Life Lessons from an Unlikely Endurance Rider Blog
June 15 2011
Let me preface this blog post by saying that I realize how wildly blessed I am to be faced with this dilemma!
It’s ten days out from the Pine Tree 100 endurance ride in North Waterford, Maine, and I am working hard at NOT trying to speculate as to which two of the three horses Rachel and I should take to ride.
I’m open for votes, but have decided that I will not make the final call (thank you, Tom Hutchinson, Ride Manager, for being kind and patient about horse changes) until this Saturday or until I can compare all three boys on equal footing, literally.
Here’s the details:
Ned, 17 this year, and a veteran of 7 100 mile rides, has come back into fitness like the slow, steady gifted athlete that he’s proven himself to be over 12 seasons of competition. He has blessed us with scattered moments of overt enthusisam, and has also shown Rachel, for the first time really, Pouty Ned. One must always tread lightly on Ned’s attitude and sizeable ego, and Rachel has a unique gift for cajoling the big boy into otherwise unexpected cheerfulness. I tease her that it’s because she’s a tiny little sprite of a person (comparatively, anyway — when I climb on Ned these days he looks back and says “one at a time please”) but I think it is more her appreciation for his cranky quirkiness and gruff exterior which indeed houses a generous and kind soul.
That said, Ned does not really owe me any more 100s in the heat...
Read more here:
http://www.pattistedman.com/2011/06/
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