the eternal optimist

I have been home the past couple of days with a mild case of stomach flu. This has left me with ample time to reflect.

Spring is here, but it looks like winter.
I got new runners, but my right calf muscle got sore after my 6.5k run on Monday (gastrocnemius my massage therapist says).
I plan to ride the 50 at Aprilfest, but my trailer is still frozen in a snowbank and the roads are now icy making it hard to condition Luba.

Wah, wah, wah. If you reread all the sentences above, replacing the part that comes after "but" with an exclamation point, it says:

Spring is here!

I got new runners!

I plan to ride the 50 at Aprilfest!

I was chatting with my friend, Mel, on the phone the other day. She called me the "eternal optimist". I was not feeling very optimistic from the couch yesterday, when I saw this video of a 109 year old woman, Alice Hertz-Sommer, on FB:

What is the secret to feeling so good? 

“Optimism,” she said, “and looking for the good. Life is beautiful. 
You have to be thankful that we are living. Wherever you look is beauty.”

I also connected with Kellie Sybersma, who is training to become a Parelli instructor. She is offering free on-line Parelli lessons. I have always loved the way Parelli people can point their horses on to the trailer, so I messaged her. I spent the rest of the afternoon watching Parelli videos. My big take away was the focus on PLAY. They are playing with their horses.

"The master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his information and his recreation, his love and his religion. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him he's always doing both."  - James A. Michener

I just ate a banana and some porridge. Life is beautiful. Now it's time to play.

How's your leg?

Training for long distance running has really made me think about how my horse feels when we train for long distance riding.

I am aiming to complete the half marathon in Ottawa at the end of May. Here is what I have learned so far:

1. You might have a sore muscle even if you aren't lame and there is not heat or swelling. So sometimes taking a few days off "for no apparent good reason" makes good sense.

2. You need good equipment. My shin splints have disappeared since I bought a new pair of runners.

3. When you train faster than usual, it makes your usual pace seem easy.

All of this seems self-evident when you stop and think about it. The challenge is putting it into practice.

"Constant, you should be."
 - Yoda

Use your Garmin. Track your runs/rides. Write a few notes about how you (and your horse) are feeling. Analyze and adjust your plan if necessary. Take a break here and there for no apparent reason.

I keep going back to this blog by Kevin Myers after his stellar 2012 Tevis experience.
And  I keep re-reading Dennis Summers' book, The 4th Gear.
4th-gear-here-we-come by Kevin Myers

The formula seems easy. The proof is in the pudding.

Show up.
Put it into practice day after day after day.
Even when winter just won't go away!!
Late season storm targets Ontario and Quebec