Top 100 Mile Rider Interviews

Rider Name:   Julie Suhr
Years in Endurance:   41
# of 100's:   63
Career AERC Mileage:   29,932 (thru 2004)

Age that you did your first 100 at:   Attempted at 40, failed. Completed first one at age 41.

How is your 100 mile conditioning program different from your 50 mile conditioning program?    Same

Describe your feeding program, before during and after a 100:    Just sort of the same as day to day.

What kind (if any) supplements have you used -- do you think they made adifference?    Used no supplements for 25 or 30 years. Use glucosamine and chondroiton now; plus Platinum Performance at times, Beet pulp, and Complete Advantage

How close to the 100 mile ride do you do your last conditioning ride?   One week. But I really don't have any hard and fast rules. It just depends so much on the horse and how you think he is feeling. Last 50 mile ride?   It would just depend so on the horse. Gazal top tenned ROC in Wyoming on the Big Horn trail, two week later was 4th on Tevis and BC. He was an exceptional animal. I never winded him in 8,000 miles and ten years of competition. He won at 50 miles, 100 miles and 250 miles. I have never had another like him. With the average horse, I think I would wait at least three weeks after a 50 before I asked him to go a 100.

How do you prepare yourself for a 100 mile ride? Over what period of time?    I don't really do anything special except lose sleep. But I do exercise daily.

How do you know or feel that the time is right to do a 100 on your horsefor the first time?   If he feels good, if he climbs hills easily. If he comes back from a 3 or 4 hour fairly fast ride and still feels perky.

How do you handle riding in the dark?    Fine, it has never been a real problem.

Glowsticks on your tack or not?   Yes, last ten years.   Headlamps, flashlights (describe). Headlamps-NO,NO,NO! I carry a flashlight. Seldom use it.

Do you have a preference on color of glowstick?    No.

How do you and your horse feel at different points in the ride?    Feel fine, I think. But you know, Ruth Waltenspiel says you get dumber and number (nummer?) as you age. She's right.

What are the "low" spots and how do you handle them?   Low spots are late afternoon if it is hot. It gets better as it cools off.

Is your post ride horse care any different than a 50 mile ride?    No. But again depends on the horse.

Any advice to first time 100 mile riders on post ride rider-recovery?    No, just enjoy every sore muscle and think about how much fun you had making it sore.

What kinds of food and drink do you like on a 100?   Bananas, v8 juice, peanut butter, chocolate.

What are your recommendations for someone attempting their first 100 miler?   Realize that you as a person have tremendous reserve stores of energy and stamina that have never been tapped. They will be there when you need them.

How often do you electrolyte on a 100 mile ride? How about pre-ride or post-ride electrolyting?   I don't. I have probably electrolyted a total of ten times in my life and that was usually in the beet pulp the night before the ride just because everybody else was doing it. However, at Desert Gold my horse was thumping slightly. Susan McCartney said go electrolyte her. I did and she stopped almost immediately. It is only the second time I have ever had a horse thump.

How many 50 mile rides would you do on a horse prior to doing his first 100 miler?   I would not be afraid to start a horse on a 100 miler.

What is your most memorable experience on a 100 miler?    Crossing the finish line the first time because I had failed the year before.

What is the funniest thing that has happened to you on a 100?    Well, it really wasn't funny except in retrospect a long time later. One year at Tevis when they started you out in groups of 10 at 2 minute intervals my rider number was 5 and I was in group 7. I was confused and got it reversed and started out with Group 5 and they had to chase after me and make me come back and it was very humiliating. Everybody thought I was trying to get a head start.

What is your favorite 100 mile ride and why?   I guess Tevis because I started with that. But Big Horn and Swanton-Pacific are just so beautiful.

What do you look for in a good 100 mile horse?   Attitude.

How old do you think a horse should be when it does it's first one day 100?   6 years.

What do you think is the biggest mistake that you've made on a 100?   At the ROC one year Gazal really wanted to run and I let him. But we were in high altitude and he did not recover at the vet stop. I was staying with mountain horses who were used to the altitude. It was the only time he was pulled for metabolics (except we didn't call it that in those days.) It was rider error.

What do you think is the biggest mistake that most riders make on a 100?   Overtrain. Bringing horses to a 100 miler that have too many conditioning miles and 50 milers behind them. You want a fresh horse for a hundred miler.

What traits do you posses that make you a successful 100 mile rider?   I have a lot of desire and I do my homework.

What traits does your horse posses that makes him/her a successful 100 mile horse?   I would be afraid to do a 100 miler on my present endurance horse as she gets really off the wall if surrounded by a lot of horses in the dark at 5 a.m. Physically I know she could do it. Emotionally, no.

What lesson have you learned the hard way, on a 100 mile ride?   If you lose heart your horse will too. You must stay upbeat.

How many 100's a year do you think is doable for the average horse and rider team?   Three

If they are riding to complete?    Three

If they are riding competitively?   You asked about the average horse. I would not be competitive on an average horse.

How much time off following a 100 mile ride do you recommend?   three weeks, depending on the individual. If I felt I just HAD to ride or go beserk, I would cheat on this.

If they are riding to complete?   Two or three weeks.

If they are riding competitively?    Three weeks

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