Re: Liberty Run Story - from a humble 100 miler :-))- maybe kinda long?

["Dyane Smith" <sunibey@sisqtel.net>]

Gini,
Put me down with the rest of the ridecampers who hope you write more
stories.  I enjoyed it alot--because that's my picture of MY first 100
(hopefully, I do that well.)
Dyane
N. Ca

----- Original Message -----
From: <guest@endurance.net>
To: <ridecamp@endurance.net>
Sent: Saturday, October 16, 1999 12:49 PM
Subject: RC: Liberty Run Story - from a humble 100 miler :-))- maybe kinda
long?


> Gini Wilson vamarie@greenville.infi.net
> Someone asked for stories...I don't normally write them or at least for
the
> general public....but this one, I have to tell...my first one-day 100
miler..
>
> I had every intention of doing the 50 mile ride at
> Liberty Run II on my solid old grey mare, CD Gaily (she's "been
around")......I had NO intention
> of attempting the 100 and if anything, was considering taking Jazzy (our
young "up-and-comming"
> Belesemo mare)on her 6th 25 miler.
>
> I took Jazzy out on Friday just for a training ride.  We took the 15 mile
loop,
> the hardest.  It was great.  The weather was perfect and she was a dream
to
> ride.  During this time, yours truely had an idea....if I could ever do a
one-day
> 100 mile ride....this is it...my horse (Gaily) is ready, the weather is
perfect...what
> excuse do I have?
>
> I came back into camp with Jazzy and announced to the
> party that surrounded our trailer...."I decided to do the 100 mile
ride"....I think everyone thought I was
> kidding (or crazy)...as I got no response of value (actually alot of blank
stares).
>
> When James & I went to check in...I asked him if he had enough for me to
upgrade ($)....he looked at me
> puzzled...."your really going to do this?"  YEP! Ride Manger, Vicki was
thrilled...little did she know what her
> ultimate fate was!  (for those that don't know...James is my Fiance')
>
> We started out at 8:00 a.m....way too late in my book but I got to sleep
in, so
> what the heck!   James and I had an agreement....He stays behind the first
loop
> and then pulls me the rest of the way...."Deal?"
> "DEAL!"....yeah right....tell
> Martika that!  We managed to get through the first 30
> miles with no major fights and we were still half-way friendly to each
> other.....only 70 more to go.....
>
> On the last half of the 50 miles we  picked up Dean Jackson (A friend from
SC
> that we rode with for the entire Biltmore ride and is a joy to ride with)
and
> Woody another friend from GA that had already finished the 25 mile ride in
> top-ten and was bringing a horse in for a fellow rider that quit out on
the last
> loop....funny to see him riding an Appy with a black
> hard-hat (hunt cap) and riding in a western saddle...he may never hear the
end of it from us!.....This
> last loop was the best....the rest goes down hill.....
>
> We started on our 2nd 50 miles at apx 5:00 with every bit
> of hope of finishing near 2:00 a.m.  On the 1st 15 mile loop the trail had
> deteriorated due to the
> amount of horse traffic and we found ourselves walking through alot of
sugar sand
> which early had been packed well.  The 2nd 15 mile loop, we picked up a
girl from Brazil, Marie,  riding a borrowed horse
> ( Nice horse! rumored to be a Valarie Kanavy horse)   and speaking little
English...oh boy!
>
> There were no glow sticks and we rode in the dark most of the trail and
therefore,
> went slow.....we didn't leave out for the last 20  until mid-night...Vicki
(ride
> manager) offered to follow us in her truck to light the way...although
there
> were glow sticks, this gave us an opportunity to pick up some speed and
get the
> vets (and us) into bed before sunrise.  Vicki kept applogizing for ruining
our
> night-time riding...."NOT!!"....At one point, James confessed to be
> sleeping on Martika and woke up as we entered the last water stop!  Too
Funny!
> Marie and I entertained ourselves by trying to understand each others
language.
> (ie:  Marie:" what are those animals?"   Gini: "Frogs")  What-ever it
takes to
> amuse oneselves at 2:00 in the morning after riding an entire day.
>
>
> We finished at 4:44 with a 3-way tie.  We all hooted and
> hollared...but )  no-one
> listened ...everyone was sleeping.  The chairs at the
> finish line stood
> unoccupied.  How sad!
>
> Thanks to Dawn Osbourne for trotting Gaily out the last
> time....I could have..but I really wanted to see how she was.  Dawn said
> she would be there for us in the finish and she was!  After finishing the
top-ten
> in the 25 mile ride, she was always at the finish line and offering help
at the
> vet checks through out the ride.  She rode with Vicki on the last loop.
She was a
> great inspiration for us and  did a great job with Gaily's trot out.
Gaily was VERY tired and so was
> I....but we passed and received our completion...I actually thinthe vets
would
> have pulled her earlier in the nighbut didn't have the heart to do it at
this
> hour.  She was very sore and in my humble opinion was not fit to continue
and I
> would not have gone on with her if we had more miles to go.
>
> As it ends...we poltuiced the legs and got to bed with
> only one beer to celebrate
> (gee, thats is really out of character!)  We awoke about
> 9:00 a.m. (barely) to
> say good-bye to a few friends and let them know that we
> survived (barely)...we
> could hardly move.  We went back to sleep until noon.....
>
> Horses are fine....we are fine..
>
> Will I do it again?.... maybe....it was  very hard...VERY
> VERY hard.....But I'm
> sure in my future there is another 100 mile ride maybe
> not with Gaily.....but
> maybe....
>
> As I join the rank of true "Endurance Rider" status...I
> am honored and humbled by
> this experience.
>
> I want to Thank Vicki for being a "true" ride manager and helping us along
"no matter what it took"
> and all the people that offered help during the day...(I told them to
check on us about mid-night but no takers..go figure?)
> Wes Crowe said to wake him up if we needed anything, Cindy Bell was there
and trotting Gaily for me at the 65 mile mark.
> And many more...thank-you thank you..!  And THANK YOU to all who DID NOT
wake us up in the morning!
>
> Some things you may never know about on a "normal" endurance ride:
>
> 1.  There are frogs at night
> 2.  Coyotes howl
> 3.  It's REALLY dark
> 4.  You CAN sleep on your horse
> 5.  Not everyone who SAYS they will wait up for you, actually will
> 6.  We are NUTS
> 7.  Cherish the ones who DO stay up all night for you as they are as nuts
as you
>
> Thats my story....
>
> Gini Wilson
> True Endurance Rider
>
>
>
> Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
> Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/RideCamp
>
>


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