There's more to the story of Tom Noll's turtle story than at first
meets the eye.

My husband Dave, a lovely lady named Sally and I had the honor of
crewing
for Tom during the ride.

Before the ride none of us even knew Tom. I answered a call from
Laura Hayes
for a crew for VT this year. I know the VT 100 trails having ridden
there in training
and CTR's inlcuding the fall 100 mile CTR and crewing for my husband
who is long
distance runner. So, it seemed like a perfect match. It was us and
Laura's stocked
truck that followed Tom around the trail well into the night.

Especially for people thinking about and wondering about whether they
can do a 100,
the real story begins with Tom riding a borrowed horse "Sunshine".
Sunshine had
never done a 100 mile ride. In her 14 years, though, she has seen
many of these
trails as a guide horse going out almost every day for her owner long
time S. Woodstock
resident Paul Kendal. Paul told me she'd lead groups on multi-day Inn
to Inn rides. And, she also drives
which came in handy late into the night when the driving cue "trot"
helped her keep going.

Tom, also a 100 mile runner, brought home the day while riding alone
except for the runners
on trail for almost 70 miles of the 100 mile ride. The only place
Sunshine saw another
horse was at the holds. By the last hold at mile 88 all the other
horses had left and she was
completly alone except for Tom and Paul and the vets who cheered Tom on.

On CTR rides the rule I learned was to train and ride for 10 minute
miles and you'll get there.
That plan always served me well. I'll give you Tom's stats so that
newbies can see what it
takes. It's really Dave and Tom who are the experts at this. Tom had
the hold times mapped
out with what time he needed to get where. Amazing concentration over
22:46 hours out on
trail. Tom finished at 3:46AM.

Tom's stats as I figured them.
19.18 ride time (official)
1198 minutes ride time
11:34 minute miles average
22 hours 46 minutes clock time

1440 minutes over all allowed
- 210 minutes hold time
1230 minutes ride time allowed

Warmly,
Dolores
www.zenhorsemanship.com