After I started working with Jet and ran him a couple of times, Marlene approached me about leasing him for the summer. We'd been getting along well and I really enjoyed racing him, so I readily agreed, and we set up a full lease for me through August. So Jet is officially my horse for the summer-- everything from his basic care to his exercise and shoeing is my responsibility. It means that Jet is hands off for everyone else without my permission, and that Debbie and Trina cannot pull him out from under me.
Over the past few weeks I've really begun to enjoy having a horse of my own. Last summer, when I worked with Belle, I wasn't technically leasing her. Not only did her ownership remain Debbie's, but so did her care, so although I rode her most days at work and was allowed to take her to barrel races every other week, she was not my horse. Any time Debbie, Trina, or one of their friends wanted/needed to use her, she became off-limits to me, and at the end of the summer, when their young friend Maya came to stay, I wasn't allowed to ride her at all, and had to stop barrel racing long before the summer circuits ended.
Jet, however, is mine and mine alone, and I can do with him what I please. It's been fantastic so far. Every day I work with him I feel a little bit more confident. I've been learning a lot. If I feel like trail riding, we trail ride. If I think he needs arena work, we work in the arena. If I want to run poles, we run poles. The freedom of having a horse to ride the way I want, instead of doing the basic groundwork and patterns I'm required to do at work, has really made riding fun for me again. If I want to go to a local competition, a barrel race or gymkhana or sorting, all I have to do is hop on and ride him down to the local riding club's arena. We've ridden out on the trail alone, joined up with my best barn friend, Joe, for trail rides, and gone barrel racing every week. We're learning to work together seamlessly, and we trust one another more every day.
Leasing Jet has also packed my schedule. With warm weather firmly in place, I work full days now, and ride Jet every day after work. Most days I leave my apartment not long after dawn and don't get back until dark.
Although I love trail riding and want to try my hand at every horse-related activity I come across, my primary motivation in leasing Jet was to be able to barrel race. Up until last week, I'd run Jet a total of three times. During the first and third runs, I knocked over the second barrel. We were coming in nicely and turning well, but he was turning so sharply I was grazing it with my leg coming off it-- simply an issue with timing on my part. But I had a bigger problem. On all three runs my first barrel was terrible, far too wide and incredibly messy. I couldn't quite work out what I was doing wrong. I just wasn't helping him get around it as I should have.
Finally, last week, the day before our fourth race together, I asked Marlene for a lesson. Although Marlene used to help me often, it's been a long time since I'd had an actual lesson with her. We rarely ride together anymore, as we work different schedules, and I've reached the point in my riding abilities where she and Debbie trust me to work horses alone, without constant supervision and/or guidance. I cannot honestly remember the last time she corrected something in my riding. But as I've started doing more, and I'm now working with a more challenging horse (and working with him exclusively, with no weekly tune-up from Marlene) it's important for me to seek out help.
I asked Marlene to test Jet for soreness, as I was having trouble getting him to take the appropriate lead when loping. We worked for almost an hour and a half, and she identified some things in my riding, general sloppiness, mostly, that, in my limited experience, I'd been unable to recognize, which was allowing Jet to take advantage of the situation. It was nothing serious, but it was was letting Jet develop some (minor) bad habits that was affecting the way he rode. Once she taught me to recognize it, though, I was able to work on correcting it, and get him back to the point where I was fully in control.
The next day, before the race, I concentrated on the exercises she taught me and applying the things I'd learned the day before, trying to keep Jet soft and get him to take his leads correctly, and to stay shaped in the appropriate arc while traveling in circles. When our number came up and it was time for us to race, I let him run and further applied what I'd learned the night before. And Jet turned the first barrel perfectly. Just like that, I'd fixed my biggest problem racing him. We took an entire second off our best race time, and won first place in our division.
I felt so incredible after that run. It seems as if I'm finally figuring him out, and things are falling into place. We're finally starting to get into a groove and work as a team. He's learning that I'm the one doing the driving, and I'm learning how to best support him so he can do his job. After the race was over (and I'd collected my winnings), I told Marlene I wanted to continue having lessons every week the day before races, as it obviously helped! I can only hope that our success continues, and that the way he wrapped that first barrel in our most recent race wasn't just a fluke. I want ALL our runs to feel like that. It was really nice.
Summer is starting to go by very quickly. Every day I look at a calendar and realize how few days actually remain before my move to WCU. I'll be leaving a lot behind; not just Jet, but horseback riding in general. I want to do everything I can to get the most out of my experience with Jet this summer, and I plan on taking advantage of every opportunity I can for us to do something fun together. I know that I'm already a better rider for working with him than I was a few weeks ago, not to mention months ago when I first got on him at work. Hopefully we'll keep having fun throughout the next couple months, and continue to advance in our abilities together. If I have to stop riding, I want to be able to do so knowing that I did everything I could to become the best rider I could with the time that I had.
(Edit: We ran again this week, and took another tenth of a second off our time!)
Friday, June 24, 2011
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Learning to Run
Since I hit my teenage years I've cycled through a seasonal shift in body weight, putting on a few pounds over winter, when it's cold and I'm typically more sedentary, and then shedding those pounds (and more) during the summer when the temperatures skyrocket and I spend most days outdoors. But this winter, for some reason, my metabolism must have shifted. I did alright during early winter. I had my fieldwork stint through November and December, and muddled through January without issues.
Sometime around mid-February, however, things changed. I was overcome with a seemingly insatiable appetite. I was hungry. All. The. Time. Perhaps it was brought on by stress about graduate school applications, or a lower tolerance for working outdoors with the horses in frigid temperatures and biting winds. Possibly I was lazier than in previous years, taking advantage of my lack of a social outlet and my hours off by vegging out in front of the television and completely ignoring any semblance of exercise. Maybe it has to do with age. I'm honestly not sure. What I do know is that I could not seem to curb my appetite-- it bothered me nearly constantly, especially in the evenings-- and I ended up eating far more than I should have, on a regular basis.
As a result, I'm now around 8 pounds heavier than an acceptable weight for someone my size, and about 18 pounds heavier than what I see as my ideal weight. It crept up on me, slowly at first, and then more persistently, until one day I looked at myself in the mirror and realized that I was not where I needed (or wanted) to be. I no longer have the outlets for exercise I did in college-- the organized sports in which I used to participate during the school year are now out of the equation. There aren't great adult sport leagues in MHT, either.
Once the weather began to warm, I knew I needed to put in some effort to shed this extra weight. I started counting calories and paying better attention to my diet. More fruits, veggies, and protein, and fewer sugary snacks. With the onset of warmer weather, my crazy, inexplicably tormenting hunger seems to have abated. I no longer feel the gnawing emptiness I did throughout the winter that pushed me to eat more than I needed. And though I'm active almost constantly at work-- feeding, grooming, moving, and riding horses, shifting bales of hay, mucking stalls, etc.-- I've still been feeling out of shape. Finally, I decided to start running.
I hate running. HATE. Loathe. Absolutely despise. I ran track in 6th grade, and never wanted to do it again. I despised conditioning in the multitude of other sports I played simply because it involved running. But so many people love running, that I thought I must be missing out on something. I did some research, and read that many people dislike running because they try to do too much, too soon. They become winded too quickly and feel as if they can go no further, or become too sore to want to try again. The key, many articles informed me, was to start slow and work my way up to a regular running schedule.
I found a program called Couch to 5K, or C25K, a 9-week training session intended to take an individual from never having run at all to being able to run for thirty minutes, straight, or 5 km, by cycling through run/walk intervals three times weekly for half an hour. It seemed, to me, reasonable and feasible. I decided to give it a go.
I'm only in my third week now, but thus far I haven't hated it. I won't go as far to say that I've enjoyed it, but it has been easier than I imagined. Despite still having the additional weight to pack around, I haven't been sore since after the second run, and the lung congestion I often get after exercising has dissipated and no longer seems to be a problem. I have had moments where I'm loosely focused, and don't feel the strain at all-- I can almost imagine what some people must feel when they enter that zen-like state of concentration often talked about amongst avid runners.
Who knows how my opinion of running may change as I enter the later stages of the program and start increasing the intervals I run. Hopefully I'll be able to reach the end stage and be able to run for thirty minutes straight, or more. I'd really like to make a habit of it, and continue to run on a regular basis after moving to WCU. It's an easy, effective form of exercise that can be done anywhere, on any schedule. And maybe I'll actually be able to run a 5K someday.
Now if I could only get this damned extra weight off...
Sometime around mid-February, however, things changed. I was overcome with a seemingly insatiable appetite. I was hungry. All. The. Time. Perhaps it was brought on by stress about graduate school applications, or a lower tolerance for working outdoors with the horses in frigid temperatures and biting winds. Possibly I was lazier than in previous years, taking advantage of my lack of a social outlet and my hours off by vegging out in front of the television and completely ignoring any semblance of exercise. Maybe it has to do with age. I'm honestly not sure. What I do know is that I could not seem to curb my appetite-- it bothered me nearly constantly, especially in the evenings-- and I ended up eating far more than I should have, on a regular basis.
As a result, I'm now around 8 pounds heavier than an acceptable weight for someone my size, and about 18 pounds heavier than what I see as my ideal weight. It crept up on me, slowly at first, and then more persistently, until one day I looked at myself in the mirror and realized that I was not where I needed (or wanted) to be. I no longer have the outlets for exercise I did in college-- the organized sports in which I used to participate during the school year are now out of the equation. There aren't great adult sport leagues in MHT, either.
Once the weather began to warm, I knew I needed to put in some effort to shed this extra weight. I started counting calories and paying better attention to my diet. More fruits, veggies, and protein, and fewer sugary snacks. With the onset of warmer weather, my crazy, inexplicably tormenting hunger seems to have abated. I no longer feel the gnawing emptiness I did throughout the winter that pushed me to eat more than I needed. And though I'm active almost constantly at work-- feeding, grooming, moving, and riding horses, shifting bales of hay, mucking stalls, etc.-- I've still been feeling out of shape. Finally, I decided to start running.
I hate running. HATE. Loathe. Absolutely despise. I ran track in 6th grade, and never wanted to do it again. I despised conditioning in the multitude of other sports I played simply because it involved running. But so many people love running, that I thought I must be missing out on something. I did some research, and read that many people dislike running because they try to do too much, too soon. They become winded too quickly and feel as if they can go no further, or become too sore to want to try again. The key, many articles informed me, was to start slow and work my way up to a regular running schedule.
I found a program called Couch to 5K, or C25K, a 9-week training session intended to take an individual from never having run at all to being able to run for thirty minutes, straight, or 5 km, by cycling through run/walk intervals three times weekly for half an hour. It seemed, to me, reasonable and feasible. I decided to give it a go.
I'm only in my third week now, but thus far I haven't hated it. I won't go as far to say that I've enjoyed it, but it has been easier than I imagined. Despite still having the additional weight to pack around, I haven't been sore since after the second run, and the lung congestion I often get after exercising has dissipated and no longer seems to be a problem. I have had moments where I'm loosely focused, and don't feel the strain at all-- I can almost imagine what some people must feel when they enter that zen-like state of concentration often talked about amongst avid runners.
Who knows how my opinion of running may change as I enter the later stages of the program and start increasing the intervals I run. Hopefully I'll be able to reach the end stage and be able to run for thirty minutes straight, or more. I'd really like to make a habit of it, and continue to run on a regular basis after moving to WCU. It's an easy, effective form of exercise that can be done anywhere, on any schedule. And maybe I'll actually be able to run a 5K someday.
Now if I could only get this damned extra weight off...
Monday, June 6, 2011
House Hunt
With just under three months remaining between now and my move to WCU, it's time to start addressing my growing to-do list. Along with tasks like purging, packing, and planning (all while being alliterative), I need to find housing. Although the area to which I'm moving has a decent Craigslist, searching for housing in absentia is never easy. From this distance I am unable to a) find availabilities that aren't listed either on Craigslist or the local classifieds, b) visit and tour properties, c) meet landlords, or d) place a deposit without serious concerns of fraud.
Most of those issues aren't yet too pressing, however, as most properties I've seen advertised are available as summer sublets, or are looking for tenants to move in during June or July. I'm hoping that in the next few weeks I'll start seeing more places available for late August/September. I also have a friend currently living in the area who has offered to visit places on my behalf if I find something suitable.
The biggest problem I'm having right now is pricing. I'm trying to budget on a grad student's stipend, which is less than I make right now as a ranch hand. I'll also be moving to an area of the country that has a notoriously high cost of living. Everything in the place to which I'm moving-- gas, food, rent, insurance-- is far more expensive than in MHT. It's difficult for me to think about making ends meet in a place where I'll be paying more for necessities all while making less money.
Right now, I rent a pretty spacious one bedroom apartment just outside of MHT. I make enough as a ranch hand to cover expenses and put a little bit of money in savings every month. In the area around WCU, even small studio apartments are on the order of 60% more expensive in rent than I pay now. I've been looking into alternative options, mainly bedrooms in shared houses, but without being in the area to check places out and meet potential housemates, there's not a good way for me to get a feel of whether I'd get along in the house. Skype is great, and can provide a decent way to sort-of meet people, but it's no substitute for being physically present.
I've had to find housing in absentia before, when I was getting ready to move to Newcastle, WY. I followed the local classifieds for a couple weeks before something suitable popped up. I called the landlord, who sent me pictures of the place, and luckily agreed to hold it for me, without a down payment, until I moved. Then, I was able to check it out before agreeing to rent and paying the security deposit. It all worked out really well, but likely worked in my favor because of the low population of Newcastle and the dearth of renters coming in. It probably worked in my landlord's favor to hold the place for me. I'm not sure I'll be able to work out something similar when moving to WCU.
If nothing else, most rental agreements I've seen posted in the area of WCU are month-to-month, so even if I have to end up moving in someplace that I don't like, or into a household in which I don't get along, I'll likely only have to stay for a month or two while I find something better.
Most of those issues aren't yet too pressing, however, as most properties I've seen advertised are available as summer sublets, or are looking for tenants to move in during June or July. I'm hoping that in the next few weeks I'll start seeing more places available for late August/September. I also have a friend currently living in the area who has offered to visit places on my behalf if I find something suitable.
The biggest problem I'm having right now is pricing. I'm trying to budget on a grad student's stipend, which is less than I make right now as a ranch hand. I'll also be moving to an area of the country that has a notoriously high cost of living. Everything in the place to which I'm moving-- gas, food, rent, insurance-- is far more expensive than in MHT. It's difficult for me to think about making ends meet in a place where I'll be paying more for necessities all while making less money.
Right now, I rent a pretty spacious one bedroom apartment just outside of MHT. I make enough as a ranch hand to cover expenses and put a little bit of money in savings every month. In the area around WCU, even small studio apartments are on the order of 60% more expensive in rent than I pay now. I've been looking into alternative options, mainly bedrooms in shared houses, but without being in the area to check places out and meet potential housemates, there's not a good way for me to get a feel of whether I'd get along in the house. Skype is great, and can provide a decent way to sort-of meet people, but it's no substitute for being physically present.
I've had to find housing in absentia before, when I was getting ready to move to Newcastle, WY. I followed the local classifieds for a couple weeks before something suitable popped up. I called the landlord, who sent me pictures of the place, and luckily agreed to hold it for me, without a down payment, until I moved. Then, I was able to check it out before agreeing to rent and paying the security deposit. It all worked out really well, but likely worked in my favor because of the low population of Newcastle and the dearth of renters coming in. It probably worked in my landlord's favor to hold the place for me. I'm not sure I'll be able to work out something similar when moving to WCU.
If nothing else, most rental agreements I've seen posted in the area of WCU are month-to-month, so even if I have to end up moving in someplace that I don't like, or into a household in which I don't get along, I'll likely only have to stay for a month or two while I find something better.
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