How fit are you for riding? And how fit should I be?

j1ffy said:
Mike suggested 5 miles in 35 mins, which I know is completely beyond me even when I am running fit! That would be sub-45 minute 10k pace and I agree with Kerilli, that's not a pace that most riders would need to aspire to. I also find that running can reduce flexibility in my hips so it does need to be combined with good stretching exercises - I like sparkpeople's YouTube stretches and pilates exercises (great for core muscles too).
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I have to say that a mile every seven minutes is not exactly fast,you wouldnt score many points at ponyclub tetrathlon at that pace. :D
 
Blimey - I thought I was generally pretty fit but I cannot sub 9 minute miles, and if I want to be able to breath and speak (which is the best for cardio fitness) i aim for 10 min miles. Perhaps it is different for boys and girls?
 
We were expected to run a mile in about 6 and a half minutes! And that was just at our own comps; championships were as close to 6 as possible!

And the fields that we ran in were definately NOT flat :rolleyes:
 
I'm another one back from my winter break getting fat. Swimming, spin & body pump for me. I hate running & it makes my knees hurt.
 
Because I have the advantage of a few horses (well too many) to school at home I think I get away with doing no extra fitness work, last season even at the beginning'ish I managed to do 7 hours constant riding excluding swapping horses (tacked up for me :o) at a PC rally in all 3 phases! When I am on school holidays I often ride the horses twice each so about 4 -6 hours a day so I think that keeps me relatively fit :).

That said I have 0 flexibility, I have never been able to touch my toes! I did once do PC tetrathlon but I wasn't exactly committed and one year I only swam twice in 12 months I probably could have been fairly good had I been interested but I was much keener on hockey or netball at the time and I soon switched to eventing :).

Only_me - The memories of running up a hill in Yorkshire in the beginning of January in sleet, hail and snow not exactly something I ever want to do again!!
 
I did my 1st beginners yoga class last night & was surprised that I didn't find it very difficult & that I'm quite flexible!

The really hard bit was balancing with your eyes closed, can do it with them open though!

So at the moment I'm flexible but unfit.
 
OMG even the Boxer PT at our Gym only makes you do 10 min miles... i'm now about 9.5 mins on the treadmill and about 8.5 mins to 9 mins outside and I was feeling really proud of myself :eek:

I do two 5K runs during my lunch-hour at work and aim for 30 mins or under, plus Military Fitness once a week and maybe a gym session if I can drag myself there :D

I can easily touch my toes (in fact can stand on my hands) but then I predominantly ride Dressage and Showing (can't remember the last time I jumped)... managed to stay on a Rodeoing WB and had enough strength to ride her through it and then keep her together when she went into tank mode at a recent clinic, so think i'm ok :p
 
jumptoit said:
Only_me - The memories of running up a hill in Yorkshire in the beginning of January in sleet, hail and snow not exactly something I ever want to do again!!
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You should try Necarne :eek: now thats a hill!!

Hmm, I have fond memories of the BBQ after tet. Thats what it was all about ;)

Oh, and another interesting fact. I am 20. All the people I did tetrathlon with who were approx my age are all still riding, or still involved with the pony club (ie. teaching/volunteering). Those my age that didn't do tetrathlon, have long quit horses and riding!
 
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only_me said:
You should try Necarne :eek: now thats a hill!!

Hmm, I have fond memories of the BBQ after tet. Thats what it was all about ;)

Oh, and another interesting fact. I am 20. All the people I did tetrathlon with who were approx my age are all still riding, or still involved with the pony club (ie. teaching/volunteering). Those my age that didn't do tetrathlon, have long quit horses and riding!
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You make a very interesting point here! Sadly the powers that be ,in the pony club,do not think they should run tet for the older associates . But by doing this they loose the expertise and example for the younger tetrathletes.Tetrathlon has to be the most team building part of ponyclub and I wish people would realise it. Excuse my rant,it is a bit off track to the OP.
 
only_me said:
You should try Necarne :eek: now thats a hill!!

Hmm, I have fond memories of the BBQ after tet. Thats what it was all about ;)

Oh, and another interesting fact. I am 20. All the people I did tetrathlon with who were approx my age are all still riding, or still involved with the pony club (ie. teaching/volunteering). Those my age that didn't do tetrathlon, have long quit horses and riding!
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I think I'll pass on that one ;)!

BBQ, what BBQ I think I missed out on the key part of tetrathlon here - I may well have stuck with it for longer if we has BBQs :cool:!

That's interesting especially because I would say my club is the opposite - as a general rule we all got into tetrathlon because we didn't have the best ponies and you could get placed despite falling off ;)! Then I figured if your pony could jump eventing was far less effort.
 
Mike007 said:
You make a very interesting point here! Sadly the powers that be ,in the pony club,do not think they should run tet for the older associates . But by doing this they loose the expertise and example for the younger tetrathletes.Tetrathlon has to be the most team building part of ponyclub and I wish people would realise it. Excuse my rant,it is a bit off track to the OP.
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Another part I never understood was why there were no Junior Tetrathlon Championships to give the younger ones something to aim for over and above areas. I agree there was much more team building than in say SJing, well until you get some overly competitive people in your branch but that's pony club, and probably life as well, for you!
 
i was sooooo much fitter when i was doing tet
but don't miss having to do Running training at the beach in Jan ;) or loosing your spikes and shoes at the championships due to the mud being so deep ;)

starting water aerobics tomorrow - will be interesting seems i have no co-ordination or musicality on land let alone in water :p
 
langside said:
starting water aerobics tomorrow - will be interesting seems i have no co-ordination or musicality on land let alone in water :p
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Water aerobics is evil :eek:

My friends and I went to aqua fit (same thing) and it was really hard work!! Running/walking across the pool is no mean feat, especially in bare feet!
 
Interesting...what about me then, who can run all of twenty yards without needing to stop, does no exercise apart from riding (About 40 mins monday wednesday thursday friday, 1 hour lesson on weekend day and comp/rally/hunting the other) but doesn't really ever get tired riding at all, not even after six days at camp riding three hours a day plus mucking out? V. interesting about the reactions thing though, only_me. My mum got me a DVD called pilates for dressage riders for hanukah this year...do you think she was hinting at something? :D ;)
 
see i could never run 5 miles in that length of time... but i wouldn't class myself as unfit (normally). used to row competitively and now have a hatred of the rowing machine as a result. fortunately my chiro has banned the rowing machine (and technically running and riding) but i think i'll just adopt selective hearing on that one! :rolleyes:
 
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