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 COMPETING
Competing in sports gives one a great insight into their own character. Competing in sports is not necessarily about being number one. It is about doing your best and trying your hardest. It is about training your mind to keep on trying even when everything in your body (and your head) is telling you to stop. As basketball coach John Wooden said, “Sports do not build character. They reveal it.” To me, a champion is one who keeps on getting up no matter how many times they are knocked down. A champion keeps trying even if the first place medal is out of reach… a champion pushes those ahead of them to strive harder. Competition is hugely motivating if viewed in the right way. It is fun to see who has the most drive and daring. I am not so impressed with the winners if they have not earned the spot. I am far more impressed with the one who struggles and does not give up. It is about toughness to me… who shows me the biggest desire to win… If you know you gave it all you have then you can be proud to be so strong. If you won…kudos!! Then you get to work on trying to stay in the spotlight! If you did not win… learn!! What do you need to do to improve the next time? Pat yourself for being out there and plan for the next go… I would tell those who stress about competing to relax and enjoy the journey… How often do you get to know yourself so well? If you don’t like the person that you see, then work at changing. More likely, you will be amazed at the strength that you have. Learn to dig deep and stay focused on you. It is about you… and your ability to encourage yourself, work hard, and keep on trucking. Finally, competing in sports is also about the love of your sport. If you have an honest love of your sport then it is natural to want to be better at it. It is normal to live, breath, eat, and sleep your sport. Of course, the more A-type personality you are (know any of those?? ha ha) the more important it is to remember to keep a well-rounded outlook on things. But basically, you should love what you do… otherwise you will question your sanity at the difficult times (we all do!) and those doubts will stifle you. “Competing in sports has taught me that if I’m not willing to give 120 percent, someone else will.” Ron Blomberg
Remember, we should want to compete to get better…to test ourselves against others who also want to get better. I run races to best my personal run times. I run with others who are doing the same. Those competitors motivate me to try harder…to beat myself! I want to give 120 percent…anything less is to doubt myself and cheat myself.
2007 has now begun. What does this year hold? For me, I know what my goals are. I also know that I will do everything that I can to attain those goals. I know that I am still learning…we all are… I will make mistakes and I will have disasters. I am not worried about that. Actually I welcome it because I know this is all part of me learning about my sport. The one thing that is pretty certain to me is that I know that as long as I am breathing… I will not give up… Failure and winning are all on the same journey for me. I am learning…and I am a tough girl… Bring on the competition!! Oh boy!!
How to be a Good Rider… or at least look like one… In two words… core strength. Core strength is important for any activity. Core strength is needed to maintain your balance, position and posture. Core strength allows you to control your movements. Without it, the rider is not much better than a sack of potatoes or a floppy little rag doll. Without it, the rider is incapable of balancing the horse because they are incapable of balancing themselves. And how many blame the horse for its lack of half halts?? Think about it. Do you have the core strength? So…what is your core? Your core is comprised of your stomach muscles, back muscles, and (by virtue of connection to the former two) the hip/glut muscles. These are huge groups of muscles. Our sedentary lifestyles of sitting around at work or in school, followed by traveling everywhere in a car, watching TV, playing video games, etc… cause these muscles to become slack. Our posture suffers, our vitality suffers, and we become weak. It is very important to work on these core muscles regardless of what activity you do. For the rider, it is the only way to become a good rider. Your core is your balance and your horse’s balance. It is your half halt. It is your independent seat.
To begin with, I will just concentrate on the “actual” core muscles of the stomach and back. These muscles support your spine and help to stabilize it. To be able to control the movement of the spine while riding is a huge job. The horse creates a new balance with every step that it takes. You ride all of these steps for about an hour every day. So within that hour, your spine has followed all of this movement. If you are training and working on your horse’s balance then you have not only followed the movement. By the workings of your core muscles, you have also tried to adjust the balance and control the movement or balance. Imagine sitting on a stool in perfect posture… do it right now…is it easy for you? Think about it. Is your core really strong enough to be a good rider?
What about the hips and gluts? I added these muscles above because of their importance to the connection of the core muscles. It certainly helps the rider to be strong in these muscles as well since these support the core somewhat and, most importantly, facilitate the feel of movement or imbalance so that the core muscles can work much faster to stabilize.The rider should plan to work on the core muscles at least two times a week…more if possible. This requires working with weights and/or an extremely good sit up and crunch workout plan. Below I will list the muscles that must be worked in the core group and I will also include the other muscles that I consider necessary for a rider: Core Muscles: - All Abdominal
- Obliques
- Erectors of back
- Latissimis Dorsi
Others: - Gluts
- All hip
- Adductors (thigh)
- Abductors (thigh)
- Quads & Calves
- Trapezoid
- Deltoid / Biceps /Triceps
- Hands
To work all of these muscles, the gym is ideal. If you can’t get to the gym, then sit ups, crunches (also side to side crunches) and reverse crunches will work your abs and back. Push ups (or pull ups) will work your lats. That is the BARE MINIMUM. The gluts can be worked by walking or running up hills and the hips benefit from up and down. Adductors and Abductors can be worked by the clever use of large rubber bands around your ankles as you do leg swings. Quads and calves… biking and running…squats or stair stepping. The traps and arms can be worked with dumbbells at home. The hands must have squeezing strength… the old tennis ball squeeze is good for this one. So, while the gym is great with all those fancy machines, it is not a necessity to getting a good work out. All you need for that is your own motivation. What are you waiting for? Make a commitment to two times a week. Do you wanna be a good rider or not?
 Survival of the Fittest
Okay, despite what you may think, the horse actually does most of the work when you ride him. So, if you are riding one horse per day and doing no other athletic activity, which one of you will be more fit? (If you answered “the horse” you are right) Now, if you are planning to teach this horse how to perform athletic endeavors while he is carrying you but you are unfit… how are you going to stay in balance and communicate your desires? It is the rider’s responsibility to be fit enough for the job of riding and training. The rider needs to be able to stay in balance while in motion. The rider needs to be able to work muscles independently. (fingers, legs, loin, etc…) The rider needs to have a good posture and be capable of holding and realigning that posture repeatedly during a work out. The rider needs to be able to practice deep breathing for lowering the center of gravity. Basically, the rider needs to be in good shape! Strength (for balance and posture) and aerobic fitness (for following and directing the movement) are important aspects of riding well. It is a good idea for the rider to engage in other athletic activities. Riding more horses is great, of course. However, I believe that it is a good idea for the rider to also be active in something that is more self-involved, such as swimming or running. This gives the rider more opportunity to concentrate on individual weak areas.
The other benefit of the rider becoming more involved in his or her own fitness is that it then becomes easier to understand the intricacies of getting the horse fit also. When the rider learns to spot one sidedness or over training soreness in themselves, it is easier to have more empathy and understanding for the horse. The rider and horse become fellow athletes...workout partners!!
Finally, the last big benefit of rider fitness is the ability to keep thinking clearly when working (instead of mindlessly huffing and puffing.) Remember, the horse does not know or care why we need to run around in a sand pit everyday. It is the rider’s job to “get the job done” as quickly and effectively as possible so that the horse can go back to his favorite thing (the hay pile) and the rider can be happy in knowing that the horse’s body benefitted from the work.The Equestrian Athlete But… but… but… What are your reasons for pretending that you are not an athlete?? Although most of my riding students view me as a psychotic (I know who you are) work-out junkie, I have often tried to psyche myself out too when things got hard… Those energy sapping tapes in your head, “I’m too old, I’m not a competitor/competitive, I am tired/stressed, I hurt, I work too much, I have no talent…” The list of negative thoughts can go on endlessly. But… here is the basic fact to dispel all of that negative mental garbage… you ride. You do not ride to get worse. You do not ride to hurt yourself… or your horse. You do not ride to set a bad example. Sure, you ride because you LOVE horses. But you can love horses by feeding them carrots and brushing them. You ride because you love RIDING. And, guess what??? Riding is a sport...not a religion! That makes you an athlete!
You can choose to be a poor athlete and suffer injuries, damage your horse(s) body, or have endless frustration. OR… you can be proud of being an athlete and realize that you owe it to yourself to set aside time for YOUR training. Taking the time to “train smart,” means that you can ENJOY your sport, improve in your sport, and reap all of the benefits of being a good athlete.
Instead of feeding in to the negative thoughts trying to drag you down, you have to learn to listen to them constructively. Which thoughts do you just tell to (pardon the BAD word) SHUT-UP??? How about “I’m too old?” Please, you are only one day older than yesterday. I don’t buy it. Which thoughts make sense??? Maybe, “I’m tired” means that you gypped yourself on sleep during the week. Maybe it means you fed your body poorly. You have to listen to those. What good is it to make sure your horse has every supplement on earth if you are eating McDonalds?????? This makes no sense. Pay attention to the legitimate complaints that your brain sends you. Toss the rest...
Learning to ride is an athletic endeavor. You are, or should be, in training. As an athlete, examine the following 9 important points that are inevitable to your progress and well-being:
1.
Make a Work Out Schedule. Have something that you can use as a guideline and try to follow it as much as you can. A good athlete keeps a healthy body by maintaining a consistent work/rest balance. 2.
Have a Coach and/or Work Out Buddy. You need this for encouragement. You need experienced eyes or ears when you are “in the dark” about an issue. You may need the support of a friendly
push, a mean talking to, or praise. 3.
Read/talk/experience as much about your sport as possible. Repetition is your friend. You gain confidence by the comfort of knowing what you are doing. 4.
Take care of your body/mind and SLEEP. Tired = fatigue, injury, inability to learn. Turn off the computer, the TV, the family, the job… and get to bed. 5.
Take care of your body/mind and EAT WELL. Fad diets suck (another BAD word!) Dumb diets suck (AGAIN!) You are not (I sincerely hope) an athlete so you can lose weight… BAD! You are an athlete because you love riding, right?? Eat to feel well in your sport. This needs to be tested on your own body but try to educate yourself on basic nutrition guidelines for athletes… not for Kate Moss look-alikes. Did I mention that fad diets suck??? 6.
Listen to your body. We talked about this but… again, do constructive listening and then be proactive. If you are sore, perhaps you need rest, perhaps you just need a massage. If you are tired, perhaps you need a rest day, perhaps you need a cross training (different activity) day. 7.
Work the Whole Body. Training your body involves getting to know all of your body. Weakness in one area can severely affect another area, leading to crookedness or overuse injuries. Cross training for
riding should involve strength training (weight training) and some form of cardiovascular training (running, swimming, etc.) Both of these activities will improve your balance within your body. 8.
Compete! Either in competitions, with one of your peers, or with yourself. Competition is healthy. It makes you work at getting better. Learn to “suck it up” and try harder. If you didn’t train hard, you are no winner. If you trained and competed as hard as you could, you are a star. You will know who you are. 9.
Enjoy! You will have more and more “good” days as you learn to train with focus. Having a schedule, a plan, and caring for your body will do wonders for your riding ability. Enjoy your good days and try to think about all the things that you did to help yourself get there. Enjoy the fact that you can do more and more physical things with ease. Enjoy the tone your body takes on. Enjoy the alertness of a well rested brain. Enjoy the fact that you are strong enough to help your horse’s balance. The benefits of developing your “inner athlete” are repaid to you in more ways than you can imagine. Review these points often. Ask questions of your coach or “those in the know” if you are uncertain. Educate yourself. You love riding. You can get better. You have a marvelous feat of engineering in the form
of your own body. Don’t just “throw yourself out to pasture” if you want to be a rider who is deserving of sitting on the back of your horse. Do both of you a huge favor and get yourself in training…
Da Plan, Da Plan…
Seriously now!!! Let’s dig into the 9 important points that are inevitable for your progress and well-being (from the Equestrian Athlete article above!)
1. Make a Work Out Schedule Weekly Example: Monday: Easy day. Lunge lesson or long and low dressage session or OFF. Tuesday/Thursday: Work-out (1) on weights (30-45 minutes) Work-out (2) dressage work transitions, sitting trot w/ no stirrups, etc (med. hard) Wednesday/Friday: Cardio (run, bike, swim) for 30-60 minutes. Ride poles jumping, dressage movements.
Saturday: Ride on trails or dressage day
Sunday: Long cardio workout for you.
2. Have a Coach and/or Work Out Buddy
Choose someone whose riding or training that you admire or are curious to try. Choose someone with experience in what you are doing. Ask questions and THINK about the answers
3. Read/talk/experience as much about your sport as possible Surf the net… we all do that, huh? Read Anthony Crossley, the German Federation books, Walter Steinkraus, Kyra Kyrklund... for starters. Ask questions... THINK about the answers.
4. Take care of your body/mind and SLEEP NO, you do not do well on 5 hours a night. Try 8 (more if you are young) and see if you feel refreshed. Learn to get up early… at least by 6am or (horrors) 7am… which means you need to get in bed by 10pm or 11pm at the latest. Just GO… your brain WILL learn to shut off. I KNOW this one is hard. It is my hardest thing… and I pay for it anytime I am “bad.” 5. Take care of your body/mind and EAT WELL I am just gonna go “postal” here for a brief moment...bear with me. STOP junk food. STOP sodas. Toxic, toxic, toxic... Yeah, I love a donut now and again but I KNOW that I need to have a pretty clean system beforehand to stave off the ill effects of this kind of ZERO nutritional food. I am not saying to give up everything (I LOVE my coffee shops!!!) but you HAVE to give an athletic body the food it needs to do its job. Kraft macaroni and cheese is NOT a food group. How about vegetables??? Real fruit??? Do you ever drink WATER????? The more I work on my body, the more my body tells me to stick to a “vegetarian leaning” diet. No fast food… YUK! Personally, I try to stay away from red meat (and actually most meat… getting my protein from fish, some dairy, peanut butter, eggs and whey protein powders – I am not a fan of beans) I eat lots of vegetables… salads, sweet potatoes (yum,) and different cooked vegetables. Fruit with or without nuts is my main snack but I don’t eat a lot. I don’t do a lot of breads, rice, or pasta either although I increase these if I am feeling hungry. And, of course, my main vice, an Americano and a cookie or pumpkin muffin are on my list once in awhile as well. My running training (an effort for me, as your riding is for you) causes me to supplement my diet with a multi-vitamin, extra calcium, E, C, CQ10, and electrolytes. I also have cereal every morning with 100% of my iron (HUGELY important for women athletes.) I also use ACCELERADE work-out drink to have during prolonged work-outs to keep my body from destroying its own muscles AND I use ENDUROX recovery drink within 30 minutes after a hard work-out to keep from getting sore. You can get both of these at GNC or Runtex and they are a HUGE help. Research them on Google if you are curious. Changes in diet can take awhile because of the experimentation needed to see what works best for your own body. I used to be convinced that I needed a high protein diet but I had indigestion a lot. Well, indigestion and running do not mix so I was forced to experiment. Lo and behold, I am much more efficient with less protein and more vegetables. You just have to try things. Educate yourself as much as possible. Stay as natural as possible. And learn to avoid junk food and sodas like the plague if you are in training. One word about alcohol… it is poison… you know this, right?? That said, wine supposedly helps your digestion (in moderation) and beer (also in moderation) makes your hair shiny (I added that part in…) One more word…this time about caffeine… it does dehydrate you (so drink more water) but it has never been proven to be really harmful. Personally, I think it dehydrates my skin (great for looking wrinkly… yuk) but I just try to drink more water! Listen to your body Americans are pushed to go overboard on the hypochondriac mode (thank you all you perverse pharmaceutical companies!!!) Our youngsters have one ailment after another when half of these could be fixed by turning off the computer or TV and booting them outside (without a car or credit card for fast food.) Our older generation tends to not listen to their aches and pains because “x, y, or z” drug or treatment can alleviate some of the problem. It is time we all learned to pay attention to the things already mentioned, get our bodies in better working order, and take care of them without padding the drug pushers pockets. Yeah, sometimes Advil is my friend but not before ice, rest, massage, heat, body work, eating, sleeping, training… oh, and a GREAT sports therapist (hooray for Performance Wellness of Austin!)
Work the Whole Body
Riding needs CORE strength. Good posture is important (Can I slam the TV and computer one more time??) Weight training is wonderful for developing core strength. Low weight, high reps for strength without bulk. At least 30 minutes 2x a week will give benefits. Work on stomach muscles for SURE. Include latissimiss dorsi (lats,) back, biceps, triceps, deltoids, pecs, quads, adductors, abductors. I have a weight routine for anyone interested. Riding, since it IS a sport, also requires cardio-vascular fitness to ensure that your muscles (including your brain) are getting fed the proper amount of oxygen to work efficiently. (Sitting on an exercise bike with a Cosmo is not my idea of cardio…) Try running, biking, or swimming… or something that causes you to have to propel your own body… get the heart rate up… breathe a little harder 8.
Compete! Horseshows - big or little…OR group lessons…OR find out who can walk the fastest!!! Test yourself to see if you can post without your stirrups for 3 straight minutes. There are many ways to compete. Competing gives you inspiration. If you try and win, you can congratulate yourself and go on to the “next level.” If you try and fail, you can analyze what your weak points are and work on them. All of that is a win / win for you. If you are not competitive, why not??? Think about it, I am sure you want to do well… that is competitive. And, it is good for you. 9.
Enjoy!
Recognize the benefits of your training. This may take a little time in a committed training program but recognize everything that comes easier to you because of your higher level of fitness. This helps you to stayin focus when the “rest of the world” is partying at the lake until 2am every night, or you have to skip happy hour because of a training run, or you “just say no” to a big helping of chocolate cake (or fast food!) I never feel jilted when I “just say no” to anything… I know that I am satisfied and happy when my body istreated with more respect and that is my main focus. It is easy. I am enjoying the benefits of my own training.
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