawl-la" but also it is also frequently associated with the phrase "Ouch, dammit, get it off, it's stuck to me!"<br />
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And this is an ocotillo, often crowned with bright red blossoms on the ends. When it's green, it looks sort of soft and fluffy from a distance, but like all things in the desert...it is sharp and pointy. "Ock-oh-tee-yo"...I think the worst I've heard on this one is "ock-oh-till-oh."<br />
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The big, tall cactus with the arms is a saguaro, unique to the Sonoran desert. "Saw-whar-ro", not "sag-you-are-ro" or "sa-garrow." That's 'The Bulldogs' behind it, part of the Goldfield Mtns...stare at it long enough and it's supposed to look like a bulldog's head. I'm bad at seeing-eye type of things, so I've yet to really see it.<br />
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The Mogollon Rim is one I'll give to people, because it's not pronounced anywhere <i>near</i> how it's spelled; at least, not really. It's "Mug-ee-on." This is a doozy: I've gotten "Mug-a-lon", "Mongolian", and many "not even gonna try it" attempts. Insider tip: Most of us just call it "The Rim." There's only one place like it, so if you refer to "the Rim" we will know you're talking about the large plateau above Payson. Also considered the "gateway to saner temperatures in the summer."<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLrYxI5vUAQm_rE3qcJmJS4gmj8JEVXH8Ef3bdhgXdFvO3Xlq-OdkkAn2guBQWbkMA9jOfvX0-w-86J0kFeOowY5gwBgY29aEi2IqINFbAsRaP3HRWTT6B_zU5YqQZqg-1wB6rLz28gPOT/s1600/payson+9-16+019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLrYxI5vUAQm_rE3qcJmJS4gmj8JEVXH8Ef3bdhgXdFvO3Xlq-OdkkAn2guBQWbkMA9jOfvX0-w-86J0kFeOowY5gwBgY29aEi2IqINFbAsRaP3HRWTT6B_zU5YqQZqg-1wB6rLz28gPOT/s1600/payson+9-16+019.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>riding below The Rim, which is the flat mountain plateau above;<br />there are trails that you can ride/hike that take you up to the top</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>western edge of The Rim</i></td></tr>
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Some other things I can think of off the top of my head are the bougainvillea plant ("bow-gan-vee-ya"), Aravaipa (wilderness canyon located southwest of the Valley whose name inspired the name of the group I run with: "air-uh-vie-pa"), Mazatzal Mountains (which is a funny one: technically, it's "mah-zat-zal" but locally, in ends up being shortened to "mat-a-zal"), and Galiuro (which should be "gal-oor-o" and I jsut learned <i>I've</i> been saying it wrong, as I've always refered to is as "gal-uh-roo-uh").<br />
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I'm sure there's a ton more I'm missing...we are a state of interesting names...but this concludes Lesson One in our primer of "How To Talk Arizona". ;)<br />
<br />Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04720090581233703530noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1780912362953300892.post-85324377329685095572015-02-17T15:51:00.000-07:002015-02-17T15:51:41.474-07:00forget-me-notAs anyone who has spent any time around me knows, I am a compulsive list-maker. Especially for things like rides, runs, or anything that involves me remembering stuff that is out of the ordinary. I have checklists, broken down into applicable categories ("tack", camping gear", "rider clothes", etc), that I print out before every ride. I live with post-it notes stuck everywhere: reminders of what to buy, when to expect packages to arrive, how to organize items.<br />
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(Currently, I am staring at a list for an upcoming trail race that will involve putting together 4 different drop bags for a point-to-point course.)<br />
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I wasn't always this way.<br />
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I had to learn the hard way about the value of having a hard copy list, not just skimming through the mental checklist.<br />
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My most epic fail moment (to date) of forgetfulness was back in my show days. I had traveled out to California with my trainer for a weekend-long show...and when I went to tack up for the western classes, discovered that I had my felt liner pad, but not the decorative wool blanket for on top.<br />
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Not <i>quite</i> the end of the world...but in a fairly competitive environment, where details matter -- <i>this mattered</i>.<br />
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While I was busy having a meltdown, my parents (who had traveled out to the show to surprise me), did some fast networking and procured a spare pad (color-neutral enough to work with my turquoise outfit) from another rider's parents.<br />
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Turns out that rider was Kaity Elliott. At that point, we knew each other in that vague "I know that girl and her very spotty (Kaity)/very white (me) pony" way. But the "saddle pad incident" made us more than just vague acquaintances and competitors. We started talking to each other. And hanging out together at shows. And the rest, if you've been following this blog for any amount of time, is history, of our shared adventures in distance riding, horse borrowing, crewing, and other shenanigans. A lifelong friendship, all formed over a forgotten saddle pad.<br />
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The only other (I'm jinxing myself here...) thing I can remember for an event was the Sage Hill NATRC ride in 2002, in which I discovered halfway through the drive out that I forgot my half chaps and water reservoir for my hydration pack. Neither were deal-breakers, although I was convinced that since I was riding English, the stirrup leathers were going to pinch and rub my legs raw (they didn't), and that if I didn't have water on my person, I was going to die of dehydration (and since I'm sitting here writing this today, I obviously didn't). It was a 20-mile ride in the Santa Ynez mountains in November...I'm pretty sure I still even had water in my water bottles on the saddle by the end of the ride.<br />
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Of course, just last month I went down to the barn with the intention of riding...only to discover I had left my girth at home. Not the first time that's happened, which is one of the hazards of using your garage as your tack room and driving everything between your house and your horse. Sometimes it results in an impromptu bareback ride, sometimes in a pony lunging session, and sometimes in a "screw it, have a cookie and go back out to the pasture" approach.<br />
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The main thing that has contributed to me forgetting stuff? Doing something out of the ordinary and not putting it back in place. In the case of the water bladder, I had pulled it out to clean it and left it out to dry. I remembered my hydration pack...just forgot to retrieve the bladder. Same deal, same time with the half chaps: had washed them, hung them to dry, and assumed they made it back into the bag with all of my rider gear (helmet, half chaps, GPS, etc).<br />
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These days, I've gotten pretty good about keeping things organized and "in their place" and have a routine of where to grab what...but ultimately, it's my checklists that keep me in line and organized. And I make sure that before I have something checked off the list, I have physically put my hands on it, can account for it, and know that it is packed where it needs to be.<br />
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(Working on putting my checklists into a printable .pdf file if anyone is interested...I may start compiling informational things such as my packing lists into a separate information page on here if there is enough interest.)Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04720090581233703530noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1780912362953300892.post-92096724776592492842015-01-31T09:54:00.000-07:002015-01-31T09:54:10.538-07:00Then and Now<div style="text-align: center;">
From this: </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpcMMlFcKps2P-B6c0MS7-DpRCOGtmYgGE36VH9zAdb7xhoyd_9dSiPmrbcXEYfkqrBalz2-GuuBb9sDSqn1yOAxBq7572suw_TN7BvO40ot64s84L3lUXN8xURUj26JeRg7cKnBOiHVT6/s1600/4198_720013001111_1430085_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpcMMlFcKps2P-B6c0MS7-DpRCOGtmYgGE36VH9zAdb7xhoyd_9dSiPmrbcXEYfkqrBalz2-GuuBb9sDSqn1yOAxBq7572suw_TN7BvO40ot64s84L3lUXN8xURUj26JeRg7cKnBOiHVT6/s1600/4198_720013001111_1430085_n.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>March 2001<br />Estrella Mtn NATRC<br />photo by Cristy Cumberworth</i></td></tr>
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To this:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRJCgNNqHyinAmyEHnw0bGwNjH18zCOb8DQM9AYB2A7G1_EgpuywyK-YOCWLSRg6YrnQbrrfmiqbMoZIsGjmJBLzpes2tTjiitVHORxORwbsnkvdWakNg3YNsnDIlyI-9qpidAdl-6PwG8/s1600/2014-Bumble+Bee-0378-3011867522-W.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRJCgNNqHyinAmyEHnw0bGwNjH18zCOb8DQM9AYB2A7G1_EgpuywyK-YOCWLSRg6YrnQbrrfmiqbMoZIsGjmJBLzpes2tTjiitVHORxORwbsnkvdWakNg3YNsnDIlyI-9qpidAdl-6PwG8/s1600/2014-Bumble+Bee-0378-3011867522-W.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>January 2014<br />Bumble Bee 25<br />photo by Susan Kordish</i></td></tr>
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Coming up on 14 years of a lot of blood, sweat, tears, miles, and above all, learning. May my capacity to learn never cease, and the wisdom provided by horses keep coming.</div>
Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04720090581233703530noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1780912362953300892.post-62166035288294291292015-01-24T15:58:00.000-07:002015-01-24T16:01:34.236-07:00TOA Blog Hop: Worth 1k Words<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8hF-td0S5lPSi3MTQ5em7pIDQMhJ8uoeDkBzilQr0qQTu88ibcYijW2HLmfgaezEbgyHP6PFhv94irBCy0XYwvSP34YPiGsMP06TFpX4_CeA5-b6tT3lVEwTXHwqPTXZyI6aaFcCFTPOm/s1600/TOABH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8hF-td0S5lPSi3MTQ5em7pIDQMhJ8uoeDkBzilQr0qQTu88ibcYijW2HLmfgaezEbgyHP6PFhv94irBCy0XYwvSP34YPiGsMP06TFpX4_CeA5-b6tT3lVEwTXHwqPTXZyI6aaFcCFTPOm/s1600/TOABH.jpg" height="320" width="306" /></a></div>
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<b>Worth 1k Words.</b></div>
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<b>Let's share our favorite photos of our stud muffins. No limit.</b></div>
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Oooohhh, boy...you asked for it...an excuse to plaster all of my fave photos in one place. Some will have been seen before, others may be new. Obviously, the pony garners the most of these...but with 18+ years of photo-taking together, we've gotten some keepers. (This doesn't even count all of our show-ring days, all of which are hard copies that haven't been scanned yet.)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUK7GS6TnYHCzRwLD3RZz4J2vCu9vSdlg3VqzTNpH2ZIYsGv4s_D_P_EFCGW0e5ToQWJZWxirtB3E__FgBht89RlmhOlU0J5vPmvBwPn-LLgsHeyrAZzEVZPr_iT_JcfcxwU68y22HA3Rm/s1600/4198_720013065981_1529669_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUK7GS6TnYHCzRwLD3RZz4J2vCu9vSdlg3VqzTNpH2ZIYsGv4s_D_P_EFCGW0e5ToQWJZWxirtB3E__FgBht89RlmhOlU0J5vPmvBwPn-LLgsHeyrAZzEVZPr_iT_JcfcxwU68y22HA3Rm/s1600/4198_720013065981_1529669_n.jpg" height="214" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>first LD, Man Against Horse 25 2006</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>second LD, in which she is still pulling on me into the first check</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>bittersweet...our last competition (and the<br />one that decided her retirement)<br />photo by Laura Bovee</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>my favorite ride photo ever, Valley of the Sun 2009</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPXt49HYniElW5KU-Jzj8oBBoxcftZ9LeaiY6MOfIng6da6RLWjic-hfd6eGV-G7vF9nvlRiQNNRR3Y0aQ0Gvz5zTJ3ngo1g3KAjSVeD-LI_Eu3KCjjqT3nX9PX-IqN5Hpy9aMQ37uFLw1/s1600/11_533797952561_10044027_30591012_7752_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPXt49HYniElW5KU-Jzj8oBBoxcftZ9LeaiY6MOfIng6da6RLWjic-hfd6eGV-G7vF9nvlRiQNNRR3Y0aQ0Gvz5zTJ3ngo1g3KAjSVeD-LI_Eu3KCjjqT3nX9PX-IqN5Hpy9aMQ37uFLw1/s1600/11_533797952561_10044027_30591012_7752_n.jpg" height="227" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>ignore my position...she has much better jumping form than I do</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVeOsxrZAfutUQVRh4Vv8n6it-9Er99Q5IuBCtrPXI5KoQH_DbNYDYJm85WZNxZAbvs1aaJt2T3zhvT6U6NGnjkU9mklI_ZIucYVBu4b3Tboq9pIpYZY5M6_b50dtPFy_Ax1PEglBXHok1/s1600/4198_720013060991_10044027_45214020_2272262_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVeOsxrZAfutUQVRh4Vv8n6it-9Er99Q5IuBCtrPXI5KoQH_DbNYDYJm85WZNxZAbvs1aaJt2T3zhvT6U6NGnjkU9mklI_ZIucYVBu4b3Tboq9pIpYZY5M6_b50dtPFy_Ax1PEglBXHok1/s1600/4198_720013060991_10044027_45214020_2272262_n.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>such a stinker...this is why we didn't use<br />snaffle bits at rides</i><i style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">photo by Jane Grey Photography</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ACuY3yw3YSAEWaM0t8mW2WIqLHrS61keTQbd7CiZxK97HM5m7tg6k5mWapm7RL-g5KH8o68wy72WzxfLgUcxSKFAUDjQ4tXkr-C0zRHy7hU1oCwKkr7B067EWQ_oTjKPnz8mQ6tFuO0y/s1600/ride+photos+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ACuY3yw3YSAEWaM0t8mW2WIqLHrS61keTQbd7CiZxK97HM5m7tg6k5mWapm7RL-g5KH8o68wy72WzxfLgUcxSKFAUDjQ4tXkr-C0zRHy7hU1oCwKkr7B067EWQ_oTjKPnz8mQ6tFuO0y/s1600/ride+photos+001.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>first distance ride, First of Spring NATRC 2002<br />photo by Jane Grey Photography</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlWa8qdXHaE4t3b0z0uCzgRS_ozrhew04WbBe09qaGj9kzq5d3ShSPMCXwskKU51vPjJw1QNWbBzgKYa9_I0LXUZO9UsLC2xYpfyDfJpT78BDlmLVB7o5IQaxKu1k2jIhyphenhyphenIpXdhZnF4plP/s1600/BluePoint-BulldogCanyon051609019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlWa8qdXHaE4t3b0z0uCzgRS_ozrhew04WbBe09qaGj9kzq5d3ShSPMCXwskKU51vPjJw1QNWbBzgKYa9_I0LXUZO9UsLC2xYpfyDfJpT78BDlmLVB7o5IQaxKu1k2jIhyphenhyphenIpXdhZnF4plP/s1600/BluePoint-BulldogCanyon051609019.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>playing in the Salt River</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnKX5TGOjU1eNE59TZv34h06E-TUzKCRWoHvrm9NVG6SJDViAPP6vKUk_8C2pspTJFbecgNtLm4nIt8YHO7muBpsfr-LoWF3-Y4ApauqWN8gjB2iKhGfzcFv4tEjqA9X6YUv3X-IzhUg78/s1600/IMG_1878.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnKX5TGOjU1eNE59TZv34h06E-TUzKCRWoHvrm9NVG6SJDViAPP6vKUk_8C2pspTJFbecgNtLm4nIt8YHO7muBpsfr-LoWF3-Y4ApauqWN8gjB2iKhGfzcFv4tEjqA9X6YUv3X-IzhUg78/s1600/IMG_1878.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>playing in the wash at Catalina</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf57lXIoKjGPj9F399NyNV8JC-Ox7mVntpdmz4bn17blMEIerM6cIwc9OG3EjSctsIjgrQUXOYHgweaGlP4CV00HILUwRlhoEK_by0VVKsY26xfFWE3V0fQbwFBAr6yRcEcOuhSmD1c0Me/s1600/De144.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf57lXIoKjGPj9F399NyNV8JC-Ox7mVntpdmz4bn17blMEIerM6cIwc9OG3EjSctsIjgrQUXOYHgweaGlP4CV00HILUwRlhoEK_by0VVKsY26xfFWE3V0fQbwFBAr6yRcEcOuhSmD1c0Me/s1600/De144.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>one of my favorite ear-cam shots...playing in the pines in Flagstaff</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmrp_YdC12adwiqMWkgzMmqZT_2-KODF69epFB1rxHil3qfnmRl67VRsqhBoA3WiOYc0Fi0s1nQFCHQrXEVxWBVsrIGhVBDZ9e34S8Y53baHuOEZUm5l-5OjBS7VRhAi74LHKXBvEa-JIT/s1600/537502_10101516518067531_10044027_65757436_490385898_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmrp_YdC12adwiqMWkgzMmqZT_2-KODF69epFB1rxHil3qfnmRl67VRsqhBoA3WiOYc0Fi0s1nQFCHQrXEVxWBVsrIGhVBDZ9e34S8Y53baHuOEZUm5l-5OjBS7VRhAi74LHKXBvEa-JIT/s1600/537502_10101516518067531_10044027_65757436_490385898_n.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Man Against Horse 50 2009 -- best ride accomplishment ever</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0K-PXuVJXuDCal21xCs_TOKTe3NLU2hGZ5bdL6rpPTn55oT2sB5w0giQmzkPP9hCTaiA8tbzItw5-0JnFARQS1KSJHfDLjwm8bc433eiL_aGn52RYw4TVlyrwfbPqEpzb0egEvyGySI3O/s1600/mvh%20(51)%2B(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0K-PXuVJXuDCal21xCs_TOKTe3NLU2hGZ5bdL6rpPTn55oT2sB5w0giQmzkPP9hCTaiA8tbzItw5-0JnFARQS1KSJHfDLjwm8bc433eiL_aGn52RYw4TVlyrwfbPqEpzb0egEvyGySI3O/s1600/mvh%20(51)+(2).jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>war mare face</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOYoxlckp3kMLJBGX3QmKjkshysyeB3lUGIz2d4Htb5zi8fCNM9EswZl8Nva_bfiilFqW57m0aoVJ1gvHrDfbA6fo5uSS_7wEMvEMO0_zzb87PyGYXpFEQo66Q5wYLhyphenhyphenFq1imWhIYZuXdD/s1600/76_533798082301_10044027_34858310_5367_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOYoxlckp3kMLJBGX3QmKjkshysyeB3lUGIz2d4Htb5zi8fCNM9EswZl8Nva_bfiilFqW57m0aoVJ1gvHrDfbA6fo5uSS_7wEMvEMO0_zzb87PyGYXpFEQo66Q5wYLhyphenhyphenFq1imWhIYZuXdD/s1600/76_533798082301_10044027_34858310_5367_n.jpg" height="320" width="215" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Las Cienegas LD -- I love the going away shot</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimXJ3mBw1qBTst6itE06KbKKKERPIJVwl0MAlCGshWOaRwtQvBf4o9UmdMLrGYKta-kh0sceajF7Ucxc1cISXxBVmaf26b-hmVslYX52Fy20IXxgWOYRcUlmYSMwQZL6sskb4VkqTRLq_T/s1600/76_533798092281_10044027_34858312_5851_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimXJ3mBw1qBTst6itE06KbKKKERPIJVwl0MAlCGshWOaRwtQvBf4o9UmdMLrGYKta-kh0sceajF7Ucxc1cISXxBVmaf26b-hmVslYX52Fy20IXxgWOYRcUlmYSMwQZL6sskb4VkqTRLq_T/s1600/76_533798092281_10044027_34858312_5851_n.jpg" height="215" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>she's not big on cuddles usually, so I love that her ears are up<br />and she's actually happy about it</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAL3kgpAa6UIjG8uqRhBBbygf6dH0nrM8EdpkE6PN8r4orN4zR6Fu-aM582Yefwg2dgieMCM7pJMFK8EygSe5Cr84f-lfWePHo0YY9LHSqKReFr_fcuwZ_XcOQRIRi1FhabY5aqlDtMpIq/s1600/76_533798087291_10044027_34858311_5614_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAL3kgpAa6UIjG8uqRhBBbygf6dH0nrM8EdpkE6PN8r4orN4zR6Fu-aM582Yefwg2dgieMCM7pJMFK8EygSe5Cr84f-lfWePHo0YY9LHSqKReFr_fcuwZ_XcOQRIRi1FhabY5aqlDtMpIq/s1600/76_533798087291_10044027_34858311_5614_n.jpg" height="215" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>first back-to-back LD, day two...thrilled with how perky she was!</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDoWFSXNB4c5x7WjaTCAeD3Dq6VkqreId96KxVqjzbMA3rsGFc6IRLkV5mgto0azzMTWthzKwYckq9Qdoj7AesB_nkpDhH_SfaPt5PVOob1JrFnOB4YNt7JcL1P_Xp93kmGHZFNnWWSn7b/s1600/Usery+Mtn+6-11+013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDoWFSXNB4c5x7WjaTCAeD3Dq6VkqreId96KxVqjzbMA3rsGFc6IRLkV5mgto0azzMTWthzKwYckq9Qdoj7AesB_nkpDhH_SfaPt5PVOob1JrFnOB4YNt7JcL1P_Xp93kmGHZFNnWWSn7b/s1600/Usery+Mtn+6-11+013.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>love all ear-cam shots...so attentive and alert</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD3sDaDc684JC9a6Y71aqiScP3Xg2iURbrYN6_5aK8vYQSe4aWErfc9z4zHB1T_lKOWjjlrK8-g9HxZqqrkedxhv5NAEbf-hFJ-TW98HhjWSRGlcOgcAnJ3TqkNcJeyUkosAWPpYVgA_ur/s1600/endurance+2008+131.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD3sDaDc684JC9a6Y71aqiScP3Xg2iURbrYN6_5aK8vYQSe4aWErfc9z4zHB1T_lKOWjjlrK8-g9HxZqqrkedxhv5NAEbf-hFJ-TW98HhjWSRGlcOgcAnJ3TqkNcJeyUkosAWPpYVgA_ur/s1600/endurance+2008+131.JPG" height="320" width="229" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>first 50! I'm a dork and she's like 'whatever'<br />photo by Laura Bovee</i></td></tr>
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And I've done enough rides and gotten enough good pics of her that I feel Liberty qualifies to be included here as well...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3F9Qoka7x4mUEJ7dC4JeKHEFxzZO968VTLdcK3_ilhFL977sZB2zqLCmWMyAYwPndXVHp6keK63Zh-WprAwTvOj4m3nvIlStiz_PibxypF-gA68y7QOKFEbxSYViTfpHettBj5ZK3Jpxn/s1600/2014-Bumble+Bee-0378-3011867522-W.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3F9Qoka7x4mUEJ7dC4JeKHEFxzZO968VTLdcK3_ilhFL977sZB2zqLCmWMyAYwPndXVHp6keK63Zh-WprAwTvOj4m3nvIlStiz_PibxypF-gA68y7QOKFEbxSYViTfpHettBj5ZK3Jpxn/s1600/2014-Bumble+Bee-0378-3011867522-W.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>love this...another one of my favorite ride<br />photos<br />Bumble Bee 25 2014<br />photo by Susan Kordish</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxmMtdhH4ru-PPahdC4IpBKGmQUSdh9DQeJIMfrmlrUc_T3NVTsnXU5auUOljRToq-DeNyFglMGCSOVbyqJBVqVuURBtsR0d3hOpUfFCgaPosve-oV_h6UsjcVBreNzpVEZkC-Mdn_SrbV/s1600/2014-Bumble+Bee-0377-3011868788-W.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxmMtdhH4ru-PPahdC4IpBKGmQUSdh9DQeJIMfrmlrUc_T3NVTsnXU5auUOljRToq-DeNyFglMGCSOVbyqJBVqVuURBtsR0d3hOpUfFCgaPosve-oV_h6UsjcVBreNzpVEZkC-Mdn_SrbV/s1600/2014-Bumble+Bee-0377-3011868788-W.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>the precursor to the above awesome photo,<br />I'm gabbing and she's hydrating<br />photo by Susan Kordish</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEighQmeO2ngSNDW1e3WYqq1Fe4SGLNp99FOu3b3meE4xfmR2TlMrvE9W15NdmDRBdsCNiRP26d1fLzJVMpOsIOOqiEqUAJeexCwtnv8C3KYNBJYFBt6LMzFa85EvnuV-N06UMCf-YUJb4Ui/s1600/2014-Bumble+Bee-0263-3010920882-W.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEighQmeO2ngSNDW1e3WYqq1Fe4SGLNp99FOu3b3meE4xfmR2TlMrvE9W15NdmDRBdsCNiRP26d1fLzJVMpOsIOOqiEqUAJeexCwtnv8C3KYNBJYFBt6LMzFa85EvnuV-N06UMCf-YUJb4Ui/s1600/2014-Bumble+Bee-0263-3010920882-W.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>majestic view, dorky green horse, silly rider<br />and granted, I had my stirrups a hole too short (green horse<br />security thing) but dang, she's tall and I'm short<br />photo by Susan Kordish</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtat_6zhzfHicyFmXm08OtSoXHvm_9Iy_b7EA8FbYK_VP3dUWmwa44LHitlp2z-7O12BfJ7eQJaivsu9RqM6FTdgYpSxuG23pAMY9Wmk1SsHr7U7eF7wq7MzbrbpObk5aKRuQJY5W19yIc/s1600/2014-Bumble+Bee-0273-3010991478-W.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtat_6zhzfHicyFmXm08OtSoXHvm_9Iy_b7EA8FbYK_VP3dUWmwa44LHitlp2z-7O12BfJ7eQJaivsu9RqM6FTdgYpSxuG23pAMY9Wmk1SsHr7U7eF7wq7MzbrbpObk5aKRuQJY5W19yIc/s1600/2014-Bumble+Bee-0273-3010991478-W.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>another favorite going-away shot<br />photo by Susan Kordish</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNMPT2WMp92Dr00_CFfcmbanTWRoy2ElTyZku47jwjg_dvEsyz-EHZ0r5XXfFSXQDwr6kgjnxaxvRC90NoSFkfRs0Q7TNCMxlEW3UDgnhjA6SCUGaWda1yr2JFvBBraJ_879y8VZuivx8N/s1600/45380694-Prescott+Chaparral-2013-0198.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNMPT2WMp92Dr00_CFfcmbanTWRoy2ElTyZku47jwjg_dvEsyz-EHZ0r5XXfFSXQDwr6kgjnxaxvRC90NoSFkfRs0Q7TNCMxlEW3UDgnhjA6SCUGaWda1yr2JFvBBraJ_879y8VZuivx8N/s1600/45380694-Prescott+Chaparral-2013-0198.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>our first ride together and we kinda look<br />like we know what we're doing<br />(after she spent the prior several minutes<br />balking at the photographer)<br />Prescott Chaparral 30 2013<br />photo by Susan Kordish</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhRVwBYCNwX7Rld-5hDvl5bAvwJAatsjuAbQTsB8BoZwiuYx6gty4tcUDIe7UsZfm9_wq7QeBTmCRARgr4etYOFXsuuSwyncXm_xsLAQWoIyepu6cg3C5XSVfm-hDtyEUwELidCzEev4Wt/s1600/45409695-Prescott+Chaparral-2013-0263.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhRVwBYCNwX7Rld-5hDvl5bAvwJAatsjuAbQTsB8BoZwiuYx6gty4tcUDIe7UsZfm9_wq7QeBTmCRARgr4etYOFXsuuSwyncXm_xsLAQWoIyepu6cg3C5XSVfm-hDtyEUwELidCzEev4Wt/s1600/45409695-Prescott+Chaparral-2013-0263.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>an interesting side profile shot...this mare has the most<br />interesting face...and yes, while the photographer is below us,<br />my feet are that high up on her sides<br />photo by Susan Kordish</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUsAqXSdYJ6c2uWUW_ioPdFph_jzXvbcPUOCDpjm3BiW5Ejupg1q9foL9xzTQpk5-aFlE69TbCM4rzunKWooWMIPT3cAjoRzdSNtF_bJeMiUgiEPH2Z-Ksc0cmrKm7ebS0q1rWj6aeHdj7/s1600/PrescottChaparralRide-001-2277502301-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUsAqXSdYJ6c2uWUW_ioPdFph_jzXvbcPUOCDpjm3BiW5Ejupg1q9foL9xzTQpk5-aFlE69TbCM4rzunKWooWMIPT3cAjoRzdSNtF_bJeMiUgiEPH2Z-Ksc0cmrKm7ebS0q1rWj6aeHdj7/s1600/PrescottChaparralRide-001-2277502301-L.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Libby's first ride, Gina riding...doing her<br />trademark "thing" of air-pawing whenever<br />she's impatient</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOCPg_OYlK03GOA9lzavF1j6vU-Ho90Dgmxa1YLI-NhOMuof3Kz10VTyvhNz8c929wnw2jFW29hbnLm5PMo3eyzQxAyrBfWGQHKaeacYcCYHDYPsFoMr0Gs6KY3iHGkTsJotnq6JRcwDJi/s1600/029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOCPg_OYlK03GOA9lzavF1j6vU-Ho90Dgmxa1YLI-NhOMuof3Kz10VTyvhNz8c929wnw2jFW29hbnLm5PMo3eyzQxAyrBfWGQHKaeacYcCYHDYPsFoMr0Gs6KY3iHGkTsJotnq6JRcwDJi/s1600/029.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>more ear-cam!</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkzGlPj54rIKp-IVaJDM4-Tl22cd80L4PlDAYhXFSTzRd4xrMpShxk_CdTgBqta3tCzMefU4Xr6erBdfQs8EP4tmZtF2GfVb1TMXTSoXSMJlg3-GAsYs0wkkigOisOkG3mnlxspz7rWzoG/s1600/IMG_1917.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkzGlPj54rIKp-IVaJDM4-Tl22cd80L4PlDAYhXFSTzRd4xrMpShxk_CdTgBqta3tCzMefU4Xr6erBdfQs8EP4tmZtF2GfVb1TMXTSoXSMJlg3-GAsYs0wkkigOisOkG3mnlxspz7rWzoG/s1600/IMG_1917.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>forcing cuddles and how-to-take-a-selfie on her</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvbNdixLI6c5lmzIfb47yU3o2L02BoQ9UrPvhpeqcZQCjYhYAS0fDzRTfD7WywgDPq9OJ7HoWF1UtSID_fGJ7kIPMOuKG55bYsIek_0EYejUB7U5sGZg6KaykIjRjX_KG43Lim_gkStjol/s1600/IMG_1919.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvbNdixLI6c5lmzIfb47yU3o2L02BoQ9UrPvhpeqcZQCjYhYAS0fDzRTfD7WywgDPq9OJ7HoWF1UtSID_fGJ7kIPMOuKG55bYsIek_0EYejUB7U5sGZg6KaykIjRjX_KG43Lim_gkStjol/s1600/IMG_1919.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>dork mare (mid-shake)</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgYtGxLAfuSQmgJwqAkcZxw6EI87PAtmWNuH0YskkqADvM_80fsx9IHMQss0ZMkxhHD0eFGvkm5H2CPC-Geg49PzcIVxi9WQczxPvMkEQTcheTFfX4GlFj0HrEkOAW9nB6npSfMP68XM8S/s1600/026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgYtGxLAfuSQmgJwqAkcZxw6EI87PAtmWNuH0YskkqADvM_80fsx9IHMQss0ZMkxhHD0eFGvkm5H2CPC-Geg49PzcIVxi9WQczxPvMkEQTcheTFfX4GlFj0HrEkOAW9nB6npSfMP68XM8S/s1600/026.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>love it...can actually drop my reins on the crew bag and she<br />stays put!</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6VjZIvSYldiO24nRjdRkLDckqWBWaezHPnJAhW7aj4HVKNU-r4DSBqw_e-lq-A1xOf9Peme5YSTQM_siZAqKwTelxY4fYtGKmdFgQvUAD28glzuGRtvVvlbeYngveAnGZ1E12Cp7A5jOZ/s1600/029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6VjZIvSYldiO24nRjdRkLDckqWBWaezHPnJAhW7aj4HVKNU-r4DSBqw_e-lq-A1xOf9Peme5YSTQM_siZAqKwTelxY4fYtGKmdFgQvUAD28glzuGRtvVvlbeYngveAnGZ1E12Cp7A5jOZ/s1600/029.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>being a twerp...post-ride, 30 miles wasn't enough...digging to<br />China and sticking her tongue out about being yelled at</i></td></tr>
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<!-- end InLinkz script -->Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04720090581233703530noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1780912362953300892.post-87484651072832186002015-01-14T09:53:00.005-07:002015-01-14T09:53:38.823-07:00cover girlsNot too long after we started distance riding, one of Mimi's and my ride photos was the cover page for the <a href="http://www.ridingwarehouse.com/" target="_blank">Long Riders Gear</a> (now Riding Warehouse) catalog. I think it was one of the 2003 catalogs, since the photo was from 2002.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyKWwT8iaUXT3XoEt3IdOFettrNvhyGXfzXSaVF97Iy-NvTNTF7HN59V5Ka6_yMonFH3XRE1qyPnms1jcPai9GAWGU8V5BzrrbaMxuR7W7kVmkdYvbet6gumGHSsyY-nlVZljgiT99u9Ab/s1600/10857768_10104607100954651_2268520701833693524_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyKWwT8iaUXT3XoEt3IdOFettrNvhyGXfzXSaVF97Iy-NvTNTF7HN59V5Ka6_yMonFH3XRE1qyPnms1jcPai9GAWGU8V5BzrrbaMxuR7W7kVmkdYvbet6gumGHSsyY-nlVZljgiT99u9Ab/s1600/10857768_10104607100954651_2268520701833693524_n.jpg" height="320" width="234" /></a></div>
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We were both babies then...Mimi was 9, I was 16. I chuckle a bit that yes, at one time, I actually started with basic black tack. (As I gaze now at my current tack hooks loaded with all things purple and orange and colorful... :))<br />
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Looking back, it makes me smile...I had us loaded down for a safari expedition with bags and packs...all for one 20-mile NATRC ride. This was only our second ride...we were both still learning. (Witness Ashley riding in paddock boots and Mimi pulling to go faster...well, at least <i>one</i> of us learned, since <i>someone</i> still likes to pull at opportune moments.)<br />
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That was the Helen Logan River Romp ride, held in Santa Ynez, CA...still one of the prettiest rides I've done.<br />
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I was so glad I found this the other day during my magazine sorting. All sorts of happy memories.Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04720090581233703530noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1780912362953300892.post-237658686102757402015-01-05T10:21:00.002-07:002015-01-05T10:21:41.520-07:00start as you mean to continueIf you follow the "start as you mean to continue" logic as applied to New Years and the rest of the year, I had a very good start. Since it was basically one long extended weekend (although I did work on Friday), I managed to actually do all of my favorite things and set myself up well for the upcoming year. (Hopefully.)<br />
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On New Year's Day, Artemis and I day-tripped down to Catalina State Park just north of Tucson to visit with friends Lucy and Patrick, who were once again spending their holiday in the "warm" desert. Only, y'know, <i>snow</i> happened.<br />
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This year's trip didn't involve the pony or camping for me, but we had a fun day of hiking and letting the dogs play. L&P have Finn-the-poodle, whom Artemis met last year, and now they have Spike, who is Artemis's full, 8-month-younger brother.<br />
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It was like a terrier cage match o' fun.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD78XGZ9jYASvgTfonapwCydjHHAINYWg0hkCcK4_fJA3zDPdYe2EmkJgHPhXX4sw5YN_gCI87CxLoxwg2JqwxBBsEntfHZboZLUm1MRP-EomUOI63xbHLWsPz3umWO2p-6bzX9R7Y34aj/s1600/IMG_3394.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD78XGZ9jYASvgTfonapwCydjHHAINYWg0hkCcK4_fJA3zDPdYe2EmkJgHPhXX4sw5YN_gCI87CxLoxwg2JqwxBBsEntfHZboZLUm1MRP-EomUOI63xbHLWsPz3umWO2p-6bzX9R7Y34aj/s1600/IMG_3394.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>"Really, Mom? Make him stop."<br />This is payback, since you're usually the one<br />bugging other dogs.</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg0M06lovcEq29eEjQQ9Qw4dKN4Pf-FqrML5IgE0gJojJ7OWdWWgnlh0O4qUxFszCWDvpCCaV-q7w5IoF-E1DkfCyu3k95b6XM5GyeD_LkgD7H0yO0WIwnouB2JYq1ZY1FVNI7JNKDFiq3/s1600/IMG_3395.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg0M06lovcEq29eEjQQ9Qw4dKN4Pf-FqrML5IgE0gJojJ7OWdWWgnlh0O4qUxFszCWDvpCCaV-q7w5IoF-E1DkfCyu3k95b6XM5GyeD_LkgD7H0yO0WIwnouB2JYq1ZY1FVNI7JNKDFiq3/s1600/IMG_3395.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Snow on the Catalinas</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgysvhPzpnXbUBdsBT6alYGkOzIi4_WCLEULh5h7P-LegFNdNZPoh7BzixazfJ5T8R60movWqT6vnMFWO3iWVeg3QB_kLa9cYIJv1YRbrB1OxYP49mpSUACY5HjKKGotHXwia6NmhmNKY7c/s1600/IMG_3401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgysvhPzpnXbUBdsBT6alYGkOzIi4_WCLEULh5h7P-LegFNdNZPoh7BzixazfJ5T8R60movWqT6vnMFWO3iWVeg3QB_kLa9cYIJv1YRbrB1OxYP49mpSUACY5HjKKGotHXwia6NmhmNKY7c/s1600/IMG_3401.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Terrier twinsies!<br />(Artemis is on the left.)</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZlb5KnsKqHCme8bP9l4faE9UOdzq093BpkckRek1Hi3Hm6MMWuMVLbkceaCnIRrn0Xo0_YY6Jjx2q72FryK0v1nc_DbS13zr75WLMYF4r9zBzXKA7mOa4On356gMCyofKHp05Gp4630UV/s1600/IMG_3409.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZlb5KnsKqHCme8bP9l4faE9UOdzq093BpkckRek1Hi3Hm6MMWuMVLbkceaCnIRrn0Xo0_YY6Jjx2q72FryK0v1nc_DbS13zr75WLMYF4r9zBzXKA7mOa4On356gMCyofKHp05Gp4630UV/s1600/IMG_3409.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>First experience in the snow...and the cold-<br />weather wimp didn't freeze.</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ76Qod0s5rvhCFM-zyny-BYTxKjH_2GFvRxdIu3Df2qZY_jDyqIlC3lAhrMebHANNccDVdD1AOuBRFmyvyH6q-hmrF_SwVy7RnSxAH2nrA53pjkavi1kew6nrmkkl8B5R_1rG8rgsamlI/s1600/IMG_3433.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ76Qod0s5rvhCFM-zyny-BYTxKjH_2GFvRxdIu3Df2qZY_jDyqIlC3lAhrMebHANNccDVdD1AOuBRFmyvyH6q-hmrF_SwVy7RnSxAH2nrA53pjkavi1kew6nrmkkl8B5R_1rG8rgsamlI/s1600/IMG_3433.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Snow is a novelty.</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR0JOfVh6FoNbWgDCw_An_4ueEqouOqtgfNE8qyJopBibJbKQGM0vqmbAc3lb6Y0obfX781lcXPEOP-45HzqYWYMLIaK5STCQ5gnIDbhfe3UduIeJtQK8GoUAGFk77Tt6RvYFsy_QQH7Qd/s1600/10690004_10153062629810649_460668198167556198_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR0JOfVh6FoNbWgDCw_An_4ueEqouOqtgfNE8qyJopBibJbKQGM0vqmbAc3lb6Y0obfX781lcXPEOP-45HzqYWYMLIaK5STCQ5gnIDbhfe3UduIeJtQK8GoUAGFk77Tt6RvYFsy_QQH7Qd/s1600/10690004_10153062629810649_460668198167556198_n.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Hiking with the dogs...a whole 3.5 miles in an<br />hour and half, which is what happens when half<br />the hike is the terriers jumping on each other.</i></td></tr>
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<br />As I mentioned already, I did work on Friday...and work in the form of boot fitting and troubleshooting on Saturday morning.<div>
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<div>
And Sunday saw the first saddle time of 2015. And it was even trail time. Mimi was having a very good day (her bad days seem to be the ones where it is cloudy, overcast, cold, and damp...as long as the sun is out, she's good to go), and we did 4.5 miles out at Usery Mtn Park with some barn friends.</div>
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She was <i>so</i> happy to be out again. And so was I.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXCYjKYRjCtWnhE2NtyxWbLlaNNW3fYQdDJKfsz5kh7k0tWfL6UBkD1iTiLhqSkN4KO_B2IOtQsDlf8UAT3wuhnxTw8znYe36T4Abd9x7Q4hJEhsz31anO3u7ZJW0vplem3mPm7gF00n-L/s1600/IMG_3434.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXCYjKYRjCtWnhE2NtyxWbLlaNNW3fYQdDJKfsz5kh7k0tWfL6UBkD1iTiLhqSkN4KO_B2IOtQsDlf8UAT3wuhnxTw8znYe36T4Abd9x7Q4hJEhsz31anO3u7ZJW0vplem3mPm7gF00n-L/s1600/IMG_3434.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>"All dressed up...do I get to go?"</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn-6O1pvrJ5pYkbwiDR3NrrOblAW-4cOxrN117ogveChu3lzM3ysrez_HC0B03vUyIGIHq_vWJTsMpSiNK0g_m3Zwo3__aZRK_KkUFsxWrmqo3EV8pWsMlJNF9cmgeu2jJnuCjpED-P9bE/s1600/IMG_3441.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn-6O1pvrJ5pYkbwiDR3NrrOblAW-4cOxrN117ogveChu3lzM3ysrez_HC0B03vUyIGIHq_vWJTsMpSiNK0g_m3Zwo3__aZRK_KkUFsxWrmqo3EV8pWsMlJNF9cmgeu2jJnuCjpED-P9bE/s1600/IMG_3441.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>my favorite view</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmGIKoWGiYpRW-6hnpMtX_96s2FxICbA_fBWuDXzIi3fO3tfzSyPyCwe-gX6RBxRJGyEFfxcofxYbzPe0nBesLskTN_sJWh5HtCZuDMxMlQwIaVL4lf6HGDB0o7npAhwEphMA3qnP8CPLm/s1600/IMG_3443.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmGIKoWGiYpRW-6hnpMtX_96s2FxICbA_fBWuDXzIi3fO3tfzSyPyCwe-gX6RBxRJGyEFfxcofxYbzPe0nBesLskTN_sJWh5HtCZuDMxMlQwIaVL4lf6HGDB0o7npAhwEphMA3qnP8CPLm/s1600/IMG_3443.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>still some dusting of snow on the Superstitions</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqc8T1b-O4iOTdOnQyeqJJnGhoU-XL6PcxpSiFqJbF2N5FnistIl5s3jz1Yn4pes4nvpBrTTAfdUQpPOHEvuKBKwi28jfpUPczU16ZC5mSEAO_-wVP3_lB059ILfD7U_5GTuihCRzvphGb/s1600/IMG_3448.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqc8T1b-O4iOTdOnQyeqJJnGhoU-XL6PcxpSiFqJbF2N5FnistIl5s3jz1Yn4pes4nvpBrTTAfdUQpPOHEvuKBKwi28jfpUPczU16ZC5mSEAO_-wVP3_lB059ILfD7U_5GTuihCRzvphGb/s1600/IMG_3448.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>perfect day</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnbsm1Iy3iG9tZdqyyjYcDuYKOXIUXZWAJMAKzzwbd9HlkUMw0n6_1cIa37ZYqR-Fd3ZJ4nb9548LomptgpVkQ2_X90B4aFGttKoKCJz1ZUec2pG1szTNVs1l7UhSfnJ2qZWlZplws7AtM/s1600/IMG_3451.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnbsm1Iy3iG9tZdqyyjYcDuYKOXIUXZWAJMAKzzwbd9HlkUMw0n6_1cIa37ZYqR-Fd3ZJ4nb9548LomptgpVkQ2_X90B4aFGttKoKCJz1ZUec2pG1szTNVs1l7UhSfnJ2qZWlZplws7AtM/s1600/IMG_3451.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>"*My* sloppy. *Mine.*"</i></td></tr>
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<br />And the crowning touch was this morning, when I woke up <i>before</i> 4AM to go out for a morning run. (Which is what you do when you live 30 minutes in any direction from the closest trails.)<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpvwzX8W5IMTCAsFE6IyS2VUtmnoO4o1vVDfRFkEnhnJ0sJhHgiftLQbj9JPacxq0a4YMA9Sm8NYS1xZq29nu3Ycf4E5HNVoWg7yK5r-bTMyFPhDpWn9cWOk_cZB7B3ei9FIllRxJXq9kJ/s1600/san+tan+am+run.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpvwzX8W5IMTCAsFE6IyS2VUtmnoO4o1vVDfRFkEnhnJ0sJhHgiftLQbj9JPacxq0a4YMA9Sm8NYS1xZq29nu3Ycf4E5HNVoWg7yK5r-bTMyFPhDpWn9cWOk_cZB7B3ei9FIllRxJXq9kJ/s1600/san+tan+am+run.png" height="301" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Not fast...but one party was on the Injured Reserve list, and one<br />party (myself) was doing the first run back post head cold.<br />I tell myself it's tapering for the upcoming race this weekend.</i></td></tr>
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<br />The (mostly) full moon was still up and shining (which was good since I forgot my headlamp and had to use my phone flashlight...fail), and it was so quiet and peaceful. I brought Artemis, so she could get her morning exercise, and she did wonderful...she's really turning into a Good Trail Dog.<br /><div>
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With that wraps my extended New Years weekend...hope everybody else had a safe, fun weekend and is looking forward to whatever 2015 brings. (Please let it be good.)<br /><div>
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Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04720090581233703530noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1780912362953300892.post-69641051984807296362014-12-31T11:09:00.000-07:002014-12-31T11:09:15.801-07:002014: That's A WrapI so very badly want to say "and good riddance," but any year that sees me turned into an actual trail runner can't be all bad.<br />
<br />
Many things certainly did not go as planned, and I'm pretty sure I spent the least amount of time in the saddle that I have since I started riding. I think if I hadn't had the trail running, I probably would have gone absolutely out of my mind climbing the walls, but hitting the trail with my own two feet kept me (reasonably) sane.<br />
<br />
As far as 2014 goes, it may not have gone as planned, and I may have spent far too much time dwelling on that the past few months, but looking back, it was actually pretty decent.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio427pPR6-uR_AQGHbKRXwTf5lykEvv5D6kBqtAEXGU-JQukAJ9YzIn0ObSlDfoL8g5r3HX2tpVG6_7MsgdiZrUrG5LJf4yos9QiqSyTalaQphihVBy6PxaPbcpTeWAas5-RvQGQu5FpXY/s1600/2014-Bumble+Bee-0270-3010982305-W.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio427pPR6-uR_AQGHbKRXwTf5lykEvv5D6kBqtAEXGU-JQukAJ9YzIn0ObSlDfoL8g5r3HX2tpVG6_7MsgdiZrUrG5LJf4yos9QiqSyTalaQphihVBy6PxaPbcpTeWAas5-RvQGQu5FpXY/s1600/2014-Bumble+Bee-0270-3010982305-W.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Got to ride Libby again. We may not have<br />technically completed, since we came in<br />overtime, but we had a good time and got in<br />a good training ride.<br />photo by Susan Kordish</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUg56lN_auyznoIF5RQus5yCw0B8NqB6rruk1Kf2qy5teUT_pX7ASxYbHgmhWjx6Zc1tJpwp80Jyi1k2FdlePsNjN3A7qaHa-K2V93TAiuRbi53BAyAp8H5VTBJIPcskOBi1-AnOrIToXe/s1600/IMG_2317.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUg56lN_auyznoIF5RQus5yCw0B8NqB6rruk1Kf2qy5teUT_pX7ASxYbHgmhWjx6Zc1tJpwp80Jyi1k2FdlePsNjN3A7qaHa-K2V93TAiuRbi53BAyAp8H5VTBJIPcskOBi1-AnOrIToXe/s1600/IMG_2317.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Still got some pony time in. Sensing retirement is imminent, but<br />will still keep taking advantage of the good days when I can and<br />when she says she's feeling good.</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBXiIy_9t9HAXm8vcYL7WecHSTU4CR8ewAlj6JlLOMHu8U8KEFJVoE0LzAL2RHhhcNyi_5S6nhym4KW45cdra227WiI3cWrAK-rvzKW7ssb1RSu5AW2eJawlq5_f20-VQbYRx1QIrJMdMo/s1600/1510554_10104350792339171_3543266286875127766_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBXiIy_9t9HAXm8vcYL7WecHSTU4CR8ewAlj6JlLOMHu8U8KEFJVoE0LzAL2RHhhcNyi_5S6nhym4KW45cdra227WiI3cWrAK-rvzKW7ssb1RSu5AW2eJawlq5_f20-VQbYRx1QIrJMdMo/s1600/1510554_10104350792339171_3543266286875127766_n.jpg" height="238" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>my girls</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMrhUMJ7HHfoRChFqeWUFgd3qznackJB2WMtIzOcYzJkqsFO8wErvRiAPriL0BuyftwDJkwz4CMb9OQB0dW8eloY1zyw1FWSiROG4u3Fs7XjBH6mp8WV8_XzBSqsxOKhNY5xNsKKAZmgej/s1600/1656235_10201355442159904_553375339_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMrhUMJ7HHfoRChFqeWUFgd3qznackJB2WMtIzOcYzJkqsFO8wErvRiAPriL0BuyftwDJkwz4CMb9OQB0dW8eloY1zyw1FWSiROG4u3Fs7XjBH6mp8WV8_XzBSqsxOKhNY5xNsKKAZmgej/s1600/1656235_10201355442159904_553375339_n.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Fun times meeting with fellow bloggers at the AERC<br />Convention in Atlanta. </i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD-Umi5rTj66iM_nObXb9IMxc8Nb232xenTI5Hsbh_ZTD31SdQaOgN_d4QtqoY9KbapS84bNeBix7zH8OSluLQfRI4p5ZKvI06LnoXCY9w5pZj00F1boytVd68R5bOS7wm_lClh0LYJUl3/s1600/10378061_877658885607335_2644865698197813553_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD-Umi5rTj66iM_nObXb9IMxc8Nb232xenTI5Hsbh_ZTD31SdQaOgN_d4QtqoY9KbapS84bNeBix7zH8OSluLQfRI4p5ZKvI06LnoXCY9w5pZj00F1boytVd68R5bOS7wm_lClh0LYJUl3/s1600/10378061_877658885607335_2644865698197813553_n.jpg" height="320" width="195" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>"Answer"<br />And did I ever! Some riding, and lots of<br />running!</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOTSNbaWb1PkuxZq-o1ZzqvngEVilyn01HfJpTaJ0wECSJW2MEydM3_req7u1RMBzH4ahTtkdTk7VbMKUNDqczW0m8ImQSW8TRQCJvZp1A9xuoTJSqg4UQv8nzPThCQDHKPpkSNQpvRCq6/s1600/13990_10104120639422461_8717955501841674741_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOTSNbaWb1PkuxZq-o1ZzqvngEVilyn01HfJpTaJ0wECSJW2MEydM3_req7u1RMBzH4ahTtkdTk7VbMKUNDqczW0m8ImQSW8TRQCJvZp1A9xuoTJSqg4UQv8nzPThCQDHKPpkSNQpvRCq6/s1600/13990_10104120639422461_8717955501841674741_n.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Lots of time with my favorite running buddy!</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdXj8lDB8_g_wM92hyphenhyphenh5zQJ9r5YsKB-zSeHf1IPqv2a9j-q9hyhK1TMoE_YSXuwShjIF-uRrcVigxrKCDW3jQ2dJO1YIlvQy3Y3Oi3Bkh-e4l-73qVe4ha3ZnZr_ZhJmq8_wPhqQjXSms1/s1600/10500461_916336341717230_1060098818978851318_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdXj8lDB8_g_wM92hyphenhyphenh5zQJ9r5YsKB-zSeHf1IPqv2a9j-q9hyhK1TMoE_YSXuwShjIF-uRrcVigxrKCDW3jQ2dJO1YIlvQy3Y3Oi3Bkh-e4l-73qVe4ha3ZnZr_ZhJmq8_wPhqQjXSms1/s1600/10500461_916336341717230_1060098818978851318_n.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Another epic Tevis crewing adventure!<br />(That's Artemis's full younger brother Spike I'm holding.)</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVPozYT-mQEm56r3cyDlvl2Cz7cHkEqNqJmSSEy9qA54gLoOgYA1WPg-ddqszF4pVor6vQuILXzyps987rVwMHCERo24WI7w-YyELQON82SvrH2SPxEAvp6KDonY_ND0HG1m1_W9M43ca6/s1600/10563077_10152844854440649_4884547765207183544_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVPozYT-mQEm56r3cyDlvl2Cz7cHkEqNqJmSSEy9qA54gLoOgYA1WPg-ddqszF4pVor6vQuILXzyps987rVwMHCERo24WI7w-YyELQON82SvrH2SPxEAvp6KDonY_ND0HG1m1_W9M43ca6/s1600/10563077_10152844854440649_4884547765207183544_n.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>One of my best friends got married, and I was<br />one of her bridesmaids. This is probably the<br />first and last dress pic that will grace this blog.</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMsJDVv-IeFIJ-SicaSSOEZZrdFFNrasMtOLgxsJkSRCTiS5grRo1FnvkRJrvcpLT6JgA2ODRjgnFbHRhdlSN-WJMebWWEzH3GnZwOKIPn0aBnVEyp1GcCUKBHN507oIiz7WcWVAFZi5L6/s1600/10580182_10204745407821349_158663067424329426_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMsJDVv-IeFIJ-SicaSSOEZZrdFFNrasMtOLgxsJkSRCTiS5grRo1FnvkRJrvcpLT6JgA2ODRjgnFbHRhdlSN-WJMebWWEzH3GnZwOKIPn0aBnVEyp1GcCUKBHN507oIiz7WcWVAFZi5L6/s1600/10580182_10204745407821349_158663067424329426_n.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Seeing more of the Tevis trail!</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg87YDKU0Ol1EIEqhyphenhyphenFrOQ0z1tKz7hQvciZHF8pG9UVrg0ZdKD2GYsV0oYk16kZQaH1IsFpdp7Kd2wjzCoIHj1bZni8PafDaAGbxp8PV9Q4kTvF7DMZdPrqVycYOMqeNgt9mY7xo244le3H/s1600/125007-502-026f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg87YDKU0Ol1EIEqhyphenhyphenFrOQ0z1tKz7hQvciZHF8pG9UVrg0ZdKD2GYsV0oYk16kZQaH1IsFpdp7Kd2wjzCoIHj1bZni8PafDaAGbxp8PV9Q4kTvF7DMZdPrqVycYOMqeNgt9mY7xo244le3H/s1600/125007-502-026f.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Ran a road race (15k) -- as in ran the whole<br />thing -- and didn't die!</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUPSzlBtMKGoW9bSpxonT4oUCJqeMOJfVisyRe0qMo1BuuzwOIKjPQTOzdCvwt1LLshBW3cl-i8o18M7tvWCj1L9szBMryDFKX85Ad29MH5upOVlTnWXYsyN2mHuFFCmyik83x1wuVruai/s1600/p293080976-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUPSzlBtMKGoW9bSpxonT4oUCJqeMOJfVisyRe0qMo1BuuzwOIKjPQTOzdCvwt1LLshBW3cl-i8o18M7tvWCj1L9szBMryDFKX85Ad29MH5upOVlTnWXYsyN2mHuFFCmyik83x1wuVruai/s1600/p293080976-6.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>But these were way more fun! Ended the year with 48 race miles<br />total...racked up way more run miles than ride miles. *shrug*</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTXDc2Sy_-EYuL4DaERH5nAyF3uEvFLrBHu-f7ZeWBS2DGMDVDEmaO1vUaxkrr-46lp4JEN90SRKHopE0I7EyrGw_Y0FzSVIMs3DpJ2vWa0_IWIvtJbdfgMytvsBModu57c7FQOJs1HgoI/s1600/10410476_10204407318371056_8879224601965430061_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTXDc2Sy_-EYuL4DaERH5nAyF3uEvFLrBHu-f7ZeWBS2DGMDVDEmaO1vUaxkrr-46lp4JEN90SRKHopE0I7EyrGw_Y0FzSVIMs3DpJ2vWa0_IWIvtJbdfgMytvsBModu57c7FQOJs1HgoI/s1600/10410476_10204407318371056_8879224601965430061_n.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Semi-swimming in the Salt River.<br />May not have ridden much, but the<br />times I did, it was usually pretty fun!</i></td></tr>
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<br />
I'm not one to make resolutions ("inebriated declarations of good intent"), and quite honestly, I've thoroughly embraced the "no battle plan survives first contact with the enemy" mentality when it comes to trying to plan things out too far in advance, since it all falls apart anyway.<br />
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I've got my spring roughly mapped out in terms of trail runs (which you'll find out about as they happen, lest I alert the universe to my plans and jinx myself), and it looks like I'll probably be doing the Bumble Bee ride again...just the fun ride this time, since my saddle muscles aren't in shape.<br />
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Beyond that, my only immediate plans are to snore in the New Year...I generally have a rule about going out on New Year's Eve -- I <i>don't</i> -- and have no plans to break it this year. (Currently chuckling a bit at the all-day rain forecast, and the 29* overnight temps...that'll put a crimp in the Fiesta Bowl and block party celebrations. And it may even put out the dog-and-pony-startling fireworks. Love fireworks, but prefer to see them in a place and environment that isn't disturbing my animals...like Disneyland.)<br />
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Hope everyone has a fun and safe New Years Eve, whatever your plans may be, and we'll see you in 2015!<br />
<br />Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04720090581233703530noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1780912362953300892.post-1702687519004178632014-12-25T16:15:00.000-07:002015-02-17T14:52:30.850-07:00Merry Christmas!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNSIyq5kTFXaRBkZliBB5lAgb_1v9kaLfZ_kCwBlzydUhDqYuomAoNlAeaGNnytTNBhoFDFYsQ7MPQX-T7laeI5L1p02K6Vsa48VpMVgSexD_kfIgY0WzNPe99oKn3BPT3pHrWSvwp9MQv/s1600/photo+(37).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNSIyq5kTFXaRBkZliBB5lAgb_1v9kaLfZ_kCwBlzydUhDqYuomAoNlAeaGNnytTNBhoFDFYsQ7MPQX-T7laeI5L1p02K6Vsa48VpMVgSexD_kfIgY0WzNPe99oKn3BPT3pHrWSvwp9MQv/s1600/photo+(37).JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i>Merry Christmas!</i></b></span></div>
Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04720090581233703530noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1780912362953300892.post-10409698955494106312014-12-23T10:53:00.003-07:002014-12-23T11:34:34.652-07:00TOA Blog Hop: Shining Star<i>I'm still contemplating my 2014-in-review post, so have an easy post, courtesy of <a href="http://www.theowlsapprove.com/2014/12/toabh-shining-star.html" target="_blank">The Owls Approve Blog Hop</a> to tide you over.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<b>Let's talk about the biggest achievements your horse has accomplished. I'm not talking about you as a rider - I want to know what your ponykins has done to make you proud. Is there a glorious satin collection, did he/she figure out some dressage movement that took months to learn, or are is it just a great day when your butt stays in the saddle? It's not all about shows or the things that people see.</b><br />
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She's my 50-mile endurance pony. She successfully did a sport that not many horses can do, and even fewer still within her breed. She's definitely got "unlikely endurance candidate" stamped on her, but she still did it...200 miles worth, with three other pulls, only one of which was about her.<br />
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Above and beyond that, she completed the Man Against Horse 50-miler. I could not be any more proud of my less-than-14-hands of Go Pony than I was at the finish of that ride. She reduced me to tears as she strode proudly across that line, nearly 12 hours after we had started that morning. Didn't matter we were the tail-end of that pack...we had conquered the trail that had thoroughly whupped up the previous year...in her mind, we had <i>won</i>.<br />
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As sad as I am that she's now retired, I'm happy I was able to give her the years of endurance that I did, because that is where her heart is happiest.<br />
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<br />Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04720090581233703530noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1780912362953300892.post-48478211023882345852014-12-16T08:50:00.001-07:002014-12-16T08:50:29.488-07:00an article worth sharingAs 2014 wraps, this is a very, very timely article to read in the wake of a year that most definitely has <i>not</i> gone according to plan.<br />
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I wanted to copy excerpts of the post here, but couldn't narrow it down to the "best few" excerpts, because they're all applicable, so instead, just go to the source material and read:<br />
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<a href="https://terezacherblog.wordpress.com/2014/12/16/having-a-rough-dayweekmonth/" target="_blank">Having a rough day/week/month? by Tere Zacher</a></div>
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Reading this article this morning was exactly what I needed to "hear" right now, and it's something I have bookmarked to easily access and read whenever I need the mental boost and encouragement.</div>
Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04720090581233703530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1780912362953300892.post-74982136104701526322014-12-11T21:04:00.003-07:002014-12-20T14:19:48.422-07:00Hot Chocolate 15kI really don't do road races. I don't like the monotony, the hard surface, and the crowds. My schedule prevented me from attending the December race that Aravaipa put on, but I wanted to do something that would increase my mileage, so I opted for the <a href="http://www.hotchocolate15k.com/phoenix/" target="_blank">Hot Chocolate 15k</a>. Plus, the goodie bag hoofie looked pretty awesome, and you all know what a sucker I am for good swag.<br />
<br />
Plus, I did figure that the flat course would be an excellent opportunity for me to work on my consistency, form, and pacing, as well as sustained aerobic activity. (It must have worked, because this past Wednesday's group trail run post-race went really well.)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj58SN0PJIxc-5KVO31dBfgzBVwKcFkrUzFwz49G03hPIPoI7AJFMHB9PqshXeSTZxbQjiFiG1e_L813vCtb30XTHqfATllt9SelpttLWdpG07KXe5Mrx6qQuPEf0xRny-_clXrtw-QoIeN/s1600/IMG_3287.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj58SN0PJIxc-5KVO31dBfgzBVwKcFkrUzFwz49G03hPIPoI7AJFMHB9PqshXeSTZxbQjiFiG1e_L813vCtb30XTHqfATllt9SelpttLWdpG07KXe5Mrx6qQuPEf0xRny-_clXrtw-QoIeN/s1600/IMG_3287.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>ready to run, bright and early Sunday morning</i></td></tr>
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<b>Gear Rundown:</b><br />
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<a href="http://www.bondiband.com/" target="_blank">Bondi Band</a> headband (and opted for free-flying pigtails)<br />
INKnBURN "Flutter" tech shirt<br />
<a href="http://www.oiselle.com/shop/new-arrivals/seasonal-accessories/cable-knit-arm-warmers/" target="_blank">Oiselle Cable Knit arm warmers</a> (I love these...my new favorite accessory)<br />
<a href="http://cw-x.com/ExploreProducts.aspx?gender=womens&product=tights&by=activity&sub=run" target="_blank">CW-X Stabilyx tights</a><br />
WrightSock CoolMesh socks<br />
Panache sports bra<br />
<a href="http://www.hokaoneone.com/womens-trail/stinson-atr/20109039.html?dwvar_20109039_color=ABSBL#start=2&cgid=womens-trail" target="_blank">Hoka One-One Stinson ATR</a> shoes (delightfully cushy for hard surface, but too ankle-rolley for trail)<br />
Ultimate Direction Ultra Vesta hydration vest<br />
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The large crowds are part of why I'm not a fan of big road races. Over 3000 people, divided into 5 start corrals, with 10 minute gaps between each corral starting. I was in the third corral back, so had to wait about 20 minutes. It makes for a spread-out course, but difficult if you were hoping to find people in a different corral.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc1jNmSmGJKPrc7zKixYiE3YiUYdSyasCkMBZVpyq3R6AxT4DAjF80NQfFe8hvlvSV1Y-3b-Pc7rP5PXBpL4Tsxu4JiY8pRonITm9tuhNeXByacOF30rMcU1GdYw553aTB-FvTTHr8ET4o/s1600/IMG_3289.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc1jNmSmGJKPrc7zKixYiE3YiUYdSyasCkMBZVpyq3R6AxT4DAjF80NQfFe8hvlvSV1Y-3b-Pc7rP5PXBpL4Tsxu4JiY8pRonITm9tuhNeXByacOF30rMcU1GdYw553aTB-FvTTHr8ET4o/s1600/IMG_3289.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>sea of people</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS4NZmZW_70zoYyaDc5DWRtZJGQOh0FyS9oEtohNDtJkF5WEx5oW8Ps_fqcz2iYD0jWIjgN2AaDRZjx5owgCwG0WMrxKlQnKLaEJO7buyXqGFz2dcKiddvzhQn2h2bRZpq3bZ6VEjw9SpN/s1600/IMG_3288.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS4NZmZW_70zoYyaDc5DWRtZJGQOh0FyS9oEtohNDtJkF5WEx5oW8Ps_fqcz2iYD0jWIjgN2AaDRZjx5owgCwG0WMrxKlQnKLaEJO7buyXqGFz2dcKiddvzhQn2h2bRZpq3bZ6VEjw9SpN/s1600/IMG_3288.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>in my designated start corral</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM-tKDF6oYTBgbL8GWBRiiHX-2Mw2EABRjXiV2Ben1XizA__W-UR0oogSLqX7RMLUljRe46T5zT3rATJ-KsHfNOzrOVP0gDUpEqTQ7OXxa5kPq3qgpIj-gsROGCbPHbPkLWbgSE7cvzlKl/s1600/IMG_3291.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM-tKDF6oYTBgbL8GWBRiiHX-2Mw2EABRjXiV2Ben1XizA__W-UR0oogSLqX7RMLUljRe46T5zT3rATJ-KsHfNOzrOVP0gDUpEqTQ7OXxa5kPq3qgpIj-gsROGCbPHbPkLWbgSE7cvzlKl/s1600/IMG_3291.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>toeing the start line!</i></td></tr>
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I was there early enough to get right in at the front of the corral, which meant I didn't have quite so much early on crowding.<br />
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The first two miles, I clipped along at just over a 9:30-minute mile...I kept telling myself to back it off and slow it down, because I've never been able to sustain that kind of pace. Prior to this, the fastest I'd ever managed a single mile was a 10-minute mile...in junior high. So to break that now, about 17 years later, kind of tickles me.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Eventually, I reeled myself in and finished the rest of the thing at paces between 10:00 and 10:30-minute miles...and ran the whole thing. I took my "walk breaks" at the water stations, because I cant run and chug from a little paper cup at the same time, but aside from that, I kept on running.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRvVAMX9ui7GjgYrxVchiYA5w2f1RFJp9HxcKIpHgBNrS8-aaNQ6nYJOWaKvywJtWOJ81f-MuLqb7tgPXK58gRXahN_7OZiQl3_lqluSgmBgGfiZDfcfAKyWQpEPo16RHAuvjuH-g_9Ao5/s1600/125007-371-021h.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRvVAMX9ui7GjgYrxVchiYA5w2f1RFJp9HxcKIpHgBNrS8-aaNQ6nYJOWaKvywJtWOJ81f-MuLqb7tgPXK58gRXahN_7OZiQl3_lqluSgmBgGfiZDfcfAKyWQpEPo16RHAuvjuH-g_9Ao5/s1600/125007-371-021h.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>clipping along in my own little world,<br />likely rocking out to my music</i></td></tr>
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Admittedly, much playlist abuse happened on this run, since usually the only way I road run for any sustained period of time is with a killer playlist at my disposal. I left my iPod in the truck, thinking "How bad can it be?" Fortunately, my phone is synced with my playlist, I had my phone on me, and by mile 5, I was grateful I had at least remembered by headphones and had them plugged in to the phone and rockin' out.</div>
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The course was all roads, and taunted me just a bit by being in plain site of the McDowell Mountains, with the Superstitions in the background. But doing that kind of road work was excellent for my sustained pace-building...too hard to set a consistent pace on always-changing trails...and it was <i>excellent</i> for me mentally to push myself and keep going even when I was hitting mental walls. (And it was all mental, because I physically felt <i>great</i>.)</div>
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I shocked myself by actually having legs left at the end to sprint the finish and finish in pigtail-flyin' style.</div>
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The 15k finishers got really awesome medals shaped like chocolate bars, and all finishers got a plastic mug with hot chocolate, chocolate fondue, and all sorts of yummy goodies to dip into the fondue. It was really good chocolate, too.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXHCPGnOWQPqxl_NikrVtS15J8GK_v2tos8uYcY-7uIE6rNf6BzCYFPuJ0JU0ACB7V4637iUGb32YMQ7k2RcNDI_sPqIQqxsmnET4hVgVwEoNIBthBwCuPxSqBsHW9UPpCt08yqa-RW8_1/s1600/IMG_3292.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXHCPGnOWQPqxl_NikrVtS15J8GK_v2tos8uYcY-7uIE6rNf6BzCYFPuJ0JU0ACB7V4637iUGb32YMQ7k2RcNDI_sPqIQqxsmnET4hVgVwEoNIBthBwCuPxSqBsHW9UPpCt08yqa-RW8_1/s1600/IMG_3292.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>finisher's medal and chocolate</i></td></tr>
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<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSk2RMtIEFH7JqlYtOQb-CdYhAIMzMIkaX6CoqNuxqwXzkXfD4fwOVLH8x91vOQa5AQt3muFvuFxngd5xxRzN80-Md0Si-xBrNudOJp0ilkfVTJfcy-zCjG0QMEWDJRJUWiWXAuzzmsUEr/s1600/IMG_3294.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSk2RMtIEFH7JqlYtOQb-CdYhAIMzMIkaX6CoqNuxqwXzkXfD4fwOVLH8x91vOQa5AQt3muFvuFxngd5xxRzN80-Md0Si-xBrNudOJp0ilkfVTJfcy-zCjG0QMEWDJRJUWiWXAuzzmsUEr/s1600/IMG_3294.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>One of my endurance buddies was running as<br />well, and we found each other after our<br />respective finishes and spent some time hanging<br />out together.</i></td></tr>
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With that race, I wrapped up my official competition run miles for the year with 48 miles...which is more than I've ridden this year. Not sure how many miles I've run, total, since I started back around March...I do a lousy job of tracking some of my shorter, casual runs. That'll be my next project...seeing if I can total up what I've done this year.</div>
Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04720090581233703530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1780912362953300892.post-43319491843451898952014-12-11T20:00:00.000-07:002014-12-11T20:31:11.004-07:00Pass Mountain 10kA little late, since this was actually mid-November...<br />
<br />
Originally, I wasn't going to do Pass Mountain, since it fell on the same day as the Lead-Follow Endurance ride at McDowell and I had plans to ride. Well, the original ride plans fell through...and the subsequent plans fell through...and all of my efforts to obtain a ride resulted in nothing, so I decided to go do a trail run instead.<br />
<br />
Pass Mountain was yet another <a href="http://www.aravaiparunning.com/" target="_blank">Aravaipa Running</a> race, which meant awesome swag, great trails, and another well-run, organized, fun race.<br />
<br />
The race was held at Usery Mountain Park, which I've ridden at for years and years and know the trails all really well. (Said it before, I'll be in trouble when I get to a race where I've not been to and have to actually pay attention to where I'm going.<br />
<br />
This one was also just the weekend after my half marathon at San Tan, so I stuck with the shorter 10k distance as a good stretch-out. I'd also talked one of my buddies from the group I run with into bumping up to the 10k, and told her I'd run it with her.<br />
<br />
The 10k course stayed down on the flatter part of the park trails, so it was almost infinitely runnable. My challenge to myself was to see how much of it I could run, non-stop. And with the exception of the short climb up Cat's Peak Pass, I did end up running the whole thing.<br />
<br />
It was a fun change to run with someone...I typically run alone, intentionally...I like the time to be in my head-space and sort things out. But for a shorter race, I really enjoyed it.<br />
<br />
We ended up doing the 10k in about 1:06.<br />
<br />
Seriously short race report this time, since it really was a short, fun day on basic, straight-forward trails, and no drama involved.<br />
<br />
I will do a quick "<b>Gear Used</b>" rundown though:<br />
<br />
Buff Headband (and as you can see in the photos, hair was loosely braided, so I had some hair movement happening)<br />
Oakley Minute 2.0 sunglasses<br />
<a href="http://www.inknburn.com/" target="_blank">INKnBURN "Flutter" tech shirt</a> (I <i>love</i> these shirts. Awesome designs, comfortable, breathable.)<br />
New Balance running shorts<br />
Shock Absorber "Ultimate Run" sports bra<br />
SmartWool socks<br />
New Balance Fresh Foam WT980 shoes<br />
Ultimate Direction Ultra Vesta hydration vest<br />
<br />
<br />
Photos from the day, courtesy of Aravaipa Running!<br />
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<i>bombing down Cat's Peak Pass</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ5ABLF4edoAEEeJNDjj22I7ftGpTOvA4jxO8U4x87fLij_RmHz9-UEfSnd52Z8YKMlM0UOV8q7Gn7SQGWEWJsKxm_Fd3B201BaoiAaUNUjgg3Vp5s9Wn6zCwP5guil_zKnuWR4cicKfwy/s1600/p76061797-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ5ABLF4edoAEEeJNDjj22I7ftGpTOvA4jxO8U4x87fLij_RmHz9-UEfSnd52Z8YKMlM0UOV8q7Gn7SQGWEWJsKxm_Fd3B201BaoiAaUNUjgg3Vp5s9Wn6zCwP5guil_zKnuWR4cicKfwy/s1600/p76061797-6.jpg" height="320" width="213" /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1qQGTDQMIWVWd10jSjwTfPxX6pTe07k78CocuHByKiLbwinzhO2lH-XdnVPbaYJWm_Kw1MFJnJKbVsQiu22lPPvJnWDgDS1FKLzLn_EBneJ-XazAF1grH-fFi1zPeXlBlMlDSHTKBD1lZ/s1600/p293080976-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="display: inline !important; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1qQGTDQMIWVWd10jSjwTfPxX6pTe07k78CocuHByKiLbwinzhO2lH-XdnVPbaYJWm_Kw1MFJnJKbVsQiu22lPPvJnWDgDS1FKLzLn_EBneJ-XazAF1grH-fFi1zPeXlBlMlDSHTKBD1lZ/s1600/p293080976-6.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>finish!</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUrZeLPkTMUpRZkKGp4rvjtl-_bG7yBVGYakNTc3Ogxg4RK4zqVGpLPSMgF3W-OedcNyuYUA480myLXllPD0EDIbqh57rmsfXoykWz-YuAEUJ0DOewiYBJiWaG88kfXKBvPwMldLnuZvxv/s1600/p289437541-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUrZeLPkTMUpRZkKGp4rvjtl-_bG7yBVGYakNTc3Ogxg4RK4zqVGpLPSMgF3W-OedcNyuYUA480myLXllPD0EDIbqh57rmsfXoykWz-YuAEUJ0DOewiYBJiWaG88kfXKBvPwMldLnuZvxv/s1600/p289437541-6.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEija8bBIhTqEVH4lhunPoz3IORwwutSxl7CdKqnGIlFPrYvoE7_9TILx0mwQeDMJBKOqmTeiOKVYxV2U2o08NKAMxHVsB5M46osJe9W4591BWoi2A_gb5FEXrhyLhMyzrbKT8MaEBw7zLBT/s1600/p236389002-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEija8bBIhTqEVH4lhunPoz3IORwwutSxl7CdKqnGIlFPrYvoE7_9TILx0mwQeDMJBKOqmTeiOKVYxV2U2o08NKAMxHVsB5M46osJe9W4591BWoi2A_gb5FEXrhyLhMyzrbKT8MaEBw7zLBT/s1600/p236389002-6.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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<i>running buddies!</i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjgNxscKiKmzZ9QImjaQBEDb6WONgRE5gV5YVZmo9DqrYLHr3j3bS0WRXLh26WNhudiBrtmepPYtWNCTLAvmHmeb72yADizd-aEKo_25gNxUWbcNCCEAkvueunc6TPlLN0vXEIFk8SxWQZ/s1600/p412378570-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjgNxscKiKmzZ9QImjaQBEDb6WONgRE5gV5YVZmo9DqrYLHr3j3bS0WRXLh26WNhudiBrtmepPYtWNCTLAvmHmeb72yADizd-aEKo_25gNxUWbcNCCEAkvueunc6TPlLN0vXEIFk8SxWQZ/s1600/p412378570-6.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>me and Carolyn did the 10k</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrByvFW13WC74cwAV3EntVk6Z2vI98I1o79ISwqhzC_nsHvMq9VnJ8g40g2NcWWCEcUiQpVUeijW-qq0AUYo21EaxV31rgq_ZK0j7oc309Nh_XklzFvYpoe3jq_M_lQSwebkYk1HUmXftO/s1600/p766496324-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrByvFW13WC74cwAV3EntVk6Z2vI98I1o79ISwqhzC_nsHvMq9VnJ8g40g2NcWWCEcUiQpVUeijW-qq0AUYo21EaxV31rgq_ZK0j7oc309Nh_XklzFvYpoe3jq_M_lQSwebkYk1HUmXftO/s1600/p766496324-6.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>me and Leslie (she did the 25k)</i></td></tr>
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<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-u2CN9VNs-ls%2FVIpX4X4W8NI%2FAAAAAAAADdA%2F4TbiHQKD7wM%2Fs1600%2Fp289437541-6.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUrZeLPkTMUpRZkKGp4rvjtl-_bG7yBVGYakNTc3Ogxg4RK4zqVGpLPSMgF3W-OedcNyuYUA480myLXllPD0EDIbqh57rmsfXoykWz-YuAEUJ0DOewiYBJiWaG88kfXKBvPwMldLnuZvxv/s1600/p289437541-6.jpg" -->Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04720090581233703530noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1780912362953300892.post-41669564701845875922014-12-01T13:40:00.001-07:002014-12-11T20:01:20.542-07:00an experimentAs most regular readers have probably noticed, it's been a little content-lite around here of late...and very horsey-content-lite. There's actually a reason (aside from my laziness and lack of motivation) for that.<br />
<br />
I was dealing with a frustrating and somewhat disheartening issue with Mimi. Even since last year, I'd started having some intermittent problems with her tripping on the hind end, specifically when we were working in the sand arena. I did some basic evaluations of how she moved in-hand (sound), gave her a good trim, booted her all around...and it would still happen, every time I would ride in the arena, we'd hit a deeper patch of sand, and she would stumble or catch her hind end.<br />
<br />
It got really, really frustrating, to the point where I basically didn't ride her for the better part of the summer/early fall. The fatalistic part of me thought, "Well, that's it...years of use has finally caught up to us, she's gone permanently crunchy, and one of these days, she's going to fall down on me." It was upsetting to me because I didn't know <i>why</i> (and don't have the $$$ to throw at a lot of vet diagnostics); it was upsetting to her because she's a careful, sensible horse with smart footwork -- I could see it visibly upsetting her every time she would trip, and she would try <i>so hard</i> not to.<br />
<br />
So I gave her some time off from riding. I still went to the barn, still spent time with her, still trimmed her. She was obviously feeling good, watching her run out to the pasture (moving sound!).<br />
<br />
About six weeks ago, I<i> </i>needed pony time. Don't even remember the specifics now, just that I needed to be on my pony's back. I had gone down to the barn not intending to ride, but something compelled me to hop up on her, bareback, using the only gear I currently had down at the barn, which was her dinky little sidepull.<br />
<br />
She was perfect.<br />
<br />
She gave me a smooth walk, and her trot was more than eager. My bareback seat is less-than-impressive (especially on what is essentially a 55-gallon drum), so I really don't do anything other than a slow trot pace, but she wanted to do more.<br />
<br />
Hmm.<br />
<br />
A week later, I repeated the experiment, this time slightly better equipped with bareback pad and actual headstall-with-brakes. Again, excellent, and even offering to canter. (Umm, no. Canter + bareback = Ash hits the dirt.)<br />
<br />
The <i>only </i>thing that was different was a lack of saddle.<br />
<br />
A part of my brain had toyed with the idea that maybe my saddle was too narrow (again!) for her. Part of me argued that we did all of our 50s in that saddle without any soreness...but she's a lot softer and out of shape now. I also didn't want to look too seriously at this possibility because it would mean needing a new saddle, which isn't in the current budget. (So, a permanently retired pasture puff was somehow the better option here? Don't ask me how my brain works sometimes...)<br />
<br />
A couple of whiney texts later (that would be me whining), Lucy offered up her spare-spare treeless saddle -- a Barefoot Cheyenne model -- for me to test out my theory. I got the saddle last week, and after doing a make-over to one of my Skito pads to bolster it up to treeless saddle requirements, I headed out to the barn yesterday to test it out.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKy9fUG9TooCu-rPnoxzqFByymqwid7mXeoeeK_zDxXaB2pH8XNm9BbDoO8iWVDJl7dOvfrGVEW5BHTC_vx3Vz3PQXLQO7baL1SKvEWk2CiLHYHgtGc0i3nhyStCTrTyVeWXXNqf1SryAC/s1600/photo+1+(4).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKy9fUG9TooCu-rPnoxzqFByymqwid7mXeoeeK_zDxXaB2pH8XNm9BbDoO8iWVDJl7dOvfrGVEW5BHTC_vx3Vz3PQXLQO7baL1SKvEWk2CiLHYHgtGc0i3nhyStCTrTyVeWXXNqf1SryAC/s1600/photo+1+(4).JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>all decked out...maybe now we'll have somewhere to go?</i></td></tr>
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She <i>loved </i>it. We got a good 45 minutes of arena work in -- walk/trot/canter/circles -- and she was an angel. I've had a lot of resistance from her of late with wanting to rush the gate/acting arena sour...and that wasn't the case this time.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
She also offered up the most <i>lovely</i>, rolling, collected-on-her-own canter I have felt from her in for a couple of years now. And that was entirely spontaneous on her part. She was also giving me her big trot -- the kind that makes 16hh horses canter to keep up. Awww, pony legs. :)))</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The biggest thing was to have all of this happen in the arena. It's not secret between her and I that we both prefer the trail, and begrudgingly do arena stuff when it's the best we've got. Arena work also is my way of getting honest feedback from her. She's got an outstanding work ethic (I can only hope any subsequent horses are half as good), especially on trail, and will work through most discomfort if it means getting down the trail. In the arena, her feedback is more honest (a bit 'Princess and the Pea'-esque, to be honest), so to have her that forward and cheerful about arena stuff was exceptionally good.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Now we just need to get back out on trail. (And if she's this forward and cheerful, I may bring along that running martingale and remind her that the overabundance of enthusiasm isn't necessary.)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMDDWu3SeXYrzQoruZt96pJjoOTw9hLvikG5tqgCyF2OIuoWP9QmxFBmJ9hOGBVIIuo9mVnYEG1GC9WaaidSb8ZLodZZl6Fz3KXrdAL2EQyi-5XO8jDIT-kIcf1WXcpvHYN_0BBG9LWmWB/s1600/photo+2+(4).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMDDWu3SeXYrzQoruZt96pJjoOTw9hLvikG5tqgCyF2OIuoWP9QmxFBmJ9hOGBVIIuo9mVnYEG1GC9WaaidSb8ZLodZZl6Fz3KXrdAL2EQyi-5XO8jDIT-kIcf1WXcpvHYN_0BBG9LWmWB/s1600/photo+2+(4).JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>fuzzy face!!!<br />she is </i>SO <i>fluffy this winter...all of them are. which<br />probably means it's gonna be cold. brrrr.</i></td></tr>
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Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04720090581233703530noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1780912362953300892.post-65070308043386843032014-11-11T12:04:00.003-07:002014-11-11T15:44:45.833-07:00XTerra Trail Run: San Tan Half-MarathonAlmost five years ago, I tried my first half marathon, the PF Chang's Rock-N-Roll. I finished, but it wasn't pretty -- but what should I have expected from minimal training, and a fitness level more suited to saddle time than foot time? I also -- not surprisingly -- managed to break myself along the way, finishing with a foot that was either very heavily bruised or stress fractured (no, I never went to a doctor to confirm either way...it has to involve arterial spray or dangling limbs for me to go to a doctor). So I finished, but I didn't feel like I had finished well...there was the satisfaction of having done so, but it sure hadn't been a whole lot of fun.<br />
<br />
Fast forward to this season of trail running. My goal has always been to keep increasing the miles. I finally, <i>finally</i> managed to do this running thing right in gradually building up and not letting my enthusiasm get the better of me, and I've felt amazingly good with how I'm doing.<br />
<br />
I'd signed up for the XTerra San Tan way back in the summer as a way to have a goal on the calendar to train for. Doing the back-to-back races last month in Cave Creek was a good physical and mental boost -- the two combined would add up to the same mileage as the half marathon -- the difference would be smashing them together without a multi-hour break in between.<br />
<br />
Part of why I was excited about a race at San Tan was these are <i>my </i>trails. After riding down there for so many years, I know pretty much every dip, turn, and rock in the area. I know there is an end to the awful sand washes, I know where I can speed up and where to conserve for what's still to come, and the chances of getting lost were essentially impossible.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXELxTS8FlJoRBpkW4idQy0Khu0rBmAEcXnLWMhbbZMuruxhRTYIaPnsQKGM4NR2-vJNR26JvjHW3LqkyYp-XwDQONWStYwEvsJvzrVOmInrUJs9sY46j1NlJXwe_wvIXLBRbL4MIpYCyM/s1600/10806424_10104324233183931_8672105536497951272_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXELxTS8FlJoRBpkW4idQy0Khu0rBmAEcXnLWMhbbZMuruxhRTYIaPnsQKGM4NR2-vJNR26JvjHW3LqkyYp-XwDQONWStYwEvsJvzrVOmInrUJs9sY46j1NlJXwe_wvIXLBRbL4MIpYCyM/s320/10806424_10104324233183931_8672105536497951272_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>sunrise on my familiar mountains</i></td></tr>
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<br />
This race was being put on by <a href="http://www.aztrailrace.com/santan.html" target="_blank">XTerra</a>, another trail running organization that puts on multiple races a year. I did my packet pick-up ahead of time -- Sole Sports is close enough to justify me driving to it, plus I needed a restock on some supplies. Got my number and shirt, and they had a "create your own goodie bag" set up where you could grab PowerBar gels and bars.<br />
<br />
Saturday morning, I was up even before the alarm went off -- I guess that's what happens when I go to bed early. I left myself lots of time to get ready, which was good when my tumbleweed cloud of hair would <i>not</i> cooperate into anything other than my standard pigtail braids. I also had time to stop in at the McDonald's drive-thru on the way down to the San Tans and grab a sausage biscuit -- the lack of egg means it's something I can actually stomach that early in the morning.<br />
<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcqW2uUNugDcUWiVU7A_FXRmyUGBeZLuVddBueghXu8ss5CV-TPOAVrrr5kh743ZTFCFyRC5rkGAUQ_jSh7l0UynqGKNxajo69adWAvCJKaDqBIKnxEO7t2O0Mo-EGsGXRhB6KMCNBQ9Gc/s1600/14275_10104323366226321_2387419185140301920_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcqW2uUNugDcUWiVU7A_FXRmyUGBeZLuVddBueghXu8ss5CV-TPOAVrrr5kh743ZTFCFyRC5rkGAUQ_jSh7l0UynqGKNxajo69adWAvCJKaDqBIKnxEO7t2O0Mo-EGsGXRhB6KMCNBQ9Gc/s320/14275_10104323366226321_2387419185140301920_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>all taped up and ready to go...using kinesiology tape for extra<br />support in areas I know could be potential weak spots<br />Yes, those are nuclear warning symbols...<br />yes, I have a sick sense of humor</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Phoenix weather has now gotten to the point where it's kind of chilly in the mornings, so I had worn sweatpants and a hoodie for the drive down, and changed into my race gear once I got to the park. This time around, I used:<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://buffusa.com/sports/collections/uv-headband-buff-reg/styles/uv-headband-buff-sari-turquoise" target="_blank">Headband Buff</a></li>
<li>Oakley Minute 2.0 sunglasses (discontinued style...sooo sad, they're my favorites)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.panache-lingerie.com/en/products/details/panache-sport/sports-bra/sports-bra/geo-print" target="_blank">Panache sports bra</a> (probably TMI, but it's one of the best compromises I've found for effective but functional/comfortable for both riding and running for those of us who are more well-endowed up top)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.sierratradingpost.com/columbia-sportswear-omni-freeze-freezer-iii-tank-top-upf-50-for-women~p~7811r/?colorFamily=03" target="_blank">Columbia Omni-Freeze Freezer III tank top</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.thedistancedepot.com/Kerrits_Ice_Fil_Sleeves_p/ftr-kifs.htm" target="_blank">Kerrits IceFil sleeves</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.sierratradingpost.com/moving-comfort-endurance-shorts-for-women~p~4045a/?colorFamily=08" target="_blank">Moving Comfort Endurance shorts</a> with built-in brief, because:</li>
<ul>
<li>To quote <a href="http://www.fundersgoodidea.com/" target="_blank">Funder</a>, "Death to panties!" (again, TMI, but I have found the one situation I cannot stand undies, and that would be running...can't keep them from doing a downward migration as I run)</li>
</ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/WrightSock-Womens-Coolmesh-Stripe-Single/dp/B00IVFRZDG/ref=sr_1_16?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1415650864&sr=1-16" target="_blank">WrightSock CoolMesh II</a> socks</li>
<li><a href="http://www.dirtygirlgaiters.com/" target="_blank">Dirty Girl gaiters</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.newbalance.com/pd/fresh-foam-980-trail/WT980.html" target="_blank">New Balance Fresh Foam 980 Trail</a> shoes</li>
<li><a href="http://www.ultimatedirection.com/p-612-ultra-vesta.aspx?category=hydration-packs" target="_blank">Ultimate Direction Ultra Vesta</a> hydration pack</li>
</ul>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>geared up, complete with "what was I thinking?" look</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Race start was at 7:30, and people started shuffling over to the starting line a few minutes ahead for the pre-race briefing. Course markings were red arrows on laminated signs attached to either small wooden stakes in the ground or existing trail markers. The race director warned that this was a tough course.<br />
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<br /></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>start line madness</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
There was a good-sized entry field -- 112 in the half marathon. I had one fairly large concern about this particular race, and that was the time cut-off. Course closed at 11:00AM, which meant a 3-1/2 hour time cut-off for finishing. I'm <i>not</i> a fast runner. In my sign-up sheet, I gave a predicted 3 hour and 15 minute finish time, with my "if it all goes really well" goal in my head of finishing in 3 hours.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Just based on the cut-off time and large entry field, I sort of predicted this would be a fairly competitive race, so I hung way to the back at the start. 7:30 on the nose, they released the pack, and I shuffled out at the back at my typical slow start pace.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It usually takes me about a mile to warm up, get control of my breathing, and settle into a comfortable pace, so I sort of like courses that are slow and technical at the start. Unfortunately, this wasn't one of them. The first several miles are extremely runnable -- a gradual, smooth uphill on mostly-doubletrack trail -- and this is the kind of course that, if it's runnable, you need to be running, because there are plenty of other parts where you will <i>not</i> be running (at least if you're me).</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Examining my split times, turns out that first mile was actually my fastest pace, but it felt really good. A very pleasant surprise awaited me on this section of the trail -- since the last time I had been to the San Tans, they had installed a new single-track section on the hillside above what had previous been a wash trail. This was <i>exceptionally</i> nice, and the trail itself was this very gradual uphill with some little dips and twists that made it very fun. With that much nice trail at my disposal, I ran the first several miles non-stop.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigVXo4X20NLJnHcwBelvy18YwGf4R-UpkZCgI1tNcCtHM3ez5aCcdvV6y7RHg42I2snczn4woyhfNdJTtM6ajJd3PbJJKjoebIdZwBecvMf6C5_3UMjg-o2wJt2N0nkE3nfMhZsVAj5xWF/s1600/10801596_10104324234516261_1632143122020637814_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigVXo4X20NLJnHcwBelvy18YwGf4R-UpkZCgI1tNcCtHM3ez5aCcdvV6y7RHg42I2snczn4woyhfNdJTtM6ajJd3PbJJKjoebIdZwBecvMf6C5_3UMjg-o2wJt2N0nkE3nfMhZsVAj5xWF/s320/10801596_10104324234516261_1632143122020637814_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>views forever<br />this is a short climb up before the trail descends towards the flat,<br />and has traditionally been a "pause for a breather and photo" stop<br />with the horses...had to keep with tradition, of course</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
There was another short section of re-routed trail -- another wash avoided! -- and then there was an aid station at three miles. I grabbed a cup of water and cup of gatorade, chugged both, then began the dreaded Malpais section, which is several miles of sand wash, broken up partway through by a climb up to solid service road, more climbing on rocky service road, and then a descent back into the wash.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlC3350_2Hl2mWuVeXXy3Y8chW3r5L1hlHkpmGr_ir2Z4n3tRc3sMfluTbg3gX7o57kZnA7Fp2-XNwfOwU-rGzyjv24AKjWpLJVb-Z-VKsiJ6zEbcpy9N0y8xS9V4N-FmD9Zgskqe4EoFi/s1600/10701997_10104324235599091_6508295238302587979_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlC3350_2Hl2mWuVeXXy3Y8chW3r5L1hlHkpmGr_ir2Z4n3tRc3sMfluTbg3gX7o57kZnA7Fp2-XNwfOwU-rGzyjv24AKjWpLJVb-Z-VKsiJ6zEbcpy9N0y8xS9V4N-FmD9Zgskqe4EoFi/s320/10701997_10104324235599091_6508295238302587979_n.jpg" width="234" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>ugh, this wash<br />not a fan on horseback, not a fan on foot</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
And most of the wash is the deep stuff that you slog through. Ironically enough, I discovered that it was actually easier to jog it -- sort of a snowshoe effect -- versus walk it, where you sank deeper into the sand and went even slower.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i>(Endurance riding note here: I have a new appreciation for the difficulty level of sand, and a new respect for the proper conditioning a sand-based ride takes. That said, I'm glad to live in the desert and have the sand to train in, because I would rather train in it than try to take a non-sand-conditioned horse to a desert ride.)</i></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This was one of those sports where knowing the trail come in handy -- I knew that the wash actually <i>did</i> have an end. Mileage-wise, I was feeling a little discouraged, because they had signs posted at every mile, and I hadn't seen mile 4 yet. So imagine my surprise, when right at the end of the wash, was a "mile 5" signed posted! Talk about a boost! Apparently I hadn't been paying attention right around mile 4 or something.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Immediately out of the wash is a climb -- about 150' elevation gain in half a mile -- but you're so glad to be out of the wash and on solid ground, you don't even care that you're climbing. Unfortunately, once you're on the other side of a nice downhill, it turns into more sand for another mile or so, but once you're out of that, you're done with sand for the rest of the course.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Another aid station at 7 miles -- more water and gatorade, although my system started giving me some warning that it was not all that appreciative of the gatorade. 7 miles -- over half way, and in 1:26!! </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This section of trail is one of my favorites -- lots of up and down single track, and extremely runnable. Somewhere around mile 8.5-ish, I started paying the price for fun in that I had forgotten to bodyglide up thigh area when changing from sweatpants to shorts, and now was getting some chafing as a result of sweat + running motion. I tried sticking a piece of moleskin to my leg, but the running motion just peeled it up, so off it went and I ignored it. If that was the worst discomfort I was in, I could tough out a little bit of chafing. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Another aid station at just about 9 miles -- I grabbed just water that time. Supposedly, at least according to the website information, it was advertised that the aid stations would have water, gatorade, power bars, and gels. Unfortunately, that wasn't actually the case, as the only thing I ever saw was water and gatorade. Disappointing, as I could have used some stuff to munch on. Fortunately, I was carrying gels and chews with me, and I went through two gels and a pack of chews, but I like my "real" food -- even a power bar would have been good, but I didn't bring any of those because I thought they would have them out at the aid stations.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The next section was one that was newer to me -- a recent trail addition to the park that I had only ridden a couple of times. There was one uphill section that was exposed, in full sun, and a bit of a slog, especially since the trail was full of people out for a casual hike that I had to keep dodging as they would stop for their scenic photos.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The reward for the uphill was an awesome section of mostly-shady downhill for about a mile and half -- all runnable -- and into the aid station at 11.5 miles. More water, and then the part I was dreading...the climb up Goldmine Mountain.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5XqWtiZgd1aTsHxZdF-W2XFO_-8IP28kUUL6BEl78tPHLCtzNSLx3KmMY9PQMqQl67mc6Esy5CgUF_dvyqIqgUgbnT75pUafSFQ6Bj4BuarrYVMfE6pbTPpDJLQUR9uMoQ8hOIb-ketae/s1600/elevation+profile.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5XqWtiZgd1aTsHxZdF-W2XFO_-8IP28kUUL6BEl78tPHLCtzNSLx3KmMY9PQMqQl67mc6Esy5CgUF_dvyqIqgUgbnT75pUafSFQ6Bj4BuarrYVMfE6pbTPpDJLQUR9uMoQ8hOIb-ketae/s320/elevation+profile.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>elevation profile from my race</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
See the elevation profile above? See that part where the grey elevation thing goes <i>way </i>high in a <i>very </i>short amount of miles? Yeah...that would be the climb up Goldmine. Not only is it insanely steep, it is very, very rocky. The park actually has a "Warning: Hazardous Trail" sign posted.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I'm not going to lie: This part <i>sucked</i>. Halfway up, I started pausing every 30 seconds or so for a rest, because my quads were threatening a complete mutiny. I all but crawled up the last part, and was so happy to finally reach the top. Funny thing, running felt <i>great </i>at the top -- actually stretched out the protesting quads and hamstrings.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I also had an epic near-wipe-out at the top when my tired feet didn't lift high enough to clear a rock. I felt myself go airborne, and was prepared to totally eat dirt for the first time -- something I'm dreading -- but miraculously, I landed on my feet and kept going. That actually gave me quite the adrenaline boost, and I motored down as best as I could. The down was fairly technical as well, although it was mostly made up of large chunks of solid granite -- my shoes clung to that granite face most excellently -- but it still wasn't a great place to make up time until it leveled out some.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It's all downhill to the finish, and you can see it from a ways out, being up on the foothills of the mountain. When I hit the 13-mile sign, the finish was still a ways away. And while I may not be the greatest ever at judging distance, even I could tell that was more than 1/10 of a mile away. Hmmm. Well, the fine print <i>had</i> said distances may not be exact...</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And then I hit the 13.1-mile sign. Well, there's the official half-marathon distance! And I reached that point in 2:51, so I actually did hit my time goal that had been based on 13.1 miles!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And I still hadn't reached the finish. I really hit a mental wall at that point -- finish was visible, but I still had a comfortable time buffer, my legs were tired, and quite frankly, I didn't want to break myself for finishing a couple of minutes faster or not. So I did a combo of walking and running the last 0.9 miles and crossed the line with a time of 3:06 for 14 miles!!!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I came in 105th out of 112, and 37th out of 41 for women.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
They handed out medals to finishers, so that's kind of fun, having an official race medal.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
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<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
They had a small food spread, so I grabbed some orange slices, a piece of muffin, and half a banana and nibbled on that as I headed back to the suburban. I ditched my race gear, pulled on compression calf sleeves and flip-flops, then headed home where a shower awaited.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i><b>Afterthoughts</b></i></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Two days later, I'm feeling really good. Both Monday and today, I took Artemis out for a walk, a couple miles each time. Low impact, but the stretch felt really good. My overriding goal, aside from just finishing, was to not get hurt. Historically, I haven't had a great track record of this, which doesn't inspire a ton of confidence in my future race goals (just keep moving up the distances).</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This time, the only lingering soreness is some tight spots on my left quad and hamstring, which I can feel pulling on my knee a little bit, but I keep stretching and using the foam roller, plus I've been wearing compression tights during the day since Sunday, and sleeping in compression socks at night. Muscle soreness I can definitely handle, since everything else feels great. I don't even have any blisters, and the chafed area was minimal and healed overnight after an application of aloe lotion.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I'm taking it easy this week -- trying <i>not</i> to be the Queen of Overdoing It for once -- so no Wednesday night group run, and will continue the morning walking through the week. I'm signed up for the Pass Mountain 10k on Saturday put on by my beloved Aravaipa Running group, and I think that will actually be a great leg stretcher since it's a comfortable, easy course.</div>
<div>
<br />
<div>
At the time I signed up for this race, I didn't know who the different companies were that put on these races. Aravaipa put on the first three races I've done, and I have to say, I really like their style. XTerra put on a good race in that it was a well-marked course, and they seem competent and professional, but their emphasis is obviously on faster racing. I was disappointed by the lack of well-appointed aid stations, and honestly, it just didn't have quite the family-like, welcoming atmosphere that I feel at the Aravaipa races.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I also saw an extreme disregard for trail care and littering -- there was a constant trail of dropped gel packets along the trail, so much that I wouldn't have even needed course markers to follow. :(</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The whole thing reminded me a lot more of road race mentality than ultrarunning mentality, and ultrarunning is what I gravitate to -- it's not just about the race, but about enjoyment of the trail and the experience.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Aravaipa is putting on their own San Tan race in January -- I'm going to sign up for the 26k, which is only 3k longer than what this one ended up being. And while the Aravaipa course goes up over Goldmine, they <i>don't</i> use the Malpais section, which means my quads won't be already trashed from the sand before having to do that climb. Plus, it's a multi-loop course, so the Goldmine climb happens earlier in the race as part of the first loop.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
With the total mileage being 14 miles, that's officially the longest I have ever run. And I ran a lot of it. I've finally gotten to the point that I'm not even really thinking about it...I just run. Back in the spring, I could barely run 1/4-mile non-stop on flat ground. And now? Now I'm finally finding my stride.</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
(Yes, I'm aware my horse blog is turning into a running blog...but the horse life is being uncooperative at the moment, so this is very much a real-time reflection of how to cope with "not everything goes according to plan.")</div>
Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04720090581233703530noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1780912362953300892.post-498214035747619292014-10-23T21:22:00.004-07:002014-10-23T21:22:40.992-07:00reality checkLest I get too full of myself post race success...there's always a reality check gremlin lurking just around the corner, ready to make my acquaintance.<br />
<br />
In this particular case, it was Wednesday's group run, which was another vertical rock climb that was more hike than run...and completely demoralizing. There was a part of my brain that argued that I maybe I should have stayed home and given my body that had just done 21k over the weekend and a still-sore foot a break...but the part of my brain that jumps into the deep end with anything new wanted to prove how serious I am about being a part of the group and this running thing didn't want to miss a week. And I had a new pair of more-cushioned shoes to test out -- nothing like a good run as an acid test, right?<br />
<br />
(Hey, I never said I made smart decisions.)<br />
<br />
Bottom line? As good as I felt after Saturday, I was equally humbled after Wednesday. Not only was there a ton of climbing, but the trail was incredibly technical and very rocky. My new shoes have quite a bit of cushion on them, which I suspect I need for the support...but the trade-off is lack of ground feel, and I felt like I was wobbling all over the place as I'd hit rocks and random uneven surfaces.<br />
<br />
Not my finest moment...and in retrospect, I didn't exactly set myself up for success. Let's see: a still-sore foot that I was altering my running gait in an attempt to protect, new shoes that I'd never tried on trail, in the dark, still-recovering body from race weekend. <i>How </i>was this supposed to end well???<br />
<br />
Needless to say, runs like that do nothing for my self-confidence levels, especially when I start thinking ahead on the topic of moving up in distances. Over the weekend, I was all cheerful and gung-ho about my future race plans, full of confidence, bombing down the trails without a second thought or care. Last night, the gremlins were all pointing and laughing at me, my confidence shattered, straggling along at the back of the pack, and the only thought in my mind being "I don't wanna get hurt."<br />
<br />
Maybe this is all part of the process? Some sort of a self-governor that keeps the ambitions to a sensible dull roar? It's certainly not exclusive to running, I know that much...I can't begin to count how much roller-coaster ups and downs I've experienced in horses themselves, not to mention distance riding specifically, and the personal, non-horse-and-running life is <i>certainly</i> not excluded by any means.<br />
<br />
I'm not expecting cloud nine all the time...I'm not that unrealistic...but it would be nice if the roller coasters would coordinate among themselves sometime...I gotta have something to fall back on to maintain my functional levels of sanity at most points in time.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXbigG0n6IkgLIKmEFFW7Z2YspDbTISNLm9b0MNsrSF_x_Jq_eDVq90rWoSk1UjKaDnj8O9sivpctHkWqZX0GoMAUngRNMQAsih5wfDHsZK-hTryBgr9uoZrQauUA9s4UeegTMg44n0D3o/s1600/59a5d4ca6897b66d7a02e1e27db4084c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXbigG0n6IkgLIKmEFFW7Z2YspDbTISNLm9b0MNsrSF_x_Jq_eDVq90rWoSk1UjKaDnj8O9sivpctHkWqZX0GoMAUngRNMQAsih5wfDHsZK-hTryBgr9uoZrQauUA9s4UeegTMg44n0D3o/s1600/59a5d4ca6897b66d7a02e1e27db4084c.jpg" height="140" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>I have to remind myself of this...everything has ups and downs,<br />good times and bad...but if it means something, it's worth it.<br />So much of what I do and who I am involves serious head games<br />and a certain level of mental toughness.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><div>
On the bright side? Even on my worst day, I'm still faster than a zombie, so have a decent chance of surviving the inevitable zombie apocalypse. </div>
Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04720090581233703530noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1780912362953300892.post-42004302210580886722014-10-21T21:09:00.000-07:002014-10-21T21:09:04.365-07:00Cave Creek Thriller 11k/Thrasher Night Run 10kI totally know how to Do Everything Right before a run, including: a very technical, brutal hike/"run" three days ahead with lots of tricky footwork, babying along an already-sore foot/ankle caused by who-knows-what, and a Friday evening emotional meltdown followed by a round of whiskey and ice cream. Yep, sounds like a <i>great</i> taper routine.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt1dkhxAhsHgjCnJrsEGEv6wYqxwU5me5c0tNZc4X60hPKyzSlLJxhh-AH_2QK4q8AxoIK4rsZ8FKrC82jyc0zEz-hVWtpVjnT_9-uxllYxzby11LDwYAk1AYZq6IF_bIxLSR_VLIrAPkg/s1600/photo+1+(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt1dkhxAhsHgjCnJrsEGEv6wYqxwU5me5c0tNZc4X60hPKyzSlLJxhh-AH_2QK4q8AxoIK4rsZ8FKrC82jyc0zEz-hVWtpVjnT_9-uxllYxzby11LDwYAk1AYZq6IF_bIxLSR_VLIrAPkg/s1600/photo+1+(3).JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>the rock pile, otherwise known as the Holbert Trail at South<br />Mountain -- the trail is visible in the lower left-hand corner of<br />the photo, and goes up from there...</i></td></tr>
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<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRy1oppKq7woEwlXDb6O-d8z1yyut_ZbyBVKuKKpnw0mlJWOrLdDXY6VCm5cnhJlJgFVGLs-tggQfFkWpsRuN4QZNoz3EwqircNkQwVPVSUoEL9Mtf0p8xLOCzOsBjMRn6oZGzWkKO-taP/s1600/photo+2+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRy1oppKq7woEwlXDb6O-d8z1yyut_ZbyBVKuKKpnw0mlJWOrLdDXY6VCm5cnhJlJgFVGLs-tggQfFkWpsRuN4QZNoz3EwqircNkQwVPVSUoEL9Mtf0p8xLOCzOsBjMRn6oZGzWkKO-taP/s1600/photo+2+(2).JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>runner fuel???</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Questionable decisions about what constitutes an ideal taper aside, I had an awesome run weekend as I attempted my first double header races: the <a href="http://www.aravaiparunning.com/cave-creek-thriller/" target="_blank">Cave Creek Thriller 11k</a> in the morning, followed by the <a href="http://aravaiparunning.com/network/insomniac/thrasher/#Thrasher" target="_blank">Thrasher Night Run 10k</a> less than 12 hours later, both held at the Cave Creek Regional Park over virtually the same course, both put on by <a href="http://www.aravaiparunning.com/" target="_blank">Aravaipa Running</a>.<br />
<br />
(I have to take a moment here and proclaim the awesomeness of Aravaipa. I am completely spoiled by the three races I've been to that have been put on by them, in addition to also participating in their weekly group training runs. The events are top-notch, well-organized, have <i>amazing</i> run swag, and attract a fun bunch of people, and I'm really enjoying the social aspect of the weekly group runs.)<br />
<br />
I had every intention of doing a reconnaissance run at Cave Creek ahead of time...but time got away from me, and my knowledge of the course ended up being maybe half of it that I had hiked a couple of years ago. Better than nothing, at least.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Cave Creek Thriller 11k</i></b><br />
<br />
True to my overly-prepared form, I had everything packed and ready Friday evening: clothes laid out, extra clothes packed, hydration pack filled, water bottles filled, snacks sorted and packed. Good thing, too, since I accidentally set my alarm to go off on week<i>days</i> versus the week<i>end</i>. Oops. Fortunately my reliable, four-legged alarm clock squeaked at me and I only slept in about 15 minutes past when I was supposed to be up.<br />
<br />
There's also virtually no traffic at 6:00 on a Saturday morning, so the hour-long drive up to Cave Creek was smooth sailing. I was still up there later than I wanted to be in that I had to park a little ways from the start/finish area...but it at least made for a nice walking warm-up. I checked in, got my number bib and <i>awesome</i> race t-shirt, then headed back to the truck to finish getting ready.<br />
<br />
<b>Gear Used: </b>(morning edition, top to bottom)<br />
<a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/funkycowgirlbands?ref=l2-shop-info-name" target="_blank">Funky Cowgirl Bands</a> Sugar Skull headband<br />
Oakley Minute 2.0 sunglasses<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Columbia-Total-Summer-Orange-Large/dp/B0089169KW/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1413943080&sr=8-9&keywords=columbia+omni-freeze+zero" target="_blank">Columbia Total Zero Tank Top</a><br />
<a href="https://www.victoriassecret.com/bras/sports-bras/the-standout-by-victoria39s-secret-sport-bra-victorias-secret-sport?ProductID=203102&CatalogueType=OLS" target="_blank">Victoria's Secret Standout</a> sports bra<br />
<a href="https://www.thedistancedepot.com/Kerrits_Ice_Fil_Sleeves_p/ftr-kifs.htm" target="_blank">Kerrits IceFil sleeves</a><br />
New Balance running shorts<br />
Smartwool anklet socks<br />
<a href="http://www.newtonrunning.com/womens-high-performance-all-terrain-trainer" target="_blank">Newton BocoAT</a> trail runners<br />
<a href="http://www.dirtygirlgaiters.com/sugarskull.html" target="_blank">Dirty Girl Gaiters in "Day of the Dirt"</a> (matches the headband!)<br />
<a href="http://www.ultimatedirection.com/p-612-ultra-vesta.aspx?category=hydration-packs" target="_blank">Ultimate Direction Ultra Vesta hydration pack</a><br />
<br />
I somehow manage to turn this into just as much of a stuff used ordeal as riding. :)<br />
<br />
Once I was all ready, I had about 15 minutes before the start of the 11k, so I took advantage of the permanent restroom facilities, then made my way over to the start line. There was a quick "follow these ribbons and these signs on these trails" briefing, then the countdown was on, and we were off!<br />
<br />
There were 81 people in the 11k, so it was a slow-moving cluster at the start. I headed out in approximately the last third of the pack as basically stayed there. Going out too fast is something I am very cognizant about and deliberately make myself hold back and start slow.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCpi7s_M4dMvreWsD41GoAnvQ3U88QsfRAeTfpk85wvXHBy9tXvAhUtnDxprl1zGa45Sg7_Ack8YX5Yv_-QM_k6HizEPUVItm0UVAE7AfDDa601vrQfgjX_-U63RuZcdq4mhJxuAtzO0us/s1600/IMG_3077.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCpi7s_M4dMvreWsD41GoAnvQ3U88QsfRAeTfpk85wvXHBy9tXvAhUtnDxprl1zGa45Sg7_Ack8YX5Yv_-QM_k6HizEPUVItm0UVAE7AfDDa601vrQfgjX_-U63RuZcdq4mhJxuAtzO0us/s1600/IMG_3077.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>let's do this thing!</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghpeHke28L9k-uZU4ZDAY1Fx-ZzT_8Ot1DDV1VY51qx7pf-0EQdOz2cX_bAZAWF3pA45TGpUFnSMZvHae1vSw2Pzpz0vPfHHaFMD0wQM9wKn9I3oPtQ2NJzoaPrh1WhskrzrPdq9zRSvZE/s1600/IMG_3078.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghpeHke28L9k-uZU4ZDAY1Fx-ZzT_8Ot1DDV1VY51qx7pf-0EQdOz2cX_bAZAWF3pA45TGpUFnSMZvHae1vSw2Pzpz0vPfHHaFMD0wQM9wKn9I3oPtQ2NJzoaPrh1WhskrzrPdq9zRSvZE/s1600/IMG_3078.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>a lot of the trail was quite runnable...some<br />uphills that were best walked, usually followed<br />by downhills that more than made up for it</i></td></tr>
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The course also had an aid station at just over the halfway mark -- my first real trail running aid station! I ran in, drank a cup of water and cup of gatorade, ate a couple of boiled potatoes dipped in salt, and grabbed a couple of ginger cookies to nibble on my way out.<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Immediately after the aid station was the Worst Climb Ever to the top of the saddle on the Go John Trail. Aside from a couple of short flat sections, it was a climb best hiked.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn1oQJQgnZHkVrzkieQUSxHNGld-Yhj9F1C0ohtnWioq636ZPn_NNutoj_LM-0PH_DOekKHlQ4zqgVBwN0kDuE1-h3IBk5d-OxxOKRYvkrDCu-bACfDlksLgVdRUlbLLa_LKQ28h80KBLU/s1600/IMG_3080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn1oQJQgnZHkVrzkieQUSxHNGld-Yhj9F1C0ohtnWioq636ZPn_NNutoj_LM-0PH_DOekKHlQ4zqgVBwN0kDuE1-h3IBk5d-OxxOKRYvkrDCu-bACfDlksLgVdRUlbLLa_LKQ28h80KBLU/s1600/IMG_3080.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>we're supposed to end up in that saddle on the left side of the<br />photo, after climbing and switchback basically across the span<br />of the pic</i></td></tr>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiph8lNUltEGHZQA7zHdTMGmwmUsctg8ucxBL7x4aYXT9Oy8saHITbbeagFrw-_8h7NHdiBTfsLC_yn6FcBGRtfNvEAkB42J3VZtnoILm_jLML7q06qBcedIVIT1iNqDEpWVZgZNs-tMfm1/s1600/IMG_3081.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiph8lNUltEGHZQA7zHdTMGmwmUsctg8ucxBL7x4aYXT9Oy8saHITbbeagFrw-_8h7NHdiBTfsLC_yn6FcBGRtfNvEAkB42J3VZtnoILm_jLML7q06qBcedIVIT1iNqDEpWVZgZNs-tMfm1/s1600/IMG_3081.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>immediately out of the aid station</i></td></tr>
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Fortunately, I'm a good hiker. I'm actually a stronger hiker than I am runner, so I just set to hiking/slogging/grumbling my way up that climb.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIonAXA_TTMLW32eF-ZEdqJ3U82HPAExDBW3p8oSmgGkgqkQcgX48M1d3ZERK_4pblIrqnugBtuh7V0yHX1geV343DxilHMsBxbSpzrwrHdllHUsn0j-MYdWPMFsGTLjXFYTrfGLpXzKkK/s1600/IMG_3082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIonAXA_TTMLW32eF-ZEdqJ3U82HPAExDBW3p8oSmgGkgqkQcgX48M1d3ZERK_4pblIrqnugBtuh7V0yHX1geV343DxilHMsBxbSpzrwrHdllHUsn0j-MYdWPMFsGTLjXFYTrfGLpXzKkK/s1600/IMG_3082.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>just the beginning of the climb</i></td></tr>
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<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMwI9sBVNS8TZ9c79_SEssTMk9Yp3W6H4fjn5sGfvvzNS0rq1ejLLcuYYyugB4X2AyCmJMsd60ppLafhc58S2gZyBSLvFRxjcLljgVe5_PTri2apvIgFqH6r7p5ZpmIuJACFHLziGtwS7d/s1600/IMG_3084.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMwI9sBVNS8TZ9c79_SEssTMk9Yp3W6H4fjn5sGfvvzNS0rq1ejLLcuYYyugB4X2AyCmJMsd60ppLafhc58S2gZyBSLvFRxjcLljgVe5_PTri2apvIgFqH6r7p5ZpmIuJACFHLziGtwS7d/s1600/IMG_3084.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>oh-so-attractive middle-of-the-climb faces<br />a patented Ash "what was I thinking???" moment</i></td></tr>
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It was so worth taking my time in the beginning, though, because I ended up passing people on the climb up. And at the top, the climb was rewarded by a fabulous stretch of smooth downhill that you could <i>fly</i>.<div>
<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB72Btve_sfDDTOZBYCU2Kw8wx0lQgvaSODBGN4jDoA8WHQcSWhxiVUMg-d443E8kpOCscfSxT9dvmt5dB7BTldX1Mk0sdQK-qgCrklSVAijReCutTONuvTcOVgxZ6NGv6QPIyPytrqR57/s1600/IMG_3085.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB72Btve_sfDDTOZBYCU2Kw8wx0lQgvaSODBGN4jDoA8WHQcSWhxiVUMg-d443E8kpOCscfSxT9dvmt5dB7BTldX1Mk0sdQK-qgCrklSVAijReCutTONuvTcOVgxZ6NGv6QPIyPytrqR57/s1600/IMG_3085.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>all downhill (mostly) from here...</i></td></tr>
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I'm usually not a super brave downhill runner -- if I'm gonna wipe out, it's most likely going to be on a downhill -- but apparently I have a somewhat reckless side that came out to play over the weekend, and it showed up in the form of going tearing down anything that was even vaguely runnable, and hurtled the rough stuff that wasn't.<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This part was the most fun ever, and the fact it was all exposed with no shade just provided good inspiration for keeping my feet moving and getting back to the finish (and shade) that much faster.<br /><div>
<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ4_aW7On_8sT7BAJPFjon67PfnJ8w9suxb7r2ZxGbS8yHtISHutn2Juvuw_dX6qbVSkWPsAY83NK_g6vZNOyZW8AYGLBmm-kAIYwYJJwJy-EtiNaV3hyphenhyphenOoAb03kLW7cqkc4Im7BJeh1ip/s1600/AVR_14-10-18-09-40-08_0442-(ZF-10409-05202-1-002).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ4_aW7On_8sT7BAJPFjon67PfnJ8w9suxb7r2ZxGbS8yHtISHutn2Juvuw_dX6qbVSkWPsAY83NK_g6vZNOyZW8AYGLBmm-kAIYwYJJwJy-EtiNaV3hyphenhyphenOoAb03kLW7cqkc4Im7BJeh1ip/s1600/AVR_14-10-18-09-40-08_0442-(ZF-10409-05202-1-002).jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>on the home stretch, less than a mile to go<br />photo courtesy of Aravaipa Running</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I finished with a time of 1:27:53, 54th overall out of 81, 20th place female.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG__arEzI2Q_SLKf0U3Gx8oi8l3K_VkUf4yirB8lgyZvouVJjl1mR3pzILJrVGvLmnwMFHi_2kMVEGsyetwynGEj0ULwGpMnMi6IpJGL15JfcmmFY9TfoYhDZa1hosMz5Kv5XcwxgPyP93/s1600/IMG_3086.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG__arEzI2Q_SLKf0U3Gx8oi8l3K_VkUf4yirB8lgyZvouVJjl1mR3pzILJrVGvLmnwMFHi_2kMVEGsyetwynGEj0ULwGpMnMi6IpJGL15JfcmmFY9TfoYhDZa1hosMz5Kv5XcwxgPyP93/s1600/IMG_3086.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>finish swag! beverage jar w the race logo</i></td></tr>
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<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkkA9JLGN3j8G_C_uWaf8bOpV5Ourn0l9ehst5Cxvim6hIvLoWvdbEw__Lh9TdRfzyux0yrzypgONoUPV7JlmX1Tm-LJx_dVdctCRFomDU8U2WJe8OCLmMUrzs3p0ilFypzZ5ibUWE2LxO/s1600/IMG_3087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkkA9JLGN3j8G_C_uWaf8bOpV5Ourn0l9ehst5Cxvim6hIvLoWvdbEw__Lh9TdRfzyux0yrzypgONoUPV7JlmX1Tm-LJx_dVdctCRFomDU8U2WJe8OCLmMUrzs3p0ilFypzZ5ibUWE2LxO/s1600/IMG_3087.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>roadkill runners r us</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div>
Thanks to the weekly group runs I've been doing, I actually know people now, so I had friends to hang out with afterwards, and cheer on people coming in on the 24k and 50k. Since Cave Creek is an hour away, I planned to just stay up there all day versus drive home and drive back again.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
My post-run reward to myself was a pizza lunch from <a href="http://freakbrotherspizza.com/" target="_blank">Freak Brothers Pizza</a> (also run by the Coury brothers that are behind Aravaipa Running):</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgykQS0iicZGBUcXC2qf0BFDtH3lFHsHj0KNRsY2qTHLnJ-pRSXuE6CCpz-lYT6BdNsp6BanpGcX4OdAmeEcsu4Fpv26SH9TULb2Ta873RKSTu59TSWEDmO4_oZrIImTky-SUG4P-Dtl3mZ/s1600/IMG_3088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgykQS0iicZGBUcXC2qf0BFDtH3lFHsHj0KNRsY2qTHLnJ-pRSXuE6CCpz-lYT6BdNsp6BanpGcX4OdAmeEcsu4Fpv26SH9TULb2Ta873RKSTu59TSWEDmO4_oZrIImTky-SUG4P-Dtl3mZ/s1600/IMG_3088.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>fresh, homemade, wood-fired pizza!</i></td></tr>
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Once traffic from the morning races cleared off, I was able to move to a closer parking spot as well, and I took the opportunity to lay down and rest. (Yay for SUVs with lots of space and fold-down seats...love my suburban.) An actual nap didn't happen...a bit too warm, even with windows open for cross-vent and breezes...but I was at least able to lay down, get off my feet for a while, and read a book before the evening fun began...<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><i>Thrasher Night Run 10k</i></b></div>
<div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The only spot of concern was my still-sore foot and ankle. I still don't know what I did to make it sore (wondering if I stepped wrong/hit a rock at the Dreamy Draw group run a week and half prior...it had some rocky/technical parts, and then the South Mountain rock scramble certainly didn't help), but there were some rocky parts of the trails that were giving me some "ouch" feedback if I stepped on a rock too hard.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I did some preventative "taping for sore spots" with <a href="http://www.kttape.com/" target="_blank">KT tape</a> and hoped for the best on the evening race...</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Remember the change of clothes I mentioned packing? I didn't actually bother to change. I was kind of sweaty and dirty from the morning run, but nothing was rubbing, everything was comfortable, and I just didn't think it would be worth it. I did change my socks, as clean socks make everything better, and I had been feeling like my toes were bumping the seam of the sock against the front of the shoe, and I re-braided my (messy) hair and changed headbands.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Gear Used: </b>(evening edition, top to bottom)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="http://buffusa.com/sports/collections/uv-half-buff-reg/styles/filter/headbands" target="_blank">UV Half Buff</a> (less bulk than the original Buff, because I only use it as a headband)</div>
<div>
<a href="http://blackdiamondequipment.com/en/headlamps-and-lanterns/spot-headlamp-BD620612_cfg.html" target="_blank">Black Diamond Spot headlamp</a></div>
<div>
same tank/bra/shorts</div>
<div>
<a href="http://wrightsock.myshopify.com/" target="_blank">Wrightsock </a>anklet socks</div>
<div>
same shoes/gaiters</div>
<div>
same hydration pack</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9BWrRS_RNdp2AIhtJjrv4KUAOk6jUlvBOmbmBfpc-yRO7UCF3aGHMD-Chnid4ntIr-OdtLE-mr9sxYrlRSNjOwj4KYvzkLiSEd09h-lcDJWePV0X2kRaNuGefu9tQtHtI34l0Rgh7Np8e/s1600/IMG_3091.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9BWrRS_RNdp2AIhtJjrv4KUAOk6jUlvBOmbmBfpc-yRO7UCF3aGHMD-Chnid4ntIr-OdtLE-mr9sxYrlRSNjOwj4KYvzkLiSEd09h-lcDJWePV0X2kRaNuGefu9tQtHtI34l0Rgh7Np8e/s1600/IMG_3091.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>earlier races getting ready</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoQbm0qTgSzbsawlFusmwdBcQerS3K5JCMQpKh-ZAkHQP8k9ERV_MKgaYcIHdv0jISwz7JRnDZ1BTKsO5wAN9vmFpIG8JxtAWhUl46ux70jtsPMpvwgd85q0j4o4_wUA4trmkSq-ewJdbB/s1600/IMG_3092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoQbm0qTgSzbsawlFusmwdBcQerS3K5JCMQpKh-ZAkHQP8k9ERV_MKgaYcIHdv0jISwz7JRnDZ1BTKsO5wAN9vmFpIG8JxtAWhUl46ux70jtsPMpvwgd85q0j4o4_wUA4trmkSq-ewJdbB/s1600/IMG_3092.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>another desert sunset</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The best part about the night run was that one of my endurance buddies was also going to be there! I ended up running into K in the parking lot about 20 minutes before the race started, so we had a chance to chat. We met up a couple times out on the course, but for me at least, running is a deliberately solo activity for the most part (with the exception of my Wednesday group runs, and even those, I run by myself within the group), so I may chat with someone for a couple minutes, then drift off on my own again. But it's awesome to have someone to hang around with before and after the race!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh7Sv3kycB1Y5Bvdx7bVn_tjxzhVeSY7iXG8Cp_MA7G3rZwETl7lyMK7Jci8OXdhm2ndoanriT1ecqXhaX8wKcvjumTejzzhl4_iJjkcFjdlJ_UxnmaAqOnvAyw092tws4UeNxnFz4kNmj/s1600/10492434_10104097585847011_5426860092197876804_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh7Sv3kycB1Y5Bvdx7bVn_tjxzhVeSY7iXG8Cp_MA7G3rZwETl7lyMK7Jci8OXdhm2ndoanriT1ecqXhaX8wKcvjumTejzzhl4_iJjkcFjdlJ_UxnmaAqOnvAyw092tws4UeNxnFz4kNmj/s1600/10492434_10104097585847011_5426860092197876804_n.jpg" height="262" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>K & A -- endurance and running buddies!<br />bummer that we live on opposite ends of the Valley</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
The night group was smaller -- 56 in the 10k -- but for whatever reason, it ended up being more tightly clustered for a longer period, and it took me until three-quarters of the way through the race to get a space bubble where I wasn't actively chasing someone or being chased down. That meant the pace felt faster -- but that could also be because I already had done 11k earlier and was more tired. (Ya think???)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I have to say, I <i>love</i> running in the desert at night. There's a unique feel that doesn't necessarily translate to the daytime, and is difficult to put into words. Maybe it's because my first trail run was at night, and I've been doing the group runs at night, but I don't find it scary (especially with a good light). My favorite part was the last quarter of the race, where I was all alone in a perfect space bubble, and it was so quiet, like I was the only one out there. For someone who runs to sort out her head space and for "me time," that's about as perfect as it gets.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The course for the 10k was similar to the 11k, but the first part was reversed, with a small section cut out. I think it was actually easier this way -- the uphill was longer, up shallow and off-and-on runnable, and the downhill was <i>fast</i>. Like, I look back on it now and wonder, "Did I <i>really </i>go flying down that section as recklessly as I did?" (Yeah, I did. Like I said, apparently my reckless side came out to play over the weekend. Maybe not a great thing for my physical health [if I wipe out], but for someone who has always approached physical activities with a neurotic level of caution and fear, this is a <i>huge</i> thing.)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The aid station was in the same location, and this time, I drank some gatorade, swiped a couple of potatoes in salt on the go, and started hoofing it up the Go John climb again, nibbling on potato chunks as I went. I used the same strategy as before -- just keep hiking -- and I ended up passing half a dozen people by the time I hit the top. From the aid station onward, the trail was the same as the morning, and I used it to my advantage. I hit that downhill and went absolutely flying down -- not wanting to get caught by the people I just passed was a strong motivator.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And it worked. From the top of the climb all the way back down to the finish, I didn't get passed by anyone. I also discovered that I've gotten to the point where, unless it's an uphill, it's just as easy to keep running the flats or downhills when I'm tired as it is to walk them, and I cover more ground. I never thought I would use the words "run" and "easy" together in the same sentence, but I've gotten to the point that running has definitely become easier. I've learned to find my rhythm, get past the initial discomfort, and settle into it. And after years of believing I would never be a runner, that feels <i>really </i>good.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiQ30GOWnL6gCEYUh85pckpPmFmyUzWwWK86myIVtutWocXPYUIvptPR8xM_p3FkMg7AU97U3Cca5-Urw14eZGMBFgspNBp2HEgbXphDuSwdnhDu3_cv1PcW_DIJmWfAKj6x3dMdNppTQ9/s1600/IMG_3097.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiQ30GOWnL6gCEYUh85pckpPmFmyUzWwWK86myIVtutWocXPYUIvptPR8xM_p3FkMg7AU97U3Cca5-Urw14eZGMBFgspNBp2HEgbXphDuSwdnhDu3_cv1PcW_DIJmWfAKj6x3dMdNppTQ9/s1600/IMG_3097.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>you can never have too many finisher glasses --<br />my eventual house guests will someday all be<br />drinking out of run glasses</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnDKvEVRP6Mwrf_0zmq98vriKAFufJwaMq7868sjrpfOzXHisYgkqVx_3vjVuonhpzbLcbflqoDqJMGTpDxUVAXSA4yhtl7i0IcPES5EfWc5g-qY1Lt0d3yPPovz__oZO4K47WESDb5sUr/s1600/IMG_3096.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnDKvEVRP6Mwrf_0zmq98vriKAFufJwaMq7868sjrpfOzXHisYgkqVx_3vjVuonhpzbLcbflqoDqJMGTpDxUVAXSA4yhtl7i0IcPES5EfWc5g-qY1Lt0d3yPPovz__oZO4K47WESDb5sUr/s1600/IMG_3096.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>a little worse for the wear after a collective<br />21k...but all the better for it</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Out of 56 in the 10k, I came in 27th overall, 13th female, with a time of 1:25:48. My pace was slower for the 10k, which was expected -- night pace is usually a bit slower (owing to the lack of being able to <i>see</i> anything), on top of already having run. But overall, I did so much better than I had hoped!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLVGbLyNJlQf_PComVbe1TTg-nDd1QL6VBbfVar1zqhClW_IGHJERRUS2G_gvciq87UZM2oOlUmDLwe1n0mLtkRN_EMT4IQA2Acpw8NDwFJLQTx43S5WcZJp9d6r_NqRFBxi90JcHj3eKi/s1600/1011219_10204743781621884_505406330978446105_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLVGbLyNJlQf_PComVbe1TTg-nDd1QL6VBbfVar1zqhClW_IGHJERRUS2G_gvciq87UZM2oOlUmDLwe1n0mLtkRN_EMT4IQA2Acpw8NDwFJLQTx43S5WcZJp9d6r_NqRFBxi90JcHj3eKi/s1600/1011219_10204743781621884_505406330978446105_n.jpg" height="320" width="241" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>K and I both finished -- she was just a couple<br />minutes behind me</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><div>
The finishing aid station buffet was wonderful as always -- I chowed down on gummy worms (they're a weakness), bean burrito wraps, cheese quesadillas, watermelon, and pumpkin pie -- then wrapped things up with people I knew and headed home. The runner's high kept me going on the hour drive home and long enough to shower before I crashed into bed.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioAHPKckvQM1BHOUEt7id1MnDPtsbMrDY9Bzv-L1aDoHLqgoH12jWInidIZSnQrQzOSjGG4lMepD8mMB2pJOHKCqJ7hmKgblPWjW85uHWdDtj7mc-xsCYLQgdZecFCiQHov1AKIMjMzBVK/s1600/IMG_3101.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioAHPKckvQM1BHOUEt7id1MnDPtsbMrDY9Bzv-L1aDoHLqgoH12jWInidIZSnQrQzOSjGG4lMepD8mMB2pJOHKCqJ7hmKgblPWjW85uHWdDtj7mc-xsCYLQgdZecFCiQHov1AKIMjMzBVK/s1600/IMG_3101.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>run swag: water bottle and fold-on-itself backpack are the<br />sign-up goodies from the Thrasher 10k, with the mason jar<br />finisher's glass, and the Most Awesome Logo Ever t-shirt was<br />from the Thriller 11k, with a finisher's drinking glass</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
I could definitely feel the collective 21k by the end -- my left foot was pretty sore on the outside top part, and a bit on the ankle, and my right leg especially was brewing up some pesky shin splints again, probably due to over-compensation for the left foot. My whole body was a bit muscle-sore a day or two later -- sore upper arms from the fact I use my arms to propel me forward when hiking, sore abs/core form <i>actually using my core</i>, and of course, sore feet. The leg muscles themselves weren't too bad, it was more shins and feet.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
A couple of days later, as I write this, I'm pretty sure the foot is bruised -- there's just a small localized area of discomfort that I can usually walk out of, and feels better with support. I've been wearing my compression calf sleeves, which help the shin splints, and doing some aggressive applications of ice and arnica to the foot. My working theory is that my Newton shoes are a little too minimalist for me, especially in really rocky, technical terrain, and that I probably need something with more cushion and support, especially when I get tired and my form is sloppy, or I'm having too much fun flying down a hill to worry about how hard or soft my foot is landing.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
To that end, I went a picked up a pair of <a href="http://www.hokaoneone.com/womens-trail/stinson-atr/20109039.html?dwvar_20109039_color=PGF#start=2&cgid=womens-trail" target="_blank">Hoka One Ones</a> today and am eager to try them out. They're still a more neutral drop from heel to toe, similar to the Newtons, just with a lot more cushioning. I've got a trail half-marathon next month, so we'll see how they work there. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
My plan was to do the back-to-back 11k/10k for a collective 21k, or 13.7 miles -- just over the 13.1 distance of a half-marathon. Just like doing back-to-back shorter rides before moving up a distance, I figured this would be a good indicator of whether I could put the two distances together and succeed at the half marathon. I feel encouraged, so long as the new shoes work and the feet don't hurt, and I keep at my training. The race is at the San Tans, so I can do the course in my sleep and know exactly where to make time and where to keep it to a dull roar.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Sadly, it's not an Aravaipa race...but the next Aravaipa race conflicts with the McDowell ride -- oh, well...can't do it all, I suppose, but I guess having to choose between an endurance ride and a trail race is a good problem to have.</div>
Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04720090581233703530noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1780912362953300892.post-33498764728991513602014-09-26T15:57:00.000-07:002014-09-26T15:57:46.433-07:00Getting Out What You Put In<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggwSPgigsC1N7_UAeHc9MFac7nOQ_67DYpQbig4vsi_TGADmzXTu0wnhiB6G6qHhIx7qGkvp8j3eoOnOJ2YsartysJV7sE7zhAOKBYUcIDFiY4RwfKd0UzEFXYxezHzFWBx5AFGi9DLZzE/s1600/wherethemagichappens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggwSPgigsC1N7_UAeHc9MFac7nOQ_67DYpQbig4vsi_TGADmzXTu0wnhiB6G6qHhIx7qGkvp8j3eoOnOJ2YsartysJV7sE7zhAOKBYUcIDFiY4RwfKd0UzEFXYxezHzFWBx5AFGi9DLZzE/s1600/wherethemagichappens.jpg" height="193" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
As a socially shy, somewhat introverted person, I find embarking on a new endeavor extremely intimidating, especially on my own. I will be the first to admit I am terrible at meeting new people and introducing myself. For a long time, I've struggled with just wanting to fit in and be accepted, worried that I'll do or say the wrong thing. It's an insecurity thing...but I'm recognizing it and while it's not going to go away overnight, I've gotten better about being more confident in myself and trying to let go of so much of my worry over what other people think.<br />
<br />
(What is this, Friday Confessionals?)<br />
<br />
Anyway, that's just a bit of background of me that is relevant to the topic at hand, which is getting started in a new sport/activity/venture/whatnot. Ahem.<br />
<br />
So this past Wednesday, I participated in my first group trail run, organized and hosted by the same folks (<a href="http://www.aravaiparunning.com/" target="_blank">Aravaipa Running</a>) that put on the 7k I did, and next month's runs I'm signed up for. It's a weekly "open run" that invites people of all levels to come and run for an hour -- distance varies on experience level, and the location rotates weekly. This week, the run happened to be fairly close to me -- about as close as any real trails are -- so that took away my "don't want to drive the distance" excuse. So I signed up.<br />
<br />
Read the first paragraph of this blog entry, and you can probably figure out my train of thought. "Oh, what am I doing? I'm going to be the slowest, most pathetic person there. I'm going to be surrounded by a whole bunch of experienced people who are way fitter and faster, and I'm going to hold the group up, and <i>why am I doing this???</i>" Staying anonymous and in the shadows would be easier -- who actually holds people to Facebook RSVPs anyway? -- so as a way to hold myself accountable, I posted a "Newbie Alert!" message on the Facebook group, letting people know that I'm slower than a herd of turtles in peanut butter, brand-new to this trail running thing, and rather nervous about my first group run.<br />
<br />
If I go on the offense with advanced notice of all the things I'm going to do wrong, at least they have a heads up, right?<br />
<br />
Responses I got were all positive and encouraging. The "Fun" Group -- what would otherwise be called the "slow" or "beginner" group, but they put a positive spin on it -- was touted as <i>the</i> place to be, so I headed out the door Wednesday evening, still nervous, but also excited. I'm not much of a groupie...but left to my own devices, I am a complete social hermit, and also a somewhat lazy runner, so I figured the motivation of going to new trails and staying with a group will be good training for me and my future running plans, and it'll also help me be more social and interact with people in a positive, fun environment.<br />
<br />
By the time I got to the trailhead, there were a dozen cars there, and people starting to cluster together. Running shoes, GPS watches, hydration packs...yup, I'm in the right place. I used the few minutes that it took to park and get my stuff (headlamp, water, phone) to gather my wits, scope out the setting, and start making my way over to the group.<br />
<br />
<i>This is the hardest part for me</i>. I'm not good at initiating, and the socially insecure part of me wants to huddle back and be a wallflower, and wait for someone to notice me. I think, if my expectation had been having the red carpet rolled out for me just because I was a new face that showed up, I would have been sorely disappointed. Groups like these probably get new faces showing up every week -- and many that probably never return. In a brand-new environment like this, <i>people don't know that I am shy and reserved</i>. They're not mind-readers -- to them, someone that isn't initiating or making an effort to be a part of the group may be stand-offish, or giving the impression they don't care to be a part of what is going on.<br />
<br />
<i>You get out what you put in</i>. For me, at least, this means having to make that first move, which is, at the very least, intimidating. (Apparently this is also Psych Eval Friday.) As I approached the group, I had scouted around for what looked like a friendly face and found one. Maybe it was a case of two newbies gravitating towards each other, but after I introduced myself, she also said it was her first time running with the group.<br />
<br />
She was very nice -- a recent college grad who had just moved here from the east coast, looking for the social aspect of running and meeting people in a new area -- and we spent some time chatting. More people started showing up, then the run leader came over to meet the new faces. He welcomed both of us, then gave a brief rundown of the distances/approximate speeds each group was planning to do. Funny enough, where we had clustered was right where the Fun Group was gathering, so that was a chance to meet the woman who would be leading the fun group, and start talking with a few other people who were gathering around.<br />
<br />
The run itself was a blast. As advertised, the Fun Group was exactly that -- fun, energetic, encouraging. I was <i>not</i> the slowest one there, and even if I had been...it wouldn't have mattered. No judgment on anyone or anyone's pace --- just enthusiasm for the fact that we were out there. Even a missed turn at a 'Y' in the trail that netted some of us a slightly longer reading on our GPS was met with a laugh and cheers of "Bonus miles!"<br />
<br />
After the run, a group invasion of a nearby restaurant is held and all who can make it are welcome. I figured that would be a good way to further participate in a group setting, and food/drink tends to be a good icebreaker. It was a ton of fun -- I sat with Sabrina, who had led the Fun Group run, and chatted with her quite a bit. I felt very welcome and included, to the point where I have decided that I will be doing the group runs weekly, even if I have to drive a bit. (If people from Phoenix could drive out to Mesa, I can do the same...it's only once a week. And with luck, maybe I'll find someone in the group who lives near me who might be willing to carpool.)<br />
<br />
(A funny aside: When I completed the 50 at Man Against Horse in 2009, I sort of bemoaned the fact that the first place runner had finished like three hours ahead of me. [Even taking into account the almost two hours of mandatory horse hold times and no mandatory hold times for runners, that's still over an hour faster than Mimi's four hooves traversed the course.] Turns out that first place winner was Jamil, the group run leader and one of the Aravaipa Race Directors. Small world.)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhofQZAhdrLZBozLSmLI_p91EEo5qChXS_ji8AAMZkr8PBfEoaD3VQ2HRlUM4Xxn9TuucKfILO853eRrjHsTkdCHytb8kdExvFEMdibsq8CLmrdh2ORHo4MRehj5bSHP0I2CX_3r0hY95Z9/s1600/10628035_10203845339751242_480332114273653086_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhofQZAhdrLZBozLSmLI_p91EEo5qChXS_ji8AAMZkr8PBfEoaD3VQ2HRlUM4Xxn9TuucKfILO853eRrjHsTkdCHytb8kdExvFEMdibsq8CLmrdh2ORHo4MRehj5bSHP0I2CX_3r0hY95Z9/s1600/10628035_10203845339751242_480332114273653086_n.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>photo snagged from the Aravaipa Group Trail Run<br />Facebook page...dusk on Wednesday night's run</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Reflecting on this got me thinking back to the last time I was embarking on a new endeavor: My first AERC ride. I had come out of the NATRC world, so at least had the "distance riding" experience...but there's not a ton of crossover between the two organizations here in the southwest, so knew no one going into endurance. Going into NATRC, I had ridden on my dad's coattails of meeting people -- he's a naturally social extrovert who can talk to anyone, so I sort of hung back, messed with my pony, and let him break the ice.<br />
<br />
My first AERC ride, it was me and the pony. Dad drove/crewed...but it was just me and the little white mare traipsing around camp, checking and vetting in, and on the trail. It was my show, so to speak, and it was on me to step up and say "Hi, I'm new here."<br />
<br />
The first person I met at my first AERC ride (Man Against Horse 2005) was someone I still ride with today -- Lancette. She was a friendly, welcoming smile as she pointed out a good place to park and the general lay of the land, and again the next morning as she passed me just a couple miles into the ride, making sure I was doing okay. To this day, she is still a friendly, welcoming smile who is now loaning me horses, making sure I'm still able to get some good saddle time and trail miles in, and someone I consider a good friend.<br />
<br />
I don't know if I've just been extraordinarily lucky to have had such positive introductions to breaking into new settings? I know I'm grateful that is has been so positive and welcoming...but I also don't think it just happened that way. For me, at least, I feel like I was proactive in setting myself up for success...<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Embrace the newbie status. I am an endless researcher and information gatherer. When I go into something, you can almost guarantee I've spent countless hours on the internet, scouring resources and finding out ahead of time as much as I can about what I'm getting into. But once I'm there, I am the newbie who knows nothing. The best knowledge and experience comes from doing, so until I've actually done something, I'm going to keep my mouth shut, no matter how much research I've done and how much I <i>think</i> I know, and learn from those around me who have done.<br /></li>
<li>Low expectations (of yourself). I came into endurance with years of riding experience on my side...but the ability to execute a perfect equitation pattern doesn't mean jack-all when your pony has just run through a prickly pear and is spinning circles around you as you try to remove the needles...</li>
<ul>
<li>I figured we could finish our first 25...and that was my only goal. Just finish in time and both of us in one piece. (Surprise, that ended up being the fastest I've done that particular ride.)</li>
<li>My realistic goal for the 7k was just to finish and not break myself.<br /></li>
</ul>
<li>Low expectations (of others). I don't mean that in the harsh, cynical way of "If you expect nothing from people, you'll never be disappointed." What I mean by that is I don't expect to be treated "special" just because I'm new. Basic courtesies are appreciated, and anything beyond that is bonus points.</li>
<ul>
<li>What got me thinking about this specifically is the topic of discussion that comes up on endurance newbies "not feeling welcome." Playing devil's advocate for the side of the experienced people: New people come into a sport or activity all the time that don't stick with it. It is draining and disheartening on the experienced people to invest in someone who may or may not be committed to the sport.</li>
<ul>
<li>People have been friendly and welcoming to me in NATRC, and endurance, and trail running. But in both NATRC and endurance, I noticed a shift in people's attitudes after a season or two -- I had put enough time and rides in to prove myself, that I was dedicated and I was serious, so now it was "safer" to put some of their mental time and energy into me.</li>
<li>I am fully anticipating the same thing happening with the trail running. Right now, I am a neon green newbie with nothing other than my word to say "I'm serious about this." Actions really do speak louder than words, so I know it will take showing up at practice runs, putting in the training time, and toeing the start line of races to prove this isn't just a passing whim.</li>
</ul>
<li>Time and place. In a competitive race/ride setting, there is a lot going on. Very experienced people often have a lot going on with preparation, or are mentally keyed in to their own prep, so use discretion about when to ask a thousand and one questions. I know people personally who are as nice as can be outside of a ride setting, but get very intense on ride day - it's nothing personal, they just may not be the best person to consult as an on-site mentor. Same with management -- on event day, they are juggling more balls in the air than they can count, and probably half a dozen crises on top of that.</li>
<ul>
<li>If you're very fortunate, you will have a mentor that has taken you under their wing and will advise you along the way. If not, try to research and find things out ahead of time. Some rides are now offering a "new riders briefing" that follows after the standard ride briefing, as a way for new riders to ask any questions that weren't covered in the regular briefing.</li>
<ul>
<li>Here's something I noticed...blogs and bloggers are a good way to get information. Most of us bloggers write down our ride stories because we like relating our experience and are probably willing to talk about it. Question? Search out ride stories on a particular ride and post a comment. While I am in no way an official mentor, I am always happy to answer any questions I can that people post or email relating to endurance, a particular ride, trails, hoof boots, or whatnot. (See my little "Ask me about Endurance Riding" graphic on the sidebar?)<br /></li>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
<li>If you're like me, and your default setting is "social wallflower": Take the first step. <i>(Again, this is the hardest one for me!)</i> Don't assume people will know you're shy -- maybe they are, too. Or they just figure you're not interested in talking to people. Specialized settings -- like ridecamp or a trail run -- that cater to a specific activity are my favorite settings, because it tends to provide an automatic icebreaker of subject matter to talk about and get a conversation going.</li>
</ul>
<div>
Well, that went way longer than planned...and deeper into my own personal psyche than I usually provide on here. Doing more running is giving me a lot of think time, which in turn tends to result in blog posts...which I hope provide at least some food for thought somewhere along the way. The fine print disclaimer on all of this, of course, is that it has just been my own personal experiences...Your Mileage May Vary. </div>
Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04720090581233703530noreply@blogger.com8