It is too hot to ride with
90 degrees and high humidity, yet I have to keep training so rode three this
morning. Sometimes I enjoy it and sometimes I am starting to feel like, “enough
, I’m done, no more…”. I know that I have gotten stronger and fitter because
when I have had enough it is actually more mental than physical. My legs and
thighs keep gripping and my upper body stays straight, so this is good. I do
worry about concentrating for 75 miles a day though. When you’re tired, even
bored, and don’t pay attention to every flick of the ear or toss of the head,
or tensing of body before a spook, that is when you get into trouble. Most
horses and ponies will let you know when something has frightened them and you
can prepare but for 12 hours a day, in the saddle??? I don’t know. These are
the little unknowns that you cannot really anticipate.
I have packed and
repacked. All my energy snacks are putting me over my weight limit of eleven
pounds. In fact, every chocolate granola bar and gummi chew that seemed
appetizing in the outdoor store seems destined to not make it into my saddle
bag but I am taking them with me anyway. I’ll eat them on the three days we
have to prep I guess. There is a Facebook page called The Mongol Derby 2014
where lots of competitors are asking questions, and past participants are
telling tales and offering advice.
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t
do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the
safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” –
Mark Twain
This quote was on
Amy Wallace Whelan’s website, a fellow Derbyist and close to my age. She is an endurance “pro”, from
Kentucky who has logged more than 10,000 miles in endurance competition! I
think us “older” gals are full of the adventuring spirit and I am looking
forward to meeting some of my fellow riders. I am going to start to post some
of their pictures and short bios.
3 days to go until I leave!!! Last minute double checks. I wake up in the middle of the night and wonder "where did I pack the extra hydration pack? or "Am I bringing enough socks?" At this point it is kinda funny- what will be is about to happen and the expression "Winging it!" is going to be the norm. They sent us the map of horse stations, water holes, river crossings and mountain passes that we are going to follow and the thought that predominantly came to mind was, "Oh Sh__." It looked a little like a giant scavenger hunt map. I think I am going to pretend I am 10 years old and just get really excited and go running to look for all the treasure, ditching the 60 year old who knows how much can go wrong. Not exactly throwing caution to the wind but letting go of the doubts and staying very much in the moment. Being anxious is not going to stop the sh__ from happening but it will stop me from thoroughly enjoying the ups and downs and incredible moments that are about to happen. When you think back on adventures it was the moments that scared you or were hard, that you re-tell over and over again. It is meeting the unknown that makes us push our limits and try to do more than we thought we could. This is why I am doing this race anyway. I don't know if I can ride 75-100 miles a day in a foreign land but I am glad that I am going to try it! 
There is only a week left before I board that United flight for Mongolia! I am so glad I am flying west, over the Pacific, through Tokyo, where I switch to Mongolian Air ! rather than anywhere near war- weary Middle East or Ukraine. I am looking forward to ten days on the steppes, living a nomads life, with no nightly news that makes me sad for the human race. 
My son, Sam, his dog Auggie, and I went hiking in Patapsco Park this morning. We walked for about 2 hours along some lovely bike and hiking trails . There are remnants of an old flour mill and a ranger was displaying photographs back to the Civil War from the area of the park. Lots of people walking dogs, children, bike riding- it was a lovely morning and a welcome change from galloping horses. Hiking downhill is hard on my knee but otherwise it was great. Cross training works. I have about 4-5 more gallops and then I am taking a break before riding off into the August "supermoon" over Mongolia. Leaving in about 2 1/2 weeks !
I realized I only have to
do my morning training 6 more times. WooHoo! Yesterday, Pia jumped across the tiny,
muddy little creek with an enormous leap and dumped the unsuspecting me on my
ass again! I thought that she might actually walk across this time, the hundredth
time, but not a chance. There are, you know, monsters that only she can see! I
landed flat on my back, wondering if I had burst my hydration pack, which
luckily by then was almost empty. It probably cushioned my back a little. She
kept going to the next field and stopped, but then just kept walking a little out of
reach, just rubbing it in a little! I eventually remounted and continued
galloping around. I love riding but I will be happy to stop galloping around,
soon.
