The Weigh-in

Over the past several months, I discovered a very large downside to not riding on a regular basis (actually not riding at all would be more like it). I am way out of shape.

Of course, I realized riding was good exercise. What did surprise me was how many parts of my body are affected by not riding horses. While I haven't actually put on weight, I am definitely more out of shape  in ways I didn't predict. My usual 30-minute walk at lunch leaves me huffing. Mowing the lawn hurts my arms. Walking up four flights of stairs to my office is next to impossible because my leg strength is gone. Even gardening is a chore. Okay, we could chalk it up to getting older, but riding horses did keep my body younger than most women's bodies of my age group.

Something needs to change. No, I don't plan on buying another horse anytime soon, if ever. Nor do I plan on leasing one. A new horse is not part of my current or future plans. Paying off bills and carving out time to write are along with working on my property.

When a writer friend of mine, Lucy Monroe, invited me to be a team captain for her fitness challenge, I jumped at the chance. I'm competitive so what could be better than almost three months of competing with others to lose weight and get in shape. Even better is the added pressure of heading a team (I've always been better under pressure) and being a good example. Also, the team captains have a side bet in which the winning team gets to donate the proceeds to the charity of their choice.

So today is the first day of Lucy Monroe's Fitness Challenge and what I hope will be three months of eating better and exercising more. We're using MyFitnessPal.com as our fitness/weight tracker. If you haven't used this tool before and are interested in losing weight, I strongly recommend it. It's free, and it's pretty simple to use. There are also apps for iPhones and Androids. What I love is that it tells you how much you need to eat to lose so many pounds in so many weeks. I find that extra incentive quite helpful.

Wish me luck as I embark on yet another attempt to lose weight. I'm hoping the team concept is what I need to finally stick with it. If you'd like to join us, I don't think it's too late to sign up either. Lucy is offering some nice prizes, especially if you're a fan of romance novels.

I'll keep you posted on my progress.

I'm putting it on the line

Okay, I'm not losing weight. In fact, when I started this, I weighed two pounds less. So I added a gadget at the top of of this blog where I'll mark my progress. I would never tell anyone what I weigh now, but I'm telling you guys. I'm embarrassed that nothing fits any more.

I also only rode two days this week. I am just so darn busy. Maybe after the holidays, I'll get back to something resembling normalcy.

I did have a lesson this week. My mare feels off. It's nothing obvious. You can't really see it from the ground, but I know her really well. She feels funny behind especially to the right. We're going to monitor it to see if it gets worse or better. I did have a great lesson, though. I'm really working hard on not pulling. I have no clue what my riding goals are for 2009. I don't see showing in my future. I've had too many demoralizing years of attempting to show and finishing in the lower end of the pack. You can only do that so long before you're not having much fun at all.

Now's a good time to be thinking of New Year's resolutions. Let's all take the next few weeks and think of what we'd like to change for the New Year. We can do a New Year's post and add our resolutons here as comments.

Which Comes First the Puller or the Pullee? and Weekly Update

First of all, the publishing industry like everything else is in dire straits. Please consider giving books for Christmas. There are tons of great horse books out there for your horsey friends or yourself. In fact, I'm going to start a post next weekend which lists great horse books to give as gifts. I'd like all of you to post a comment with at least one suggestion. So be thinking about it.

Oh, man, I am not doing well in the weight loss department. I know I've put on a few pounds this week. Maybe I should be grateful it's only a few. I'm going to continue in the New Year because I'm determined to get this fat off.

In the riding department, I also sucked this week. I only rode once and that was in a lesson, though I had the return of an epiphany. It was the best ride I've had on that horse in a long time. The shying is pretty much gone, and I can now concentrate on my riding again rather than getting her in the corner.

In the writing department, I finished a first draft of Fourth and Goal by writing 16,000 words this week!!! Yahoo!!! The writing is why I haven't reached my other two goals. I've been sitting on my butt trying the finish the darn book.

Now about my revelation. I am a puller. My horse is a puller. My trainer says the mare was inherently predispositioned to be a puller so it isn't entirely on me. Unfortunately, I, too, am instinctually a puller. Since I've been concentrating on the shying for the past two months, all my bad riding habits have returned full-force. I'm guessing because I've been in reactionary mode. For one, I'm hauling on the left rein when going to the right so hard that my poor horse can't turn a circle. Worst of all, I'm pulling and Gailey's pulling.

I've been so frustrated with all of it, that I truly considered retiring the horse and myself from dressage, but I'm not a quitter. So I kept at it, often dreading getting on her back. In my last lesson, we worked on my pulling. I wasn't allowed to pull. At first, that was Gailey's cue to fall on her forehand and go faster, her favorite evasion (even more than shying). So we did leg yeilds, haunches-in, shoulder-in, transitions, and half-passes everywhere in the arena. When I'm doing that stuff, I ride better. I acutally ride both sides of the horse and use my legs, seat, and hands; instead of just hands. After about 20 minutes of this, the first ten being very frustrating, I felt a connection. Tenuous, it came and went, but it was there.

Again.

Finally.

And when it was there, it was the greatest feeling on earth. To have a horse light and listening and totally connected to its rider is the reason I do dressage. I'm so glad that I had a little reminder that all is not lost, and I can do this despite the setbacks.

So happy winter riding everyone! And next week, I'm back in the saddle.

My Current Goals

By Laura Crum




Lately some of my fellow authors on this site have been posting about their goals. Losing weight, getting fit, getting their horses ridden regularly, getting their next book written. All great goals. People write in the comments here about their goals; I read mugwump’s blog and hear about all the goals people have with their horses. I am impressed. I wonder, what are my goals?

Uhmm…I’d like to lose weight, sure. Am I willing to diet? No. I’m way too much of a hedonist to diet. I love good food and drink. (Margaritas, anyone?) I do try to exercise regularly by hiking the trails as often as I ride them, but this is a goal I don’t often achieve. Last week I rode five times and hiked once. Hmmm.. My horse is getting fit, anyway. No, I can’t exactly call getting fit a goal. At least not a goal that I’m doing much to achieve.

How about writing my next book? Yep, I am writing my next book. I really am. Sometimes. And then I hear my fellow authors talking about how many pages they wrote last week. Oh dear. Some weeks I get a chapter done. Lots of weeks I get nothing written at all. I’m not a very disciplined writer. As the deadline approaches, I crank it out. That’s my pattern. I hope it works this time.

But yes, it is a goal of mine to finish book #11 in my mystery series and turn it in at the specified deadline. I’m just not motivated to do it in a methodical fashion. I guess this counts as a goal.
As for the horses, when I say I rode five times last week, you might think I was pretty goal oriented there. The unfortunate truth is that I ride when I feel like it, and the weather was beautiful last week so I felt like riding. And what sort of riding are we talking about? Nothing too demanding. My current riding is limited to cruising my little plug of a trail horse through the hills or along the beach in the company of my eight year old son. When you consider that I used to show cutting horses and compete at team roping, it sounds pretty tame.



Yep, that’s me in the above photos. Winning the cutting at the county fair on Gunner, a horse I trained myself, and turning a steer for my good friend Sue Crocker on Flanigan, one of the best rope horses I ever had the privilege to ride. (Sue is on Pistol, another great horse.) Those of you who have read my mystery series may recognize these horses; they’ve all become characters in my books.

This next photo was taken last week. We had an 80 degree November day and took the horses down for a ride on the beach. Big fun for me and my son, but not exactly in the same league as what I used to do with my horses. My goals with my horses these days? Use what’s left of my (much diminished) riding skills to have fun with my kid. Cruise through the landscape on a steady horse and enjoy it. That’s it. Not too ambitious.

The truth is that I really am fine with my relatively unambitious lifestyle, but every now and then, listening to others, I wonder that I seem so unmotivated these days. Am I content and tranquil? A zen horsewoman/ enlightened mama/ relaxed author? Or am I just lazy? I really don’t know.

I can remember the effort and energy I used to put into my riding and writing; I was pushing and striving, trying hard all the time. I’m much happier now. At this point all my pursuits flow relatively easily and naturally….but I’m sure not getting as much done. Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

Since tomorrow is Thanksgiving, I think my current goal is just to be grateful for what I have. My family, my animals, including my reliable little trail horse, my home, my pasture, my career as a mystery author, which still engages me, even my relatively healthy, if slightly too ample body….all these are things I am thankful for every day. Maybe I don’t need to worry about what I don’t have, seeing as I have so much.

You tell me….
Happy Thanksgiving!











Laura Crum

Two-Week Update

I am so sorry. I've been really, really bad. First of all two weeks ago I came down with a nasty cold. Then a week ago last Friday, my hubby and I took a 4-day weekend to the San Juan Islands (See the picture above). As a result of being sick, eating out four days straight, and still not feeling great, I've not achieved any goals, except writing. Plus, I forgot to post my update last Sunday. I've only ridden twice in two weeks, and I couldn't muster up the energy to reply to any of your comments.

I promise you, this is so out of character for me. Usually when I decide to do something, I go
after it with single-minded dedication. So starting tomorrow, I'm going to rededicate myself to this weight loss thing and to my riding.

I did write 32 pages last week, not bad considering that I felt too lousy to write for a few days.

BTW, I'm want to say hi to the two people from my area who posted that they were at the Buck clinic a few weeks ago. It's really fun to find out that we have readers nearby. Maybe next time one of you would like to volunteer to do a guest blog on the clinic? Hint, hint!

I did have a lesson on Thursday. My mare is testing my patience, let me tell you. For as long as I've owned her (10 years), she has had this thing in the winter where she shies consistently in one corner of the arena. Not always the same corner either. This year she's picked two corners that are too scary to go into. Over and over we work on this until at the end of the ride she's not shying. Then, the next day, I get to start al over again. This has been going on for about 2 months this time around. I am truly fed up, but I know losing my temper won't get me anywhere. I'm going to chalk it up to that stubburn German breeding. My trainer has a new idea to perhaps cure her. I'm going to give it a shot this week. I'll let you know if it works.

It's the Little Things that Get You to the Big Things

UPDATE:

I didn't lose any weight this week. Darn. Then I've had company all weekend (my primary writing time) so I'm way behind on my pages count with 22. I will achieve my riding goal. I've ridden three times and am off to the barn this AM for my fourth. So not too bad, I guess.

It's the little things...

As I mentioned I have a guest this weekend. My long-time friend and former college roommate came to stay the weekend because she wanted to audit a Buck Brannaman clinic about 30 miles away. So instead of writing and riding I went with her.

I have mixed feelings about natural horsemanship trainers, having worked with many in the past, but I'm going to avoid that topic and save it for another post down the road. As a friend of mine often says: Beware of cowboys with websites! (Sounds like a good title for future post.)

Regardless, I've read two of Buck's books, The Faraway Horses and Believe. I thoroughly enjoyed them and would recommend them even if you're not into natural horsemanship. I have a lot of respect for the message he conveys in those books.

The auditing fee for this clinic was $25 a day, not exactly cheap, even for someone like me who's used to doing dressage and paying the outrageous fees some dressage trainers charge. The clinic in the AM was for beginners. The afternoon clinic was for advanced horses with some rope work, etc., in it.

So, here I am, sitting for six hours in a clammy cold arena, getting a sore butt, and feeling guilty because I'm not riding my horse or working on my book. I'm having a hard time wrapping my mind around some of his training methods because some are in direct opposition to what I've learned in 25-plus years of dressage instruction, some are exactly the same with different terminology. But hey, there are many different right ways to get results from horses. Most of his cues were invisible, and I can appreciate good horsemanship, so I found that part fascinating. Buck, himself, is charming and entertaining with his western drawl and no-nonsense advice on horsemanship, not to mention his sense of humor.

But I'm rambling, again. As all the things I should be doing are running through my mind, including writing this column, I realize that this week's topic is sitting on his horse in the arena. I start writing down Buck's quotes and cowboy wisdom. Granted, most of it is common sense and so obvious that we tend to miss it as we over-analyze things. But here are my quotes from Buck's clinic:

• Every day I hope your horse will make you a little bit better rider.
• It's the little things that get you to the big things.
• When it works, get out.
• Don't ask questions of your horse that you don't already know the answer to. Prepare.
• If you aren't willing to do the work to fix it, then live with it.
• These clinics are my laboratory. I learn something from every horse.
• If I'd only had experience with good horses, I couldn't be doing this for a living.
• Most people do just enough to be annoying to the horse, but not effective.
• A rider with presence has feel coming through them to the horse.
• If you don't ride enough then nothing you do is going to make a difference, no matter how correct it is.

Have a great week everyone and ride that horse!!!!

Update

Okay, everyone, 2 out of 3 isn't bad.

I've lost 2 pounds this week and written 54 pages. Unfortunately, I only rode twice this past week. I was doing well, riding both Monday and Tuesday. Then the arena was closed starting on Wednesday for new footing. I think it reopened this weekend, but I haven't driven in to town to find out.

Let's hope for 3 for 3 next week.

How did everyone else do?

The Riding and Weight Loss Challenge--Week 1

Okay, I admit it. I have failed, but only for this week.

I started out great. Lost 1 pound and rode three days in a row. Well, then I went to a writers conference on Friday and just got back. Needless to say, I didn't have a chance to ride 4 times, and I gained weight because I sat on my butt for three days and ate out for three meals a day.

Not a good start.

So I pledge to do better next week.

How about you? Did anyone fare better than I did?

Riding and Weight-Loss Challenge

I'm guilty, as charged.

I've been bad all summer. I normally ride 4-6 days a week. This summer I was lucky to ride 1-2 times a week. That's an all-time worst record for me. So what I now have is an out-of-shape body and an out-of-shape horse. I guess I have some valid excuses, writing half-time and working full-time. Still, I know I can fit riding in if I make it a priority.

Dressage takes a lot of muscle strength on the horse's part. They need to be strong in the hind end and able to carry more weight behind. Building that strength is time-consuming and requires a consistency which I didn't commit to over the summer. Add to that a horse who doesn't hold her fitness unless she's ridden 5-6 days a week.

As a consequence of my laziness, I've put on ten pounds and my horse and I are winded after about 20-30 minutes of work. That is another first for me and one I'm not proud of. I have always prided myself on being able to ride for an entire lesson and never pleading with my instructor for a break. I still haven't done that but, boy, have I wanted to beg for mercy.

In addition, I have never weighed this much in my life. I used to be able to eat anything and never put on weight. Well, welcome to middle-age. It's finally caught up with me.

Non-riders don't understand how much exercise riding can be. I don't think I even understood until I looked back on this summer and how much time I've spend sitting on my butt, writing; instead of sitting on my butt, riding.

So I am turning over a new leaf, and I'm counting on EI to hold me accountable. I'm going to attempt to post a riding and weight loss log every Sunday or every other Sunday. Maybe I'll even include some tips from my instructor and what I'm working on for the week. My goal is to ride a minimum of four days a week and lose a total of 20 pounds.

My goals for December 31, 2008 are:

• Lose 10 pounds
• Ride 4 days a week minimum (If I miss a week, I have to make it up the next week)

Anyone want to join me? You can post your results in the comments section of my blog post every Sunday. I'd love to have some company. If there's enough interest, maybe I'll even come up with some year-end prizes.