Re: Determining conditioning distances

[Wendy Milner <wendy@wendy.cnd.hp.com>]

Sue asked:

> Is there some formula that can be used to determine how far you have ridden
> during a normal conditioning ride?

There is no formula other than figuring it out the old math way.
If you have a nice road where you ride, find a helpful bike rider
and have them measure the distance.  Or use your car odometer
which is generally not as accurate.  Measure out exactly one mile.

Walk the mile.  Get your time.  Turn around and do it again.
Get several timings.  Take the average time.  Say it takes
you 10 minutes to walk the mile.  Your average MPH is 6.
Divide 60 minutes by the number of minutes to walk a mile
and you get Miles per Hour (IF YOU ARE MEASURING A MILE).

If you go 2 miles, then multiply the first number (60/minutes)
by the number of miles you went.  Say it takes 20 minutes to
walk the distance (60/20 minutes = 3, 3X2 miles = 6 MPH) 

Next, trot the one mile distance, take the time, and repeat.
Do the math.  This gives you the average MPH that your horse
trots at.  You should get a slow trot and a medium trot measurement.
A trot might go from a slow 8 to a fast 15. 

Once you have your speed figured out, go on your training ride.
You might walk for 5 minutes (5 minutes X 6 MPH = 1/2 mile)
then trot for 10 minutes (10 minutes X 10 MPH = 1 mile)
etc.  You'll have to write it down, or remember it all.

Or, find that helpful biker again, and ask them to mark the miles
for you on your training trails.

--
Wendy

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 Wendy Milner                     HPDesk:   wendy_milner@hp4000
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