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Lisa's Blog post # 2
With just about an entire straight week of rain, I haven’t ridden very much – three times actually. The first time, my friend Cheryl talked me into going out in the rain with her but it was a non-productive ride. We were soaking wet in a matter of minutes. The reins were slipping through my hands, my feet were slipping out of the stirrups, my legs were slipping all around the saddle, my raincoat kept catching on something and tugging on me, I was shivering with cold. Where is an indoor arena when you need one?
Having learned from that experience, I just walked the hills for ½ an hour the other two times I rode. I have enough to focus on at the walk anyway, so it was productive. Plus it wasn’t raining nearly as hard. I do need to figure out how to manage riding in the rain, though, in case I end up having to compete XC in it one of these days!
And I came up with a catch phrase for myself! Three of my biggest problems are rounding my shoulders, looking down, especially during transitions, and not urging him forward with my leg but taking back on the reins instead. I’m sure you’ve all heard of Sally Swift – she has us envision headlights on our chest. So I came up with “lights, camera, action!” to repeat to myself as I ride. “Lights” are the headlights on my chest, reminding me to lift my ribcage. “Camera” reminds me to look where I’m going, to point the camera up instead of at the ground. And “action” reminds me to send him forward and to think forward with both leg and hand.
What do y’all have to keep telling yourselves when you ride?
Having learned from that experience, I just walked the hills for ½ an hour the other two times I rode. I have enough to focus on at the walk anyway, so it was productive. Plus it wasn’t raining nearly as hard. I do need to figure out how to manage riding in the rain, though, in case I end up having to compete XC in it one of these days!
And I came up with a catch phrase for myself! Three of my biggest problems are rounding my shoulders, looking down, especially during transitions, and not urging him forward with my leg but taking back on the reins instead. I’m sure you’ve all heard of Sally Swift – she has us envision headlights on our chest. So I came up with “lights, camera, action!” to repeat to myself as I ride. “Lights” are the headlights on my chest, reminding me to lift my ribcage. “Camera” reminds me to look where I’m going, to point the camera up instead of at the ground. And “action” reminds me to send him forward and to think forward with both leg and hand.
What do y’all have to keep telling yourselves when you ride?
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