Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

These next five miles or so were probably the hardest
for Sinatra.  At this point, I had already ridden
further than I ever had before (40 miles) and he was a
little disappointed to leave camp but just seemed to
resign himself to the fact that I was going to ride
him forever, I was never getting off, and we would
just keep coming to camp and leaving again until he
died.  =)  Once he realized this, he just kept moving
down the trail, my slow but steady boy!  He had
actually lead a good bit of the day today since Ted?s
mare didn?t like to be in front.  That was pretty new
for him, leading another horse, since usually when we
ride with company he?s in the middle or back.  But he
did good and just keep on going down the trail.  This
last 10-mile loop took us back out northeast towards
Jumbo Grade, which we crossed, and into the smaller
hills on the north side of the grade.  Both horses
(and riders) were pretty hot and tired.  It started to
cloud over (thundershowers on hot days are very common
in Nevada) and that gave us some relief.  It even
sprinkled a tiny bit.  My knees started to get very
sore, something I used to have problems with but had
gone away as I started riding more.  So I got off and
walked as much as possible but it felt like I had a
huge blister on the bottom of my right foot (I don?t
so go figure).  This last 10 would actually have been
a really fun loop on some fresh horses, but for now we
were just going down the trail nice and steady.  About
8 miles from camp, Sinatra realized we were heading
back and started to perk up.  When the trail would
turn away for the general direction of camp, he would
LOOK towards camp and kind of wonder why we were going
a different direction.  Once we looped back to the
water troughs where the first loop joined in, I had a
whole new horse.  Sinatra drank but was very eager to
keep going, since he now knew exactly where he was (we
had ridden this trail several times before the ride as
well).  My steady boy took a nice easy trot and
carried us most of the way back.  I did get off to
walk a couple more times but for the most part stayed
on and trotted.  I was a little disappointed as we
came upon the finish line.  I had always envisioned
myself cantering across the finish on my first 50
amidst some clapping from the volunteers (silly
maybe).  Instead we found that no one was there to
great us and I didn?t have the heart to make Sinatra
canter.  Some people directed us to the vetcheck where
the ?new? finish line was.  We got off and walked the
couple hundred yards or so to the vetcheck and Sinatra
was pulsed down (56) when we got there.  It was about
6:10 pm so that was a total ride time of 11 hours and
10 minutes, ?trail? time of 9:55.  He vetted out with
all A?s and B?s again and we did it, we got our
completion!  Dr. Lazarchef congratulated me on a job
well done and asked me if that was my first 50 since
the baby.  When I told him that was my first 50 EVER
he was pretty impressed and re-expressed what a good
job I had done.  I was very proud of my boy!  He has
come a VERY long way in the five months I?ve owned
him.  The trust and bond we have built is amazing and
he really looks to me for guidance and assurance.
I went back to the trailer and pulled tack and gave
Sinatra another mash and a bunch of hay to chew on.  I
didn?t sponge him since it was getting cool but he
wasn?t sweaty except for under the saddle anyways. 
After a few rubs and pats I went to go see what was
left of the ride dinner.  It is kind of sad for those
last few finishers, especially us newbies doing our
first rides, when it is all over and done with by the
time we get into camp.  Dinner had already been
served, awards presented, and most people were leaving
camp on their way home.  There was plenty of food left
(hamburgers, etc) and we got our choice of colors on
the finishing awards (bags from Rider Relief).  I have
YET to get a T-shirt in the five rides that I have
done now?.  =)  So I don?t even KNOW who won, who top
tenned, who got BC, who finished, who didn?t, etc.  I
DID enjoy sitting and visiting with the people who
were remaining, a well-rounded group of very
experienced riders. And I learned that if you are a
male, it pays to race to the top of the hill at our
rides out west.  We had a very cute female
photographer at the top of the hill waiting for riders
to come in.  Since she was all alone and could see
riders coming WELL before they got there she, umm, how
do I put this, decided to ?sunbathe? so she wouldn?t
get any tan lines.  =)  And no, not even the
front-runners were lucky enough to get a show!
All and all I had a great ride and learned some
valuable lessons.  Am I hooked on 50?s?  Heck, I was
hooked on 50?s before I even did one!  =)  My 105
miles of LD I did so far this season was just to get
ready for what I accomplished on Saturday.  And
really, these 50?s are just in preparation for my
final goal, 100?s.  I?m hoping to try my first one
sometime late NEXT year.

Hope to see you on the trail!

Crysta & Sinatra


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

http://www.endurance.net/ads/seabiscuit.html

Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp
Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp

Ride Long and Ride Safe!!

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=