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EZ8’s August 31, 2007

Posted by kimayars Uncategorized Digg! this story! Digg! this story. , 1 comment so far

I have a new temptation.  The “EZ8″.

In order to jump start exercising, 3 years ago I started participating in the Eastside Adventure Bootcamp for Women.  This bootcamp incorporates cardio and strength training at 5:30am in one of Snoqualmie’s most beautiful parks.  The gal who runs it, Kimbrough, has an infectious enthusiasm that makes the early morning workout not only bearable but fun.  About a year ago I stopped going, opting for a heavier strength training regiment my local gym can provide.

Kimbrough will soon be offering a program called the “EZ8″.  The goal of this is to be able to run an 8-minute mile EASILY.  I like this.  I don’t think I’ve ever run a mile in less than 10 minutes.  I might just have to do this.  My only problem is that will be held in the evenings at 6:30pm on M/W/Th.  I’m not sure I can find someone to watch the kids then.  But man, I would love to say I run an 8-minute mile.

I have a job interview next Wednesday.  It’s with a local non-profit organization called Encompass.  I’m discovering that I’m a little bit nervous!  It’s a part-time position helping with their event planning for their two annual fundraisers.  I have a few friends that work there, so the chance to earn a little money while working with some fantastic people is a huge draw.  Besides, I need to support my horse habit!

Speaking of which, no work with Ray today.  Instead I let him recover from the fly spray incident (actually the girls and I went to a birthday party today at a local zoo).  Tomorrow he won’t get off so easy.  We’re going to continue our work at the mounting block, and then transfer that to under saddle. We may not get beyond a walk, but the emphasis will be on softness, suppleness, and relaxation.  I think this horse needs yoga more than I do.  :-)  And I will have the Polar tomorrow so I can start comparing calories burned with the Garmin.  After Ray and I get back to our “normal” riding schedule, I’m going to implement the plan outlined by Brad and see what my calorie count is when I do ride.  Jeff will be reminded once again that I never forget a challenge…

The diet lifestyle change went “so-so” today. I had some birthday cake and ice cream today (small 4-year-old portion after Samantha ate the frosting) but kept snacks down to just a banana & raw almonds. My meals were all very reasonable: Kashi for breakfast, 1/4 dry roast beef sandwich on whole wheat, and a 270 calorie frozen entree for dinner.  I’m looking forward to my “metrics” on Sunday.

Evil Comes In a Silver Spray Bottle August 31, 2007

Posted by kimayars Arena Work (Horse) Digg! this story! Digg! this story. , 3comments

Ray is 15.2 hands at the withers (base of the neck).  A hand is 4 inches.  This means Ray is 62 inches at the base of his neck.  Not exactly a short guy.

The fly spray bottle is 12 inches tall, or roughly about 20% of Ray’s height.  It’s a dull silver, very non-descript.  Yet, it’s evil.  Very, very, evil.

The girls only had a half-day of camp today, so that blew my chance to tack him up and work on our homework for the week.  Instead, I went out to see him, clean him up, and *try* and fly spray him.  I emphasize “try”.  I should have had my Polar on as my heartrate got pretty darn high.  I was reminded that Ray can be preeeety darn quick on his feet.

We start by “sacking out”.  I rub the bottle all over his shoulders, neck and back, showing him that it’s not going to eat him. This went very well.  He stood still, looking rather bored.  Then I would give a squirt of the fly spray in the opposite direction of him.  Again, he looked rather bored.  “Ah hah,” I thought. “This will be easier than I thought.”  I squirted him lightly on the shoulder.  He was gone.

I had his halter and lead rope on, and the lead rope is 12′ long.  He was probably moving at about 12′ per second because one second was all it took to nearly rip my arm out of it’s socket.

Evil fly spray.

It doesn’t matter if I use fly spray or water, he does not like it when spray touches him. (Although he’s an excellent with the hose.)  This called for drastic measures: treats. Or dispensing fly spray through a hose. The treats seemed a more feasible course.

Ray’s a treat whore.  He’ll endure anything for a treat, especially if said treat is a Stud Muffin. This includes evil fly spray.  So the job is done, and he’ll be much more comfortable now that the flies aren’t bugging (ha ha!) him so much.  I do feel bad. I think the other two horses were laughing at him.

The diet went well again today.  The girls and I celebrated the end of summer by having lunch at Red Robin, and I had only half of my BBQ chicken wrap.  I was so happy because I didn’t want the other half.  I was full. It was easy to leave it, and that’s a first for me.  I usually have that plate cleaned in record time. I don’t have a calorie count today, but it should be reasonable.  I ate Kashi for breakfast, the 1/2 wrap for lunch, and a small pizza with lots of veggies on it for dinner.  Those three things alone add up to about 1000 calories, and I didn’t eat anything else besides a bananna.  I’m trying to wean myself off of the calorie counting so that this style of eating becomes more automatic.

I’m also trying to recruit my friend to do at 5k at Run Wild with me.  I’ve been wanting to do it for a few years, and this goal would fit nicely into my plans…  But, I don’t want to do it alone.  I’ll keep working on her. I have amazing powers of pursuasion. (Look deep into my eyes…)

Buddy Power August 30, 2007

Posted by kimayars Run Digg! this story! Digg! this story. , 2comments

I must say if I didn’t have a running buddy I would not be doing this at 5:30am.  If left to my own devices, I would not be hauling my sorry little butt out of bed.  It turns out Beth and I had a great run.  We even pushed it up the last “little” hill instead of walking it.  It sure made running the flat part afterward seem easy!

And sunrise was gorgeous.

I did have to laugh this morning: I got up and followed my groggy routine of getting dressed, donning a hat, and strapping on the ForeRunner.  Then it caught my eye…  The glistening new Polar sitting on the counter with the protective film still on the bezel.  I have to use it.  I picked it up, powered it on, and strapped it to my OTHER WRIST (because hey, the ForeRunner is a little too chunky to wear next to it, right?).  I actually found myself wondering if I could indeed wear two chest straps at the same time with minimal discomfort and interference.  I need help.  I left the polar home for one more day.  I am going to ride Ray later this morning, so I’ll wear the Polar then.  *sigh* Too many gadgets, too few places to wear them.

Logbook Activity

When a bad day turns good… August 29, 2007

Posted by kimayars Uncategorized Digg! this story! Digg! this story. , 3comments

I was initially thinking today was a pretty crappy day:

The last point is actually a source of great anxiety for me.  I’m REALLY good about following a plan for about two weeks, and then it usually falls apart. Impodes. Boom. Quite messy.  I’m waiting for me to drift back to my old ways.  Well, actually I usually plunge like a lead balloon with a gallon of Cherry Garcia in one hand and a jar of hot fudge in the other (with a straw).  Today had all the elements required for disaster: boredom, munchies, and no set plan for the meals for the day.  Surprisingly, it went rather well.

I tried only to eat when I was hungry, and if I had the muchies I tried to think about what I wanted (i.e. crunchy, sweet, etc..) and then found a healthy substitute.  All in all I ate:

So total for the day was 1127 — not bad being left to my own devices!  And I still ended up getting some whole grains, fruit, and leafy greens.  So even though I expected the worst, it all went pretty good!

 My Polar HR monitor arrived today!  Can’t wait to fire that baby up!!  I’m going on a run with Beth tomorrow morning. We’re running at 5:30am, and sunrise is at 6:23am.  Hmmm… I might need the ForeRunner to guide us home.  I think it has a compass…  :-D

And ketchup-flavored chips are QUITE delicious!  I can only find them in Canada, though.  Makes me wonder just a little bit.

As for entertaining the girls, we had fun doing some back-to-school shopping and buying a birthday present for a party on Friday.  I also impulse-bought two new Tamigotchis and a a bunch of Legos.  I had forgotten how fun Legos are, and after we got through “What’s this piece for? What’s this piece for? What’s this piece for?….(x214 because that’s how many pieces there were)” the girls did great working with them.  It was beyond my expectations, especially for a 4-year-old and a 6-year-old.

Clinic with Sherene August 28, 2007

Posted by kimayars Uncategorized , 53comments

Okay, I realized that this will be lost on a lot of folks, but to me this is just so funny I can’t get through it without busting out into tears.  There are three things you need to know before reading on:

 #1: My friend Sherene has a wicked sense of humor. She’s my riding buddy, a great friend, and we enjoy acting like idiots together (right cupcake?).

#2: We both subscribe to and read regularly the magazine Dressage Today.  There is a regularly occuring feature called “Clinic with Lisa” which is where Olympic medalist Lisa Wilcox critiques reader-submitted photos of people riding their horse at different levels.  It’s a really interesting feature, and she comments not only rider position, but also tack, turnout, and expression of the horse.

#3.  I’m an eBay addict. I’m constantly looking for weird or hard-to-get items that have to do with electronic gadgets or horses.

While on an eBay surfing extravaganza, I came across a print of Winnie-the-Pooh riding Eeyore in a dressage test.  I sent it to Sherene, and she wrote up her own “Clinic with Sherene” based on Lisa’s feature in Dressage Today…  I did end up buying the cute print.  The artist’s name is Ellen Maze, and she has lots of cute stuff on eBay. Check her out!

And now, “Clinic with Sherene: A Dressage this Afternoon magazine exclusive”…

Pooh Dressage

Photo 1 –  A Recipe for Disaster

Pooh writes that though he has been friends with Eeyore for many years, he got tired of listening to Eeyore’s self-pity binges, so decided to saddle him up and give him something to cry about.  While it appears that some effort was made to improve the appearance of both donkey and rider, I’m afraid they have a lot of work to do.  The first thing I notice is that Pooh is not wearing any breeches, or underwear for that matter.  Proper, good-fitting breeches are essential for a polished picture as well as adding to the comfort of the rider.  His jacket is ill-fitting and has short sleeves.  Also, Eeyore’s bridle lacks a browband, and it appears that the noseband sits a little too high – it should not interfere with his eyes.  I am also very concerned about that fact that your donkey appears to have no hooves.  This is either a horrible case of abuse and neglect, or you have some serious trimming of feathers to do.

Pooh’s position leaves a lot to be desired.  He holds his legs way too far back to give an effective leg aid.  It appears that he needs to open up at the hip and roll his thigh inward so he is riding with the inside of his thigh on, not the back.  In the photo, his foot is about where his knee should be (if he had a knee), giving the appearance of a “chair” seat.  I recommend a lot of stretching and suppling exercises for Pooh, as well as investing in some surgery to have knees constructed.  Eeyore suffers from a variety of conformation issues, such as a low-set neck (from all that woe-is-me stuff) that would make it hard for him to achieve an uphill, or even round, frame.  He could also benefit from a more vigorous diet and exercise program.  And Pooh has the worst possible body conformation for a dressage rider:  short stubby legs, a long chubby torso, and short, chubby arms, all of which make it difficult for him to use supple, fluid leg aids and allow Eeyore to reach into his hand and make the most of his sad conformation.  Pooh also needs to close his big, sappy mouth and balance his head over his spine.

Pooh, I understand you wanted to teach that mopey little ass a lesson, but I have to say, I’m the one who is crying after seeing your photos.  Best of luck to you both, you losers.

The boring yet important stuff. August 28, 2007

Posted by kimayars Arena Work (Horse) Digg! this story! Digg! this story. , 1 comment so far

Today I spent a little over half an hour working with Ray on the ground.  Riding is, of course, the fun part. But ground work is an essential that can’t be missed.  The purpose was to make it uneventful.  I duplicated what I did in my lesson on Monday. We walked, making sure that he stayed within my aids while we were on the ground, and then we did lots of desensitizing work around the mounting block. The reward? What took us an hour to do on Monday took us only 20 minutes today.  Definitely a success!

The best part was we never “rode”.  I mounted him from the block 4 or 5 times, but never walked forward. After the last time, I lead him over to his halter and removed the bridle and saddle.  His expression was priceless:  “Really?  You mean that was IT?? Rock on!”

Patience is paying off, and I had a very snuggly pony afterwards.  (Probably only looking for treats but I choose to believe that we have a deeper relationship than that — yeah right!!)

Logbook Activity

I Scream for Ice Cream August 27, 2007

Posted by kimayars Uncategorized Digg! this story! Digg! this story. , 6comments

Okay, I honestly don’t know where to go with this one.  Let me set the stage:  It’s 9:30pm.  The kids are in bed, and I’m doing my daily caloric intake.  HOLY COW!  I’m only at 686 calories for the day.  To be honest, I’m suprised I’m still standing. Here’s what I ate:

Here’s my dilemma: I want an ice cream sandwich.  The ice cream sandwich is 110 calories. It EASILY fits into my 1200 calorie goal.  And even I know that I should probably eat something tonight.

I want the ice cream.  But the ice cream has high fructose corn syrup, which I’ve been avoiding. But I want it. But I don’t. What do I do? Do I enjoy the fact that I’m at half the calories I was supposed to eat today? Or do I eat essentially another meal even though I’m not all that hungry to avoid putting my body in a starvation mode? Or do I cave and have that scrumptous ice cream bar.

To most people, this seems like a really easy question. (Eat the ice cream sandwich.)  But in the grander scheme it’s not. Is this the “weak moment” that will push me over the edge? Will I not think so hard the next time I want the ice cream sandwich, but don’t have the calorie bank to support it. I want to eat like a “normal” person, but in the process of resetting my body in to eating what it needs, I’ve lost sight of what “normal” is.

Update: I decided to let my body do the talking.  I waited until I was hungry, then I had one of my favorite snacks: melted cheese on a flour torilla.  And yes, I also had the icecream sandwich.  This brings my calorie total for the day to 1106, and I feel great about it!

Got Trainer? August 27, 2007

Posted by kimayars Arena Work (Horse) Digg! this story! Digg! this story. , 1 comment so far

Today was Ray’s lesson day, and we decided to work on his anxiousness.  He will allow me to mount, but then he takes off, almost as if he’s waiting for me to smack him or something. No doubt, this is dangerous. One day I won’t be ready, or he’ll go a direction I’m not expecting and the next thing I know I’ll be on my way to the emergency room. 

 One thing that our two fiesty little girls have given me is patience.  I put that into play today.

 It was over an hour of setting him up to be ridden, walking around with him. Patting him, letting him relax, then taking him for a walk.  Just letting him know that nothing severe was going to happen to him.  Everything was slow, carefully controlled, and when he got tense, reassuring him that it was okay.

About 45 minutes in I got to the point that I could lead him to the mounting block, step up, and lean into the saddle.  At first he braced, then he pushed back into me.  That is a huge sign that he’s accepting what’s going on.  15 minutes later I was able to put my foot in the stirrup, set myself in the saddle, and still keep a loose rein while he stood there.  It was a huge milestone.

This is why I have a trainer/instructor.  She helps me stay on the right path, helps me stay the course, and gives me enouragement when I think it’s time to give up.  I think no matter who you are or what sport you are in, a trainer can do wonders.  For me, she’s that person who can help me squeeze out that little extra 10 or 20%.  For example, today it wasn’t about strength or endurance, but instead about finesse. She helped me refine my skills to be firm, but delicate.  I got that much more out of Ray because of her. If I were on my own, we wouldn’t have made it as far as we did today.

Think you’re good? Get a trainer. You can be better.

I know now that someday Ray will be something fabulous. He’s talented, athletic, and has a personaility that couldn’t fit me any better.  And with my trainer by my side, we’ll go far!

When we were done today, I hung around to watch my friend ride her drop-dead gorgeous Arab.  While I did, Ray groomed my ponytail.  It was a perfect end to a great morning.  Of course, now I have horse snot in my hair…