Had to cogitate on this one for a few days...didn't have any major revelations after the initial writing of it, so time to post it.
And now for the ever-popular, "What Worked, What Didn't, and Other Random Musings." [Complete ride story here.]
What Didn't Work
- Time-keeping. Obviously. I still don't know how we got so far behind on getting ready. The only thing I can think of is not being used to starting early on an LD, and it was cold and dark and we were slow.
- Self care. More fail. Because of the whole time thing, I managed a cup of coffee and banana for breakfast. And then I ate nothing on the first loop (too busy active riding), and nothing on the second loop. I did semi-okay drinking...probably an entire 20 oz bottle on each loop. The only reason I got away with this was it was 25 miles, and the weather was cool. This is kind of a new challenge for me...I've been spoiled by the autopilot pony over the years.
- Stirrups. A-freakin'-gain. I hate stirrups. I've yet to find ones I truly love. I do like my Cloud Stirrups, but they are so heavy, and on a saddle that's already on the weighty side, it's just that much more. So I found a pair of Gaston Mercier stirrups used on a great price, and picked them up...but after riding in them this weekend, I don't know if there's enough weight distribution in the footbed, at least not for how heavily I tend to weigh my stirrups when I'm actively riding. Partway through the first loop, my feet were starting to go numb just a bit. I'll still keep messing with them...I think I also might have had my stirrups a touch short, but that's my default security setting on a new/young horse.
- Saddle. Still not 100% ideal. Liberty was a touch sore on her loins, but not as bad as after Prescott Chaparral. Still...I don't want to see any soreness, especially after 25 miles, since distance rarely improves that condition. And I'm still so sore where I was getting slammed into the rise on her abrupt stops.
- Goatheads. Bleh. Goatheads in the camping area. Still picking them out of my boots. Note to self: Invest in doggie booties and bring them to rides on the off-chance there will be goatheads. (They weren't there last year.) There were some unhappy dogs this year, mincing their way across the ground. Note to self: Buy dog booties to just keep as part of the ride gear.
What Worked
- Tack. Libby and Mimi use the same set-up, sans crupper (for now) on Libby. I just have to let everything out by a hole or two on Libby. (Note to self: Use sharpie to mark the different holes, for ahead-of-time adjusting next time.)
- My clothing. The "Lady GaGa" tights are from Evelyn the Tights Lady, and they got more comments than just about any pair I've worn. Funky, they coordinated well, and with the full sheepskin saddle cover, not too slippery. I had a polyester tech-material tank top on under a long-sleeved denim shirt, and topped with a lightweight soft shell windbreaker for the first loop. I ditched the jacket at the lunch hold, and kept everything else the same. First ride for my fringed Just Chaps half chaps and they worked excellent. What's nice about them is they're short enough that they don't run into the back of my knee at all, and the suede is super-flexible and soft.
- No martingale. Libby did some head slinging at Prescott Chaparral, and I threatened to put a martingale on her the next ride. I decided to start without one, since I'm a minimalist that way, and add it if needed. I never needed it, and her worst behavior indiscretions (happy feet hopping) wouldn't have been solved with the martingale anyway.
- No leg wraps. Yay, she doesn't interfere. As long as she doesn't I will continue to not use any kind of splint/ankle boots.
- Camera. I remembered to take more photos this time. Why I could do this, and not eat, I'm not quite sure.
- Riding buddy. Gina and I always have fun when we ride together. And Libby and Wicked paced well together. Riding with Wicked helped Libby discover that she just might have a decent walk, and she started learning to stretch out her trot when she realized I wouldn't let her canter.
- Boots. Liberty's Renegade Vipers worked perfectly. At Chaparral, we pitched a hind boot on a water crossing/uphill climb. The only difference was size. This time, we had the next-longer size of Vipers available, and that extra 5mm of length on both fronts and hinds altered the size enough to be exactly what she needed. They didn't budge this time around.
- The horse. I love this mare. She reminds me so much of Mimi. I can't wait to do more with her.
- The ride. Ride management puts on an awesome ride. I've been able to peripherally appreciate it, as I've been part of the volunteer staff for Bumble Bee and McDowell, but being able to participate in the ride and really benefit from the work management puts into it was fantastic. Well-marked trail, great volunteers, enthusiastic management, and a well-run ride. I'm just sad I didn't get one of the cute mugs they did for completion awards.
Random Musings
- Battle of Wills: Stubborn Horse vs. Stubborn Rider. This is an interesting one, in that it both did and didn't work. The "didn't" part would be I would have just preferred she not pull out the "stubborn mare" card...but what worked was that I had to deal with it. At Chaparral, she pulled that and we sent Uno out in front and she happily followed. This time, she didn't want to lead, but she started wanting to hop/pitch a fit when following. So she had to lead. She didn't get to bow out this time. Based on how dominant she is, I fully suspect this was a test to see if I was "worthy" of leading her and whether or not I was sending her to her doom. Overall, I think I did pretty okay...ultimately, she didn't win on the "dig heels in and refuse to move forward" front. But next time, crop. And she needs more arena time to get sensitized to leg cues. (The good thing: She's not an over-reactive, emotional horse who goes into hysterics when she's thumped in the side or swatted on the rear. Subtle riders 'r us.)
- No tire issues. Good start to the year, since the first ride of 2013 was the one that started all of the tire issues...
Showing posts with label afterthoughts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label afterthoughts. Show all posts
Monday, January 13, 2014
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Lessons Learned: Prescott Edition
Some rides are easier than others. At Sonoita, for whatever reason, everything went really smooth and I found myself wrapped up for the evening by 8PM and with time to even watch TV on Steph's portable DVD player. Prescott, not so much, as I found myself back to my "standard operating procedure" of feeling like I had way too much stuff to do and not enough time in an evening to get it all done before the next day, then finally crawling into bed around 10PM.
No idea what the difference was, other than maybe more socialization at Prescott? Hey, if it means a slightly later night...so be it. Rides are my social life, so I'm going to enjoy that time.
I touched on it before, but the theme of this weekend was "flexibility." So many plans ends up changing along the way, and so for a self-admitted control freak who prides herself on her planning and preparation, it was a real exercise in relaxing and going with it, especially since it was mostly stuff I had absolutely no control over anyway. This ride season has been really good in getting me to lighten up and not be quite as intense about rides. I'm still my detail-oriented self (love my lists and Post-It notes), but I'm learning it's not necessarily the end of the world if some minor thing gets forgotten or doesn't get done.
As with every ride, some things worked and some things didn't. Between Sonoita and Prescott, I changed around some major elements of my saddle set-up: the seat cover and the stirrups.
First, I switched my full sheepskin cover out for a Supracor seat cover. What I liked about it: Not having the full sheepskin on the sides of the saddle made it just a little narrower and that much easier for me to put my leg on the horse; the stiffer Supracor material "filled in" some of the extra seat space and made the rise seem less steep; that Supracor is cushy.
Unfortunately, it ended up not working for 50 miles. There was just too much of an edge where the seat cover ended on the sides, and it was definitely turning into somewhat of a chaffing spot. Also, having the sides of my saddle uncovered meant that my knee patches of my tights rubbed against the leather knee blocks of my saddle, and for whatever reason, they squeaked. I hate squeaky noises like that, so that was highly annoying. Plus, my full sheepskin kept my saddle really clean and scratch-free.
Fortunately, I brought all of my "originals" of the things I'd changed out with me, so it was a fairly simple matter of switching out the seat covers between days one and two.
The other thing I changed was my stirrups. I'd been looking at the Cloud Stirrups for a while -- my father used to use them, and I could never get over how big and clunky they were -- but after exhausting several other options, they looked like my best shot, especially when I found a set of them advertised on the Endurance.net classifieds for a great deal.
I love them. Yes, they're heavier than I'm used to...but it seems like they balance out the weight of my saddle. And they look less clunky in black. But looks and weight aside, they're comfortable. I'm still kind of playing with stirrup leather length -- because they're heavier and more stable, they stay in place better and I don't have to rely on a shorter leg position for stability -- but I'm really happy with them.
I must be a real endurance rider now: I got my first actual clothing/tack rub and finally had an actual need for BodyGlide. The intersection between the stitching across the knee patches on one pair of tights + half chaps + stirrup leather was just the wrong combination and I ended up with a rub on the inside bend of my left knee, and could feel another rub starting on the same place on my right knee. Fortunately, this happened on day one when the vet hold was back in camp, so I was able to slather with BodyGlide (lazy endurance rider couldn't be bothered to remove her half chaps and boots to change tights) and it didn't really get much worse the rest of the day. As part of my planning, I'd brought three completely different brands of tights with me, so the tights I wore on day two didn't have stitching in the same location. I also had my full sheepskin cover back on, and riding a completely different horse with different movement and positioning in the saddle.
irish horse had asked about the logistics of riding what was originally going to be three different horses, and how my tack set-up would change. Surprisingly, not that much. I'd tried my saddle on all but Liberty and it worked; including the same saddle pad. Rocco and Kasha both wear the same bit and their bridles are adjusted the same. Liberty wears an s-hackamore, which is the same set-up I use on Mimi, so all I have to do there is adjust size settings. Ditto on the breastcollar -- just adjust settings. So far, they all like my mohair girth and it fits all of them. Liberty is the one horse my saddle ultimately won't work on -- it's a little bit too narrow and she was slightly sore back on her loins by the time we finished. (She's a tank, at least as wide as Mimi.)
I wish I would have had time to braid Liberty's mane. I don't think it made a huge difference in her cooling down, but it's long and fine, and kept getting caught under the breastcollar/saddle pad/saddle packs/reins. I even spent the last 15 minutes at the vet check rummaging through my crew bag looking for something to use as a hair tie. (The only thing I found that might have worked was shoelaces. I figured we'd gotten that far and were still okay, so just left it. I now have a pack of braiding bands and a mane comb stuck in the crew bag.)
I did pretty good in the food department. Ride meals were outstanding, provided by a mobile catering company. Dinner Saturday night was BBQ ribs or chicken (ribs for me!), and Sunday was beef burgandy on pasta. The chocolate cupcakes with almond butter whipped cream were so good. I made my homemade meat sauce marinara with spaghetti for Friday night -- always a hit -- and had leftovers of that for Saturday lunch. Breakfast we discussed already, with the conclusion that "cottage cheese is good." I still love the Succeed! electrolytes and the Clip2 energy drink: I went through three of those over the weekend. All things vanilla or orange-flavored work the best for me. Lemon-flavored GU Chomps tasted good going down, but lemon-flavored burps aren't all that much fun later.
And the biggest thing for me in finishing a ride still feeling good? Riding good horses who don't thrash me to bits or give me ulcer-causing worries. Thank Liberty, Rocco, Gina, and Stephanie for a great weekend and two great rides!
No idea what the difference was, other than maybe more socialization at Prescott? Hey, if it means a slightly later night...so be it. Rides are my social life, so I'm going to enjoy that time.
I touched on it before, but the theme of this weekend was "flexibility." So many plans ends up changing along the way, and so for a self-admitted control freak who prides herself on her planning and preparation, it was a real exercise in relaxing and going with it, especially since it was mostly stuff I had absolutely no control over anyway. This ride season has been really good in getting me to lighten up and not be quite as intense about rides. I'm still my detail-oriented self (love my lists and Post-It notes), but I'm learning it's not necessarily the end of the world if some minor thing gets forgotten or doesn't get done.
As with every ride, some things worked and some things didn't. Between Sonoita and Prescott, I changed around some major elements of my saddle set-up: the seat cover and the stirrups.
First, I switched my full sheepskin cover out for a Supracor seat cover. What I liked about it: Not having the full sheepskin on the sides of the saddle made it just a little narrower and that much easier for me to put my leg on the horse; the stiffer Supracor material "filled in" some of the extra seat space and made the rise seem less steep; that Supracor is cushy.
Unfortunately, it ended up not working for 50 miles. There was just too much of an edge where the seat cover ended on the sides, and it was definitely turning into somewhat of a chaffing spot. Also, having the sides of my saddle uncovered meant that my knee patches of my tights rubbed against the leather knee blocks of my saddle, and for whatever reason, they squeaked. I hate squeaky noises like that, so that was highly annoying. Plus, my full sheepskin kept my saddle really clean and scratch-free.
Fortunately, I brought all of my "originals" of the things I'd changed out with me, so it was a fairly simple matter of switching out the seat covers between days one and two.
The other thing I changed was my stirrups. I'd been looking at the Cloud Stirrups for a while -- my father used to use them, and I could never get over how big and clunky they were -- but after exhausting several other options, they looked like my best shot, especially when I found a set of them advertised on the Endurance.net classifieds for a great deal.
I love them. Yes, they're heavier than I'm used to...but it seems like they balance out the weight of my saddle. And they look less clunky in black. But looks and weight aside, they're comfortable. I'm still kind of playing with stirrup leather length -- because they're heavier and more stable, they stay in place better and I don't have to rely on a shorter leg position for stability -- but I'm really happy with them.
I must be a real endurance rider now: I got my first actual clothing/tack rub and finally had an actual need for BodyGlide. The intersection between the stitching across the knee patches on one pair of tights + half chaps + stirrup leather was just the wrong combination and I ended up with a rub on the inside bend of my left knee, and could feel another rub starting on the same place on my right knee. Fortunately, this happened on day one when the vet hold was back in camp, so I was able to slather with BodyGlide (lazy endurance rider couldn't be bothered to remove her half chaps and boots to change tights) and it didn't really get much worse the rest of the day. As part of my planning, I'd brought three completely different brands of tights with me, so the tights I wore on day two didn't have stitching in the same location. I also had my full sheepskin cover back on, and riding a completely different horse with different movement and positioning in the saddle.
irish horse had asked about the logistics of riding what was originally going to be three different horses, and how my tack set-up would change. Surprisingly, not that much. I'd tried my saddle on all but Liberty and it worked; including the same saddle pad. Rocco and Kasha both wear the same bit and their bridles are adjusted the same. Liberty wears an s-hackamore, which is the same set-up I use on Mimi, so all I have to do there is adjust size settings. Ditto on the breastcollar -- just adjust settings. So far, they all like my mohair girth and it fits all of them. Liberty is the one horse my saddle ultimately won't work on -- it's a little bit too narrow and she was slightly sore back on her loins by the time we finished. (She's a tank, at least as wide as Mimi.)
I wish I would have had time to braid Liberty's mane. I don't think it made a huge difference in her cooling down, but it's long and fine, and kept getting caught under the breastcollar/saddle pad/saddle packs/reins. I even spent the last 15 minutes at the vet check rummaging through my crew bag looking for something to use as a hair tie. (The only thing I found that might have worked was shoelaces. I figured we'd gotten that far and were still okay, so just left it. I now have a pack of braiding bands and a mane comb stuck in the crew bag.)
I did pretty good in the food department. Ride meals were outstanding, provided by a mobile catering company. Dinner Saturday night was BBQ ribs or chicken (ribs for me!), and Sunday was beef burgandy on pasta. The chocolate cupcakes with almond butter whipped cream were so good. I made my homemade meat sauce marinara with spaghetti for Friday night -- always a hit -- and had leftovers of that for Saturday lunch. Breakfast we discussed already, with the conclusion that "cottage cheese is good." I still love the Succeed! electrolytes and the Clip2 energy drink: I went through three of those over the weekend. All things vanilla or orange-flavored work the best for me. Lemon-flavored GU Chomps tasted good going down, but lemon-flavored burps aren't all that much fun later.
And the biggest thing for me in finishing a ride still feeling good? Riding good horses who don't thrash me to bits or give me ulcer-causing worries. Thank Liberty, Rocco, Gina, and Stephanie for a great weekend and two great rides!
Monday, April 1, 2013
Lessons Learned, Old Pueblo edition
Presenting the ever-popular "what worked/what didn't" post-game evaluation for Old Pueblo.
- Wearing a Camelbak = much better personal hydration levels.
- Wearing a Camelbak = more-sore shoulder area. I have enough that that department that no matter how good/expensive of a sports bra I'm wearing, the strap pressure will eventually catch up to me. The extra weight of the Camelbak does not help.
- But better hydration means the rest of me isn't as sore. Trade-off?
- Stirrup leather pressure caught up to me on day two with the combination of lots of downhills + forward, pulling horse + bracing against horse and hills + smushed-flat sheepskin covers = bruised shins.
- I don't train much at all for the downhill-at-speed factor. If I'm bracing against a horse who is leaning against the bit and pulling me out of position, it goes that much worse. (I ran into this problem with Mimi. Already naturally built downhill, she didn't self-rate very well and I had to hold her together, which translated to bracing myself in the saddle in an attempt to not get pulled out of position.)
- I'm not quite sure what the solution to this is, whether I just need to try to ride horses with a natural self-carriage who balance themselves downhill (Yeah, I don't ask for much...), or evaluate my own riding and saddle fit. I know my saddle is too big for me now, so doesn't put me in as ideal of a position...which brings me to my next point...
- I have such excellent luck with this saddle fitting multiple horses. But it's a little too big for me now. (Good problem to have.) So I end up fighting for an ideal position sometimes.
- Steps have been taken to make the saddle fit a little smaller, including replacing my full sheepskin cover with a Supracor seat cushion. Preliminary tests are feeling pretty good...the upcoming Prescott Chaparral ride will be the ultimate acid test.
- Food: I did pretty okay, food-wise, especially Saturday, with multiple loops back into camp and plenty of chances for me to stuff my face.
- Pop-Tarts: Good. Especially with breakfast.
- Forgetting the peanut butter and under-cooking the hard-boiled eggs: Not so good.
- Pastrami sandwich: Bad. I finally found something that my stomach said, "Eh, maybe not the best idea" to at a vet check. Don't know if it was the pastrami, the mustard, or the pickles, but I left the VC on Sunday's ride with my stomach at maybe 95% as opposed to its typical, "Mmm, that was delicious" feeling I usually get after leaving a vet check. (And I joke about the horses riding from VC to VC to eat?)
- Homemade pasta salad with a bit of everything: Very good. Elbow macaroni with pepperoni, cheddar cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, bell peppers, black olives, spicy pickles, artichoke hearts, all in an olive oil and balsamic vinegar dressing. Yum.
- Tart Cherry Juice: Delicious and refreshing at the end of the ride. I've got the "Rebuild" that has whey protein.
- Saturday ride offerings from the grill: Good. Very good. That hamburger with green chilies and cheese really hit the spot between loops 3 and 4, and the grilled bratwurst for dinner was delicious.
- Never underestimate the tastiness of ramen noodles.
- This was the first time I actually felt more relaxed and made less of a Big Production out of having everything Just So. I think being around very experienced endurance riders who can look at a 50 the way I can look at training rides is probably going to be a good influence and example for me.
- Riding very endurance-capable horses probably has something to do with this. It's definitely more relaxing to ride a horse you know is made for the sport and has an easier time doing it. (Well, I guess it was Rocco's first ride, so we didn't really know how he'd do...but he took everything so well, it was pretty easy to relax and not stress too much.)
- However, I am so glad I started endurance on Mimi. Getting her through rides and managing her was the best learning experience I could ask for.
- Two 50s back-to-back: I've felt worse after a one-day 50. Multi-days are fun, and I like the multiple-rides-for-one-drive-expense concept. I feel fortunate to live in the land of multi-days..
- New Terrains made a huge difference in foot comfort. I finally retired my 10-year-old Terrains for a new pair...oh, that's what the footbed support system is supposed to feel like.
- I need to get off and walk more. Especially downhills. This might be part of why I get crunchy on too many downhills...because I insist on riding them. But I don't go down fast enough on my own two feet to satisfy an impatient horse who travels faster than me. And I was also unsure about the availability of conveniently-placed re-mounting objects.
- That said...I basically flat-mounted 15.2hh. Too bad it took me until 40 miles into day two to realize I don't actually suck at mounting as much as I thought, and that Mimi really is the only horse I will actually roll that saddle on.
One of my shorter "lessons learned" after a ride, I suppose...but overall, it was a smooth-sailing ride. With good prep -- and the same bit of luck -- the Prescott Chaparral ride in two weeks will go just as well!
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Lessons Learned: Fire Mtn Edition
When I really sit down and think about it, two years seems like a long time to be out of the ride saddle. In a way, it's not -- I've not been totally removed from the environment, between volunteering for rides and working my job -- but enough time to get somewhat out of practice.
Growing up in the saddle served me well -- I have a lifetime of muscle memory for the saddle, which is probably what got me through the fact I wasn't exactly in tip-top ride shape. And while my riding muscles might not be super-tuned, I'm in the best overall shape I've ever been. The weight drop I've done over the past year and half made an enormous difference, and I felt like I had good stamina to keep trucking down the trail. There were a few moments of burning muscles and the sight of an endless stretch of trail in front of me that made me want to cave to my inner desire to just stop and rest...but I didn't. This was one of my most successful times in pushing past the discomfort and continuing on without being a hindrance to either my horse or my riding partner.
So, with that in mind, I offer up my bullet points of what worked, what didn't, and some random lessons and observations along the way.
Growing up in the saddle served me well -- I have a lifetime of muscle memory for the saddle, which is probably what got me through the fact I wasn't exactly in tip-top ride shape. And while my riding muscles might not be super-tuned, I'm in the best overall shape I've ever been. The weight drop I've done over the past year and half made an enormous difference, and I felt like I had good stamina to keep trucking down the trail. There were a few moments of burning muscles and the sight of an endless stretch of trail in front of me that made me want to cave to my inner desire to just stop and rest...but I didn't. This was one of my most successful times in pushing past the discomfort and continuing on without being a hindrance to either my horse or my riding partner.
So, with that in mind, I offer up my bullet points of what worked, what didn't, and some random lessons and observations along the way.
- Food: If nothing else, this ride just reconfirmed my belief that in reality, rides are just a really good excuse for me to eat. I did well the day before...although I could have done better with hydrating.
- Ride day breakfast: My one and only "sticky" spot when it come to eating. I just flat out don't like to eat early in the morning, even here at home. That said, I managed quite well. Staying in a warm camper, where I'm shivering around every other bite, was probably a help. I managed: a hard-boiled egg, a banana, yogurt, and coffee.
- Ride day lunch: The only thing that kept me from hoovering more at lunch was the fact it was only a half hour hold. That said, I still managed: a salami-cheese-spicy mustard sandwich, tapioca pudding, Kerns nectar, coconut water, a few chips.
- During the ride: Food fail. I could have done a lot better, since there is apparently a direct correlations between the faster I go, the less I eat. Obviously, multitasking is not a strength, at least when it comes to trotting along, digging through saddle packs to find out what I have to munch. The fact that it was a 30, and that I had a good breakfast and lunch, probably helped. I managed: apple-banana sauce, one pack of energy blocks, a chewy granola bar, Succeed Amino sports drink, water.
- Meds: I only took two Aleve halfway through the first loop. True confessions: While I'd like to chalk all of that up to just feeling that good...fact is, I lost the little pack I use as the "mini medicine cabinet." I can only conclude that when I stuffed it back into my pack after digging it out the first time, it either didn't go where I thought it went, or somehow bounced out along the way. Of course, I didn't discover this until I went hunting for it on the second loop. My saving grace was the fact I had my electrolytes in a separate little baggie, so they were still in my pack. Taking those regularly seemed to help a great deal as well. I took two Aleve before bed that night, and then that was it for pain meds for the rest of the weekend. Lots of getting up, moving around, up and down steps in and out of the camper kept me from getting too tight.
- Stirrup buckles: Well, those were a no-go. The sorest part of me was the thigh area right where the stirrup buckle hits. On my saddle, the stirrup bars aren't recessed, which means the bars of the saddle don't curve inward and create pressure points on the horse. The problem is, it creates pressure points for the rider. I switched back to the Wintec Webbers once I got home and covered them in fleece covers...I think that'll work. The fleece makes them a little more stable.
- Stirrups: I'm still not a happy camper in the stirrup department. I went back to my old EZ-Ride stirrups for this ride...although I popped the cages off of them. They worked...although I still don't love them...and they make a really annoying squeaking sound if the side of my Terrains rubs against them when trotting or cantering. I wasn't comfortable using the Flex-Rides, especially riding in my Terrains, since they're narrow enough to catch my foot if I bounce or let my foot slip too far forward. They're super-light, but what I've learned bout super-light stirrups: they don't weigh themselves down enough. And I hadn't ridden enough in the composite irons I'd been testing to be comfortable doing a ride in them. And I suspect I'll have the same problem with them being too light. Verdict: Stick with what I know mostly works, for now.
- Southern California high desert is different than my desert. It's much, much drier. To the point where I actually experienced the dried and cracked knuckles effect. (Ouch.) Aquaphor Healing Ointment is a good thing and has since been added to my supply list.
- I have to resign myself to the fact that the minimalist approach and I are never going to get along. Specifically, I'm referring to saddle packs. "Pack mule" is probably the best descriptor. This ride, I had front pommel packs with water bottle holders, plus a rear boot bag. I should have used the second rear boot bag as well. I ended up with too much stuff crammed in my packs, so I had a hard time knowing what I had in terms of food, and had to dig too hard to find stuff. And for a 50, I'll either need to add rear packs for more water, or carry a Camelbak.
- The buddy system is still the best way to get through a ride, preferably a buddy you really enjoy spending time with, and can giggle like a couple of hysterical loons through the boring or tough parts.
- I got a hands-on lesson in outside-the-box Renegade fit and function. Kody wears his pastern straps even longer than recommended: a good 3-4 fingers under the strap. The standard 2 fingers makes the strap too tight for his long pasterns. A case in point of "YMMV" (Your Mileage May Vary) when it comes to boots, and another tool added to my recommendations arsenal.
- I didn't end up using my newer Ariats yet. Again, I haven't put in the kind of conditioning miles with them to know whether they're work for sure or not, and they're snug-fitting enough (at least at this point) for me to suspect they'll be better summer boots and probably too snug with thicker winter socks. So, the old standby Terrains got pressed into service yet again.
I think that about covers it...for now...at least until the next ride.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Afterthoughts: Man Against Horse 2009
So, I've only been cogitating on this for a month, post-ride. before finally deciding there wasn't much to add to it, and that I should just post it already.
A Combination of What Didn’t Work/ What I’d Do Different/What Worked:
- The worst part of the ride was the fact I had an agonizing pressure point on my right shin from the stirrup leather. I don’t know if it was caused from all the downhill trotting, or it I have too much padding (ski sock, tights, half chaps), or if my stirrup leathers are too short. My stirrups have been making a slow, downward migration in the two and a half years since I’ve had this saddle, and it might be time for another change. I had to stop trotting a few times and walk for a few moments, just to let the pain ease before continuing. (A Month Later: I dropped my stirrups about half an inch, and it's really comfortable. The true test will be the next 50, of course, but they feel better already, and I feel like it's easier to relax with them a touch longer.)
I also had some pressure on the inside of my thighs from the top buckles, but just about any stirrup leathers I try will do that – one of the compromises I have to make in riding Mimi in an English saddle. In order for stirrup bars not to put pressure on her flat back, they can’t be recessed at all, hence the buckles will out pressure on my legs instead. I’ve tried the Wintec Webbers, but they’re so thin, they feel flimsy, like I don’t have as much leg support.
- Still working on the saddle packs arrangement. I like the larger front packs, with very little on the back end of the saddle. However, I still think I’m going to make a separate little bag, long and narrow, to carry electrolyte syringes in that will tuck behind my leg or something. (A Month Later: Am contemplating seeing if I can get a custom Snugpax front pommel bags, with the larger camera bag added to the top of the same style packs as I already have, which are the packs, with the water bottle holders. Haven't gotten anywhere with designing and making an e'lyte-holding bag.)
- This is one of the first times she’s come up with a slightly sore back at the end of the ride, and I don’t know if it’s just because it’s such a difficult ride, or what. I know at VC2, I had to adjust my pad where it had slipped back under the saddle too far, and instead of properly loosening everything, lifting the saddle and pad, and sliding everything back into place, I just loosened the girth, yanked the front edges of the pad forward, and re-girthed her. It’s possible this rubbed against the grain of the hair and could have set up a sore spot, I suppose. I’d really like to get another pad, one that’s shaped to the saddle and has either front ties or billet straps. (A Month Later: I'm also starting to poke around the treeless saddle department, so all new purchases are temporarily on hold until I decide what I want to do and what I can afford.)
- I maybe could have done better in the food department. I ate decently, and felt really good all day, so maybe I didn’t do as bad as I thought. I just didn’t think I ate very much out on trail. Looking back, maybe it was pretty good. Food count (that I can remember):
Friday dinner: chicken/cheese ravioli w/ marinara sauce, Caesar salad
Breakfast: hard-boiled egg, slice of peanut butter toast, orange juice, coffee
Between camp and VC1: two slices dried fruit leather
VC1: peanut butter sandwich
Between VC1 and VC2: half a Luna bar, grapes
VC2: chicken lunchmeat slices, half a banana, half a PB sandwich
Between VC2 and camp: energy gel
Dinner: (YUM!) ribs, brisket, coleslaw, beans, peach cobbler, white wine
- What helped is that I drank well – I drained my 44 oz. Camelbak twice during the ride, and a bottle and half of the Succeed Amino sports drink throughout the ride. I took one OverDrive, three Motrin, and several electrolytes.
- This was definitely Mimi’s and my best ride yet. We didn’t have a single moment of disagreement or argument the entire ride, and neither one of us hit a mental wall. We both did a great job of staying chipper and perky the entire ride, and during the long section of road around the mountain, we maintained our cheer through song. (All: “She sings?” Yes, I do. Badly.)
- My rump rug irritated the hell out of me during the ride, because it kept blowing off Mimi's butt and would dangle uselessly at her flank as we'd trot along, and I had to nearly dislocate ribs several time trying to turn around, straighten it out, hold it in place, and keep trotting. (A Month Later: New rump rug made last night, my own custom design. We'll see how it works...it was too hot today to try it without melting the pony. 80* is not rump rug-appropriate weather.)
A Combination of What Didn’t Work/ What I’d Do Different/What Worked:
- The worst part of the ride was the fact I had an agonizing pressure point on my right shin from the stirrup leather. I don’t know if it was caused from all the downhill trotting, or it I have too much padding (ski sock, tights, half chaps), or if my stirrup leathers are too short. My stirrups have been making a slow, downward migration in the two and a half years since I’ve had this saddle, and it might be time for another change. I had to stop trotting a few times and walk for a few moments, just to let the pain ease before continuing. (A Month Later: I dropped my stirrups about half an inch, and it's really comfortable. The true test will be the next 50, of course, but they feel better already, and I feel like it's easier to relax with them a touch longer.)
I also had some pressure on the inside of my thighs from the top buckles, but just about any stirrup leathers I try will do that – one of the compromises I have to make in riding Mimi in an English saddle. In order for stirrup bars not to put pressure on her flat back, they can’t be recessed at all, hence the buckles will out pressure on my legs instead. I’ve tried the Wintec Webbers, but they’re so thin, they feel flimsy, like I don’t have as much leg support.
- Still working on the saddle packs arrangement. I like the larger front packs, with very little on the back end of the saddle. However, I still think I’m going to make a separate little bag, long and narrow, to carry electrolyte syringes in that will tuck behind my leg or something. (A Month Later: Am contemplating seeing if I can get a custom Snugpax front pommel bags, with the larger camera bag added to the top of the same style packs as I already have, which are the packs, with the water bottle holders. Haven't gotten anywhere with designing and making an e'lyte-holding bag.)
- This is one of the first times she’s come up with a slightly sore back at the end of the ride, and I don’t know if it’s just because it’s such a difficult ride, or what. I know at VC2, I had to adjust my pad where it had slipped back under the saddle too far, and instead of properly loosening everything, lifting the saddle and pad, and sliding everything back into place, I just loosened the girth, yanked the front edges of the pad forward, and re-girthed her. It’s possible this rubbed against the grain of the hair and could have set up a sore spot, I suppose. I’d really like to get another pad, one that’s shaped to the saddle and has either front ties or billet straps. (A Month Later: I'm also starting to poke around the treeless saddle department, so all new purchases are temporarily on hold until I decide what I want to do and what I can afford.)
- I maybe could have done better in the food department. I ate decently, and felt really good all day, so maybe I didn’t do as bad as I thought. I just didn’t think I ate very much out on trail. Looking back, maybe it was pretty good. Food count (that I can remember):
Friday dinner: chicken/cheese ravioli w/ marinara sauce, Caesar salad
Breakfast: hard-boiled egg, slice of peanut butter toast, orange juice, coffee
Between camp and VC1: two slices dried fruit leather
VC1: peanut butter sandwich
Between VC1 and VC2: half a Luna bar, grapes
VC2: chicken lunchmeat slices, half a banana, half a PB sandwich
Between VC2 and camp: energy gel
Dinner: (YUM!) ribs, brisket, coleslaw, beans, peach cobbler, white wine
- What helped is that I drank well – I drained my 44 oz. Camelbak twice during the ride, and a bottle and half of the Succeed Amino sports drink throughout the ride. I took one OverDrive, three Motrin, and several electrolytes.
- This was definitely Mimi’s and my best ride yet. We didn’t have a single moment of disagreement or argument the entire ride, and neither one of us hit a mental wall. We both did a great job of staying chipper and perky the entire ride, and during the long section of road around the mountain, we maintained our cheer through song. (All: “She sings?” Yes, I do. Badly.)
- My rump rug irritated the hell out of me during the ride, because it kept blowing off Mimi's butt and would dangle uselessly at her flank as we'd trot along, and I had to nearly dislocate ribs several time trying to turn around, straighten it out, hold it in place, and keep trotting. (A Month Later: New rump rug made last night, my own custom design. We'll see how it works...it was too hot today to try it without melting the pony. 80* is not rump rug-appropriate weather.)
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Ride Afterthoughts
VotS4 was our second 50 mile completion, and I think I definitely learned a lot.
What Didn’t Work/What I’d Do Different
This was our first true warm weather ride for that distance. I’ve done other warmer rides, but they’ve been shorter distances, where you can get away with a lot more. I think I need to be more aggressive in e’lyting protocol. They each only got the one dose at lunch, and with that heat, I should have given them smaller doses more frequently. I think that might have contributed to Mimi’s cramping -- basically, almost a minor tie-up due to dehydration and an e’lyte imbalance.
I’m not used to only one vet stop for that distance. I like that it makes the ride seem shorter, and breaks it up less. But you definitely have to make the time along the trail to stop and let your horse graze, if there’s any food, or carry something for them. I packed carrots along on the second loop, and then stopped and munched on those a couple times.
I need to carry more food for myself when there’s only one check. I survived out there on energy gels, a couple energy bars, water, a sports drink, people e’lytes, Motrin, and Overdrive. It’s definitely not enough, as I have been starving all day today. Fortunately, I drank pretty well.
Something is giving me quasi-shin splints, and I don’t know if it’s my tights or my half chaps. This is the second 50 miler in a row that has happened, and it’s the same tights/chaps combination. This is my second pair of these chaps, and I don’t remember having this problem at my first 50 with the chaps of the same design.
I miss my padded riding tights and need to get another pair of them. I had two pairs of Saddle Bums before I wore them out, and I still have a pair of Carousels that are still in one piece, but not very pretty anymore, and not really nice enough to take to rides anymore. (Hey, if you can’t ride fast, you have to ride pretty…)
My Vasque trail running shoes are better than my Columbias. The Columbias made my feet go numb after trotting for a while, particularly downhill. The Vasques absorb concussion better, I think, and they have slightly better arch support.
Rope reins in the morning, when she’s more likely to pull? She didn’t pull very long at this ride, but it was enough that I did get a couple blisters from the beta reins. Or maybe it’s just a function of pulling pony, and everything will give blisters to a degree. See, this is why I need to get to more rides, so I can experiment with this sort of thing.
More experimentation with the saddle pad. There must be a way to balance it without tipping it back too much. Maybe cutting back more of the extra foam insert, and shaving it down thinner?
Things That Worked
I ate really well at lunch. Fresh ‘n Easy makes good applewood smoked turkey already sliced, and Sunflower Market makes a good cold spaghetti salad. Mint-flavored waters are very refreshing.
Clean socks and a fresh shirt at lunch make you feel almost-clean. Although I would have liked to keep my Day-Glo mango-colored shirt on for the whole day versus just the morning …it’s a very distinct color.
Wearing my Camelbak in the afternoon was a very good idea. I would have been so dehydrated without it, because two water bottles on the front of my saddle would not have been enough. It was really warm for a few hours in the afternoon, and I drained all 70 oz. of the pack, plus one additional water bottle and half of a vitamin water.
I loosened Mimi’s crupper a notch from where I had it adjusted, and I didn’t have problems with the buckle rubbing, or with the back of my pad starting to scrub her loins. The saddle slid forward a bit going downhill, but it moved back as soon as the trail leveled out or when uphill.
Beamer is really growing up. I’m really proud of how well he and Dad are doing together. He handle the start of the ride beautifully, and only offered one tiny crowhop within the first three miles. He also lead most of the way for the first loop, and he stayed a lot perkier and cheerful throughout the whole ride. He never really hit a mopey, “must stop and eat or I will commence sulking” moment. We let them graze a couple times throughout the second loop, as well as giving them the carrots I was carrying in my saddle., and I think that really helped. And he really liked his hackamore on the second loop.
I felt really good during and after the ride. I felt really good about the fact I was able to manage myself on a limited regimen of Motrin, just due to some careful attention to a vitamin balance, and healthier eating. In the past, I’ve relied on sugar and Motrin to get me through, and this time, I only took a few Motrin for the entire ride, and very limited junk food - a handful of kettle-cooked potato chips, and half of a mango gel I split with Dad (sort of an upscale, lower sugar Jell-O from Fresh ‘n Easy). I’ve got some sore calves today, but I think that’s more a function of posting a trot for 45 of 50 miles, and I don’t feel any more sore than after the Wickenburg 25 in January.
Overall, the Renegades did fantastic. I had a minor problem with Mimi interfering with her front boots trotting in the deep sand wash, but that was due to a sizing error on my part, and Kirt Lander was able to fix everything for me during the lunch break, and I never touched the boots for the entire second half. Look for a separate post to follow on my very positive experience with using Renegades and working with Kirt and Gina Lander.
What Didn’t Work/What I’d Do Different
This was our first true warm weather ride for that distance. I’ve done other warmer rides, but they’ve been shorter distances, where you can get away with a lot more. I think I need to be more aggressive in e’lyting protocol. They each only got the one dose at lunch, and with that heat, I should have given them smaller doses more frequently. I think that might have contributed to Mimi’s cramping -- basically, almost a minor tie-up due to dehydration and an e’lyte imbalance.
I’m not used to only one vet stop for that distance. I like that it makes the ride seem shorter, and breaks it up less. But you definitely have to make the time along the trail to stop and let your horse graze, if there’s any food, or carry something for them. I packed carrots along on the second loop, and then stopped and munched on those a couple times.
I need to carry more food for myself when there’s only one check. I survived out there on energy gels, a couple energy bars, water, a sports drink, people e’lytes, Motrin, and Overdrive. It’s definitely not enough, as I have been starving all day today. Fortunately, I drank pretty well.
Something is giving me quasi-shin splints, and I don’t know if it’s my tights or my half chaps. This is the second 50 miler in a row that has happened, and it’s the same tights/chaps combination. This is my second pair of these chaps, and I don’t remember having this problem at my first 50 with the chaps of the same design.
I miss my padded riding tights and need to get another pair of them. I had two pairs of Saddle Bums before I wore them out, and I still have a pair of Carousels that are still in one piece, but not very pretty anymore, and not really nice enough to take to rides anymore. (Hey, if you can’t ride fast, you have to ride pretty…)
My Vasque trail running shoes are better than my Columbias. The Columbias made my feet go numb after trotting for a while, particularly downhill. The Vasques absorb concussion better, I think, and they have slightly better arch support.
Rope reins in the morning, when she’s more likely to pull? She didn’t pull very long at this ride, but it was enough that I did get a couple blisters from the beta reins. Or maybe it’s just a function of pulling pony, and everything will give blisters to a degree. See, this is why I need to get to more rides, so I can experiment with this sort of thing.
More experimentation with the saddle pad. There must be a way to balance it without tipping it back too much. Maybe cutting back more of the extra foam insert, and shaving it down thinner?
Things That Worked
I ate really well at lunch. Fresh ‘n Easy makes good applewood smoked turkey already sliced, and Sunflower Market makes a good cold spaghetti salad. Mint-flavored waters are very refreshing.
Clean socks and a fresh shirt at lunch make you feel almost-clean. Although I would have liked to keep my Day-Glo mango-colored shirt on for the whole day versus just the morning …it’s a very distinct color.
Wearing my Camelbak in the afternoon was a very good idea. I would have been so dehydrated without it, because two water bottles on the front of my saddle would not have been enough. It was really warm for a few hours in the afternoon, and I drained all 70 oz. of the pack, plus one additional water bottle and half of a vitamin water.
I loosened Mimi’s crupper a notch from where I had it adjusted, and I didn’t have problems with the buckle rubbing, or with the back of my pad starting to scrub her loins. The saddle slid forward a bit going downhill, but it moved back as soon as the trail leveled out or when uphill.
Beamer is really growing up. I’m really proud of how well he and Dad are doing together. He handle the start of the ride beautifully, and only offered one tiny crowhop within the first three miles. He also lead most of the way for the first loop, and he stayed a lot perkier and cheerful throughout the whole ride. He never really hit a mopey, “must stop and eat or I will commence sulking” moment. We let them graze a couple times throughout the second loop, as well as giving them the carrots I was carrying in my saddle., and I think that really helped. And he really liked his hackamore on the second loop.
I felt really good during and after the ride. I felt really good about the fact I was able to manage myself on a limited regimen of Motrin, just due to some careful attention to a vitamin balance, and healthier eating. In the past, I’ve relied on sugar and Motrin to get me through, and this time, I only took a few Motrin for the entire ride, and very limited junk food - a handful of kettle-cooked potato chips, and half of a mango gel I split with Dad (sort of an upscale, lower sugar Jell-O from Fresh ‘n Easy). I’ve got some sore calves today, but I think that’s more a function of posting a trot for 45 of 50 miles, and I don’t feel any more sore than after the Wickenburg 25 in January.
Overall, the Renegades did fantastic. I had a minor problem with Mimi interfering with her front boots trotting in the deep sand wash, but that was due to a sizing error on my part, and Kirt Lander was able to fix everything for me during the lunch break, and I never touched the boots for the entire second half. Look for a separate post to follow on my very positive experience with using Renegades and working with Kirt and Gina Lander.
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