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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page One

Page Two

Page Three

Page Four

Page Five:

June 23, 2007: Pine Tree 50... Riding High

July 21, 2007: Moonlight in Vermont 50... Ancestral Fields Forever

April 25, 2008: Dan Sumerel Clinic At NE Horse Expo

May 22/23, 2008: Crooked River 60... Hold Your Horses!

June 7/8, 2008: Search & Rescue Weekend

June 28, 2008: Pine Tree 50

July 19, 2008: Vermont 100... The Time Warp

August 23/34, 2008: The 'Burbs

March 18 & 19, 2009: Trailer Loading

Looking for more stories? Visit my New Blog!

Some of you may know that I've been agonizing over whether to try our first 100 at Pine Tree this year. We've got 440 ECTRA/AERC miles if you count Acadia (and I do). This includes completing the Pine Tree 50 twice before... 2003 and 2006... and the Justin Morgan Memorial 50 three weeks ago. He's been getting stronger each time he goes out, but our ride times have been relatively slow. In 2003 we finished in a ride time of 9:53, 30th out of 47 starters (33 finishers), and in 2006 we finished in a ride time of 8:43, 27th out of 42 starters (33 finishers). At the Justin Morgan we finished with only 15 minutes to spare, but I don't know our ride time because I can't remember the total time spent in holds, and if I had to guess I think we finished 19th out of 28 starters (21 finishers). I'll know for sure when the results are published. I didn't mind the long ride time because the terrain and weather made it SO TOUGH!

So like I said, he's been getting stronger and stronger, and I thought we were ready to move up in some fashion. I registered for the 50 but kept wondering if we should try the 100. I asked a bunch of folks what they thought, and most of them said go for the 100. The thought seemed to be, you know you want to to step it up sometime, so why not now? I was still mulling it over on Thursday night while packing, on Friday while driving, and even after I got to camp. (In case you're wondering, no, I didn't get lost on the way there, but I did miss the last turn and have to turn around because the AERC sign got knocked down in the high winds and driving rain.)

When I got to ridecamp at around 1:15 it was raining lightly and there was thunder rumbling in the distance. I got a great parking spot not far from the vetting area and just far enough away from the outhouse. I took my time setting up camp, including the new First Up canopy from WalMart (on sale for $79). My neighbor Steve was nice enough to assist with that part. (I love that canopy. It was almost as good as having a roll-out awning. Really big, easy to assemble, and stayed put in the wind! I put my four folding chairs and two tables underneath, and there was still room for my saddle stand, two coolers, and a center pathway.)

Before I picked up my ride packet, I told Dr. Art King (seemingly the east coast's busiest endurance vet) our history and asked what he thought I should do. He told me that because the average speed goes down once dark falls, unless we were accustomed to fast 50s, there wasn't much chance of finishing a 100 before the cutoff. He said with our previous 50-mile ride times we'd end up doing the last 40 miles or so in the dark. Even if we did finish before the cutoff, we'd be out there a LONG TIME and that would be hard on both of us... harder than doing the whole thing faster would be. His argument made really good sense to me, so 50 miles it was! My goal became to see how fast we could finish and still be in good shape at the end.

I should mention that other folks did also suggest that we stick to a fast 50, but they suggested it from a competitive finish viewpoint rather than from the "you can't finish in time" viewpoint. These folks just knew that if they were in my position they wouldn't start a 100 if they didn't know they could finish near the front. Nothing wrong with that viewpoint, I'm just not competitive so I was happy with the thought of just finishing before the cutoff. Art's explanation of why he didn't think we could finish by then made sense and won me over.

Zephyr vetted in with all As, and wowed the crowd by cantering away from the vet during trot-out. I understand bets were being taken on whether I was going to stay on my feet there at the end. I swear, between his mid-trot-out stop-drop-and-roll at Justin Morgan, and the canter at Pine Tree, I think people will be making sure they watch his trot-outs to see what he will do next and how I will deal with it!

My crew (husband Louis, and friends Heather and Craig) arrived at around 7pm, just in time for the ride meeting at 7:30. We took a couple minutes to set up their tents and then headed up. Ride Manager Tom Hutchinson gave a brief description of the trail, with some comments here and there about how this color or that color would be replaced for a while with this other color because he'd run out during the middle section of the trail. He also talked about how we'd recognize a lot of the trail sections, but that because ridecamp had moved, everything would come at different times than usual and a lot of it would be in reverse. Even the away holds would be in a different spot, this time in a field just down the road from the old ridecamp at the fairgrounds. The 50-mile ride would start at 5:30am, thirty minutes after the 100. The weather report was for low 70s and overcast, with winds of 15-20mph. As Mary Coleman would say... the forecast was for Morgan Weather!

After the ride meeting, Heather (who had crewed for me at Justin Morgan) and I talked about my speed goal. I asked her to calculate ride times for each loop based on a 7-hour ride time, which would have been a mid-pack finish based on previous year's finish times. It would also have been 1.75 hours faster than my fastest time on this course in the past. We also went over the tacking-up and un-tacking process a little bit, because as a non-horse person she'd wished last time that she could have helped more, at least with the un-tacking anyway. Meanwhile, Louis cooked a late supper and got everything organized for a hot ride-day meal during one of the holds. I asked him to be sure and have a hot dog ready for me, as I was sure my belly wouldn't manage a hamburger! Then I gave Zephyr a pan of wet mash with a heaping helping of Perform n' Win, which he slurped up with abandon. Craig helped Heather load the truck bed to her specifications. She had definite ideas about where she wanted to put what, based on her experience at Justin Morgan.

Then we all spent a couple hours of sitting around under the canopy with a good wine and the company of our neighbor and new friend Pete. He and Louis spent some time talking about pilot stuff... Pete's a commercial pilot and Louis is a General Aviation pilot. We own a share of a club-owned Cessna 150.

Louis and I crawled into our tent by maybe 11:00, and I spent the next five hours laying awake listening to the wind and the bullfrogs. For once, I couldn't hear Zephyr chewing his hay, drinking, peeing, and pooping... so of course I worried that he wasn't doing any of that. I laid there and waited for the alarm to go off at 4:00.

I started to hear people moving around at 3:30, and I got up a few minutes before 4:00. Fed Zephyr, went in the trailer to get my breakfast and tried not to wake Heather, who was sleeping there in my tent cot. Unfortunately the wind blew the trailer door shut with a really loud CLANG so I was sure I'd woken her, but I didn't hear any rustling. WOW, I thought, she really does sleep like the dead! I finished fetching my breakfast and climbed back out to eat. Breakfast for me was the same as the last couple times... some raw Old Fashioned Oatmeal (not quick oats) with Protein Crunch Cereal on top, diced dried fruit on top of that, and cold milk. I forced myself to eat the whole thing before doing anything else.

I went to the truck to get something and when I opened the back door, Heather sat up from the backseat and gave me a heart attack! It turned out that she hadn't been able to sleep in the tent cot and had moved to the truck thinking maybe that would help. Unfortunately, it hadn't, and she'd been awake most of the night too.

I woke up Louis and Craig at 4:45, just before I began tacking up. Craig held Zephyr for me so I didn't have to move my saddle stand from where I'd left it under the canopy. There was nowhere to tie Zephyr on that side of the trailer, because the canopy and all our other stuff was in the way. I was in the saddle and warming up by 5:10, and made sure to take a picture of ridecamp from up on the hillside.

Between Friday night and Saturday morning, I think as many as four different people looked at Zephyr and commented how nice it was to see endurance horses trending towards bigger bodies and rounder barrels, instead of the skinny underfed creatures of years past. Enough people said that about him that I started to worry that he was fat and wouldn't be able to pulse down well! He didn't look fat to me, but...

I checked in with the out timer (RM Tom) at 5:15, and crossed the start line at 5:30 in a pack of the first five horses. We all moved along at a fast trot (which is to say, Zephyr pulled my arms out of their sockets) until we hit the first big climb, described by RM Tom as "the worst trail in the whole ride". He was right. It was long, it was steep, it was rocky, and it was muddy. But it was over relatively soon, even at a walk. We did pass one horse and rider on their way down that hill with a lameness issue, I think it was a 50-mile horse but I don't really know. Wendy Bejarano commented that "at least the hill would settle the horses."

As soon as that yucky hill was over, we all took off and Zephyr started stretching my arms for me again. I yelled forward to Wendy "yep, the horses sure have settled down!" I think she laughed but I couldn't quite hear her because of the wind rushing by.

Heather had calculated my goal ride-time for that first 11-mile loop to be about 1.5 hours, and we arrived at the first crew stop just as they did. They were shocked because they didn't expect me for at least 15 minutes, and they were even more shocked to hear we were running second. They sponged him really quick and we were off again, having fallen back a couple places because two horses didn't stop at all. He galloped up the hill to catch them, and didn't even blink at the photographer sitting in the bed of her pickup truck.

I can't tell you a whole lot about the trails on this loop because I spent a lot of it with my eyes shut and my head down. There were a lot of woods trails with low-hanging branches, and I had to keep both hands on the reins for a semblance of control, so I couldn't brush the branches away from my face. I also couldn't see the footing so I just had to rely on Zephyr's judgement. I got slashed across the face a few times and just decided to put my head down and power through. This is the same reason I don't have any pictures... the whole time, I was either in too much of a hurry to stop, or he was in too much of a hurry to let me take a hand off the reins! I think there was also a good bit of sandy two-track trail.

I think Zephyr and I actually led the ride for maybe a quarter of the first loop, which felt REALLY WEIRD and which didn't make me all that happy. But I figured hey, what's the real difference between being in the front of a group of six horses, and being in the back? They're all going the same speed anyway, and Zephyr was a little calmer when he was in the front. But still, I resolved to leave the hold a minute or two after them on purpose (if the pulse time didn't force me to), so I could choose my own pace a little better. His heart rate had been fine on that loop... trotting at 90-120 and cantering at 100-140... but I didn't want to stress him unnecessarily.

We walked into the vet check at 6:42, having done the loop at an average speed of 9.2 mph. On paper it doesn't sound that fast but lemme tell ya, to me it felt like we were flying! I think we came in to camp in third place but I'm not sure. He took a few minutes to pulse down to 64. I thought about removing tack before pulsing in, but just as I removed the breastplate he started dropping fast. I probably could have taken him over sooner but I wanted to make sure it was thoroughly down... it was the vets who were actually taking the pulses, and there was a long walk between the pulse timers and the vets. I didn't want his pulse to spike back up over 64 on the walk over. He pulsed in with a 52 and got all As.

When we got to the truck for our 30-minute hold time, I loosened the girth some more and he dove into his chopped alfalfa, and beet pulp / grain slurry. He ate well but didn't drink, which I expected. He usually starts drinking at about the 15-mile mark. I'm sure as he gets more experienced this will improve. My crew tried to get me to eat but I couldn't, my stomach was still too keyed up. Right at the end I dosed Zephyr with a syringe full of applesauce mixed with Perform n' Win, rinsed his mouth with a shot of water, and mounted up.

We left right on time, and he started on Loop 2 with enthusiasm but not pulling my arms out anymore. We did this 11.3-mile loop at an average speed of 6.35 mph, not blazing fast but still feeling like we were moving well. We met up for a time with a woman named Jean who had also gotten caught up with faster horses, and wanted to slow down a touch. I think we rode all but the first 3 miles of Loop 2 together. This loop was all dirt roads, a straight section leading to a loop, then back to the hold along the same straight section. (They call this type of route a lollipop.) Zephyr started drinking somewhere on this loop, I don't remember where, and drank well for the rest of the ride. I was surprised to pass 50-milers leaving the hold to start out on that loop when we were on our way back... I'm not used to being in the lead!

Somewhere on this loop, a couple things happened. One, my GPS clip broke and I had to tuck the GPS into the center pocket of my pommel pack. And two, the center pocket of my pommel pack flopped around too much with the extra weight, and it came open! Luckily, my GPS was still attached by a string to the pommel of the saddle, so I didn't lose it, but I did lose my sunglasses, my trail map, two granola bars, and a sandwich baggie of jerky. Yes, I was indeed spewing jerky down the trail once again! (See the Justin Morgan story for more jerky tales.)

We got to the second 30-minute hold and pulsed down in four minutes. Again, I was being cautious about pulsing down far enough that he wouldn't go up again on the walk over. It was a good thing, too, as he pulsed in at 60 (the requirement was 64 or less). He got all As again. Heather went to get our out time, and came back reporting that Jean and I had arrived at the hold in 8th and 9th place. At the truck, I ate most of a 6" turkey sub while he chowed down on fresh beetpulp/grain slurry and chopped alfalfa, and drank. I changed out his saddlepad for a fresh one. Louis fixed my GPS clip so I didn't have to leave it behind, hooray for handy hubbies! I dosed him with elytes again right before I mounted up. We actually left two minutes after our out time, because at the last minute I remembered that I wanted to change the way my pommel bags were hooked on.

Loop 3 was 21.4 miles long, and we did it at an average speed of 7.5 mph. I rode much of this loop with Jean, and then Mindy and her Morgan, Thunder, caught up to us. The three horses really boogied well together. Zephyr started to slow down at the middle of this loop but picked up nicely after the first of the two crew stops. It was the wierdest thing, my crew and I kept getting to the crew stops at exactly the same time! I'm not sure how they managed to time it so perfectly. I do know that before one of the crew stops they got totally lost when the directions and the map didn't seem to jive, and they went about 20 miles by road instead of 6. They were very relieved to see that I hadn't already gone through!

At the second of the two crew stops on this loop, the one closest to the middle, I wanted to electrolyte Zephyr but we hadn't prepared a syringe in advance. I mentioned it in passing and before I knew it, Louis had filled a syringe and was offering to dose him for me. I said no, Zephyr had been reluctant to take the elytes so I would get off and do it, but Louis insisted. Sure enough, in just a few seconds he'd done the deed. Louis isn't a horse person so I was impressed... Zephyr gave him a hard time but Louis didn't take no for an answer!

I had been worried that this loop would seem never-ending but it went pretty fast. I don't remember much specifically about trails on this loop, but it might have been the loop that had a lot of nice sandy two-track trail. I do know that towards the end it followed the pipeline trail, which has a bunch of really nice stream crossings. The water was pretty deep at the one where the photographer was waiting.

Right after we passed the photographer, Mindy and Thunder took off at a canter. Zephyr wanted to keep up but I asked him to trot instead. We had a thorough discussion about that, with a lot of whinnying on his part, which is unusual. I finally got him to canter calmly and settled for that. I was satisfied because his heart rate was nice and low. I was occasionally able to back him off to a trot for a change of muscles. It wasn't long before we were at the third hold, which was back at camp.

When he got into the field at the edge of camp I think he believed he was done. It was all I could do to get him to walk at a reasonable pace up to the vet check area. This hold was 40 minutes and we were required to remove his tack. He pulsed in at 52 in four minutes, and got all As again. He enjoyed his same selection of snacks while I had a hot dog with all the fixin's, courtesy of my husband. Another dose of elytes for Zephyr and we were ready to go.

The last loop was only 6.1 mph. Leaving camp, I knew that I was in 9th place with nobody close behind. My goal was to settle into a nice easy trot and cruise in, but he was alone leaving camp and the trail headed straight up a long, rocky, fairly steep hill. He was feeling a little unmotivated and my spurs weren't really doing the trick! We did manage an 8mph trot for most of the loop. I was so distracted by trying to keep him trotting that I wasn't really paying attention to the markings, and all of a sudden I realized we'd been following orange ribbons for a while, not green! Oh no! All I'd wanted to do was hang onto 9th place and we were going to lose it from getting lost again! I backtracked about 25 yards before my tired brain remembered what RM Tom had mentioned at the ride meeting, about how he'd run out of green ribbon and gone to orange for a while in the middle of the last loop. Oh goodie, we can turn around again and keep going!

We didn't see another horse until about a mile out from camp, when someone passed us at a canter. He perked up right away and cantered after them, with a heart rate of about 110bbm. Yeah! We passed two 50-milers right about that time, who I thought were on their last loop but who it turned out later must have been on their third loop. (This section of trail was repeated on the third and fourth loops.) We caught up to another horse, the little Icelandic that had been camped next to us and was entered in the 30-mile ride, and the two of us trotted across the field to the finish, where I found out Zephyr and I had indeed come in 9th. Our ride time was 6 hours flat... almost 3 hours faster than our previous best time on this course!

I didn't want to stand for Best Condition (BC), reasoning that Zephyr wouldn't win and had nothing left to prove anyway, but my crew told me they were going to make me do it, even if just for the experience. So at the ten minute mark we brought him to Art for his pulse (36) and his completion exam. We'd done it, he was "fit to continue"! The new Thinline pad seemed to work; despite our high speed, there were no back soreness issues. With Art's strict admonition to be back at the one-hour mark (after finish time), my crew and I took Zephyr back to the trailer.

I changed my clothes quickly while someone took Zephyr off to find some grass, and then I walked along the camp road holding a feed pan under Zephyr's nose while Craig walked him up and down. After ten minutes we took him back to the trailer, cleaned him up a bit, and then Heather and Louis took a bag of hay and walked him up and down the road for the last 15 minutes before we had to bring him up for the BC judging. The BC vet judge looked him all over in the same manner as Art had, then had him trot up the hill on pavement and back down. Finally, I trotted him both directions on a circle.

We went back to the trailer to relax for a while before dinner. Just as dinner was announced, Tom came and told me I needed to change back into my riding gear and weigh myself with all my tack! I'd forgotten this was a requirement for BC judging. I wish someone had told me earlier, but that was OK. It didn't take long and then I was done and got to change back into jeans for dinner and awards.

If I heard correctly, there were 26 finishers out of the 33 starters. I've been proud to hear my name called before, but I've never been prouder than when Tom said "And in 9th place, Sharon Levasseur and Zephyr's Elegant Gift". Only I and a very few people there knew what this meant to me, but I think everyone could tell from my face how happy I was. I won a bag of grain, but really I won so much more.

Three days later I'm still riding high.

Footnotes:

I have decided to do another few fast and/or tough 50s before attempting our first 100. I think before we make the attempt, he and I both need to be feeling a lot fresher at the finish than we did on Saturday. For various reasons I could not have gotten back in that saddle for another 50. Our next ride, if all goes well, will be the Moonlight in Vermont 50.

Crooked River 60... Hold Your Horses!: May 22/23, 2008

I haven’t ridden as much since last year as usual. It seems the older I get, the less excited I get about riding in the cold, in the rain, or alone. I also discovered FEAR this spring, which I did eventually work through, but we had a rough time there for a while and it was really hard to convince myself to get in the saddle.

I had wanted to go to the Brown Bag 25 in mid-May to start off the season, but our driveway culvert collapsed and I couldn’t get the trailer out. So for the Crooked River CTR over Memorial Day weekend, I was faced with the decision of whether to play it safe and ride the 30-miler, or do the 2-day 60-miler. The 60 would be a bit of a gamble, because if we didn’t finish the second day we wouldn’t get the mileage credit from the first day’s 30 miles.

Looking ahead at what I wanted to get out of the season, I decided to attempt the 60 and just keep an open mind about whether we would finish. If we finished, great, but either way I’d know where we were at. I decided to consider it a training ride that I paid to attend.

I have a new rig this season, so packing to leave was more time-consuming than usual. Tack would be stored in the rear tack compartment instead of the dressing room, so there was room in the dressing room for a camp table and chair, a small freestanding set of shelves, a cooler, a set of plastic drawers, and a couple of plastic tubs with lids.

I spent some time packing every night that week after work. The last thing I packed was the Safety Pen corral that had been bolted onto my old trailer; hubby and I agreed we didn’t want to bolt anything onto a brand new trailer! As safe as it was, it was going to a new home with a fellow distance rider who would be volunteering at the ride.

When Friday morning came, I got up at the usual time, 6:00 a.m., and began the last minute loading… things like the clothes that I’d laundered the night before. It’s amazing how many last-minute things there are to pack even when you’ve already spent 8 hours packing!

I finally pulled out of the driveway around 9:30 a.m. I had to stop several times along the way for food and other supplies, so the 3 ¾-hour drive became almost 5 hours. That was OK with me though, I wasn’t in a hurry. We arrived around 2:30 p.m. and I pulled over for a few minutes while I scoped out the different parking areas. I ended up parking in what I used to think of as the “ritzy part of town”… the section with the electric/water hookups and big rigs. It was nice to have the water right there!

As I was setting up the posts for the electric pen, John and Sue Greenall pulled in. They asked me to move over a little more so they could fit a second rig between us. I checked with the people on the other side about whether they were setting up a pen between our two rigs; they weren’t, so I moved over about a space and a half and started over with the pen. I didn’t dare set the posts any closer to either trailer than 3’ because I didn’t know if Mr. Nosy would fiddle with them. That left me with a pen in the shape of a long skinny rectangle.

Over the years I’ve discovered that both Zephyr and I are much more relaxed if we take some time to unwind before heading to the judges to check in, so I put him in the pen with some water and hay. Of course, all he did was eat the grass. Meanwhile, I got the trailer set up for camping. The first and most important thing I did was move some of the bulky items that were in the front stall to the rear stall to make room for the “pee can”. One of the best features of this new trailer is that there’s a door between the dressing room and the horse area. I was looking forward to using the front stall as a mudroom and bathroom! Now, when someone comes along to crew for me, there will be privacy AND we won’t have to walk outside and back inside again to get to it! It may still just be a 5-gal bucket with toilet seat and a plastic trash can full of cat litter, but I love not having to walk across camp to the bathroom in the middle of the night when it’s raining. Someday maybe I’ll graduate to a chemical toilet.

I wanted to set up the awning right away because it was raining off and on, and because I’ve never had one before and I was excited to use it. But when I had it halfway open I realized that nobody else had theirs open; I reasoned that there was some occasional gusty wind and that must be why. Sadly, I closed it back up, resigned to the fact that every time I opened the door I’d have some rain blowing in and that was OK.

When we went over to vet in there was a significant wait. Occasional rain, sometimes quite heavy, drove us into the nearby open cow barn to stay dry. Eventually we got our turn.

There are two judges, one vet and one “lay judge” who is an experienced competitor. Each judge tracks certain things about each horse, and they compare notes on certain other things. All in all, they track gait (length/height of stride, overall body carriage, and willingness), hydration (skin pinch, capillary refill time, and gum color/moisture), gut sounds, etc. He did great on everything.

As soon as he’d vetted in, I put him back in his pen and grabbed a “tasty beverage” (hard ice tea) to drink as I walked around camp to see if I could find anyone who wanted to go for dinner down the road at Melby’s. Around 5:30 I decided I had to just go, or I wouldn’t get back in time for the riders’ meeting. I hadn’t actually been TOLD that there was a riders’ meeting, but most of the rides I go to have them the night before so I figured that was the case. I walked down to Melby’s and, because nobody else from the ride was just beginning their meal, I got my American chop suey special “to go”.

It wasn’t raining or windy at that point so when I got back I was able to open the awning and sit outside in my canvas easy chair to eat.

I had another tasty beverage hoping to relax enough to sleep that night; it would have been nice for once! About that time, I learned that the riders’ meeting would be at 6:30 a.m. so I just got all my stuff loaded into my hold tub and headed off to visit with friends for a while. Around 10:00 I changed into several layers of PJs, then laid in bed reading and listening to baseball on the radio. I was hoping to lull myself to sleep; I never seem to be able to sleep the night before a ride! Unfortunately, I don’t think I slept much at all. It was pretty cold so I had to get up several times to add more clothes, a fleece hat, and even one of Zephyr’s old wool coolers as another blanket.

I got up before the alarm went off at 5:30 a.m. and fed Zephyr, then changed into riding clothes with sweatpants/jacket on top and headed over to the cook shack for a breakfast sandwich and coffee. Normally on ride days I eat old fashioned oats with dried fruit and cold milk because I find this sticks to my ribs pretty well, but I was looking forward to hot food. It was a clear morning and the sun was warming things up relatively quickly, but I was still chilled from overnight.

At the riders’ meeting they announced that the first riders would start at 7:30 a.m. and we would leave in 2s and 3s every 2-3 minutes thereafter. My number was 48 so I knew after the start it would be at least 30 minutes before I needed to be in the saddle. I began tacking up at 7:30 so I could go slow and take my time. It was at this point that I realized my sunglasses were missing and I’d have to ride without them. I STILL don’t know what happened to them, maybe I dropped them at the feed store?

I was in the saddle with plenty of time to spare, and warmed him up in my usual way. Lots of walking, but with leg yields and other lateral moves that will stretch out the muscles in his legs, shoulders, and hips. I’ve found that this does him a lot more good than just walking around. I thought about ditching my windbreaker at this point, but decided that if it got overcast, or if we spent most of our time in the woods where it’s shady, I would regret it.

He was standing pretty wonky in this picture, just ignore the way his legs look.

I started at 8:15 with Tom Hutchinson and Norma House, but didn’t stay with them very long. The first mile or so was a nice gradual uphill dirt road, which should have been perfect for taking the edge off an eager horse, but Zephyr didn’t seem to even notice it. He was raring to go so I alternated between fighting to keep him out of an extended trot, and just letting him do it. (I really need to get his race brain turned off.) I probably passed 6-8 riders in the first few miles. I didn’t really mind, there’s something about knowing that we’re LAST and always playing catch-up that messes with my mind. Probably his, too, it’s just that unlike him I know it’s OK to stop moving up through the crowd after the first few!

Copyright 2008 - Sweet Meadow Photography

All Business!

The rest of the trails were a mix of dirt roads, wide one-lane ATV roads with sand footing (some with much deeper sand than others), and wide one-lane ATV roads with pine needles over spongy forest loam. Unfortunately for the story, though, there was no map, and the trails were all so alike that I had no sense of where I was, or where I was going. All I can tell you is that there were some left turns, some right turns, some trail that repeated in the same direction, and some trail that repeated in the opposite direction. Also, the trail was exactly the same on both days, so as I write this five days later I have very little memory of who I rode with at what points during the ride. Sometimes I was ahead of a bunch of people, sometimes behind them.

As predicted by ride management, what there was for on-trail water wasn’t consistently spaced. At times there was water around every corner, and at other times there was no water for miles. They had put out a couple water troughs, which I think we passed twice before the hold and twice after, but I can’t remember for sure. Even so, there were long stretches without any water. It wasn’t that big of a deal, though, because the temperatures over the whole weekend only got into the low 70s.

Zephyr started drinking a mile or two before the hold / vet check, so probably 13-14 miles in. That’s not bad, for him. Sometimes he waits until closer to 20 miles and that always makes me crazy.

For most of Saturday I played leapfrog with Tom and Norma, sometimes riding with them, sometimes way ahead, and sometimes behind. Since we all started together we were all aiming for the same finishing window, so we spent some time comparing notes about where we were in relation to our ideal overall pace. Most of the time we were way ahead of it.

Copyright 2008 - Sweet Meadow Photography

Indulging in a canter...

Zephyr cruised into the hold still going strong. He pulsed down easily and I grabbed hay and slurry for him to eat while we waited to trot for the vet. The black flies were pretty bad so it was hard to stand still (but later we’d discover that THAT was NOTHING). When it was our turn he trotted happily away from the judges but when we turned to come back he trotted way faster than I could easily keep up with. There I was, again, trying to take the longest strides I could, but refusing to bump on the lead rope to get him to slow down because that would make his head bob and he’d look lame. I really need to work on getting him to trot at MY speed.

I gave him a few extra minutes to eat, staying a total of maybe 25 minutes, and then mounted up. I had to tighten my cinch by a full hole on each side (2” total)… wow that must have been loose! I never even noticed any tipping, so I must have been riding pretty balanced. At the 20-mile mark, we were running 25 minutes ahead of the pace for completing within the minimum time. I decided to slow down!

Copyright 2008 - Sweet Meadow Photography

Finally Relaxing!

From that point on, we walked when it was windy and trotted when it wasn’t. Why, you ask? Because the black flies were so bad that, if you opened your mouth to talk, five of them would fly down your throat before you could get out the first word! As it was, I was wiping them out of my eyes every few strides; those missing sunglasses would have come in handy as bug deflectors.

At the 3-miles-to-go mark, there was a nice field with grass, so Tom, Norma, and I all stopped to graze our horses. Dinah and Steve Rojek were there, and Dinah was on the ground picking a certain type of plant that supposedly kept black flies away. We all tucked them in our helmets and the horses’ bridles.

Dinah Rojek and her horse were "loaded for black flies"!

I rode the last one or two miles alone. Zephyr was still rarin’ to go, but we had buckets of time left, so I did the best I could to hold him to a slow foxtrot or a fast walk. He’d do that for a while but then gradually get faster and faster until finally he was trotting. Then back to a walk we’d go! The foxtrot came in real handy at the end when we had to go back down that long gradual hill we’d started on. We finished exactly at 1:15 p.m., the earliest we were allowed to finish without a penalty.

He pulsed down great and we headed over to the outdoor arena to wait for our turn to trot out. I had to keep him moving periodically so that he wouldn’t stiffen up. Eventually it was our turn and YAY he was sound! Always a good thing. Then we went back to the trailer to change my clothes and let him hang out in his pen for a while and eat.

The awards ceremony for the 30-milers was held, then we had a wonderful dinner… chili, vegetarian lasagna, salad, and four different kinds of frozen pies. Yummy! All too soon it was time to go back to the trailer to get ready for tomorrow’s ride. Heather Bonneau came over to pay for my Safety Pen, and with some help we loaded it into her truck.

At bedtime, because he’d worked hard and it would be in the 40s overnight, I put Zephyr’s fleece cooler on him and then read for a while. I had turned out the light and was starting to doze off when I heard a sound I never wanted to hear. It was the sound of my horse breaking through his fence and running away! (In that split second I really regretted selling my Safety Pen… it’s nearly impossible for a horse to break out of the darn thing. If you didn’t have to bolt it to the trailer I’d never have sold it.)

Luckily, Steve Rojek and Kathy Brunjes hadn’t gone to bed yet. Before I could put on my boots and turn my flashlight on, they had caught him. He’d dragged the fence tape probably 100’ and headed straight for the floodlight… the only light you could see on a moonless night. Steve offered to keep holding him while I fixed the fence, but I took one look at it and decided it was more work than I wanted to do in the dark. We walked up to the barns, me with hay and water and Steve with my horse.

Thankfully, not only did we find an empty stall, we found one set up like Fort Knox! They normally have wide-open fronts blocked with a gate made from two 2x4s hung on chains from eye-hooks at around 3.5’ off the ground, but this one also had a chain across the front at around 4.5’ AND a cargo cable around the entire outside perimeter at the same height. No worries about him getting out of that! Mysteriously, it also had a full hay net. All I had to do was set the bucket in the corner. (I found out on Sunday that the stall I’d used was intended for use during the day on Sunday when a young horse’s buddy would be ridden again but the young horse would not, and they thought he might be unsettled enough to need an extra-secure stall.)

I went back to the trailer and slept reasonably well. The next morning, I surveyed the electric pen’s remnants and decided that a few things had happened. First, the pen was too narrow. Second, the fleece cooler made Zephyr itchy and he rolled, which in the narrow pen was a recipe for disaster. Third, the electric was on, so when he got caught up in the fence it bit him and kept biting him as he ran away. Fourth, I hadn’t taken his fly mask off at bedtime, so I don’t think he could see well and I think that’s why he ran towards the floodlight.

I rebuilt the pen about 3-4’ wider, this time leaving only 1.5’ or so between the edges and the trailers on each side. That seemed to make a lot of difference. I went up to the barn and got Zephyr, and put him back in the pen to eat while I changed and had a bowl of cold oats with dried cranberries and milk. I got him tacked up in plenty of time again. This time, when I got in the saddle, I had to warm myself up as much as him! My legs were tight and it took me 10 minutes of stretching to really feel like I could ride correctly.

I’m not sure what time we started, but this time we started with Steve and Dinah Rojek. Again, we didn’t stay with them. Zephyr was definitely more under control that day but we were still trotting faster than Steve and Dinah, and that was OK with me. Especially on the second day, I wanted to ride alone as much as possible so that I could be sure he wasn’t being pulled along by the other horses he was with. If we rode right behind other horses, he fought with me to go faster, but if we were alone he was a lot more relaxed and I felt this gave me a better indication of how he was really feeling. We did end up riding off and on with Sue and John Greenall, and Jane Soule’s granddaughter Leanne, but that was by coincidence more than design.

I spent extra time at the hold again. This was partially because after we finished our trot-out and were heading back to our spot, Zephyr dropped and tried to roll with the saddle on! I got him back up before he made it onto his back but the whole right side was muddy (wet horse + sand = mud). The other reason was that I had been hydrating myself well enough that I had to ask a volunteer to hold my horse while I found a bush to crouch behind. When it came time to remount, I found that my cinch was loose again, but I decided not to tighten it. I figured it was “keeping me honest”, that is, keeping me riding in the middle and balanced. That’s been an issue with me before when I get tired, and I wanted to avoid riding unevenly.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t until I was back in the saddle and the out timer asked for my pulse record slip that I remembered I’d tucked it into my waistband… and it was gone! Ride Secretary Louise Lester was very nice, and fetched it for me. She told me this was the first time that she’d ever had to go find someone’s pulse slip behind the bathroom bush!

Again, after the hold Zephyr was a little less strong. But since we’d left last and the horses before us had left several minutes ago, I pushed him until we’d caught up with them and a few others. That woke him up again and he had tons of energy for a while. I did get to look around at the scenery a little bit more though.

Eventually we came to the judges, who were waiting to do an on-trail observation. The vet said a couple miles ahead we MIGHT run into some fellows with handguns, target shooting in a gravel pit. I decided that was my cue to tighten that girth after all, just in case! The vet was happy to help, and we continued on our way.

I kept an eye on the time and the mileage markers, adjusting our pace to meet the minimum time requirement. It wasn’t until maybe the last two miles that I started to have to push him a little, but it was still not bad. We walked very slowly up to the finish line and crossed it again at exactly 5 hours, 0 minutes, 0 seconds!

There was the usual long wait for the trot out, at which time he trotted out completely sound, if a little less eagerly and playfully than he had at any of the other trot-outs. If you’ve read any of my other CTR stories, you may remember that normally at a CTR he does NOT trot completely sound on a circle, so this was a proud day for me!

We went back to the trailer, and he ate in his pen while I changed clothes and grabbed a tasty beverage. Other folks were starting to pack up their campsites in preparation for leaving, and I was so glad to be able to just relax! I was driving solo and it would be almost a 4-hour trip, so I was staying an extra night. There were two other trailers staying too, and I was happy that I wouldn’t be alone.

At the awards ceremony, I was thrilled to receive a 4th place ribbon! This was our first ride of the year and I had been fully prepared to not finish the second day, but as always, my horse surprised me. We didn’t lose any points for lameness or metabolics; we did lose points for fatigue and that one interference mark At the hands-on check an hour or two later, the judges noted an interference mark on one of his hind legs. He had kicked himself with the other hind foot, most likely towards the end when he started to get a little tired.. The handwritten comments included “eager and willing”, “playful and forward”, “sound and steady”, and “lovely mover, still going strong after hold”.

That night I made sure to remove his fly mask. I also put on his bright yellow rain sheet, both for visibility and because it has a smooth lining so I hoped he wouldn’t get as itchy. I rearranged my bed so I could see him out the window just by turning my head, and, call me silly, I left a light on in the horse area of the trailer so I could see the soft glow of the blanket when I looked out. I read for a while, periodically turning off my reading light to check on him. When I saw him carefully lay down in the middle of the pen, I relaxed and was able to sleep. I’d be lying if I didn’t say I woke up regularly during the night to check on him! He was fine each time and I was able to go right back to sleep.

I woke up at 4:45 when the first of the other two trailers left, and again at 5:45 when the second one left. I couldn’t get back to sleep then so I just got up. Packing was practically effortless. It’s amazing how much easier it is when “everything has its place” instead of having to pack the front of a stock trailer as if it were a 100-piece puzzle. The drive home was uneventful. When we got home I turned Zephyr back out in his paddock and he ran away tossing his head happily. Yay, yay, and triple yay!

I’m so proud of my boy. Next stop, Pine Tree. Same decision as last year… 50 or 100? Stay tuned…………

Vermont 100... AKA The Time Warp: July 19, 2008

After Pine Tree, I decided that if we had kept a more reasonable pace for the first half of the ride we would have been in much better shape at the end, and capable of going much further. So I decided to enter the Moonlight in VT 75 that was being held 3 weeks later. The name of the game would be GOOOO SLOOOOOW.

To that end, I practiced getting off and jogging alongside. Unfortunately, I soon remembered that the reason I don't usually do that is because Zephyr trots at a minimum of 8mph and I run at a maximum of 6mph (and that only lasts a few yards). Nonetheless, we worked on it a few days in a row and I thought we had it down. I even ordered some Dirty Girl Gaiters to fit over the tops of my shoes and keep the dirt out because I can't wear half chaps. Of course I bought yellow.

On Tuesday of ride week, my Dad agreed to crew for me. He isn't a horse person and had never crewed before, but he wanted to spend some time with me. I was just as excited about it as he was.

I waited until Friday morning when he was in the truck and we were headed down the road before I told him that, just the night before, I had decided to up the ante and ride the 100.

I broke the news by telling him about a book I'd read as a child. It was about a mommy badger who had eight pups/kits/cubs and one by one they got lost or died and she never noticed UNTIL she was down to two... because badgers can only count "One, Two, Many". (Yes, it was an odd book.) My theory, backed up by opinions of the enthusiastic members of the "New to 100s" Yahoo Group, was that if I thought we could finish the 75 then surely we could also finish the 100. Everyone says after you hit 60-70 miles you're over the hump anyway. The theory was that this ride would seem like "25, 50, Many."

He was game, but of course he teased me about kidnapping him before I broke the news!

The long trip was punctuated by a few bits of excitement. At two different points, a horrendous noise came from under the center console of the truck and scared me stiff. We finally decided it was probably ice coming off the AC underneath the truck, because Dad was running his side at 60° (I was running mine at 80°). Also, there was a Border Patrol stop... in coastal New Hampshire! Nothing much else of interest, just a long drive... 8 hours including my stop to pick up Dad. Oh yeah, it would have been a little shorter but Dad made me miss my first two turns in like 2 years. Great navigator he is. (Just kidding, Dad.)

We arrived in camp around 12:30. The "cheap" part of town (small rigs, no generators) was still pretty empty but the "ritzy neighborhood" was chock full.

We puttered around setting up our campsite, including Zephyr's pen and Dad's tent. I went up and vetted in while he finished getting everything ready. In the picture below, you can see Zephyr underneath the awning.

During the ride meeting there were some sprinkles and some wind, but nothing bad. After the manager, day manager, and vets had finished their talks and asked for questions, I spoke up and said I was attempting a first 100 for myself and my horse and would like someone experienced to ride with. Laura Hayes volunteered herself, Bill, and Tom... they planned to walk flat-footed out of camp and keep a reasonably slow pace. Great! I was very excited to have lucked out like that.

Dinner, as always, was amazing. Those runners know how to put on a spread. I filled up my plate and only could eat half, and of course Dad chimed in with the "I knew you couldn't eat all that!" line that parents can deliver so well. Dinner conversation was great, we talked to a bunch of runners and also several riders. One experienced crew-person assured Dad that his coworkers' assessment of his job for the weekend was pretty much spot on... he was going to be "The Waterboy". He said as long as he didn't have to shovel poop he was good.

Before we lost the light, we got the obligatory pictures under the start banner. MAN he looks short here. He's also wearing a 3-digit number starting with a 2. It's the first time I've ever seen the 100-mile horses marked that way, normally it starts with a 1. If there are 75-milers usually they have a 3-digit number starting with a 7. Oh well, it's not like I've waited 6 years for my horse to wear a 100-something number anyway, right? Right?? Guess I should have stuck with the 75-miler... then his number would have been 106.

After the photo shoot, Dad helped me load into the truck whatever I had ready at that point. He went to bed shortly afterwards... maybe 8:30. I felt bad because I knew I'd be making noise for the next couple of hours, getting the rest of my gear ready.

After I got everything loaded I decided to take a shower. Only all I have is what they call a "Sun Shower"... a black rubber bag that you set out in the sun and then hang up high for a warm, gravity-fed shower.

The problem is, by the time I get around to showering it's usually 11pm and the water has cooled off to just slightly warmer than frigid. Also, mine pretty much just drips out of the showerhead, and in order to get it to do THAT much you have to kneel in the drip tray (clean rubber tub) so that the hose stays kink-free.

On this trip, my "drip tray" was a rectangular rubbermaid tub that's about 1.5' tall. When I crouched down my knees hit the front of the tub and my ass hit the back, while the sides of my thighs pressed against the sides of the tub.  Needless to say, the water then had no way to go in the tub. But that wasn't the worst part of it. The worst part was that I was parked sideways on a hill. My ass was on the downhill side; I lost my balance and tipped over backwards, still stuck in the tub!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sure, go ahead and laugh. All I know is, I want a better shower solution. 

I slept about 3 hours overnight. There was some rain, and of course I had one ear open for loose horses (especially mine), but mostly I listened to the endless sounds of a camp full of horses, riders, runners, crew, and volunteers.

When the alarm went off at 3:00 a.m. I was already awake. I quickly got up and fed Zephyr, then went back to lay down for a few more minutes.

I was up and eating breakfast when the runners started at 4:00 a.m. They softly shuffled downhill past our row of trailers, their headlamps and handheld flashlights shining brightly and bobbing as they cheered and were cheered for by onlookers. Some wore trash bags and ponchos in a futile effort to stay dry in the thick, foggy dawn air. From the back, after they all passed, they were a half-mile-long glowworm oozing through the dark.

I checked in with the starter at exactly 4:30. Tacking up by the light of a flourescent lantern went more quickly once Dad came over to help, as Zephyr didn't want to stand still. I was in the saddle at about 4:50, with no idea what Laura, Bill, or Tom looked like under helmets and on top of horses. I peered through the fog, asking people if they were Laura, or if they knew her.

Zephyr misbehaved while waiting, sidepassing and tossing his head. We waited until the end, looking for three other horses hanging back in the crowd. After a moment I moved to the start line, asking the crowd whether they knew whether Laura, Bill and Tom had come through yet. Nobody knew. Oh well. Here we go.

Dad was walking back down the hill to the trailer when I passed him. He was surprised to see me, he had thought I'd already left. He'd wished good luck to the rider of a different chestnut horse wearing yellow tack before he'd realized it wasn't me. I believe he managed to get a picture, but he hasn't sent it to me yet.

We headed down the long hill out of camp walking behind everyone else, but soon passed two horses because Zephyr began to gait. He went in between foxtrot and rack for the next 3-5 miles. I would have preferred a nice slow trot but he made it quite clear that trotting with a low head and slow speed was not possible for him just then; a 6mph foxtrot/rack was all he could offer. I wished he would trot because we don't usually gait for so long; I worried that it would be hard on his body. After those first few miles he did trot at about 7-8 mph. It was a relief.

The two horses that we had passed at the beginning passed us about then, at a good steady trot. They reported seeing a couple of horses still behind me. I thought that was probably Laura et al but I knew I couldn't stop to wait and see. The intel might have been wrong and where would that have left me? Further behind the crowd than I already was.

At this point, Zephyr was mentally well-established in plodding along in a slow trot. The humidity may have contributed to his willingness to trot slowly. Once we were moving I was warm enough to take my windbreaker off and tie it around my waist.

The trails were beautiful and because we were moving so slowly I had a chance to take some pictures.

After a while, we rode through the center of a quaint little downtown area. I had passed a female runner several times who was wearing all pink with the name TAMMY written in magic marker across her chest. Tammy took pictures of everything she passed and that passed her, including probably 20 just of Zephyr and I. We chatted a bit; it was her first time at the Vermont 100 but not her first 100-miler. She planned a slow and easy pace. I just hoped she had a big enough memory card to last her the distance!

There was a traffic cop to help us through the intersection at the center of downtown, and then we crossed a beautiful old covered bridge where Tammy took my camera so I could have a picture of us crossing.

The first leg of the ride lasted F-O-R-E-V-E-R. It was supposed to be 12 miles but I know what 12 miles feels like. I was sure I'd missed the first stop, which I thought was supposed to be a flyby. I thought maybe Dad had gone there, decided I'd already been through, and left. I started looking for Hold 1.

Everywhere along this stretch of trail there were trees down. In some cases it was just a few branches piled alongside the road. In other cases there were enormous trees, obviously centuries old, cracked through with the top half slanting at an angle, or with the entire root structure exposed and the whole tree tipping over from the base. The fresh cracks were obscenely bright against the weathered old gentlemen's bark, an ugly atrocity seen through the calm and peaceful blanket of the still-humid morning.

Eventually I came to a left turn on the dirt road. Straight ahead of me was a massive tree, laying across the road and on top of the roadside power lines.

I followed the signs left into a field where a vet, my Dad, and a couple volunteers all waited. The first thing they said was that this was indeed the 12 mile stop, but that it was indeed more like 15 miles. My GPS agreed.

OK then, I thought, that stinks but at least this is the flyby and not the hold, so I didn't miss anything out on trail. How odd, a flyby in a field! I wonder why the vet is here, he must be doing on-trail observations.

Then someone solemnly announced that I was running overtime, and that after my hold time had passed I had better get some boogie in it. "What? What hold time? I thought this was the crew stop! This is the HOLD? Where is everyone?"

I had made a crucial mistake. Because I had studied the schedule for the 75 in such detail, I had only glanced at the schedule for the 100. I'd seen "Pit Crew #1" at 12 miles, and "Hold 1" at 18 miles, but I'd missed the fact that there was a 10-minute hold time listed for PC1. In my defense, though, I KNOW I'm not the only person who finds this ride's Hold Schedule really hard to understand. I don't know how I missed hearing it at the meeting, but I did.

During those 10 minutes, Laura, Bill, and Tom arrived. We very briefly exclaimed over having missed each other at the start; it turned out they had ridden together uphill on the road for a few minutes until everyone had left, then turned around and actually started. Lesson learned... make a firm plan about when/where to meet up at the start.

Ten scatterbrained minutes after arriving, I hauled myself back into the saddle and headed out. Zephyr had eaten and drunk well, but I had done neither. I had been focused on a couple of tack adjustments; other than that I honestly have no idea where the time went. I think I was shellshocked from discovering how far behind I truly was.

You see, the Open/Close times for all the Holds had been calculated based on a first leg of 12 miles... not 15... so our slow average speed at the start meant we were going to need to chase the closing times all day.

I boogied as much as I could for the next 6 miles, and arrived at Hold 1 ("Galaxy Hill") just 4 minutes before the closing time of 8:40 a.m. I was still so distracted that I didn't get him over to the vet for his pulse time as soon as I'm sure I could have; he was at 52 by the time I went over. I believe he vetted through with mostly As, but A- for impulsion/willingness. I remember asking Dad "Where's the awesome view? Management said the Galaxy Hill hold has a view so spectacular that everyone calls it The Sound of Music!" Dad shushed me and told me to eat something so I dropped the subject.

I waited 2 minutes past my out time so I could leave with Laura, Bill, and Tom. Again, because I hadn't studied the Hold Schedule well enough, I didn't realize the next leg was 24 miles. I must have thought it was 16 miles because that was the length of the first leg of the 75. We didn't really talk about it, either, as I recall. Finally, I had no idea that in that leg there were only 2 flybys. For some reason I expected a flyby roughly every 5 miles, certainly not any more than 10 miles apart.

We rode and rode, and rode some more. Sometimes we all rode together, sometimes it was just me and Tom, and sometimes it was just me and Laura with Tom ahead and Bill behind.

Zephyr had plenty of energy and tried hard to lead the way but Tom's horse would have none of it. I took this picture during one of the times Tom was ahead out of sight.

The next thing that really stands out in my mind is riding up a hill on a mowed path through a grassy field. Tom was ahead of me, Laura and Bill behind, and runners interspersed as always. The further up the hill I got, the more awesome the view became. (It was only after I returned home that I realized that THIS is the view they call "The Sound of Music". Management must have meant it was AFTER Galaxy Hill.)

It was "all butterflies and kittens" until I rode a few more feet and saw the way down. Yikes. I do not ride down hills that steep. I do not ski down them. I usually do not even walk down them. My gut instinct was to sit and scooch down on my bum! I'm sorry I don't have a picture but my hands were too busy shaking and my brain was too busy turning around and walking back the other way.

We all got off our horses to lead them down. Tom and Laura walked down fast and may have even jogged, while meanwhile poor Bill got stuck behind the freak who is scared absolutely stiff at the thought of even having to drive down a hill like this. He was very patient and truly "talked me down" just like the Ski Patrol does when you freeze up. I know. They've come for me before.

At the bottom, the pads of my feet were burning from slipping against the vinyl of my orthopedic insoles while my toes grabbed futilely for security in the dirt. I was a good sport though and we jogged behind Bill for a few yards before he and I both agreed it was time to mount up.

Bill and I caught up to Laura, who was having trouble with her horse's shoes (Epona, I think??). One of them had broken clean in half! She pulled an Easyboot on and continued on foot. Eventually she mounted again and we all rode together for a while. I think there was a flyby in there somewhere, I remember stopping at one while I was with Bill and Laura. She didn't stay long, but walked on ahead.

Bill and I left the flyby together having been told we had another obscene number of miles to go until Hold 2. I believe it was 12 miles. Keep in mind, I was still thinking this entire leg was only 16 miles. So I was hugely confused and discouraged to hear that the endless miles between Hold 1 and this flyby had added up to only FOUR MILES! For pete's sake, we had trotted a lot of it, so there COULDN'T still be 12 miles to go before Hold 2! I almost passed out from the shock of trying (and failing) to get the numbers to add up.

As I left, Dad told me that the next pit crew stop was about 4 miles down the trail, and he ordered me to hustle!

I think somehow I got ahead of both Bill and Laura, but I don't remember how. All I know is I did that 4 miles alone and seriously booked it. I think it may have been mostly woods trail, and if so, that would have helped. We just got in a zone, even to the point that we began ignoring the runners we passed unless I had to call ahead to tell them which side of the trail we would pass them on.

Leaving the second and last flyby on that leg, Dad told me Hold 2 was about 7 miles down the trail. Given the warped nature of time/distance that morning, it might as well have been 50. Still, we dug in.

Soon there was a nice shallow river crossing. It took some convincing before Zephyr would cross it; he just wanted to stand in the middle and play.

We were both doing reasonably well when we turned right at a Y where the left-hand side was named something along the lines of "Incredibly Steep Hill Road" ... and it headed straight up at a 90° angle to prove it... and the right-hand side was named something along the lines of "Frederick's Hill Road".

Frederick sounds like a nice well-mannered man, I thought, as I cackled to myself at not having to climb up Incredibly Steep Hill Road.

We went around a corner.

We climbed.

We went around a corner.

We climbed some more.

I got off to walk.

We went around a corner.

We climbed.

I stopped to rest.

You get the idea.

I would have sworn that hill was at least 4 miles long. After a while there was a house with a teenage girl in the driveway minding buckets of water for the horses. I thanked her profusely. She promised we were almost at the top.

We climbed some more.

You get the idea.

I think, although I'm not sure because I wasn't looking at my watch, that it may have taken us an hour to climb that hill. Runners passed us, but no horses although I know Bill and Laura were back there. (Turns out, Laura had stopped at the second flyby to replace the shoe. She's a farrier.) I heard later that it is exactly 2 miles long, and I doubt we averaged more than 2 mph going up it.

When we finally reached the top, I tried to get Zephyr to stand in the ditch so I could get on. He wasn't having it. After a moment a runner came by and I begged him to hold my stirrup. I was up. We were off.

By this point it had been probably 3 miles and well over an hour since Zephyr had seen another horse. He was pretty convinced that I had taken him on a well-desguised training ride. He's very lazy on training rides. It was all I could do to get him to trot slowly along behind a runner, and if that runner walked, Zephyr would too (in a most abrupt fashion that dug my GPS right into my tummy).

That's all well and good, but I was also getting funny readings from the heart rate monitor; it seemed as if his heart rate was spiking whenever we trotted. The problem was that I couldn't tell if those were real readings or not, I'd been having trouble with the Wearlink belt sliding back really far and I suspected the thin fabric may have been twisted under the saddle. No telling what effect that would have.

At this point, every runner we saw on trail asked if Zephyr was OK. They knew I'd struggled on the hill (although Zephyr hadn't) and that I didn't know whether the heart rate monitor was malfunctioning. I didn't really know what to say to them. I alternated between telling them "we're overtime, we're done" as we walked along, and spanking him up into a trot to see how he responded. I just couldn' t tell if I could believe the monitor readings. Every time I spanked him, I winced, wondering if the runners were judging me for urging forward a horse I didn't know was really OK.

Although I don't really remember specifics, we must have finally gotten into the groove. We were trotting steadily for a while before we got to Hold 2. Tom was still there, but was scheduled to leave just a few minutes after we arrived. We got there 30 minutes past the cutoff time but the vet informed me that management wasn't going to officially enforce Closing times until Hold 4.

However, he strongly suggested that I pull; he said the trail only got harder from there and we would need to drastically increase our average speed to make the Closing times. During the trot-out Zephyr showed further deterioration of willingness and impulsion... something that had been obvious to me on the trail... so that would have made an increase in speed difficult unless we had a horse to pace with.

I was overheated and drained... from not eating right (out of distraction over the seemingly distorted time/distance), from walking up that hill, and from having work so hard to encourage Zephyr to trot when he had no motivation of his own. It wasn't hard for the vet to convince me we didn't have a prayer of meeting cutoff times.

Dad and I were told we needed to wait until Laura and Bill came in, so they could be given the option of trailering their horses back to camp with Zephyr. I think they came in about 3:00. At first they wanted to continue on, and try to make up the time now that Laura's horse had its shoe back, but again the vet was influential in the decision. The trailer would only hold 2 horses, though, so they opted to ride their horses back to ridecamp to save the volunteer the trip.

As soon as the decision was made, I hustled Zephyr to the waiting trailer. I heard thunder in the distance and it was starting to rain; I hate thunder and I wanted to get him back to camp before all heck broke loose.

The volunteer trailer driver stopped at the top of the hill for me to unload. I grabbed Zephyr and ran down the hill as fast as I could under the blackening sky, with a sound and happy horse running beside me. As soon as I got him back to the trailer it began to rain. There were no other horses in camp and I was afraid he'd freak out during the storm, so I tried to load him on the trailer where I was sure he'd be safe. However, the step up was huge because the downhill (right) side of the trailer was on blocks, so he was uncharacteristically unwilling.

I quickly pulled out his rain sheet, put it on him, and led him to his pen. Before I went in, though, it began to rain harder. The wind was picking up and the thunder was getting closer. Camp was so deserted I could practically see tumbleweeds blowing through. Scared for him, I resolved to load him on that trailer if it killed me.

Lucky for me, the rider "next door" came in for her first in-camp Hold just then. She offered to help and at first I turned her down, but she had the good sense to just take the lead rope despite my protests that he would NOT get on that trailer if there was someone in there ahead of him. She hopped on, I tapped his hip, he hopped on and stood quietly while she snuck out next to him. YAY! Thanks Becky Cahill!

He was still wearing his rain sheet but my first priority was to get his hay bag out of the truck. As I was doing so, the wind at my back picked up so strongly and quickly that it knocked my breath from me. Suddenly I realized it wasn't just cold, it hurt! Dime-sized hail was striking me at somewhere around 50 mph!

Before a full second passed I was totally and completely soaked and freezing from the inside out. Becky huddled with her horse inside her open-sided stock trailer. I struggled to get the hay bag in through the open trailer window while Zephyr was trying just as hard to stick his head out through it to see what was going on. When I finished with the hay bag, I walked around behind the trailer to shut the door, just in time to see a tent and a folding canopy go careening end-over-end through several horse corrals, including the one right next to Zephyr's. Dad, meanwhile, was sitting in the truck watching two 50-mile riders come in to the trailer on the other side of me for their hold time. He said later that it was amazing to watch; they just went about their business.

As soon as I got into the dressing room I peeled off my dripping clothes and toweled dry. I was standing there buck naked when I heard a loud bang. The wind had shifted 180° the other direction and had blown open the side escape door into the horse area. In the few seconds it took me to jump into dry clothes, the entire inside of the front stall got soaked! And of course after I went out there to shut the door, my dry clothes were no longer dry.

After I changed (again) I just laid down and rested for about 3 hours, then got up and Dad and I rebuilt Zephyr's fence so he could get off the trailer. Dad had unloaded the gear from the truck onto the ground, so I loaded it into the trailer. Dad was in bed by 8:00 so I went up to the big tent to chat with the vets and management, and watch the first two 100-milers vet in. (It was around 8:30 when they finished... I would have MAYBE been within a few miles of Hold 4 if I'd still been out there.)

On Sunday morning we left camp at around 9:45, but we had to stop for gas and breakfast sandwiches (there were none, we had to get tuna). I didn't drop Dad off until 3:00, and got home around 5:30 or so. I went straight to bed... after unloading and feeding Zephyr of course. He was fine, in high spirits with plenty of energy. The new farrier did a good job and the shoes stayed on great. The interference boots did the trick too. All is well.

Now that I'm sitting at home, well-rested and with a few days' perspective, I have to wonder whether maybe we should have continued on. Here's my analysis:

At the decision point, it was 2:00 p.m. and we were at Mile 42 with a 45-minute hold awaiting us. The five 75-mile horses had already come and gone from Hold 2 and were somewhere on the trail ahead of us; the 50-mile horses were at the start line.

The first 42 miles had taken us 8 hours and 20 minutes' ride time, including the few minutes spent at flybys but not including the 40 minutes of hold time, for an average speed of around 5 mph not including the holds.

There was an 18-mile leg from Hold 2 (at 42 miles) to Hold 3 (at 60 miles). If we had left Hold 2 at 2:50 and been able to increase our average speed to 6 mph, it would have taken 3 hours... which would have meant arriving at Hold 3 just before 6:00 p.m. for our 60-minute hold time. The suggested Closing time (which wouldn't be enforced) was 6:00 p.m. We wouldn't have left Hold 3 until around 7:00 p.m.

The 50-milers don't join up with the 100-mile trail until Hold 4 (at 70 miles) and their Closing time for Hold 4 was 7:00! (Closing times are different for the 50s vs. the 75s and 100s.) So the 50-milers would have all come and gone by the time we arrived, and there would have been no chance of seeing them on trail or at the hold. Unless Laura and Bill had caught up, Zephyr would have continued to be the only horse on the trail. We would have had to continue pacing off the runners.

The closing time for Hold 4 was 9:00. At that point, management would begin to enforce the Closing times. We would have needed to cover that 18 mile leg in only 2 hours; we would have needed an average speed of 9 mph to make it.

So, as much as it still pains me, it seems that I made the right decision.

Will there be a next time? Maybe. I'd do a few things differently.

First, I'd pick a flatter ride even if it is a few weeks earlier in the ride season. Heat and humidity are one thing, but add in mountains and it's just too much of a drain on both of us... at least for a first 100.

Second, I'd find a mentor ahead of time who is an experienced 100-mile rider AND familiar with that particular trail AND willing to shepherd me through the whole thing. I'd completely forgotten what it's like to ride at the back of the pack and not be able to count on leapfrogging with other horses to keep Zephyr motivated. I've gotten used to running somewhere near the front and just occasionally hooking up with riding partners but not having one person by my side all day. I guess it would be OK to let ourselves be a little dependent when trying to get through a first 100.

Third, I'd beg/borrow/steal an experienced crew member, hopefully who is experienced in crewing specifically for 100-mile rides. (There's apparently an art to pacing that is different than 50-milers, and I need all the help I can get.) Dad was great, he really got into his job, but he still had to ask me what Zephyr needed. I did NOT eat enough, though it wasn't Dad's fault. I just need someone who can just take my horse away to deal with him themselves, then push me into a chair in front of a wide selection of tasty tidbits to tempt my troubled tummy.

Fourth and most definitely NOT least, if I decide to pursue this dream, I need to make a mental commitment to condition more. Not just go out and ride a nice moderate speed/difficulty loop, but actually make an effort to seek out hills and force Zephyr to perform a quality cardio workout despite his somewhat lazy-when-alone nature.

So, given that the only two 100s within reasonable driving distance of home are Pine Tree and Vermont, it seems that IF I decide to do this again soon, Pine Tree will probably be my next attempt. 2009? We'll see how Changes 1-4 shape up.

Next up? I wish I could make it to Western Maine for a 50 or two, but I promised hubby I'd be home for the next few weekends. So instead, next it's a 2-day 50 at The 'Burbs CTR on August 23-24. Then nothing in September (going to a wedding in NJ), and in early October the Maine 100 (a 3-day 100 CTR).

After that, we'll be done competing till next May. If I want to do the 2009 Pine Tree 100 I should definitely aim for the May 2009 Bare Bones 50 as a warmup. Otherwise I can get by with the Brown Bag 25 CTR that same weekend. We'll just have to wait and see what winter training looks like.

 

The 'Burbs 25/25 CTR: August 23/24, 2008

I don't know why it took me so long to write this story. There's really no possible reason for it, other than that nothing bad happened! These stories are more interesting when Zephyr and I are overcoming adversity. There wasn't really any adversity to be had at The 'Burbs, unless you count having a really hard time finding the place!

I'm writing this story in February of 2009, having finally gotten the few pictures off the memory card from my old faithful camera, a Canon whose lens suddenly refused to come out of hiding several months ago. This ride was the Canon's last stand. Unfortunately, right this moment I can't figure out where I put the photos when I downloaded them!

Zephyr and I arrived at camp on Friday at a very reasonable hour. The parking attendant found us a lovely spot in the shade... almost all the spots were in the shade so it was pretty easy! Unfortunately after I finished parking I discovered that my corral would run through an old manure dumping spot hidden by tall weeds. Oh well. I didn't mind that nearly as much as the tiny mingie flies, which were incredibly thick unless you were in the sun.

At the ride meeting, the manager told us the trail was a single lollipop loop that we would repeat twice each day for a total of 25 miles each day... which meant that the out-and-back part of the loop (mostly powerline trail) would be done four times each day. She said we should make time where we could because there were a lot of rocky sections, and if horses/riders weren't used to trotting over rock, it would really slow them down. That sounded ok to me, if a bit boring. Holds would be in camp.

The next day, I kept looking for the rocks. There wasn't anything we couldn't easily trot/canter over as long as we weren't going downhill. Zephyr was doing well, boogeying along and having great recoveries. All in all, a great day. We finished at pretty close to the minimum time allowed, if I remember right.

In an effort to qualify for the ECTRA "Versatility Award", I had decided to ride two separate 25s instead of a 2-day 50. That meant at the end of the first day's rides I had to finish the complete vet check, including both the hands-on and trot-out portions.

Once that was all done, a bunch of us went across the road to the lakeshore, where one of the riders' families had a speed boat. We enjoyed our beers at 40mph on a beautifully sunny and warm day! When we got back to shore, we were greeted by ride management. We had missed the awards ceremony... where Zephyr had gotten 3rd place and won a bag of grain! I have to say, as much as I would have liked to be there for that, I really enjoyed the boat ride.

When I got back to camp I had to vet Zephyr in for the next day's ride. Unfortunately the vet said I would need to bring him back in the morning for a re-check for slight lameness on the right front, which hadn't been there earlier. So of course I spent part of every hour for the rest of the day putting cold water on his legs!

In the morning, the vet said he looked better. Not perfect, but good enough to start. We boogied down the same trail again, still flying over the rocks (he felt 100% to me or I wouldn't have done it). We finished a little slower the second day because I wanted to make sure he was OK. Apparently I did right by him, because the vet said he looked nearly 100% at the end of the ride.

This time I stayed for awards. He won RESERVE CHAMPION for the first time EVER! We came away with a second bag of grain, a gift bag of leather care products, a hand-made horseshoe hoofpick, a set of decorative metal/glass whosie-whatsits (I'm not sure what they're for), and a couple other things. Quite the haul!

Sorry so few details, it was many months ago at this point. In general though, I was very proud of Zephyr, both for his scores and for his performance. I really enjoyed this ride despite the repetitive trail. I thought the manager did a great job with some tough challenges. And, obviously I did not find it too rocky. Of course, that's probably because MY trails are even rockier! Most of the other rides down that way have more sand than rock, so that's the type of trail people expect to see in that area.

Trailer Loading: March 18 & 19, 2009

My friend and I are taking our horses to the beach on Monday. Her horse is relatively new to her and doesn't load into the trailer well. She asked me for more details about the method I use, so I invited her to bring her trailer to my place so I could work with Zephyr to show her the method. Her trailer is quite different from mine, so I thought it would take some work. It went very well, and I was asked to write an explanation of it, which I am now posting below:

It's Clinton Anderson's method. Maybe others too but he explains it the best. I've been unable to find the trailer-loading video online for free anywhere, but he does have it for sale and sometimes you can find it on EBay.

However... my lame attempt to explain:

"Sending" is pointing with the hand that is holding the end of the rope that attaches to the horse's halter (ie "I want you to go that way"), while spinning the loose end of the rope RHYTHMICALLY in the other hand at the shoulder (ie "I want you to have forward movement"). Don't swing the rope at the butt, that may encourage him to move his butt away.

The point is not to lunge in circles, but rather to change directions frequently to prove to him that YOU have control of his feet. To change directions, switch hands on the rope. With the hand that is now pointing, bump if necessary to get his head pointed the way you want him to go. Then swing the rope at his shoulder. You may need to be forceful... but it's important to first be rhythmic and persistent.

The neat thing about this method is that the trailer is JUST ANOTHER OBSTACLE. The point of the lesson is NOT to get on the trailer, it is to be able to send the horse wherever you want it to go... regardless of whether there are treats or hay waiting for him there. (Don't put any hay or grain inside.)

As such, failed attempts are really not a big deal... either keep asking, ask in a different way, or ask for something the horse CAN do at that moment in time. Sometimes all the horse can do is stand still and let you fling the end of the rope all over him. That's OK. Sometimes, if he's really frustrated, all he can do is willingly walk at your side.

Whatever you do, never get mad. Talk to him if you need to... tell him "I know you're mad at me, but just because you're mad doesn't mean I am. I forgive you. We can do this all day. We're not here to get on the trailer anyway, we're just playing around." Smile a lot. Sing. Take breaks now and then to just love on him... but make sure you time it so you're not rewarding bad behavior.

If you do need to discipline him for something truly naughty, like biting or kicking, do it WITHOUT EMOTION. Make the punishment quick and fair, then let it be over... go back to what you were doing.

The preliminary steps are to send him around/between/over anything you can think of. Around trees, down the bank to the creek, over platforms, etc etc. Each time you move to a new obstacle, wait until he can do it properly (if he wants to rush, wait until he's slow and calm... if he's a deadhead, wait until you can get him to put some energy into it) before you move to the next obstacle. Remember to throw some backing up into the mix, especially backing down from a platform (a pallet with plywood nailed on top works great).

Then introduce the trailer as 'just another obstacle'. Each of the following steps is its own obstacle:

- Stand behind it with the ramp up / back doors closed, facing away from the trailer, and send him around one side of the trailer and then the other.
- Stand behind it, facing the trailer, and send him between you and the trailer.
- Put the ramp down (or open the doors if it's a step-up... remember to secure the doors!) and send him between you and the ramp (with you still on the ground facing the trailer).
- If there's a ramp, stand a little closer and send him over the ramp from side to side.
- Then finally, nonchalantly, stand on the ground next to the corner of the trailer and send him around you and up the ramp. If he gets on, great. At first he probably won't, so try this same thing a few times (rewarding with rest and rubs when he makes progress), then take a break and go back to something he's successful at before trying again.

Once you get him on, rub him and love on him, then just before he decides to back out on his own, back him off yourself. You have a choice here, you can either back him off a few steps and send him on again, or if he won't do that for you, you can back him off all the way and start over.

Sometimes he will be more amenable to being sent on if he has a straight-line approach, so if you're having trouble standing next to the trailer and sending him around you and on, try walking him towards it from 15' behind it.

Some tips...

When you get to 'the moment of truth', make sure you look INTO the trailer, not at him.

I like to use the verbal cue "GET UP" once he's on the ramp (or once he's about to step into a step-up)... it's the only place I use it.

Some horses need shavings on the floor so it doesn't look like a black hole of death. Some horses need the window or access door open. Humor them, especially when they're learning.

Hope this helps. For those who are truly 100% new to the sending technique, I recommend Clinton's "Lunging for Respect" video as well as the trailering video.