{"id":2817,"date":"2016-05-28T00:36:30","date_gmt":"2016-05-28T00:36:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/newpromisefarms.com\/?page_id=2817"},"modified":"2022-02-12T01:36:32","modified_gmt":"2022-02-12T01:36:32","slug":"old-dominion-50-2016","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/newpromisefarms.com\/?page_id=2817","title":{"rendered":"Old Dominion 2016 – 42nd Anniversary"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"ride_starts\"<\/a>Yes, I am a glutton for punishment.\u00a0 I am planning on going to OD yet again.<\/p>\n

On poor Steel. She’s gonna run away from home!\u00a0 This will be the first time I have asked her to carry my heavy self over ANY mountain, not to mention the Old Dominion<\/a> mountain.\u00a0 And last year she didn’t complete because she blew a shoe and made her foot sore.\u00a0 Fingers crossed.<\/p>\n

Miss Daizy is down for a couple months while we try and determine if her left leg injury from January 2015 is causing her to go crooked and is twisting her back on the longer rides.\u00a0 All last year, she competed and went down hill on her scores until the final ride at AERC Nationals<\/a>, where she injured her foot.<\/p>\n

\"This<\/a>

This is the injury. It took from Jan to Apr 2015 to heal over. Then it was still raw looking well into July. She did compete on it and seemed to do okay until Nationals in October. In retrospect, I wonder if I should have just given her the entire 2015 season off while it healed.<\/p><\/div>\n

I gave her five months off after Nationals and then started her back to work this spring with Rabbit Run<\/a>.\u00a0 She was very tired and completed with a sore back.\u00a0 Then at No Frills<\/a>, we had to represent at the end because her back was so sore she was trotted lopsided.\u00a0 I massaged her for half an hour and went back and she barely squeaked by with a completion.\u00a0 And last, at NEATO (which was a to-die-for-ride)<\/a> she started getting sore at the start of the third loop and by the time we finished, she was trotting crooked and gimpy.\u00a0 I massaged her and she did improve with some minor head bobbles, but she did not complete.<\/p>\n

Had the Chiro out and her back was pretty much as it always is.\u00a0 He adjusted her.\u00a0 Then had the vet out who took ultrasounds of her rear leg, watched her move, manipulated her back and did flexion tests on all four legs.\u00a0 The injured leg has scar tissue sitting on the check ligament and had a lot of excess fluid build up.\u00a0 The flexion tests proved that hock did not want to bend as much as the right hock, but she did trot off on it sound.\u00a0 The vet suspects that the scar tissue is irritating her check ligament and she compensates by moving crooked, which in turn makes her back sore with a rider.\u00a0 He suggested giving her six to eight weeks off and redo the ultrasound to see what changes she has.<\/p>\n

Current diagnosis?\u00a0 Miss Daizy’s endurance career may be over.\u00a0 She seems to do fine for 30 to 35 miles then she starts to get sore.\u00a0 She may be able to do CTR’s and that’s it.\u00a0 Or, with a lighter rider, she may do fine. We will let her have the time off and see what happens.<\/p>\n

SOOOOO, enough sadness.\u00a0 Let’s talk about Miss Steel and me going to OD this year.\u00a0 Oh my gosh.\u00a0 I am excited to be riding the Turtle Ride with Dawn and Phin.\u00a0 She practically beat me on the head to come and do the ride with her on Steel.\u00a0 I was concerned that little Steel isn’t as strong as Miss Daizy and carrying me up and over that mountain may give her a heart attack.\u00a0 Dawn said “BAH!\u00a0 We’ll go slow and she’ll be fine.”<\/p>\n

Okay – entry sent!<\/p>\n

Now, while I write this story, we are in a five day 90 degree weather pattern.\u00a0 The OD ride is two weeks away and I’m wondering if we won’t have an opportunity to have a heart attack because we’re gonna melt first.<\/p>\n

Thursday – June 9th<\/strong><\/span> – I looked at the weather forecast for Saturday’s ride and the Northeast is about to get hit with a very high temperature influx.<\/p>\n

\"weather\"<\/a> Only a 20% chance of a passing storm so I can’t even count on that to cool me off.\u00a0 I do *NOT* do well in the heat so I am contemplating skipping this ride.\u00a0 Why subject myself to the possibility of getting another heat stroke (at OD, no less).\u00a0 I will make my final decision tomorrow morning after looking at the weather one more time.\u00a0 I know that Dawn and Cindy will be disappointed if I don’t ride.\u00a0 My motto is “Ride My Own Ride” and I’m pretty sure I can’t do well in 94 degree temps with no crew and one hold is away and I’ll be without all my “hold stuff” which would include things I’d need to get myself cooled down.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Stay tuned.<\/p>\n

\"weather1\"<\/a>The weather channel is posting heat warnings for Orkney Springs, VA and the heat index is supposed to be near 100 for the day.\u00a0 It is with sadness and tears that I have decided not to attend this ride.\u00a0 last year I had a heat stroke and it was only 86 degrees.\u00a0 I do not want to die (just yet) and I can’t subject my 17 year old Steel to riding in those conditions on the toughest trail on the East Coast.<\/p>\n

My friends are disappointed that I am not coming, but I have chosen to “Not Ride My Own Ride” which is exactly what a good endurance rider does.<\/p>\n

And checking the weather for Orkeny Springs, VA one more time before I go to bed.\u00a0 Just to be sure that I made the right decision (because it’s killing me that I’m not there this weekend)\u00a0 And the heat has increased yet again.\u00a0 No way I would have survived 94 degrees with a 60% humidity.\u00a0 I feel the pain of those of my friends riding tomorrow.<\/p>\n

\"weather2\"<\/a><\/p>\n

So, I will ride here at Blue Marsh on Sunday to keep Steel tuned up to go up to Vermont and ride the 75 mile trail.\u00a0 If I can find a crew to go with me.<\/p>\n

WANNA CREW?\u00a0 Email me!\u00a0 dodie@newpromisefarms.com<\/p>\n

Here’s updates as they come in for the OD Ride.<\/p>\n

Pulled at Bird Haven (First Vet Check)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n