Pre-ride weekend ramblings...

I'm currently at work, but I've already mentally checked out, despite the mountain of work threatening to bury and crush me beneath its behemoth hulk.  And it's not like I can even stay late to finish up what isn't done.  Joe and I have our first Dave Ramsey "Financial Peace University" class tonight promptly at 6:30, so, time is running out.

But, when I've gotten breaks in the workload (waiting on faxes, just taking a 15 minute break, or just needing a mental break from reading), I've been popping on Facebook....because that's what I do.

And I had a moment where I kind of went "The endurance community is kind of cool."

Now, I'm not going to lie, the first two rides I went to, I could sense/feel the cliques.  Dude, they're real, like in any other group of people.  It's not that they're unwelcoming to newcomers, but they're very excited to see friends they may only see at rides, so they're busy catching up with one another, so they may not exactly greet the "Green Beans" with open arms and a booming welcome.

My first ride, I happened to get to hitch a ride with a rider who has been in the community for a few years, but tends to keep to the fringe.  I get it.  So it was GREAT to have her as someone to keep me company all weekend long.  Didn't hurt she also shared her knowledge with me.  That's what probably helped Strider and I get our first completion. 

My second ride, I went 100% solo.  Right after the ride dinner, I was sitting in my trailer, feeling rather lonesome and out of sorts.  No one really talked to me, and I was so overwhelmed about the new routes that the trail was going to be taking due to the weather that mentally during the meeting, I just shut down.  It had already been a long day of hauling to get to camp, and then setting it up that I was just mentally checking out.

I sent a text to Joe while I was sitting in my tent feeling sad for myself and told him I didn't even know why I had come.  I was lonely and I didn't feel like I fit in.

Now, as a brief backtrack, another rider had started a private conversation for some of us newbie riders on Facebook to talk and get to know one another.  But, as I'm such an awkward chickenpants, I was to scared to try and find their trailer to go say hi.

Joe told me if I was that unhappy, he and Kaylee could come up (4 hour drive?  And sleep I dunno where?  No, I wouldn't subject them to my own folly).  OR, he said just pack it in and go home.

Not gonna lie; briefly thought about it.  Except it was getting dark by then.

So, I ran to go potty, and when I got back, there were 3 people in my camp petting Strider.

It was the group of people who had hooked me up with some fellow green riders! 

So, I walked with them back to their trailer, met their horses, and worked out a ride plan for the morning with the newbie rider.

And I felt better.  So, at least I knew someone!

And, then I met and rode with a very experienced rider on the trail who helped keep us on pace and on track, and then she happily conceded the Turtle Award to Strider and I. 

After our completion and I got Strider settled in after our ride, she and I had a celebratory glass of wine at her trailer and sat and talked.  And that was nice.  And she said she'd try and save us a spot next to her trailer for the next ride.

And, tomorrow I leave for our 3rd ride, but it'll be our last ride of my "spring" season.  And, here I am on Facebook, talking with people who are coming, looking forward to seeing her again. 

And the few people I've talked to on Facebook, who have either been at the rides I've already been at, or who I've met (albeit briefly), while none of them can make the ride this weekend, we're all making plans for the rides in the future.  And it's nice.  Well, actually, there's one lady who I briefly met at my first ride who'll be at this ride, and I'm planning to ride with her on Sunday...so that's taken care of!!

So, while I know there's cliques, it seems that my way around it is to form my own group of friends to talk to at rides.  And keep up with them between rides on Facebook. 

And I know that as each ride goes by, it will get easier and easier.  I'll be (slightly less) anxious about going and making it through.  I'll figure out more and more what works best for me and my horse.  We'll tally up more and more miles, and, I hope, we'll enjoy the trails as they pass beneath our hooves.

As my horse lends me the strength of his back, his legs, his feet, his wind and his heart, I hope that we can enjoy the trails together.  We'll never be swift, we'll never be 'racers', but may our rides always be safe and pleasurable together.

It's almost time again Strider.  Time to saddle up and ride.

The Endurance Riders Prayer

I know that I haven't finished my write-up for my second ride just yet...and as of today, I have just today and tomorrow before I pull out on Friday for our third (and last of the Spring season) ride, but someone posted this to the Facebook AERC page, and it perfectly sums up how I feel while preparing for a ride. 

The Endurance Riders Prayer
Dear LORD as I send in my ride entry today,

I pray that you watch over my horse and his health,
Like holy bubble wrap for his legs, spine, gut, face, eyes
And holy armor for my truck/trailer, with specific attention to
My truck and trailer tires, suspension, exhaust system, brakes, transmission,
pumps, buttons, brakes, flooring and lights, and any other important parts I may be
forgetting or unaware of that are likely equally as important.
Also LORD, please watch over all my endurance pals and help them to be equally as safe as they make their preparations for their own rides.
In your holy name,
AMEN.
-Elizabeth Ecklund

Each and every rider worries and frets over every little thing on their horse up to the minute the ride begins, then as we go down the trail(s) at our own speed, we fret about them taking a misstep or a stumble.  Will they pulse down quickly?  Will they be sound?  Will they vet check okay?

We're bundles of anxiety...except the siren's song of the trail, it calls to us. 

I have found a joy and purpose in my riding that has been lacking the past few years.  Casual trail riding no longer satiates me.  I want to ride for a purpose.  When I put my foot in the stirrup, I want to gently encourage my horse to stretch himself just a little bit more than the last time we went out. 

I absolutely adore being out on the trails.  Being out there and enjoying my ride with everyone else.

I am overwhelmed at the improvements I've seen in my horse.  No longer is he sour and annoyed when we ride.  He comes to see me when I pull in to the barn, as if to find out as soon as possible what new adventure I have planned. 

He walks out with purpose if we stay on the property at the barn, and walks away from the herd without an issue.  He's ready to go.  Water in the way?  Let's get through it, or around it, but it's not going to deter our ride.  Want me to cross that creek that's to his belly?  Okay, sure.  I'm ready, let's RIDE!!

My horse is so utterly and completely different from the horse I used to have that it's sheer joy to ride with him.  He still pushes himself, and I still worry.  But we enjoy our time together.

Oh Strider, may our trails together be ever filled with beauty.  May you stay ever sound and may you always enjoy our rides together. 

Together, my sweet, brave boy, we'll see many trails.  Make many new friends.  And enjoy our hours together.

On the road to ride camp...

Friday morning, I slept in until 7.  Except I kept waking up sporadically all night long, checking the clock, thinking and re-thinking of everything I needed to take and pack and to not forget.

Sometimes it's hard to remember that the ONLY thing(s) I need are:
A horse
Tack

The rest of it, I don't doubt I could get at ride camp if I arrived only with my horse.  It's really not a joke that endurance people are so generous. 

Honestly, I suspect if I just showed up with a horse, I could cobble together tack to ride in, something to feed him and water for the weekend.  Because that's how endurance people roll.  They're so very generous.  It's one of the things I truly enjoy about being in ride camp.  Well, now that I'm starting to meet some people! 

Facebook helps in facilitating meeting others!  As does riding with people.  I'm quickly figuring out who's who...or at least putting some names with faces. 

Anyway..Friday morning.  The plan was to be rolling on down the road from the barn no later than 10:15. 

Yeah.  No.  11:15. 

It was raining all night, so just kind of icky out.  I hadn't yet filled my water tank.  I needed to load up my coolers with the frozen water and get my food and clothes loaded at the house before I could even get to the barn.

Got Kaylee out the door around 8ish, trailer loaded around 9:30ish (I could NOT resist a final shower before leaving the house since I knew the next shower I'd be taking would be Sunday night when I got home).  As I'm literally putting my boots on, Joe calls and asks if he can meet me out at the barn to at least say "Hi" as I'm running out of town.

So, I bolt out to the barn (well, bolt isn't accurate....I made my way slowly and carefully..you can tell there's 300 lbs of water in the bed of the truck, and I haven't even added the weight of a horse yet!) and make my way down to get Strider.

I stop and say hi to Socks as he's milling about with all the other horses while I wait for Joe.  He's got, as usual, some sunburning going on with his nose.  I need to get something on that to prevent the burning.  Poor fellow.  :( 

I have to hand-walk Strider through a few gates since there's 2 cattle guards in the way.  Always fun as I slog through wet grass up to my knees.  But, we did it.

And, he popped right in to the trailer (YAY!).  That felt good.  However, without Socks on the other side of the divider, he kept sticking his head under it and giving me this pathetic "Mom!  HALP!!  I'm STUCK!!  And sad looking!" look.  It really is pathetic.

I finally loosely tied him up while Joe and I went over the trailer one last time and made sure it was in as good as it could be order.

Said our good-byes, then Strider and I were rolling.

Instead of taking the toll road, I routed through Bastrop.  Not smart.  I think that added extra time to my drive.  I did stop for a potty break and water on the way, and finally gave up and hopped on the toll around at 71, then all the way up through to IH-35.

I stopped for gas around Waco.

And, I think sometimes the Universe puts us where we need to be and gently nudges us to our karmic destiny.

Anyway, I had JUST finished filling the truck up and was fixing to go inside to go potty again (I hate stopping!), and I had been thinking about an instance in the past where a poor guy had approached Joe at a gas station because he was a day or two before payday and didn't have the money to put any fuel in his truck, so Joe got a pump started for him, and the guy put $10 in. 

So, as I was thinking about that, a guy, deeply apologetic, came around the side of the pump as I was putting the nozzle away, and in a very embarrassed tone told me about how he and his wife were from Waxahachie and had driven down to Temple for him to get a job (he installs or does glass for businesses).  And, he realized he'd left his wallet behind, and the only reason he knew was because his wife mentioned she was starting to get hungry.  And, could I lend them some money to put like $15 in their truck? 

I happily started the pump up for him, and offered him a $20 for him and his wife to stop for something to eat as well.  As I told him, it wouldn't get them anything fancy for lunch, but it would at least get them something to eat (and, what I didn't say was, if they were careful and the little bit of gas they put in to his truck didn't get them home, whatever change was left WOULD).

I believe good karma gets paid forward.  I also believe that we put out positive energy in to the Universe, and that the Universe put me there at that exact moment to help him out.  If someone else had been there, he might not have gotten any gas.  If he'd gone to a different gas station, I wouldn't have been able to help.

The good feeling carried me forward.

Until Fort Worth.

Oh gods, how I hate you Fort Worth.  You and your ugly traffic and your road construction and your moron drivers who seem to assume that I can stop in a heart beat. 

I was SO relieved to get off 35 as soon as I was able.  SO relieved.  I'm sure Strider couldn't figure out why he was getting jerked around back there while I struggled with people cutting me off or not letting me merge when lanes mysteriously vanished within 100 yards or whatever.  SO annoying!!

But, we finally go to leave 35 and continue on our merry way to a far less busy road. 

I considered stopping for lunch several times, but by this point, I just wanted to get to ride camp so I could get my horse off the trailer, get my camp set up, and cook my hot dogs I had waiting for me in my cooler.  I'd been thinking about them for days and how good they were going to taste!!

And, as ALWAYS happens, I missed the turn off.  Yep.  ALWAYS happens.  So, I continued down a little further, turned it around and got back on track. 

Beautiful twisting roads with some hills.  I could drink in those views for years.  Wide open fields and just green, green grass.

And then, I turned off a paved road to the Forest road.

POTHOLES!! 

I can't stress how BAD the potholes and divots and just how AWFUL those roads are.  So SO bad.  I kept hollering out apologies to my horse for the rattling we were doing.

But, my phone's GPS got us to ride camp, where I stopped briefly and grabbed my envelope from registration and then I took stock about where the heck to park myself.  Most of the sites were already full, and I didn't want to get to far in to the grass for fear I'd never get out again. 

It was at this moment I was grateful to have a small trailer.  I saw there was an open spot near the registration trailer, near the vet-in area and near the potties.  SOLD!!!

I manage to pull through this site, assess where I want to put my portable corral, and I unload my horse.  Who, I must say, was GRATEFUL to be off the deathbox of horsey-doom!