# First 50 for Kitty and I Soon!



## Brighteyes (Mar 8, 2009)

Here is a random thread to share my excitement and worry. 

So, I've been conditioning Kitty for a couple months now. We did the "fun run" at Red Barn not long ago, so I got a taste of the endurance process. I've been doing 25 and 50 mile multi-day CTRs for years, so distance isn't anything new to me. 

A friend invited me to Camp Osborn at the end of the month. Kitty's been handling training rides like a champ, and I think she's ready for a 50. She hasn't done an endurance ride in two years, and I myself have never done one. 

It's going to be very interesting! I don't know anyone in AERC. I sort of want to request a "mentor" to hang out with me for a couple miles and chat with me at holds and answer stupid questions... But I don't know if AERC does that like NATRC does.

I'm a bit nervous about pacing it out. Kitty prefers a slow canter to a medium trot. Should I just let her canter the whole thing if she so chooses (and she isn't struggling)? We mostly canter our conditioning rides and she's good for it.

Any other tips?


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## Brighteyes (Mar 8, 2009)

Also, pictures. Because I can. :wink:


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## palominogal (Feb 6, 2014)

She's gorgeous! I don't know much about Endurance, but I just wanted to tell you how pretty she is!


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## Brighteyes (Mar 8, 2009)

Aw! Thanks!


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## Houston (Apr 15, 2012)

I'm still an endurance newbie so I'll let more experienced people answer. But I must say that Kitty is GORGEOUS!

Good luck!


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## Brighteyes (Mar 8, 2009)

Thanks!  I'm pretty nervous, but I think Kitty will do fine. She's done this ride before. 5 hours and 25 minutes. Decent 50. And she's probably more conditioned now than she was then.


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## phantomhorse13 (Feb 18, 2011)

Lovely mare!!

You and she will be fine for a 50. Def ask around for a mentor/riding buddy if it makes you feel more comfortable (and riding with someone is a lot more fun too). I would think if you ask in the Southeast Endurance group on fb for a buddy, you will find someone (I know the Northeast group gets a lot of requests like that and SERA people seem to be super friendly in my experience).

Can't wait to hear all about it!!


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## greentree (Feb 27, 2013)

You will be fine! Just express your concern at the ride meeting, and LOTS of riders will pipe up and agree to join you! Only the ones who know they WANT to win, or at least start out that way, will keep quiet. I always LOVED starting out with someone who had never done endurance before. I like to leave after the pack, and go as steadily as possible. 

Kitty is really lovely!! Too bad I don't think I will be competing by that time. 

Good Luck!!

Nancy


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## Brighteyes (Mar 8, 2009)

Thank you guys!

I certainly don't want to be a front runner, but I'd like to start out mid-pack with someone who will canter with me, yet be a nice relaxing influence on my horse and I. Someone to hang with me for the first loop and through the first vet check to make sure I have my brain in the right place, and I'm not doing anything stupid. "Wait... Does our hold start after we pulse in or vet in? How long is the hold again?" etc. :lol:

Kitty and I had a great training ride today. We did about 10 miles at 12 mph. Not too far, but she was totally unfazed, even in the 90 degree heat. She had energy abundant at the end. Sweet little horse! With some more conditioning, she might make a hundred miler one day. :lol:


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## Brighteyes (Mar 8, 2009)

Almost all packed up and ready to go! Kitty even got a bath today. Because she's special and I want her to be pretty. :wink: 

I'm still having a hard time finding someone to ride with. I'm looking for an extended trot/slow canter buddy... But that's too fast to be "slow" and apparently everyone who isn't slow isn't much of a mentor type. Maybe I could just start in the middle and end up where I end up? Keep someone in sight? I'm worried I'll pace Kitty out too fast. It sometimes hard to well whether she's actually tired or her "meh" work ethic is showing.


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## greentree (Feb 27, 2013)

I would start out slower than you think, as much for training as anything else. You can always pick up the pace. 

Good Luck!!

Nancy


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## Brighteyes (Mar 8, 2009)

I'm cool with slow. I just don't want to disrupt anyone's ride with having to hold Kitty back the first 15 miles, so hopefully whoever takes me on won't get annoyed with me and my angry head-tossing horse. :wink:


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## Brighteyes (Mar 8, 2009)

We did it! I our total time was around seven hours, and we came in 11th place.  

It was so. Dang. HOT. Only 13 out of 23 starters completed due to heat stress. We had to ride very carefully. I found a lovely riding partner to guide me through my first loop, but she had to pull at the first hold. I was on my own most of the ride. Kitty did awesome. She pulsed down lime a champ. Even if we weren't "fast", we rode our ride. Everyone was suprised that s someone who had never done AERC would jump right into the 50s, but many ended up saying Kitty looked like the most "fit to continue" 50 miler at that ride. I'm proud I took care of her.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Brighteyes (Mar 8, 2009)

Totally necessary picture of Kitty and I going out for our last loop


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## CLaPorte432 (Jan 3, 2012)

Awesome job! What an achievement!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## phantomhorse13 (Feb 18, 2011)

Congrats on riding a smart ride!

It surprises me that people would think you were "jumping right into 50s" after having done CTRs.. up here there is a lot of crossover. Obviously your ride shows you weren't just jumping into anything and were more than prepared!


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## Brighteyes (Mar 8, 2009)

The ride manager saw I was signed up for the 50 and wasn't an AERC member. So she was all, "Um, you sure?" :lol: So word spread around camp about the fresh meat coming in. 

I've done a lot of two day 50 mile CTRs. I figured it would be like doing a two day CTR in one day. (It was!)

I hope to get the opportunity to compete again sometime. It was a lot of fun.


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## 2scicrazed (Apr 7, 2014)

The training speeds you're doing put you near the front runners. My strategy would be to run the second day of ride.
Go to awards ceremony the night before. I've found that many people ride both days, so pick out say #5-#10 from first day and approach them. See who's doing a second day. Plug in behind them.

The first ten miles are usually hang on and pray. After that you have to follow your same training strategy and pace.

Good luck! If you attend the Big South Fork ride in September - you are welcome to ride with my group.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## 2scicrazed (Apr 7, 2014)

Are you going to be at any Tennessee rides?


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## 3ringburner (Feb 8, 2014)

gorgeous!! I dont do endurance but shes gorgeous!


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## Brighteyes (Mar 8, 2009)

I don't really have any definite plans for fall rides. I don't have a trailer of my own, so I'm at the mercy of the people around me -- who will let me bum a ride off them in exchange for gas money and whatever else I can offer. If anyone's driving through Alabama... Call me. :lol: But hopefully I can get a group at my new barn interested. I love Big South Fork -- I did a NATRC ride there one year. Beautiful place!

I don't have plans to do any serious racing for a while. :lol: I'm going to start slow and build speed (like I did this previous ride) for the next couple rides. Mostly to keep Kitty sane and to make sure she's going to stay sound. Also, I feel like I gotta pay my dues before I throw myself out there, even though Kitty's training rides are very strong.


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