Me:
1. Get back to Crossfitting 4 days per week
3 is too few, 5 was awesome, but is unsustainable if I also want to ride Connor 4 days a week/keep my job/see my husband every so often. Priorities...
2. Spend $0 on any non-budgeted items during January.
This means saying no to our first winter warmup Dressage schooling show, which is not a bad thing. Showing in January is typically a chilly affair in Indiana.
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| Last year's January show...brrrr! |
3. Work up to wearing the Shoulders Back the entire work day
At the time of writing this, I've been wearing it for 10 minutes and my back muscles are already sore. So far, so
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| This photo contains better posture and some sweet post-workout hair! |
4. Break in the brand new Effingham tall boots that have been sitting in their box in my closet for five years
This is a really long story, but they were given to me by my mom's friend who bought them at a tack store going-out-of-business sale. I thought they didn't fit and have tried to sell them several times. After reading Gingham's post about how much she loves her Effinghams, I gave them a second try, and it turns out they do fit, or they will when they drop. Now to break these monsters in...tips appreciated, I've never done this before.
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| Currently pushing my kneecaps toward the sky, how long will it take for them to drop? Also, my husband's desk area is his own to clean, just to absolve myself of the blame of the background of that photo. I asked him to take this photo and agreed as long as he didn't have to get out of the guest bed. |
Connor:
1. Warm up every ride by first establishing forward, then establishing body control.
2. Gradually increase the amount of time spent cantering each ride, with a goal of 10 minutes per ride. There's so much to get done at the walk and trot, but now that he's getting better at the canter, he needs to get totally comfortable at the canter. This is admittedly hard in the indoor.
3. Pull his mane??
I have a "no pulling under 50 degrees" rule, but we often do hit 50 degrees once or twice in January, so this is really a bet on the weather.
Bonus goal: not get nervous about about not getting to see him due to the weather. Repeat after me: the topline will return, the topline will return...
When I break in new boots I use heel lifts. It makes the walking around more bearable and has probably saved a knee cap or 2!
ReplyDeleteI've heard that, and am currently weighing whether or not to break goal #2 by buying some...
DeleteLooking forward to updates on the Shoulders Back! I've never felt an urge to wear one while riding, but I've thought about trying it off the horse, where my posture is all catty-wumpus...
ReplyDeleteSo far, I like it. It makes it uncomfortable to slouch, which is exactly what I need - someone poking me in the back when I slouch.
DeleteI am interested in this shoulder back thing. . .
ReplyDeleteI'll make sure to do a good review post on it once I've worn it for a week or two.
DeleteI think I'm going to start doing monthly goals again, too. Maybe I can manage to keep up with it better than last year. ;)
ReplyDeleteI like the warm up goal! Good luck on not spending any money on non-budgeted items. I shall do my worst ;)
Ha, stop sending me saddles. Though saddles are usually net 0 since I have been able to buy and sell fairly easily.
DeleteBoots: Have you heard the bathtub technique? Fill a bath tub up over your ankles with hot water. Put socks on and stand in the tub in your boots in the hot water for 10 minutes. After, wear the boots until they dry. They should drop nicely and mold to your foot.
ReplyDeleteI have, and I was told not to try it in winter because its miserable. We're currently keeping the house at 64F. I'm thinking about doing it anyway, though.
DeleteGreat goals!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lei!
DeleteI've heard rubbing alcohol is as effective as water for the stretchinh/softening/breaking-in process. Spray it on and wear dry. It just evaporated faster than water. I've also been told 50/50 rubbing alcohol and water. I just used the rubbing alcohol straight to fine tune the calf fit on some boots. Worked just fine!
ReplyDeleteA thought on posture:
I can see the improvement in your shoulders, but it looks like your pelvis is still tipping forweard slightly. May I advise based on my ballet experience? Body alignment and neutral pelvis is critical for balance in dance, so I've spent years (I minored in ballet) finding the right images for me to maintain it! I think of "zipping up" my abdominals from my pubic bone to my rib cage. It's a lifting of the front of the pelvis while allowing the lumbar region of your spine to stretch. It is basically core stabilization (as opposed to trying to hold a stomach crunch). It's deep, deep muscles that do this, including some very teeny tiny muscles in your spine. Go ahead... Ask me how I know to feel those tiny muscles... ;)
And let me know if you found the imagery helpful at all!
Thanks! It is most definitely tilted there, and my husband's photo-taking angle didn't help. I think you'll laugh when you realize we are already on the same page (not sure you were a reader back in August yet):
Deletehttp://www.cobjockey.com/2013/08/position-check.html
So many good goals. I think I will start setting some once I can ride regularly again.
ReplyDeleteYeah...tack cleaning goals? Tack organizing goals? Book reading goals? Winter sucks.
DeleteThat's a very ambitious list for January, rock on!
ReplyDeleteGo big or go home?
DeleteWhat size is your shoulders back and do you feel like they run true to size? I want to get one! :)
ReplyDeleteTheir sizing is really confusing, don't let it surprise you. They have small (child), medium (adult adolescent) and large (large adult). This is adult adolescent, and it is definitely the size that will fit you and probably everyone else that reads this blog. I'm 5'0/105 with a 32 inch bra band, and it fits me like a horse size bridle fits Connor - it fits on the "top holes". If I had gotten the small size, it probably would have fit like a cob size bridle, on the very last holes. Not that this has holes, but you know what I mean.
DeleteOh, yeah. We are *so* on the same page! My dressage coach was telling me what to do with my upper body, and she was walking me through what part of my shoulder to use and how... When it all clicked, I actually said out loud: "Port de bras!"
ReplyDeleteI've been riding since I was 5, but ballet has really done wonders for my equitation and effectiveness!
Good Goals!!
ReplyDeleteI have a shoulder back and i wear if often but not often enough.. need to change that.
Also, boots... they sucks! Wear and ride in them as much as possible! I find that is the best way to break them in. I ride min of 4 times a week and it took me a couple weeks to a month to get my boots to be comfortable.
It sounds so torturous! But it will be worth it. Thanks for the tips!
DeleteI'm a jerk for posting this right on your $0 January budget post. I don't know if you are still looking for a dressage saddle or if this is even one you would consider (I don't know anything about the brand other than a thread on horse and hound uk where some chick said she was "chuffed to bits" about hers) but there is a 16.5 wide tree, short flap Cliff Barnsby Dressage saddle for sale for $750 in Cinci right now on Craigslist (I know, I know… craigslist is sketchy at its best) Just thought I'd be remiss if I saw it and didn't even mention it.
ReplyDeleteHaha, no worries, I ALWAYS want to know about 16.5" W short flap Dressage saddles! Austen sent that to me yesterday and I replied immediately. I'd take that so fast, their head would spin, but I haven't heard back yet. Fingers crossed, seriously.
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