Stupid Should Hurt

Okay...  So let's preface this by saying that, for a wide assortment of reasons - mostly related to horses being horses - I pretty much haven't ridden in about six weeks.  Other than the occasional tune up for a client or five-second demo ride (at least once at the halt - that counts, right?), I really haven't so much as gotten on a horse.

No worries though, right?   I'm fit, healthy, and have a reasonably active life style.  Should be no problem.

Let's look back at that with the aid of that nasty, condescending little devil, Hindsight.

You see -- all the horse issues resolved themselves at the same time.  Yeah!   So I rode one on Sunday.  It was a short jump school.  Easy and fun.  I enjoyed myself.  Horse enjoyed herself.  The world was good.  Brena did the barn, so all I had to do was teach.  No problem.

Monday did half the barn, hopped on a greener horse for another jump school.  A lot more like work and less like fun, but still all good.  Got a reasonable amount accomplished, except...  It seemed my cardio wasn't *quite* where it should be.  Maybe holding my breath?  Have been guilty of that before.  But considering the ride logically, I felt honour-bound to dismiss that.  Not likely given the circumstances.  No show.  Well behaved critter.  Nothing complicated or challenging.  Really a pretty relaxing ride, all things considered.  *sigh*  Guess it's time to start running again.  I hate running.  Have I mentioned that lately?  And I haven't done anything that even resembles running since spring.  Steph and I even walked Mud Hero!  hahaha

Ah well - switch horses and start over.  This one a dressage school.  But wait, why are my abs sore when I try to sit trot?   That is *not* a good sign.  Esp after last two rides were jumping.  hmmmm.  Ah well, suck it up and continue.   Ride is successful, but makes it clear there's some homework outstanding *sigh*   Teach for the evening, go home and sign up for pilates class on Wednesday.  Some of you may remember my earlier post about being shown up in pilates class in yuppieville.   Yup - that's the one.

The brighter amongst you might be questioning this.  But what happened to the running idea?  Ah my friend, but clearly core strength is more important than cardio.  Must focus on that first.

Wait what?

Okay so I hate running.  >;-P  That is all.

So Tuesday am I wake up and as I roll over to hit the snooze button my abs chose that moment to inform me of what a horrible life choice that was.  Seriously.  I actually couldn't get out of bed.  I'm sure that had *nothing* to do with the cold outside and warm comfy duvet.  It certainly had nothing to do with staying up till all hours on the computer the night before.  It absolutely had everything to do with my poor abs, which after riding only two (that'd be two.  Not too or to, two.  Which was apparently two too many *sigh*) horses the day before, were now on strike.  And therefore, I couldn't sit up.

But unfortunately the horses really couldn't care less about the state of my poor overworked abs.  They still wanted to be fed.  Unreasonable eh?   So I gracefully exited the bed (read: blankets and I rolled into a heap on the ground reaching for the ever escalating cell phone in a desperate attempt to silence its screeching) and made my way to work.

The abs' complaints were quickly forgotten in the general chaos of "one of those days".  A scheduled lunging day for pony in training, so riding muscles got off easy.  Normal muscles got their normal workout mucking stalls, throwing hay, and hauling water (all kinds of fun, let me tell you!).  But it's not much of a workout when it's an every-day thing and they're used to it *sigh*

And so I let the pilates class signup stand.

Wednesday rolls around, entirely too early.  Mornings really need to be dismissed from existence.  Could we get on that please?  But I was committed to the pilates idea.  Not only that, but I had an even more brilliant plan (you're not new here, surely you can see where this is going...?):  why not combine pilates AND cardio?

Why not?

"Because that's a really STUPID idea.  That's why not."  So speaks our friend Hindsight again.  *sigh*

Yeah.  Sometimes my ambition outweighs my common sense *sigh*    So I got Bev to drive me to pilates so I could run home after.

I'll wait while you clean up the wine you just snorted at the screen.

Okay now?

Right.  And not only that, I plotted a route that'd take 5k.  An easy enough distance.  If one ever runs anywhere.  And hasn't just completed Yuppieville's own sadistic version of hell.

And did  I mention this route also passed a Dairy Queen?   AND a fabulous bakery?  Right, that's just all kinds of evil.  And I definitely had it in my head that if I really wasn't up to running, I could just detour there and then walk the rest of the way home enjoying my treat.

You see, I am capable of logical ideas!

Right.  Guess which one I did?

Pilates was comparatively easy.  Not to say I'll be able to sit up tomorrow, but compared to some of the classes there, it wasn't completely killer.  So no excuses, ran home.  And not only home - the whole 5k route.  Only thing, when I plotted the route on Google, I failed to notice the gym was downhill from home.  Which means the run home would be all up hill.  Fail.

I made it though.  And in reasonable time too!  Not fast by any means, but I've never been fast, just acceptable.  Cardio was better than I thought but my legs...   Oh dear.  Lactic acid in the quads was noticeable less than half way home.  Now that I've been sitting for a while, well suffice to say getting up again - or worse, trying to move! - is going to be a challenge.   And tonight is sailing -- going to try really hard not to fall off the boat *g*   Tomorrow shouldn't be too hard - only one horse to ride.  But Friday is the day after the day after and it's brutal.  And then Saturday is hay day.  Go hard or go home right?

And now, I'm off to Dairy Queen.  I think I've earned it.