Starting to want more

So, because I have been running a bit and riding a LOT I’ll use this update for both- a total weekend recap.

At a race! Photo courtesy of Brian Domney.

I would be remiss if I didn’t add that my weekend kind of blew because I have a cold and was coughing my lungs out, and apparently allergy season is in full bloom here as well, so I felt like my face was on fire, my throat was SO ITCHY and my ears are bothering me. It’s a distracting time, and I feel like I’m on so many drugs (I take steroids for the allergies, and decongestants/acetaminophen for the sinus pain/body aches AND benadryl for allergies when it gets SO BAD) that I would not pass a drug test!

Anyways, enough with the complaining, on to the updates! It was a good weekend for physical activity, actually.

Saturday, I rode Oats and the weather was niiiiice. Sadly, we are still locked in the indoor- the outdoor is flooded. He was pretty cooperative and we schooled over some crossrails, with me focusing on straightness, getting ‘pace’ and keeping my butt out of the saddle in two-point. Oh and there was this hands lower, etc etc also happening.

All good, except when I tried to switch gears and go a bit more ‘dressage-y’ after our x-rails session, Oats was having none of it. I let him stop when we achieved 1 canter circle each way with contact and NOT breaking into trot. This was much harder than it sounds, and took a lot longer…

Saturday, my husband and I also did our first 15k training run. Well, run is a generous term. It was more like a 15k jog-shuffle that took approx. 1 hr 25 minutes….So slow! It was good though, and I finished feeling pretty decent, and NOT dying or coughing my last breaths. I did that later, at the brewpub we had a drink at to celebrate our runner’s ‘smug’. 

And then Sunday I rode and Oats felt distinctly less cooperative, I was feeling tired and run-down, and it was…just ok. Ok transitions, 1 buck- or it felt like a buck, but he didn’t keep it up so I didn’t punish for it (could have been feet confusion, that does happen to him sometimes)…Some ok trot work but it was overall kind of ‘eh’. One thing I was proud of him for- we worked through some trot poles- that were not really set up for us, but he’s a tricky little pony who can figure out his footwork well- and then I asked for canter WITH the correct lead left rein and then right rein. He was good!

Very determined

It’s funny- a year ago, I’d be over the moon with how Oats is. Now, I’m just wanting more from him. I can appreciate how he’s changing though, and that is a good thing! Also- I can appreciate how my run training is helping me address longer distances, and my races are improving.