Swanton 100, August 2000

[Linda Cowles <kadence@ix.netcom.com>]

I learned a few old lessons over again at this years Swanton 100 Ride,
and had some great experiences...

Every year this ride gets tougher by one more hill, or that's the rumor
I heard!! Local legend. It's tough not to add hills in this country,
because the only flat is on the beach or the coastal plain.

Julie Suhr and I finished together at 2:45 a.m. coming in 23 and 24.
This was a VERY tough ride. Julie was coming off of Tevis a few weeks
before and Fireworks 50 the week before... she is a superb athlete. My
son, Eric, crewed for me like a pro - I can't tell you how wonderful it
is to be the parent of one your best friends...

Swanton was a first 100 for both Gavilan and I. I worked Swanton for
several years, and finished Castle Rock twice, had to pull once. I knew
most of the trail outside of Castle Rock ride because I've ridden a lot
in Big Basin and other parks the ride passes through. I wanted Swanton
to be our first 100; It was tough, but I knew we could do it.

What I needed to prepare for Swanton was 6 months in the Julie Suhr
Endurance Fitness Program. Julie taught me a lot in 100 miles; the most
valuable lesson was what it means to endure with dignity and minimal
sniveling no matter how much you hurt.

Julie is my hero, I  exaggerate every wonderful characteristic she has
because she is a beacon in  many lives...  If you don't know Julie, I
can't describe her... like Tevis, Swanton, Becky's Rio, The O.D. ride,
Trilby and our irrepressible Maryben, some things and some people can't
be done justice with mere string of words... they have to be experienced
to be appreciated. I looked at the picture Karen Chaton posted on the
web, and Julie looks like this teenager heading back out to ride...

This ride is tough... 100 miles is too much to describe blow by blow
like I usually do, but in summary... It was MUCH too tough while I was
doing it, but I'll do it over and over again to add a date plate to the
wonderful redwood plaque Lud makes! This was my first 100, and I had leg
problems starting out that made it tougher, so that skews my opinion.
Everyone says it's tough, though. I think there is over 12,500 feet of
elevation GAIN, and what goes up does go down. Some of the trails are
every bit as treacherous as Tevis... this is one tough but spectacular
ride.

At times I felt like I was asking too much of my horse and was ready to
pull. I wasn't asking too much; when I turned him out 11 hours after
completing the ride, Gav had regained all of the weight he lost, and
galloped energetically up a steep hill in the pasture to see his
buddies. His legs stayed tight, no swelling, no gauling, not very
tired... damn. And he was always very happy, alert and eager. THAT felt
great!

The first time on this ride has to be extremely hard because you don't
know what you're in for. It prepares you to ride it again. Tevis is
tougher, they say, but not much. If it was easier to do, I think many
more riders would attempt it, and it would gain the recognition it
deserves because of the phenomenal beauty of the terrain and the
hospitality of the McCrarys. This is a magnificent ride... no doubt
about it.

I want to thank Susan and Barney and their fine team of volunteers for
their hard work at Swanton running their Endurance study!!! I don't know
how they managed to stay so upbeat all day and night, but they both
remained radiant the whole time. I can't wait to see the results!

Gav thought the $2000 scale donated by (correct me if I'm wrong,
Barney!!) Sport Tack was a bridge, and casually walked completely across
it several times without stopping thinking it was a training obstacle
("Really stupid bridge, Mom... this isn't scary at all...") but finally
realized that "the game" was to stop. Susan declared him a 4.5 to 5.0 on
her condition scale - Cool!! I thought he was skinny and she said "No!
He looks very good. He won't have a problem." That felt great.

I wish I could remember the sponsors, but I know Chiron Foundation and
Sport Tack were big ones... we got Complete Advantage grain samples, all
sorts of neat stuff. The great contribution is time that Susan, Barney
and the volunteers are putting into this, and the lab work and study
results... this is VERY significant for our sport.

What is the one thing I'll remember about this ride? Watching Julie ride
away faster than I can follow and thinking "How is she DOING
this???!!!"  ;*)   Julie, you impress the hell out of me.

As long as I ride endurance, Julie will be on the trail with me. And Bob
will be at every vet, calling into the darkness "Jewels! Is that You??"

  -- Linda Cowles and Gavilan