Crunch Time

A week-long business trip pulled me away from riding the week before last.  Being a 'remote' employee means you don't visually get to see your co-workers very often.  It had been eighteen months since we'd last met so our visual meeting that Monday included lots of hugs and hand shakes when we all got together for dinner.

It was with some concern the next day when over half of my co-workers didn't come down to breakfast because they were sick.  Infact most of them never came down the entire week.  The only other time I saw them was as they drug themselves through the lobby Friday morning on their way back home.

Not good I thought, for us trying to stay healthy.  Not good I thought for someone who has planned for the last year to ride in her first horse show this next weekend.

Arriving home Friday night, I was beat.  Saturday morning arrived with headaches, scratchy throat, etc.  And it's been that way every day since.  I'm on the edge of sick and what I've worked so hard for this last year, my first horse show, is coming up seven days from now.  I could call the doctor but knowing my health provider, they'll want me to come in and I just know I'll be doomed for sure if I go where all the sick people are.

So this past week, I drug myself home each night and laid low.  No energy to even go out and see Champ.  With each day, I felt my muscle tone leaving me and I also started to get that good old feeling of anxiety for my next ride. 

Yesterday evening I sucked it up and went out and took a lesson from my "Hero Trainer", as I call her.  The most patient person in the world, who endured months of my walking and trotting because I was afraid to lope.  In the past year I have yet to have a 'bad' ride thanks to her guidance, although some have been more challenging then others. 

Last night was the most challenging yet.  Two weeks of not riding has reduced my muscle tone and balance.  I feel weight in my gut and butt.  And I could really feel the difference, especially when in (trying to) lope I almost went off of Champ's right side (my fault totally).  I also cleared (a lot of ) air in another attempt to lope, bringing my rear down with such force on the saddle that it was heard by all throughout the indoor arena and has left my right ribs and back sore today.  Pretty ugly and poor Champ.

Yeah, woe is me, pitty party.  Well, sorry - that's not me.  Seven days until crunch time so I'm off to ride when I complete this.  Regardless of how I feel, my expectations for next Saturday are to meet the goal I set a year ago.  Ride in a horse show.  I intend to ride, laugh and have fun.  If I get a ribbon, great.  If not, that's great too because I will have achieved my goal.

However, if I get a Blue I'm afraid I'll wimp out and cry, thinking about that little girl who always wanted a horse, rode rocks and fences, ambushed trail riders begging for a ride, and put her marriage on the line to make her first horse purchase.   That little girl will be thrilled.