Event Horse Training Regime

meardsall_millie

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Following on from Slumdog's very interesting SJ thread, could I pose the same question about eventers please?

I know we have a lot of people very experienced in the event world on here so would be interested in thoughts and comments about daily work/training/competition schedules for horses at different levels?
 

CaleruxShearer

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My novice horse works 5/6 days a week. Schools for between 25-40 mins two or three times a week, usually with a short hack after one of the sessions. He'll then hack once or twice and canter once a week as well. I usually only jump him once a week max or trying a new 'only jump properly in lessons or at events' routine. He'll have a couple of days off a week as well. At 16 I find this keeps him fit and well and happy to work.
 

GOW

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Would love to hear from those higher up the levels....
For me I am trying to persuade an ex showjumper that eventing should be her first love and so I have recently got a training regime from an eventer for her. As a showjumper her job was to be uphill, buzzy and only fit enough for 2minute rounds of showjumps. So I have been concentrating on increasing her cardio fitness as well as huge amount of work into getting her less tense and less crooked (goes around a corner with her head turned outwards if poss etc). So her regime at moment is as follows:
1/2 (interchangeable with flat lessons) x fast hack a week (now at 80/90mins with lots of trotting, canters (very dependent on ground) but in interval fashion eg trot 3mins, walk 1 min, trot 3mins etc) NB this has been built up over 4 weeks as to start with she was quite unfit from a cardio perspective.
1 walk hack (60/70mins) a week concentrating on different surfaces and lots of hills. And trying to get her to "chill" more.
1/2 flat lesson a week (60 mins) - usually a lot of trotting and cantering trying to get her to stretch down at moment
1 school/hack session consisting of light schooling for 30mins followed by 30mins gentle stretch hack.
1 jumping day - could be xc schooling/ canter poles/ sj clinic.
She is also turned out for 6 hrs a day and uses the walker once or twice a week on schooling days.
Horses that I have with a pro (BE Novice to 2* level) would already be fit and so with them it is more maintenance/specific training on new moves required for dressage as they step up. They will be ridden 6 days a week for about 40min schooling, they all hack (but not on a loose rein as they start being idiots then) and depending on the level they compete at will have specific gallop/canter sessions every 3 days or so. They will also probably jump a max of once a week. They all look amazing and have abs to die for ;)
Hope that helps!
 

TableDancer

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Talking specifically about training regime in pro yards I know, and generalising as everyone is a little bit different, I would say the following:
1) Horses at Novice and below don't get a whole lot of specific fittening work. They are worked 6 days a week which will be primarily pretty intensive educational sessions either schooling or jumping, they find this hard work and will finish hot and sweaty as a rule. These sessions, interspersed with hacks by WPs in between (often on days when pro is off competing other horses or teaching or whatever) are deemed to be sufficient to fitten a horse to the required level - amateurs tend to get a lot more excited about fittening for the lower levels which is probably partly an over-reaction and partly because the horses tend not to be worked nearly as hard during schooling sessions. Which also reminds me, pro horses tend to be worked a maximum of 45 minutes in the school, and still come out dripping, whereas amateur horses may be worked for an hour or more but in a far less intense way.
2) Once horses start going up the grades and require fittening, work on the gallops (or equivalent) is every 4 days - any less and the fittening impact will be lessened, any more and it doesn't leave enough time for all the other things which need to be done - that said, if a horse arrives say from the owner 3 weeks before a big event and it is too fat and unfit, I've seen them be galloped every third day to accelerate the programme, also worked twice a day if necessary.
3) The biggest difference I would say from your average amateur is the (good) pro's mindset that nothing is too much trouble, dotting every i and crossing every t to ensure the best outcome. Clearly this relates to management, although there are plenty of amateurs who manage their horses beautifully too, but I'm thinking more of training regime. So if a horse is ditchy, the week before a competition it might be taken XC schooling to different venues EVERY DAY to ensure it doesn't baulk at a ditch on the XC, ditto water. If it is a spooky SJer it will be taken out jumping fillers. If it has a tendency to be sharp in the dressage it will be worked till it is tired the day before the event to take the edge off it. It is desperately hard for amateurs, who have other commitments, to reproduce this aspect - if an event is on a Saturday and you are working all day Friday, plus have an understanding OH prepared to babysit while you compete, it is very hard to say "I'm off on Friday XC schooling till 9pm at which point I need to start cleaning tack and plaiting". That's why I think pro-produced horses, despite anyone's best efforts, are nearly always better prepared when they drive into a competition than the amateur's parked beside them.
 

MegaBeast

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Which also reminds me, pro horses tend to be worked a maximum of 45 minutes in the school, and still come out dripping, whereas amateur horses may be worked for an hour or more but in a far less intense way.

Would they be working the youngsters (ie 4/5 yr olds) as intensely? I always produced this kind of effect on the team chasers and show jumpers I used to school and on my mare but am much "softer" on my 5 yr old as in my mind he is a baby. Yet I will happily XC school and do long stretches of fast canterwork out on hacks, he is physically mature and competing comfortably at BE100 but I don't put much pressure on him schooling as yet. In general terms, should I be? I know it's am impossible question to answer without knowing the horse so am just curious to know if pro's tend to work the younger horses as intensely as described above really.

Apologies for thread hi-jack, but it is sort of on topic as basically am asking how it varies according to age!
 

SpottedCat

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The other point to note re fittening work I think is that a pro is far less likely than the average amateur at low levels to have something which requires a lot of fittening - a cob or a purebred native for example.

The detail and prep is the key thing really - having had a horse with a pro I realised my definition of 'enough prep' and hers weren't even in the same league ;)
 

TableDancer

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The intensity is the same, but 1) Obviously, what counts as intense is different for a 4,5 or 6yo, and 2) 4yos probably wouldn't be worked as long, 20-30 mins. But the pointis that every minute a horse is working, it is being stretched physically, mentally or both, so the result is always a good workout in a short period of time. It is like the difference between how hard you would work with a one on one personal trainer compared to a session at the gym on your own ;)
 

meardsall_millie

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Thank you for the responses so far (keep them coming!). :D

I find it all fascinating, in particular the balance between 'enough' and 'too much' when considering wear and tear on the horse from over training Vs potential injury from not being fit enough!

I obviously have my own views but love to hear it from a different angle.
 

MegaBeast

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The intensity is the same, but 1) Obviously, what counts as intense is different for a 4,5 or 6yo, and 2) 4yos probably wouldn't be worked as long, 20-30 mins. But the pointis that every minute a horse is working, it is being stretched physically, mentally or both, so the result is always a good workout in a short period of time. It is like the difference between how hard you would work with a one on one personal trainer compared to a session at the gym on your own ;)

Thank you, that makes sense.
 

slumdog

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Ooh another good thread, will be following this with interest. It's good to see a comparison between the two disciplines :)
 

GOW

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The intensity is the same, but 1) Obviously, what counts as intense is different for a 4,5 or 6yo, and 2) 4yos probably wouldn't be worked as long, 20-30 mins. But the pointis that every minute a horse is working, it is being stretched physically, mentally or both, so the result is always a good workout in a short period of time. It is like the difference between how hard you would work with a one on one personal trainer compared to a session at the gym on your own ;)

Thanks for this and your reply above - really helpful :) and love the analogy. My schooling (and gym) sessions on my own are nowhere near as intense as when my flatwork instructor (personal trainer) is there.;)
 

tricksibell85

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My intermediate/2* horse

3 times a week flat work schooling, this is for at least 45mins - i never ever do less than that.
1 day jumping, mostly gymnastic exercises - he is 15 now so i find it helps keep him supple while also working on how careful he is in the SJ.
1 day canter work - unless he is going to an event that week then it is hacking.
1 day in the pessoa, this also includes doing a certain length of canter work at the end on both reins which is built up during the season.

As a rule he always gets the day off after an event, if its been a particularly hard run then he will get 2 days off or however long i think he needs.

He also lives out 24/7 so i feel that does help with his fitness and keeping him less stiff.

After a CIC** at the end of next month the plan is to do maybe 2 days a week riding twice in a day before a CCI**. But we will see how he goes. Everything is flexible and it fully depends on how he is feeling about himself!
 

PolarSkye

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Well Kali isn't affiliated (and never will for eventing - BS is another story) but we really vary his work . . . in any given week he will:

- school on the flat - 45 mins hard work
- hack - hillwork, walk/trot/canter (ground permitting) - 60 mins
- jump in the school - gridwork, small course or every fence out - depending on what we feel he needs - 45 mins
- flat or jump lesson (me or Z) - 45 mins fast work
- long rein or lunge
- trip round the gallops (hunt) over the XC fences or to the (racing) gallops for some fittening
- day off

If he's competing, something else drops out . . . if he's going jumping (as he is on Saturday) then he's jumped the day before . . . if he's going stressaging he is schooled two days ahead and then hacked the day before . . . if he's going eventing, Z probably has a flat lesson.

In addition to the above, he goes XC schooling and does the odd jumping clinic away from home.

He is worked until he is sweaty (in the summer - he doesn't sweat in the winter). We vary his work this much not just to promote all-round fitness, but to keep his brain busy . . . he needs to be given things to do or he switches off/gets bored. Today, for instance, Z worked on simple changes . . . something different (and in his favourite pace :)) . . . the other week she worked on counter canter . . . he's still only doing Prelim tests so doesn't "need" the counter canter, but it keeps him sharp/thinking and is a good athletic test for him.

P
 

GOW

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Ooh another good thread, will be following this with interest. It's good to see a comparison between the two disciplines :)

Completely agree...having bought a horse trained for one discipline and trying to now train her to do another I have been struck by the differences in her foundation work which of course I should have realised but didn't....just makes the "journey" all the more fascinating though...
 

ihatework

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The other point to note re fittening work I think is that a pro is far less likely than the average amateur at low levels to have something which requires a lot of fittening - a cob or a purebred native for example.

I think that is quite a good point.
Us lower level amateur's often have our half bred types which are in reality the most suitable for us and what we do. But they can be better do-ers and less sharp, it can make them more difficult to get and keep fit.

A TB doing PN doesn't have a problem. A cob x doing PN does invariably need the canter work.
 

meardsall_millie

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I think that is quite a good point.
Us lower level amateur's often have our half bred types which are in reality the most suitable for us and what we do. But they can be better do-ers and less sharp, it can make them more difficult to get and keep fit.

A TB doing PN doesn't have a problem. A cob x doing PN does invariably need the canter work.

Yes completely agree, very good point!

I have a TB who gets and stays fit seemingly by mooching around the field. My IDx takes much more work to maintain his waistline and stop him puffing!
 

seabsicuit2

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Interested to read TableDancers/tricksibell replies-for me it would be about getting the horse as fit as possible but, at the same time, putting the least miles on the clock as possible- as horses are precious fragile animals and have limited use.

I don't have the background in producing endless streams of event horses for top level but surely 3 x 45 min hard sweaty schooling sessions & 1x jump session, and a event AND / OR a gallop session, so pretty much every single working day being a hard work session for the horse, is going to be a recipe for a horse that will get sore quickly and then break down a year or two down the line?

I liken it to racing- you get the trainers that gallop and canter their horses day in day out and just replace the yard of horses every year when they all eventually break. Or you get the trainers that do hours of hacking and gentle hill work, and short gentle hill canters, and the odd sprint.. And that's trainers like Paul Nichols who's e horses come back year after year..

Is there really such a need for intensive work regimes for eventers ?
 

eventing_2012

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I event my horse an intermediate level and will generally school him 3 days a week for 45min, and I will sometimes replace 1 schooling session with a session on the lunge in the pessoa. I find if I school him two days in a row he can get a bit sour so I will always hack or do some canter work the day after a session in the school, he will hack 3 days making sure a couple of these are fun rides out with no pressure and not to taxing, it all still has to be fun for them after all. I will often incorporate canter work on one of those hacks or we will go to our local gallops to use the hills as where I am is pretty flat. I tend not to jump him unless I have a lesson or at an event or we are going showjumping, he doesnt jump well at home he gets very silly so its false economy. He generally gets the day or two off after an event and always gets 1 day off a week. He lives in at night and is out in the day, he is warmblood but a very good doer and I find this routine helps me limit his grass intake and keep him at a good weight. We also have a walker at the yard that i can use if needed however I dont tend to use this much. This seems to work for us and we were inside the time at our last int rockingham. :)
 
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CaleruxShearer

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Is there really such a need for intensive work regimes for eventers ?

When I was a WP I was involved in getting a horse fit for Pau 4* and then Badminton the following Spring. This horse was difficult to get 4* fit because of his heavy Warmblood breeding. He worked so so hard in the lead up to Pau. He would go on the walker for 40 mins (20 each way) before he was ridden, then done on the flat two or three times a week, working hard for 45 mins, then either going on the walker for another 40 mins or going for a walk out round the farm, up and down the hills which took about 40 mins. He jumped once a week, galloped every third or fourth day and was swimming as well. His 'day off' would be either turned out then on the walker twice for 40 mins or a hack in the morning then walker in the afternoon. H did get turnout every day. This was just how the horse had to be worked to have him 4* fit, although obviously the wouldn't be the same for every horse. The 3* horse we had on the yard didn't do nearly the same amount of work just because he held fitness better and didn't need as much work, with the exception of cantering every fourth day in the lead up to 'a big one' his work regime was much the same as my novice horses.ETA: once or twice a week the intermediate and above horses would be boxed up to the downs for an hour and a bit of hacking up and down the hills aswell.
 

ihatework

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When I was a WP I was involved in getting a horse fit for Pau 4* and then Badminton the following Spring. This horse was difficult to get 4* fit because of his heavy Warmblood breeding. He worked so so hard in the lead up to Pau. He would go on the walker for 40 mins (20 each way) before he was ridden, then done on the flat two or three times a week, working hard for 45 mins, then either going on the walker for another 40 mins or going for a walk out round the farm, up and down the hills which took about 40 mins. He jumped once a week, galloped every third or fourth day and was swimming as well. His 'day off' would be either turned out then on the walker twice for 40 mins or a hack in the morning then walker in the afternoon. H did get turnout every day. This was just how the horse had to be worked to have him 4* fit, although obviously the wouldn't be the same for every horse. The 3* horse we had on the yard didn't do nearly the same amount of work just because he held fitness better and didn't need as much work, with the exception of cantering every fourth day in the lead up to 'a big one' his work regime was much the same as my novice horses.ETA: once or twice a week the intermediate and above horses would be boxed up to the downs for an hour and a bit of hacking up and down the hills aswell.

This is a good example! The 4* horse you mention (kind of rings of the Moon Man situation tbh) is put under an intense amount of work to be able to perform at the required level. I completely see SB's point about mileage versus breaking point,and I think it is apparent things aren't always cut and dried.

Kind of stems back to why pro's time and time again look for high % tb in their event horses, you need a type that can handle the performance requirements without needing excessive amounts of work. That doesn't mean if you end up with a good horse that does need extra/different preparation that they won't take it on or do well, but given the choice ....
 

tricksibell85

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Interested to read TableDancers/tricksibell replies-for me it would be about getting the horse as fit as possible but, at the same time, putting the least miles on the clock as possible- as horses are precious fragile animals and have limited use.

I don't have the background in producing endless streams of event horses for top level but surely 3 x 45 min hard sweaty schooling sessions & 1x jump session, and a event AND / OR a gallop session, so pretty much every single working day being a hard work session for the horse, is going to be a recipe for a horse that will get sore quickly and then break down a year or two down the line?

I liken it to racing- you get the trainers that gallop and canter their horses day in day out and just replace the yard of horses every year when they all eventually break. Or you get the trainers that do hours of hacking and gentle hill work, and short gentle hill canters, and the odd sprint.. And that's trainers like Paul Nichols who's e horses come back year after year..

Is there really such a need for intensive work regimes for eventers ?

My horse is not beasted every week until he is on his last legs. He is worked enough to be able to jump round intermediate tracks comfortably and be ready to go 2*.

This is the horses workload when eventing, which is built up over the winter etc. I would rather my horse is ready to go round a 2* than be coming back from the XC on his last legs. You will see more horses broken down due to not being ready than being prepared for the run over time and built up over a number of months. Also i stated jump sessions were more gymnastic jumping we are talking 50cm bounces here - he isnt being jumped over 1.30 jumps every time.

Going for sedate hacks etc wont get my horse ready to do 2*
 

simplyhunting

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As an ex. head girl at ours nothing really did proper canter work until they were decent novice level at least, general hacking around - fortunately with us we have plenty of hills, and flatwork x2 per week, jumping x1, Lunging x1 Walker for 20mins am/pm. This kept them fit enough( The hacks would either be 1 hour roadwork, or 1 hour hacking round the downs)
As they go up the levels they start proper canter work once a week, 2*+(especially the more warmblood types) you start canter x2 week, and at 3* you possibly drop the lunging in aid of having another long hack (2hours+ involving plenty of trot/canter)

All would get turned out, often worked v.early in the morning (worked before 8.30)then out before being either brought in at 12, then the remaing lot would go out until 4.
 

meardsall_millie

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But isn't comparing the training for racehorses and eventers a bit like comparing apples with oranges?

We've already mentioned the massively different shapes and sizes of event horses. Then consider the wide range of things they must do?

Putting it in very basic terms a racehorse has to go in a relatively straight line as quickly as possible (yes I realise about distance and obstacles) but that's a pretty consistent set of muscles. An event horse must develop a much greater set of skills and I don't think the training is comparable.

I do however agree about the too much/not enough balance as I said earlier.
 

SpottedCat

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Also, re workload, I would suspect the key factor is not the amount of work, it's the type of work and the way it is introduced. In comparison, imagine say someone who runs ultra marathons or does adventure racing or does say the Tour de France or heptathlon etc. it's clearly possible for people to do all of these at the Highest level without getting injured, but it takes careful management and a very specific training programme and a real knowledge of how to keep yourself in tip top condition.

Same with eventers I'd say - some pros know/have a team who know how to do this, some don't, and some seemingly don't care and have a high turnover.
 

PolarSkye

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I don't have the background in producing endless streams of event horses for top level but surely 3 x 45 min hard sweaty schooling sessions & 1x jump session, and a event AND / OR a gallop session, so pretty much every single working day being a hard work session for the horse, is going to be a recipe for a horse that will get sore quickly and then break down a year or two down the line?

I liken it to racing- you get the trainers that gallop and canter their horses day in day out and just replace the yard of horses every year when they all eventually break. Or you get the trainers that do hours of hacking and gentle hill work, and short gentle hill canters, and the odd sprint.. And that's trainers like Paul Nichols who's e horses come back year after year..

Is there really such a need for intensive work regimes for eventers ?

First of all, not all event horses are pure TBs . . . many are part WB (or similar) and require more work to get/keep fit enough to do all three phases. Second, fitness takes many forms . . . Kal can get sweaty from a 45-minute schooling session (on a surface - so kind to his feet/joints) in TROT . . . lateral work, transitions, anything that requires him to be gymnastic and athletic is just as hard work as galloping, but fittens different muscles and exercises his brain as well as his body. Lastly, most event horses are babied and taken carefully when young and don't start proper work until they are 4 or even 5 (and even then not overdone) . . . not quite the same thing as galloping 2-year-olds.

The demands on event horses are quite different to those of racehorses - even National Hunt . . . they must be gymnastic and supple enough to excel at dressage, have stamina to burn to gallop and jump across country and then be athletic and careful enough to jump coloured poles balanced on very shallow cups. To do all three phases in one event (sometimes in one day) they must be very fit - if not, they could seriously injure themselves and/or their jockey.

P
 

seabsicuit2

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I hear you, espec re heavier warmblood types-it's just that I feel that different types of work - I.e fast walk hacking up and down the hills is better for them rather than 3x 45 min drilling in the school to sweating point 3 times a week, week in, week out.. On top of fast canter work every week.. there is no need for it if you have a TB/ near TB event horse. race training has shown that walking out for hours each day & long slow trots up hills is superb for maintaining fittness at a very high level, without burdening the legs and muscles with repetitive school or canter work.. And also , with intermediate/advanced horses, there is little need to be drilling them in the school so much.. It's the continuos schooling that breaks them, you see that with dressage horses all the time!!

I'm not saying I'm right or wrong at all, all I'm wondering is if there is such a need for the intensity and types of work program's that have been mentioned here. Who knows?
Anyone remember that H&H article about Lenamore- clearly said that most of his work is hours of hacking out.
 

ElleJS

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I very rarely gallop my top horse, she didn't gallop before cci3* and always has one of the best recovery rates and she is always is in front of leg and pulling up and forwards (never on forehand) at 11 minutes. I hack hack hack!! Loads of walking up hills, long slow canters. Mines 15 and not even on a joint supp and as fresh as a spring daisy. Don't even school her... Just in training sessions and for a purpose. I did gallop her every 4th day once before 4* but she was too fit and strong and got a zillion time pens and 10ft arms!! Never again!

Why do you see so many pros with worn out horses!!! I wonder.... Both mentally and physically. Surely that much schooling every week would blow some horses brains. Guess every horse is different.

Obviously I am lucky mine is a power house TB. I've had a couple of WBs that I had to canter every 4th day to get them fit for cci2*. I swim those sorts now instead or treadmill to save that much canter work as it can't be good.
 

TarrSteps

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One of the soundest horses I've ever had came out of racing at 3 (after being a bloody minded failure) bounced around sales barns for a year, started eventing at 5 and then was literally ridden every day well into his teens as he could not be turned out and we didn't have walkers etc. He evented at the end of long format and was quite a heavy horse, despite being tb, so did a lot of interval training. Plus my trainer at the time was trying desperately to fix my riding so the horse did a lot more schooling and jumping than he probably needed for himself. Also, since this was in Ontario, he was in the indoor pretty much exclusively from Nov to April, aside from his holiday after the season. He never had any maintenance and he was still sound and being ridden well into his 20s.

So many of the 'wrong' things - lots of early work, lots in the school - but also lots of the right stuff - great care, excellent shoeing, a crazy german man obsessed with correct schooling ;). It would be easy if there was an ideal 'formula' but life just ain't that simple.

There is a school of thought that actually we don't work our horses hard enough these days. Then we make huge demands on them when they aren't really fit for purpose. . . .
 

TableDancer

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Interesting debates re fitness and soundness/mileage :)

I read the OP's question as a little broader, though, encompassing the whole regime including management, training and preparation :) Would love to see more answers regarding these aspects as this is an interesting thread (to me, at least :rolleyes:) and yes, I have been following the SJ one with equal interest for comparison, but don't really have anything to add to it :p
 
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