Exercise and thoughts on Exercise

Wednesday is my day off from exercise. I intentionally don't work out on Wednesday morning because I can usually sleep in a bit and I have a busy day of work. However, the last two Wednesdays I have actually wanted to work out.  I was thinking of doing my workout tonight, but I went riding instead. By riding, I actually feel pretty good that I got some exercise in my day.  The better I get in shape, the more I realize how weak and out of shape I am. Tomorrow is a running and weight day and I'm hoping that we will get to Yoga class at 4:30 tomorrow as well. I need to have some flexibility work with the aerobics and weights. I went to Pilates last night and found that I'm pitiful in the core strength department. One of the books I read said I should aim for one sport of the three found in Triathlon for the first month. so that means running, swimming or biking each day, but not more than one in a day. When I get to week five of running, I will have to start doing biking and swimming on the same day. then after another month, I guess I have to work up to doing all three some days.  I really want to get in shape and do this thing, but I'm realizing how far I have to go!

Liberty did something naughty tonight, but it didn't frighten me. I was riding him in the field, which is not his best thing in the world to do anything, and we were doing the most beautiful canter.  Then he got mad (cause he wanted to go back to the herd) and felt like he was going to buck, so I pulled up his head. I guess I pulled up a little too hard, or pissed him off, but he went up. Maggie said it looked really pretty.  He came down again and just stood there. I think he was as shocked as I was. I immediately rode him off in another circle and made him work a lot harder than he had been.  It never happened again and he was a model citizen.  We also did a ton of obstacle work tonight and he was amazingly great! He was very responsive and fun to work with.  The canter departs are getting so smooth.

Maggie was funny. Olympus was just adorable, as usual, and she told him she didn't want to like him so much, but she just couldn't help herself.  when helping with the bluebonnet envelope stuffing on Saturday we found out that there were two O horses from that rescue...Olympus and Oliver. Oly, was supposed to have been Oliver, which would have fit him, but they mixed him up and another horse because Oliver. It explains why we have always felt like he was really an Oliver...and why we usually call him Oliver.

Fiera's first ride

Last Thursday and Friday annette griffin and I got together to ride at Trace Trails. Annette is a rather recent region 4 transplant from Iowa and I have really enjoyed getting to know her. She had a green horse to ride as did I, so we both brought experienced horses and greenies. Thursday evening I saddled up Fiera (who is Deli's daughter from Larry's stallion Phantom Shiek aka Repo) and rode her for 20 minutes on the trail. Annette accompanied us with her experienced horse. We have, of course, been preparing for this day at home. She has been very laid back and lazy so I wanted to get he out and see where we were.

First thing we were met by a mob of deer. She was really tense and I hopped off which proved to be a good move. When I hit the ground the deer took off spooking Fiera. She came to my rein easily and I brought her back to me. She was no worse for the wear and settles quickly. I remounted and she took off at a nice walk in the lead. She was snotty and scooted under me a few times but each time came back to my cues. She also followed nicely and didn't rush to catch up to Annette's fast walking horse.

In the end we rode through the woods and back to camp. Liberty called the whole time and Fiera never made one peep. She was nervous, but sensible. I was alert but not afraid. It was a success.

I need to work on a few things now. She is not light in the bridle and she pulls on me a little when she is moving forward. She doesn't move her butt over as well as I'd like. She won't go near water under saddle. But these things will come.

After taking her out I rode liberty until dark. Then we sat around and chatted and ate. It was her horse, Bella's first time out since she was injured at scamper in March. It was the easiest camping i have ever done. I opened the back door of my suburban and just slept.

The next morning Annette had this cool coffee pot to go over her stove that worked like a mr coffee. Somehow, when the water heated it went through the top filter and made coffee.

On Friday we took her new horse, Tally, out with liberty. We had a great ride of about 6-7 slow miles. It never got too hot. Then we took the horses swimming in the pond. I almost came off once over Liberty's nemesis: birds. Be didn't spook at the deer or the pigs. Silly old pony.

The weather was pleasant there and the trails mostly shaded. I don't think either Annette nor myself wanted to leave.

Alice Yovich
Sent from my iPhone

Playing tennis

Maggie has expressed an interest in tennis so the Yovich family is taking up tennis. Tonight Peter and I went to the courts and played for 30 minutes. It was 99 degrees outside and we got hot fast. I discovered that I have no aim and I swing over the ball a lot. It was fun though and I will enjoy playing again in the future.

Alice Yovich
Sent from my iPhone

Maggie home from camp

I'm thinking of getting a $150 pool this week, haven't decided yet for sure. If I do, I'll use my gas $$ that I save not driving somewhere to camp over the 4th. Since I had been thinking of going to Stillwater to ride for the weekend, it ought to be cheaper to buy a pool. Peter says he is worried about the cost of chemicals but I don't see how it can be that bad.

I have started training for a triathlon. I'm training modestly. At the moment I'm alternating between swimming and running each 3 days per week and doing a Jillian Michaels circuit training routine. I was surprisingly able to do 3 times of running last week. I say surprisingly because I really hate to run. Or at least have in the past. I'm using an app I got for my iPhone called couch to 5k. I can play my own music and a little voice comes on and tells me when to walk and when to run. last week it was running a minute and walking 90 seconds. This week it's running 90 seconds and walking 2 minutes. I'm at the gym on a treadmill. I have trouble with shin splints and pacing so this was the best way for me to start. I am super proud of myself because yesterday I went to the gym in the evening to workout after picking up Maggie from camp, being up early and driving all day. Today I plan to swim and start my biking. We may also play tennis. I may ride tonight. I decided that since I was probably going to keep eating too much i should burn calories at the other end i have actually improved my eating since I began the working out. A sprint triathlon isn't very far. It's half mile swim, a 15 mile bike and a 5k run all back to back. Very doable. I want Maggie to do it with me but she doesn't want to. Having a pool would play nicely since I could do some weights in the water and tread water.

Maggie had a great time at camp. She won a beta fish for being the best team player in her cabin. This shocked u's both. She managed to spend a whole week with 3 other girls in the heat and not lose her cool. Quite a feat for an only child. Her friend, Michaela, decided to stay for horse camp. Maggie was torn but wanted to come home. Thought she plans to go for two weeks next year and I have her paperwork to sign her up on the early bird special. It was a great experience for her.

A quiet week in Arlington (my home town)

Maggie is gone to camp. It feels very odd for her not to be around. Her little dog, Howie, is with Shawn so I'm puppy free as well.

But not being one to let the grass grow under my feet I have plans. I'm going to take Liberty and Fiera and meet a friend to trail ride. it will be Fiera's maiden trail voyage. She is doing great in the pasture. She stops, turns, backs and walks and trots. She isn't really seeing a tin of point in going forward right now so I thought seeing the sights might inspire her. She has been ponied and has run loose with my horses on trail. I think she's ready but yes, Peter, in case I'm wrong the insurance is paid up ;-)

I had planned to ride tonight. I didn't find it intolerably hot but the horses evidently did. Fiera was standing in the trough when I arrived. I wondered why they seem to be running out of water each day. Evidently she's getting in each day. Silly girl. I trimmed Oly's front feet tonight and he was not good. He wasn't really awful but he was so worried about Dixie that I had a hard time. Dixie was off eating and not giving him a second thought.

Today was my recovery day on the exercise. Tomorrow I hope to run, lift and swim if I have time and energy for all three.

A little catch up

Since I have 15 minutes before leaving for group, I won't even begin to get caught up, but I felt like writing a little. I write blogs in my head all day long, but then I get home to a computer and never seem to have the time to write it down on paper, so it stays in my head.

The big news is that I'm going to get in shape. Yes, I have said this many times before and it hasn't been true...or it's only been true for a very short time, but this time it's really true and it's going to stick. I started working out on vacation mostly b/c I was eating too much and I wanted to minimize the damage. Then I was at Susan's and it was easy b/c she works out and I didn't have to cook supper for anyone and it was fun to have a work out buddy. So then I came home and procrastinated for a few days and then woke up that Friday (two weeks this Friday) and decided I would start working out. I took my Jillian Michaels Win by losing book to the gym (in electronic form on the iPhone--way cool) and started her circuit training. I did that Friday, then last week I did 3 of the 4 days, but also started swimming and walking. Yesterday I started the first day of couch to 5K which is running 1 minute and walking 90 seconds for 20 minutes (with a warm up and cool down of course) and then today I swam after doing my Jillian work out. So, it's tuesday and I have done 2 Jillian workouts and 1 swim and 1 "run". Yea me!  I have been getting to the gym between 6:30 and 7. Tomorrow is supposed to be a day off and I won't lift any weights, but I will either go run on the treadmill, or get outside and take the dogs for the walk/run.  Thursday I should be able to work out before I leave town to go ride. Then I will have to switch things up at the end of the week. I hope to either swim or run every other day as much as possible. I will start to throw some biking in too as soon as I get my bike repaired.

I have two goals in mind for myself. I will be 45 in October and I would like to run a mini-triathlon by the end of the year and I would like to ride Liberty in a 50 miles race no later than the 7 IL high roller ride in January.  I don't know if I can actually work in both of these goals on this time frame, but I have to give it some try.  A mini-triathlon will require me to run 3 miles (5K) swim half a mile (which is only 16 laps--I am already doing 10 laps with minimal rest--today I did 5 100's) and bike 15 miles. Despite being heavy (i'll say it, I'm fat. I weigh 217 pounds today despite my efforts to eat right and follow my Weight Watcher's points) I'm in really good shape. I can already see how my strength and cardio fitness has improved. When I first got in the pool 10 days ago, I had trouble swimming one lap without needing a rest. Today, after the running and lifting (I have not had a chance to swim since then) I was able to do 2 laps at a time and didn't need much rest in between.

So, it's a start. By putting the goal out there in the public, it makes it real and it makes me accountable. So here we go.

Today is not a busy one. One of my clients is on vacation. I have a group and then I have my faraway client. I hope to get done and get a ride on Oly, Liberty, or Fiera in this afternoon before it storms again and I have to cook supper.

Blogging

This is more of a non-blog than a blog. This is a blog to say that i know I have blogged in ages, and now I have so much to write about that it's going to have to wait another day or so.