I love my horse

I am a lucky girl. For reals. Out of all the men in my life (and there are a few), they are all pretty good guys.

Brion got my truck starting semi-consistently this past week (yay!) so he gets a gold star and brownie points.

And, since the diesel is running again that must mean it's time for Bubba-horse to leave the house.

I had two options on Saturday. A breast cancer benefit open horse show (translation for non-horse people: no competition in the speed classes and no check when I win) 5 miles down the road and an NBHA (translation: a little more competition and a chance at a check) an hour away.

I showed up to the open show about 11. They had a great turnout and pink on everybody. Bubba and I even wore pink. I decided it would be better for both us just to lope him through at the open show and skip the NBHA. The Bubba is out of shape and hasn't been ran in almost a year and I wasn't thrilled to put more diesel in the truck. This is the part of the story where I look like a responsible horse owner.

So, while waiting for the other classes to end, I started talking (shocker) to a friend of mine. I call her Curly. She's starting to really get into barrel racing after doing open shows and pleasure for a few years and passes up no opportunity to go to the barrel races and meet people. It's all about who you know in the horse world.

Through the course of our conversation, she kept asking if I was going to Quincy. And I kept saying no.

"Bubba's out of shape."

"I don't want to put more diesel in the truck."

"I don't want to be gone from home that long."

"Call them and enter me. We'll leave after your class."

I'm a sucker. The pull, she is strong within me!

Luckily for me, the NBHA started late and we had just enough time to pay my fee, saddle and warm up before they were calling our number.

This is the part where I love my horse.

Now, Bubba and I haven't done this in a while. But, for some reason, I was not as nervous as I have been in the past. Bubba warmed up great (a little heavy on the bit but that's typical pre-run Bubba) and before you knew it, it was our turn.

We've never been to this pen before. It's deep ground, tight between the first two and a million years to the third barrel. Seriously, it was in another zip code. You had to go down a chute thing to get to the gate and as I rode Bubba over there, he just knew what that chute meant. Never been there before and he tensed and up and got just a little on the muscle, ready to go!

I love my horse. 11 months away and he remembers.

I held him to the first barrel (him switching leads every jump because I was holding him). Nice turn though he did try to fire a little soon (inside hand over the barrel kept him lined up). He spent days around 2^nd and 3^rd, grunting like a pig in that deep dirt, and flew home. Ran a 19.02. With a fast time of a 17.2, we were .2 too fast for the 4D and pretty far down the 3D ladder.

Not bad for an elephant masquerading as a horse.

I might also already be scouting the next barrel race… I gots the fever again.

The next 5 weekends are booked (out of town wedding, mud bog, NBHA World, FSU vs. North Carolina, FSU vs. Clemson) so look out November 20! I need a barrel race!

Otherwise I'll just have to go to Turkey Run the week after. O darn. ;)

I love my horse.

Week Wrap-Up: Bullet Style

Because I am feeling slovenly and lazy today, this post may or may not be in bullet form.

Since we last saw each other… which was exactly a week ago…

• The weekend was a lovely whirl of nothing (besides some excellent college football action. Go Noles!)
  
• Monday through Thursday was a blur of frustration and fatigue.
  
• If you think a certain half-Belgian, half-Alabama honky will work on the (trailer-pulling) truck that goes on the road instead of the one that goes in the mud, you are sadly mistaken. Still not sure why it took 4 days to get my truck fixed.
  
• Yesterday I felt what a 6-minute mile feels like for a quarter. I'm a speeeeed demon ya'll.
  
• Still not thrilled with my distance running ability. I did a half a mile yesterday (major conversations in my head) but it tweren't easy.
  
• And the final question: Monticello or Quincy?
  

Breaking Down Barriers a Quarter at a Time

For a complete non-runner girl (at least not running on my own two sore tired feet), mileage takes on a different cast. A quarter of a mile for a time-tested runner is nothing, the work of a minute. But, for me, every quarter is a small victory. I never thought I would be able to run one quarter without sucking wind like a jet engine.

And, today, I made it through another one.

0.75 miles at 8:11/mile!!

And I'm pretty dang stoked about it!

Prior to today, my longest nonstop run (this is embarrassing) was half a mile. I've gone a lot farther cumulatively, walking and running, but I've never been able to go farther at a run. I have an overactive brain that we are slowly burning the lazy out. It's a process that I think might kill both me and Coach. We've got 20-some-odd years of habit to break!

Today, I showed up a little apprehensive. I knew today was our "long run." Basically, Coach turns me out at the Start Tree and I run until I can't go no' mo'. I've never made it past a quarter of a mile. My brain just won't shut up! (The half was on my own just to prove that I could.)

A mile is my current "small goal." It's like a chimera in the distance taunting me. I want it so bad. So, all day I've been playing motivational speeches in my head.

You've so got this. What's another half a mile? People do it all the time! It's only two more quarters. Just shut up and run!!

And, I think to a small extent, the all-day motivational seminar worked. I got around to my previous stopping point and played the "run to the tree, now run to that tree, now run to the corner" game until I made it to the final hill. I told myself that I was going to stop at the top.

It's a big hill! Cut yourself a break!

But stubborn Jessica showed up and we kept going. On around the corner and down the hill to the Start Tree. Thank God for that stubborn streak.

I couldn't wait to hit my iPod so the Voice would tell me what I did. 8:11 people!! That's faster than my goal of 8:30 (for my race in February!)!

GO ME!!

Of course, true to form, I had an attack of the Should Haves while I was watering and resting. Should have gone a little farther, just one more quarter to that mile. The chimera continues to dance just out of reach. I could have gotten there!

But, I thought about it and you know what? I really don't care if I've could have gotten there. I don't really care if I could have done it. BIG DEAL! I'll get there! A month ago when I started this twisted little journey I never thought I would make it this far in under a 10:00 pace. Shoot, I never thought I'd make it this far period.

I'll get that mile, one step at a time.

Now I'm off to ice my left foot. Good night all.

(Did I mention I finally went ¾ of a mile??? O I did? Oops. Sorry.)