Re: Limited Distance

Samm C Bartee (bartesc@mail.auburn.edu)
Wed, 29 Jan 1997 16:01:04 -0600 (CST)

> Sorry, I stand by what I wrote...if sounds harsh so be it.
and I stand by what I wrote. I stated from the beginning I was not trying
to be argumentative. I was trying to point out a different line of
reasoning than yours. Completely different. I completely agreed that a
100 miler was far more difficult than a 25 miler. You will get NO
argument from me there. I was only trying to point out that for some
PEOPLE, it is not a reasonable thing to consider. They will never be able
to do more than 25's and it's a bit difficult for them to hear that they
are inadequate since they will not be able to do more than the lowly 25
mile ride.

If I ride a 100
> miles today and you ride 25 I am competing at a level that is superior.
Not if it's far easier for you to go 100 miles than it is for me to go 25
miles. Superiority is all relevant to what the person is trying to
accomplish with his/her life.

> a 100 mile competition. For example - In Dressage a horse that competes at
> 4th level is superior to one that is competing at training level. That does
> not mean that the rider of the training level horse is less of an equestrian
> it only means they are not competing at the highest level of their sport.
For some people, competing at a 25 may be the highest level they will ever
be able to compete in their sport. I am not talking about level a horse
can do, only the rider here. I was trying to point out that for SOME
people, a 25 will be the hardest ride of their lives. They may not be
physically able to do a higher distance, but that does not mean that they
did not ride, train, etc, just as hard as you did for that 100. In fact,
you probably put in less time than they did.

> Again, what is wrong with saying that!! Please stop trying to bring
> everything down to the lowest common denominator!
I am NOT trying to slow down or dumb down endurance!! Far from it. I am
just trying to bring a level of tolerance for those who can't do what
you are calling the most difficult level.
I think you misunderstood my post. If not, I am sorry. I am a firm
believer in people competing at the level they can, and not feeling bad if
that is all they can do, whether it's today or forever.

samm--really not wanting an argument here