Since I published my conditioning plan, I thought it might be beneficial to see what actually happens in real life since we all know that plans rarely go off without a hitch. Let's see what I have been able to do:
Week 6: Wed ride 12 miles. Weekend ride 10 miles at a moderate to fast pace (hoping to use the Hunter Pace). SUCCESS!
This actually happened. Wednesday I went riding for 12 miles at Croft with the BO and we set a pretty nice pace. Gem was mostly forward and happy.
That weekend was the FENCE pace and with the added mileage I was able to get in 10 miles. She put down some lovely 8 mph trots and a few canters along with a lot of hill work.
Week 5: Weeknight get in an hour of speed work at the barn including hill sets. Weekend ride 10 miles as a moderate to fast pace. PARTIAL SUCCESS!
I wasn't able to ride during the week at all. It poured down rain with flash flooding Monday and Tuesday and then Wednesday morning had 40+ mph winds. Thursday I had an evening work meeting and I had hoped to squeak in a ride after work Friday, but my surgeries got pushed back and I didn't finish until 5:15pm. Like every other rider out there, I can't wait for daylight savings time.
This weekend I did get in a 12 mile ride and while it wasn't anywhere near a fast pace and was only moderate for half of it, Gem did get a work out in and finished it strong.
All in all I think things are coming along pretty well. I plan to introduce the new feed next weekend and the weather looks promising to make it out to the barn hopefully one day this week. I'm still fighting darkness, but it is staying light out a little longer so I may be able to squeak in 30-45 minutes if I can get out of work a little early.
Next weekend's 20 miler is up in the air as far as location. There is a Pace scheduled at my absolute favorite place, but Dusty is running an ultra marathon that day. We could get a sitter, but the cost of the sitter plus the gas and entry fee adds up to nearly $200 and that is money that needs to go toward the endurance ride in April. Dusty tells me to still go because my whole goal was to go to every ride and earn that supporter award, but I am just not sure we have the money for it right now. Adulting at its finest.
Either way I will get my 20 miles in. If I do the pace, it will be to do it once through and then hit other trails to get the full 20 in. If I don't, I want to go to King's Mountain and do the entire 20 mile loop that I have never seen. Either way, it will be a great day on horseback.
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