I'm mentally working on a strategic plan for the correct kind of fitness to attempt the long range goal. It is kind of early to set your New Years goals. But here it goes anyway.
Beginning tomorrow: Lots of walking. Yes. Walking. I want to give Journey some low stress riding for the Fall & Winter. She deserves a mental break, and I figure we can walk enough mud and hills to at least keep basic fitness on...I may even ask the neighbor if I can wade snow in his field. Snow is very hard work, and doesn't take long in the cold to get a workout.
Moving forward into February-April we start conditioning in earnest for her first distance ride.
May: Dear God please....let there be a Top of the Rock. We've never done back to back LD's but that is the plan as a super-compensation ride to prepare two weeks later for Maumee (please let there be a Maumee, oh please....oh please). We will attempt our 50 mile then.
June: I get into my little car and head to Virginia. Have not decided if I'm volunteering, or crewing...but think I'd like to crew, & photograph the ride happenings in between. I don't know how the timing of this will interfere, but if it does not...and Daniel Boone Distance Riders have Summer Breeze I'm going to try a hot /humid 50. How do I know it will be hot/humid? I know. This is Indiana. It will be somewhat humid, to so humid you might die walking to the horse trailer.
July: We will back off some again and concentrate on walking a lot of hills, maybe trailer to Clark and camp a weekend. The hills at Clark State Forest are my best bet at preparation for a hill climbing horse. Since the weather will be all kinds of miserable, hot, stick, and horrible we will tweak our useage of electrolytes to fluid ration. I feel pretty good about what I've been giving Journey, but I don't have my own at all sorted out yet. July will be the month of learning.
August: I'll probably back off and give her another break to be a horse and pick things back up at the end of the month to prepare for the Spook Run. Please Lois McAfee have a Spook Run 2015. If I've never appreciated (and I have truly) your self-sacrifice I sure do now. I need these rides.
September: hit the ground running to be ready in eight weeks for Spook Run. We need that last 50. If I can accomplish these things I will feel that Journey has the base she will need to jump start the hard core push in 2016 for readiness.
So that is hopes of
2-LD's
3-50's
for the year. I think the best season I ever had was on Phebes and I did maybe 4 rides?
The only equipment I feel I will need is some spare boot parts, and at worst a new woolback pad.
So for me it is as lofty of a goal as I've ever had. Depends on crunching the cash to go, keeping the decrepit truck rolling, health, and luck. Lot's a luck....
Our second beautiful rainbow this week. This one was HUGE.
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