Since this year didn’t totally pan out the way I had expected, I didn’t get the chance to meet really any of my original 2017 goals. (You can hear me complain all about it in this blog from August.) However, we are officially at the point of looking towards 2018, and hopefully, the horse trials that will accompany it. While it’s probably too early to set any concrete goals for our actual show season, I thought it made sense to put together some goals for our off season.
Well… I guess just one goal. We need to get in shape. Not just May, not just me, but both of us.
May is currently on a light work schedule due to the lack of light and due to the craziness of the holidays. I will be going away for a week in January (finally taking that honeymoon!), so I figure once I return from that, it will be time to start putting fitness back on May. Fun fact about draft crosses, especially those with no thoroughbred blood, they lose fitness FAST, and it takes a long time to really build it back up.
Our rides right now mostly consist of either long walks or easy, stretchy sessions. Basically just get the blood moving, make sure the buttons still work, and leave it at that. It just isn’t fair to ask for a full workout without any real breaks when she’s not in shape. (And that’s not even considering the increased possibility of injury)
As for me, I am hitting the gym. The nights when I would usually ride, but it is too cold and dark? Well, that is now automatically a gym night. The few days off I am getting around Christmas? Also gym days. (subject to the days my gym isn’t closed). Anyone have any fun/effective gym fitness routines they do?
Secret Santa!
A big shout out to Hillary atย Equestrian at Hartย for my secret santa gift! The ear warmer has already been put to good use (although we are going to have some warm weather around Christmas). It’s the first ear warmed I have found that I can comfortably fit under my helmet.
Not surprisingly… May’s favorite part we’re the cookies (which already made their way to the barn before I remembers to snap a pic)
Yeah… those are going to go real quick. ๐ Merry Christmas May (those treats might be the last of the unhealthy kind until that goal up there is achieved hahaha)
Lifehacker has some good efficient person workouts
Thanks for the suggestion!
That corgi gif has me laughing so hard ๐ Love it.
My trainer at my gym says even 20-30 minute of light exercise helps so don’t kill yourself. Go to the gym a couple times a week and then on the other days you can do some light stretching and a light workout. There are a lot of youtube videos with basic workouts. I like May fit or not fit. She is very cute either way ๐
Mostly just getting some cardio and yoga/Pilates in to help with strength and endurance! Would like to enter the 2018 season with the ability to run around a BN XC course without getting (too) winded!
My fitness goals are focused around getting in shape for a half marathon. I’ve found that if I don’t set myself a hard goal, it’s easier for me to just forget about doing exercise outside of riding. But that’s not the case for everyone. Good luck getting in shape, to both of you. And I didn’t realize drafts did that. Learn something new every day.
Ah yes, gym vs riding time. I get up at a lovely 5:30 every morning to go to the crossfit gym (I’m no longer a CF member, but the head coach there does individual programming for me), spend about an hour there doing everything from running intervals to pullups to Olympic lifting, then go to work, then to the barn right after work. That’s 4 days/week (P gets a day off, and Thursdays are my rest days), then I go to the gym on Saturdays that I’m not at a show. It’s so hard at first, and coming back after something like a vacation because it takes me about 2 weeks to really get into a routine. Good luck!
Thanks for participating in the gift exchange!