In which the doubting game isn't as much fun as I can make it look

Of all the skills endurance riders gain through the sport,

I get consistently top marks in

the ability to doubt my own judgement.

FOR EXAMPLE:

Last Sunday, the plan was to ride two loops with a "vet check" in the middle, for a total of 25 miles.  Not necessarily fast, but steady.

The problem:  we both ran out of givadamn after riding about 15 miles in the rain.

Screen capture of the GPS track, the deets are HERE.
Basically: 17 miles in 3 and a half hours, which is average for us in training

In the ever-fascinating game of Doubt Myself, I came up with the following:

• What if she's not yet recovered from the stifle injury last year?
• What if the spring grass (and we have a lot of it) is making her feet sore?
• What if the spring grass (see above) is giving her a bellyache?
• What if she's colicky?
• What if she's got some new undiagnosed injury that I'm too stupid to see?
• What if she's gorked herself in this stupid weather?
• What if she's is teetering on the edge of imminent death, and if I ride one more mile she'll keel over?

This wonderful game would be no fun if I didn't run around wildly in the other direction:

• At her chiro/re-check appointment 2 weeks ago "Doctor Dear"  called Fiddle SOUND.  

Biggify for deets.  Vet comment :
"Fiddle jogged out sound on hard ground...really good!"

• Fee DID have a bit of gas colic on Friday afternoon, which was quickly resolved by a few belly lifts (followed by an enormous fart)
• She is now on limited grass until the sugars slow down
• My Dragon gets bored on trail alone, so I've been trying to meet up with other riders as often as possible
• Riding in the rain really does get old...and cold...and kinda miserable
• It's been a week and she hasn't keeled over dead yet.

GAHHHHHHHHH.

Not dead yet.  Not even pining for the fjords.

And then there was this:

We're going to try a long ride again tomorrow, if the weather doesn't completely collapse around our ears.

Zoombutt...when she chooses it

Wish us luck!