Leigh/Anne Corner

Well here we are… rolling into May! Is it just me or is this year flying by? We started off this year talking about goals and being prepared emotionally and physically. How is everyone doing?

I think now is a good time to look back over your goals you started the year with and make any changes you may need. Sometimes things happen that aren’t in our control and takes us off course. That doesn’t mean you have to give up completely. Sometimes you just need to readjust and maybe change your vision for a few months. Nothing wrong with readjusting, but just remember that your attitude helps with that so don’t get down if things are going the way you had thought they would. Maybe your path was meant to be altered for this year and something bigger is coming your way.

If you look at your goals and you are off track because of your doing, then maybe sit down and see if your goals were unreasonable or maybe you just haven’t committed the way you wanted. There is plenty of time to get back on track.

I know so many people make fitness goals at the beginning of the year and then don’t find themselves following through. Any day can be the first day, doesn’t have to be New Years Day, so start now! Working out only makes you feel better and will help in and out of the arena.  When we feel confident we perform better!!

So far this year has been on track for me, had a few ups and downs with one of my horses but those things are to be expected. I have kept with my fitness goals and that really makes me feel better about my season. I feel I am riding stronger, I have more energy and I am ready each time I get ready to head down the alley.

“Challenges is what makes life interesting, overcoming them is what makes life meaningful”

Follow up to Anne’s post…………..Leave the Emotion Out of It…………………..This week……….When you can’t take the emotion out of it:

As a bull rider, barrel racer, team roper, bronc rider, athlete, horse owner, we ALL have goals and dreams. If we didn’t we wouldn’t do what we do. We wouldn’t spend the countless hours in the practice pen, the miles of conditioning these animals and the time driving up and down the road if we didn’t have goals we wanted to accomplish and dreams we wanted to see come true. So, it is hard to “Leave the Emotion out of it” and sometimes you just can’t.  For example, you plan and plan and plan for a big show/rodeo/competition and a week out your horse gets hurt. It is something you have no control of and the hours of practice have nothing to do with this. Your horse may have hurt himself playing in the field or chasing a steer, it really doesn’t matter. The animal is hurt and you are devastated. I have been there done that and I can tell you, no way in hell can I leave the emotion out of that situation. You watch a season turn in to something you didn’t envision, you watch an animal you love be in pain and even though you are doing all you can do, and you still feel down and out. Guess what, that is ok! As much as I hate it (and my friends will attest to this) it is ok to be down sometimes.  I think the key to a situation like this is to feel down, feel overwhelmed, feel beat but then……….move on! It is great to have a good support system that will let you be down  for a bit and then say “enough!”  I certainly have those people in my life and I am so thankful that I do. I know that when I text my friends Colleen or Ashley with an issue or a problem that they will be sympathetic and then say ”you will be fine” and I know I will and things WILL get better. When I have moments of wanting to throw my sucker in the dirt and throw a fit, my sister always pulls me out of it. I know I can always count on her for that even when at times, I may not want to hear it! So when that certain problem arises and you CAN’T leave the emotion out of it that is ok just don’t stay down for too long, life is too short!

This is some of the best advice I ever received and I still think about it every time I get ready to make a run. Those simple words mean so much however actually doing it can be very hard.

I was at a barrel race one day when my young horse just wasn’t working well at all and a dear friend said “leave the emotion out of it”, of course at the time that was the last thing I wanted to hear, but I thought about what he had said and he was so right. This is just a barrel race there is no need for me to get so frustrated.

Now when I head down the alley, I always think about this and just think about “my run” and not anything else. I block out what happened the run before, or last week in practice, or a comment someone made and “leave the emotion out of it” and focus and give my horse the best chance I can. This comes with a clear head and focus on my part, and if something happens and things don’t go as planned, no reason to get upset, get mad, there will be another day and another chance!

So remember this for the future, even if you are just working your horse and getting ready for something and have a bad ride. Just leave that ride in the dirt and come back fresh the next time. Do your homework as we say, stay focused and “leave the emotion out of it”

Expecting the Unexpected……….
 
A couple of weeks ago Anne and I hit up our first three day show of the year. We took our younger horses to get a feel of where they are right now and see what needs to be ironed out and what is working good. I swear the first three day show of the year takes forever to pack. I feel like we loaded up our entire house and barn and pulled out of the driveway. It was a great weekend, horses worked good, awesome facility and the show was run very smoothly. Then Sunday morning came and it was time to run one last time and head home. The Open started at 9:00 and at 8:40 the draw for the class wasn’t up. I thought there is no way they are going to start this show on time since they haven’t posted a draw and the class is to start in 20 minutes. 15 minutes til the class was to start they posted the draw………….guess what………I was number 2! HAHA!  As I ran to get my horse ready this would have been a prime time for me to freak out and panic. I hate not being prepared and really work hard to always be prepared in every situation, but as we all know, life doesn’t work that way sometimes. I got my horse ready, wrapped his legs and tacked him up and walked in to the warm up pen. I hear the announcer “Here is how we will run your first 7.” I kicked my horse in to a trot and took off. I am on a young horse that needs a longer warm up, the only thing I kept thinking is “this is day three, I really REALLY hope he is tired! HAHA!” I got to lope him in a circle each direction a couple of times and they called my name. There was nothing I could do but go make a run. I was as prepared as I was going to be and so we went in and had a good go. Was it the fastest we had had for the weekend? No, but it was clean run and I was proud of my young horse for going in and doing his job when I didn’t give him proper time to prepare. Sometimes in life we get thrown curve balls. In my mind, the show was at fault and should be more prepared. I feel that by them not being prepared, they caused some of their barrel racers to not be prepared. I try to always look at the postives in situations and here is the postive, my young horse went in the pen and focused and had a good go. I have to be proud of him for that and to know that not every situation is going to go the way I want it, but adapting to the situation in a postive manner……….that is the key. :)

Happy Friday!!

Leigh

Well it is almost March and spring is right around the corner as is my favorite day of the year.. THE TIME CHANGE!! Cant wait for that to happen, you get out of the office and feel like you still have another day of daylight.  So we started this year with being prepared and with fitness goals. How is everyone doing? 

So far I have stuck with both and that is a great feeling. This year has really started off well and I am totally prepared for it to continue that way. Leigh and I went to our first 3 day show of the year last weekend and we stuck with our working out and eating well while on the road. It felt real good to have energy the entire time and not feel bogged down by eating bad food. We took food with us to eat, and there were a few times I didn’t feel like cooking, and we got something at the concession stand (wonderful food actually) and stuck to their healthiest options.

We took our younger horses this weekend and they worked real well. I had a few issues with 2 of my runs, but overall I can’t complain because he did real good Friday night and I see progress and right now that is all I can ask for. Leigh improved on every run and that is what we want to see.   Which comes to what this post is about, improvement is winning. When you can see any improvements you are winning! You don’t have to win the rodeo/event/race to feel accomplished. Take anything that shows you that you are progressing and run with it! In this sport success overnight doesn’t happen very often (in any sport actually) so take what you can and be thrilled! Push harder next time and continue to build and eventually you will find it all come together. This can be hard, this can be frustrating, but this is also where your mental game comes into play. Focus, focus, focus on the good and build, build, build on it and you will find success!

I love this story and thought I would share with you guys!

Once upon a time there was a race of frogs. The goal was to reach the top of a high tower. Many people gathered to see and support them. And the race began. In reality, the people didn’t believe that it was possible that the frogs would reach the top of the tower, and all the phrases that one could hear were of this kind:
“What pain!!!  They’ll never make it!”
The frogs began to doubt themselves.
The people continued: “… What pain!!! They’ll never make it! …”
And the frogs, one by one, admitted defeat, except for one frog that continued to climb.
At the end he, alone, and with and enormous effort, reached the top of the tower.
One of the quitters approached him to ask him how he had done it, to finish the race.
And discovered that he….was deaf!!!!!

Moral of story:
NEVER LISTEN TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE BAD HABIT OF BEING NEGATIVE… because they STEAL THE BEST ASPIRATIONS OF YOUR HEART!

Always believe in your own ability and your dream, and drive endlessly to you want to achieve in life, it’s not about what other’s want; because you know best what you want and what’s best for you. SET YOUR GOALS AND JUST MOVE WITH IT – life is unpredictable and nothing is a guarantee, so don’t delay, start living your dream today!

I am back and still talking about the New Year! Last time I talked about being “prepared” for the season, getting on track and getting organized. Today I want to talk about another topic in the same category…getting yourself physically ready and tips to eating healthy while on the road.

This is the time of year that we all vow to get in better shape, eat right, be as fit as our horses, or we need to be for our event.  Some of us will follow through and some of us will be making the same resolution in 2013. How about we all stick with it this year??

I am a firm believer that when you work out and eat right you can keep your focus much easier. We all expect our animals to be in shape and ready to focus when we enter that arena, we need to expect the same of ourselves. After all…we are the other part of the equation!

Of course we are all busy and normally the first thing to get moved to the bottom of the “to do” list is working out. I am just as guilty of that myself. Life gets in the way! However our health is so important and we should all make it a priority.

Here are a few of my tips that make health and fitness a priority!

1. We are all busy so three 10 minute burst of cardio activity is better than nothing. Everyone can fit in 10 minutes a couple times a day. Even better if you have 30 minutes to workout. To burn maximum calories do burst of intense intervals to get your heart rate up.

2. There are many 18-20 minute workout dvd’s that are great for your entire body.  These are quick and a great way to get in a quick workout. I personally love the Jillian Michaels 30 day shred dvd, only thing needed is hand weights. You can pick this up at walmart for around 10.00. Once you learn the routine you can then continue your program when out on the road.

3. They say it takes 30 days to create a habit. So make a commitment for 30 days and get your friends involved. Call your hauling partners and make this a priority for all of you. This way you hold each other accountable.

4. Bands and resistance training is always good. You can also do kettebell exercises which help to work your entire body and these are easy things to take while out on the road. 10 minutes is better than nothing!

Eating healthy while out on the road can be difficult, but if you prepare for your trip you can make it easier on yourself. It does take planning, but when you feel great, you will be happy you took the time. Here are a few things I like to do.

1. Breakfast is very important and often skipped (yes, I do this as well) but in order to have energy and focus throughout the day you need to start the day off right.  A few easy things to make in your trailer are: oatmeal is easy, since you can make it with just water and your microwave, granola bars, fruit, protein bars etc. I like to avoid too much unnatural sugar for breakfast such as poptarts little debbies,  and heavy carbs, because I feel that it bogs me down.

2. I also like to keep protein drinks in the trailer, you can get them anywhere and they are a great pick me up throughout the day. Much better than having a coke and a candy bar. I always try to opt for something that will keep me full but not stuffed and allow me to keep my focus. There are many protein bars out there too, which is a much better choice than a candy bar. Something that is quick but will get you boosted and keep you energy up.

3. Preparing food when out on the road isn’t easy, and we all know that. If you are going to be in the same spot for a few days, you can plan your meals ahead of time. You can also call your buddies and all of you can coordinate a great menu, which we do a lot. There are MANY healthy crockpot meals that can make eating on the road easy. We like to pack a lot of fruit, which is easy to grab. Make a quick sandwich on wheat bread and have an apple with it instead of greasy chips.

4. If you are on the road and have to stop to eat, many fast food places are trying to have healthier options. Subway is probably one of the best, I love their roasted chicken! McDonalds Asian Salad isn’t bad either, and Wendy’s has some great salads as well. Chikfila is always another great option if you find one. Their grilled chicken sandwich is very low calorie and very tasty and they offer fruit as a side!

5. One thing I have become addicted to is the smart phone app myfitnespal. It is wonderful for keeping track of what you are eating.I use it for every meal and it has really taught me how many calories are in what I am eating. It has almost every food in it, including most restaurants, so very helpful for when you are on the road. They also have an online version. www.myfitnesspal.com .

Well these are just a few tips for all of us to get started for the New Year. I say lets all make this year great starting with ourselves. When you feel good it portrays in everything you do! Time to let yourself  SHINE!!!

This one of my favorite times of the year, despite the weather, which I must say has been quite lovely so far…fingers crossed it stays that way.  I love this time of year because it is fresh, new, wide open, a clean slate! I feel like we get to look ahead and plan, plan, plan.

So??? How do you plan??

I like to see all my plans on paper, call me a little old school, even with an iphone and on a computer most of the day, I still like to write everything down in my planner.  I like to start the New Year off by writing down all of the barrel races and rodeos that are scheduled. If I attended the race the year before, I will write down what horse I rode and what time I ran, how the ground was, what headgear I used, and anything else that may help me prepare for my next run there. I like to look forward in my planner and mentally prepare for those arenas, by seeing how I did the year before.

Some people may call me and over achiever, but I go to extremes with my planner because I like to be as prepared as I can.  Here are a few of my techniques you may find helpful.

1. I like to highlight races by color in my planner. I break it down by races/rodeos I have attended before, new races/rodeos I plan to attend. Each has its own color.

2. For events that haven’t been scheduled yet, I will remind myself by putting a sticky note on the previous month. For example….IPRA Winchester Rodeo is in August, so I will put a sticky note on the month of July as a reminder to check the schedule.

3. I also use my planner to coordinate with my hauling partners, we actually get together and write everything in. This year, one of my girls has been swamped and really busy, so I got a planner for her and put all the events in it

4. I will also write down all deadlines for races/rodeos (books open and close). I highlight this in a color that STANDS OUT because this is something I don’t want to miss. Yes…at this point my planner is starting to look like a coloring book, but that is okay!

5. I like to write down when I ride and how my horse worked. I want to be able to look back at my week and see how my conditioning rides went.  If you go to an event and your horse doesn’t work well, it is nice to be able to look back and see if you changed something, if the weather had an impact on your schedule…etc.

6. I also keep my check list for the trailer in my planner. I can check it each time I get ready to head out for the weekend. Yes, this list may change at times, but the “main” things are on it..hay, feed, supplements…HORSE!

7. I also use my planner as my daily dose of motivation. I type out my goals at the beginning of each year and tape them into the cover of my planner. They are there every day for me to see and remember and work for! I also print out a few quotes that push me and put them throughout my planner as a nice reminder during the year to keep on track!! 

Okay, like I said, I may be an over achiever however it pays to be prepared. It not only helps keep you on track physically but it helps you mentally. When you can visualize your week, month, year ahead of time, you are now prepared.

“A winning effort begins with preparation”

Good Luck to ALL OF YOU in 2012!!