right - I agree. I never meant to take away from the effort it takes to do
one. My main point was that it *is* within the reach of everyday people
with full time jobs, families, other committments, conditioning
limitations, etc. to safely complete 50 milers. It's all about the
priorities, right? <VVBG>
I know when I first started thinking about this sport I immediately
eliminated 50's and up from my mind thinking that you practically had to
live within riding distance of a national forest and be able to do
heavy-duty training several times a week (based on reading some older
endurance publications - new data tells us differently).
Given my conditioning limitations, I didn't give upper distances much
thought last year even tho in the back of my mind I wanted to do at lease
some fifties. It was only after talking to Samm Bartee off-line that I
realized that everyone else has got limitations too - you just figure out
how to work around them and then compete at the level you are able to train
(does that make sense?). For me it's meant a lot of dressage work during
the week and alot of trailering on the weekends - but, hey, that's why I
make a truck payment, right? <vbg>
All of this is not to say they are a walk in the park but they *are*
"do-able" - I'm finding out there are as many different ways to train as
there are horse and rider combos and most people can probably find one that
works for them if they really want to do a fifty.
Tina and crew
hickst@nichols.com
Huntsville, AL