OMG Am now really scared/excited!

annareeves0

Active Member
Dec 18, 2007
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Bournemouth, Dorset
Ive been looking at it for a few weeks and have made arrangements with a friend to go along but somehow couldnt manage to make the commitment to enter but Ive done it, Ive entered a 25 mile ride :help: !!!

We're doing this one http://www.endurancegb.co.uk/html/ScheduleDetails.asp?Ride_Year=2011&Ride_Auto_Id=330 Cerne Giant ride in gorgeous North Dorset and Ive entered class 6 on the Sunday. It will be our longest and our first competitive ride having done 2 12 milers. Am mainly excited but a bit scared too! We've got some work to do on fitness and my weight. Im going to set myself a challenge to lose a stone in the next 6 weeks to make life easier for her.

:giggle::giggle: Im all excited!
 
I dont know what we're riding at the moment if Im honest.

I did a 10 mile training ride January and we've done two 25km ride (15.5 miles) one each in feb and March and were OK - we had a really good recovery on the first but not so good on the second (but still perfectly acceptable) but I was faffing and got overly cocky as we'd done so well the first time. Lesson learnt as if I relax so does she so we'll just chill out and not rush to the vet gate. My friend wandered around and let her pony roll etc while I was trying to shove speedibeet down her neck and throw water at her! They did much better at the vet gate despite not being as fit!

Sunday week we were out for 4 hours and cantered all over the show (but we were both still stiff by Wednesday) I have the mapmyfitness app on my phone but it keeps switching itself off recently so am going to start taking my GPS out. Its not flash and doesnt upload the route like the app but will do the distance pretty accurately and give me average and fastest speeds. Im pretty sure we can do it that distance now slower and have 6 weeks to get upto speed. At this stage in the game Ill be happy to get round, qualifying will be a bonus :biggrin:
 
Great stuff!

Now, for a 41km ride I would aim at doing 10km per hour so if you only have a watch, take a note of the time you start and you should be back at the finish 4 hours later - the lowest speed you can do is 8km per hour but 10km, when you are riding novice will give you a good bit of wiggle room to drop the speed if your horse starts to get mentally or physically tired.

When you go out with your GPS make a note of when she's walking out and going somewhere but not rushing, take a note of that speed.

For Spud, it's 6.9km/7km in walk, and I personally think that with your girl I'd be seeing around a 14km trot pace on the GPS. Also make a note of canter speed but when you are cruising, not when you have the pedal to the metal.

If you want to get fitter yourself, go out :running: Set off walking from one lamp post then jogging the next, then walking, then jogging - you get the picture and then work up to jogging two lampposts, then three with a walk between them and build up from there and you'll see the fitness working for you and it won't cost you gym fees.
 
Im starting to worry now that 41 km will be too much for us. It was a great idea when I entered but it was still a bit chilly - now that the weather has warmed up I am not sure that its fair to ride that far on a hot day with no crew? i just dont have anyone available. She is suffering with the heat at the moment but still has a fair amount fo winter coat left.

Is this too far to go crewless at the end of May in warm weather?

I thought i might see how it goes - if its a cooler day go with the distance or if its blazing drop down to a shorter distance? It would mean dropping from 41 km CR to 26 km NCR and I know we can do that easily although maybe need to team up to keep our speed up? It just seems such a big jump up? Its nearly double our previous ride. But then I want to do a competive ride. 30 km would be much better for us but there isnt one! Argh! I dont know what to do!

First week May Im on a riding/confidence course so we'll get loads of miles in, then i thought when i get back Tuesday 10th May I can do a 15 mile ride Ive got mapped out - this will be a good test of our speed over a longer distance and then it gives her 10 days till the actual ride fora bit of recovery and some shorter every day rides. 15 miles would be a little further than we've done to date and will be a good gauge but we would still have to go another 6 miles on top of that one the day!

Am I stressing over nothing or am I right to think its too much too soon? Reality check required!
 
Fitness is the key! Aslong as she is coping well with the distance you should be fine. There's also every chance that it could have gone chilly again in a few weeks time!
 
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