Rider Resource: Endurance Conversions Chart

I already opened my big Christmas box. Now, it's your turn. I've left a gift for you at Box.net. Just follow the link, then log in as follows:

Email: TBWReaders [at] gmail [dot] com
Password: TBWReaders

Under the My Files tab, you'll find a folder labeled Endurance Riding Tools. In the folder, you'll find a little Christmas present from my farm to yours.

It's [drumroll, please!]...a spreadsheet!

Whoopee.

Okay, okay. I'm a nerd. But hear me out. I created this little tool to help me pace Aaruba during rides. I keep a copy posted in my horse trailer and another copy in my saddlebag, where it can spare me those simple mathematical conversions that seem to grow more difficult under conditions of stress and exhaustion.

The Endurance Conversions spreadsheet consists of four mini-charts:

1. Speed/Pace Conversions -- This chart simply converts minutes per mile (which is what you'll get if you time your ride using a regular wristwatch) to miles per hour (which I find more useful for comparisons to other people's conditioning programs and such).
   
2. Average Speed Conversions -- This chart works in conjunction with the Speed/Pace Conversions chart to tell you how long a particular distance (in miles) will take (in minutes) at a given speed (miles per hour) or pace (minutes per mile).
   
3. Pulse Conversions -- This chart converts beats per minute to beats per 10 seconds, making it easier for a brain-dead rider to take a quick pulse using a stethoscope.
   
4. Time Conversions -- This chart simply converts time in minutes to time in hours. I find it useful on those occasions when I feel too weary to mentally convert 380 minutes to 6 hours, 20 minutes. The reverse conversion will make the Average Speed Conversions chart easier to read.

You'll see that some lines on the chart are highlighted in yellow; others in blue. The yellow indicates my ideal ranges for the last 50-miler I rode on Aaruba; the blue indicates what I deemed to be an acceptable margin. The grey areas mean "I don't want to be in this range."

The spreadsheet is not locked, so feel free to make any changes suitable to your personal use. If you have ideas for its improvement, let me know and I'll be happy to consider them.

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Related Posts

Log On: Sample Endurace Horse Conditioning Schedules
How to Condition a Horse for Endurance: A Collection of Resources
Rider Resource: Endurance Conditioning Log

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