Maybe I need to start running...
Mar. 2nd, 2005 11:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
callistotoni...seriously...
Admittedly, the following is me thinking aloud.
It's all about my riding. These last couple of weeks I have been *struggling* to engage all the proper leg/thigh muscles, especially at the posting trot. The thing is to get all of the weight out of my stirrups, so that I'm supporting myself just with the various parts of my upper leg, while my lower leg and knees are relaxed. I'll spare you the nitty-gritty details. Suffice to say that I'm gaining muscle, I'm stiff and sore, and I *still* can't do it properly for more than a few minutes at a time. I made it through 30 min. on Jokie last night and only 20 solid minutes on Brandee tonight (she has a wider chest/barrel, so it is harder--trust me on this).
Now, I'm starting to believe that this is not just hard in general, but it is especially hard for *me*. No one else is struggling as much as I am with this. Maybe it is because I'm built with a long waist/torso and relatively short legs, so that my legs have to do a lot more work than someone who has long legs relative to their torso. Maybe I'm just *incrediably* out of shape, but I see people who are heavier than me and they have a quiet leg. Maybe I'm just built funny for a wanna-be dressage rider.
I'm making progress, but it is so glacial that I'm thinking I'm going to have to do something in addition to the riding and my morning leg exercises. Ruth (Jokie's other person) runs, and has for a long time, and she has no problem engaging the proper muscles. And Laina has been doing great with the running-thing. Ruth tells me that if I have proper form and good shoes I can run and minimize the risk of injury. (Ruth had a book/DVD recomendation that she follows--she showed me the difference in how one runs properly, which is much easier than running the way you *think* you should run.
And the thing about running is that it is more realistic than joining a gym or even riding my bike. I have a lot more control over when and where I could go. And with the spring coming the weather would be more cooperative. I'd have to do it first thing in the morning, though, and as most of you know I'm not a morning person.
Now if I were independantly wealthy and didn't have to work for a living getting fit would be so much less of a problem!
Admittedly, the following is me thinking aloud.
It's all about my riding. These last couple of weeks I have been *struggling* to engage all the proper leg/thigh muscles, especially at the posting trot. The thing is to get all of the weight out of my stirrups, so that I'm supporting myself just with the various parts of my upper leg, while my lower leg and knees are relaxed. I'll spare you the nitty-gritty details. Suffice to say that I'm gaining muscle, I'm stiff and sore, and I *still* can't do it properly for more than a few minutes at a time. I made it through 30 min. on Jokie last night and only 20 solid minutes on Brandee tonight (she has a wider chest/barrel, so it is harder--trust me on this).
Now, I'm starting to believe that this is not just hard in general, but it is especially hard for *me*. No one else is struggling as much as I am with this. Maybe it is because I'm built with a long waist/torso and relatively short legs, so that my legs have to do a lot more work than someone who has long legs relative to their torso. Maybe I'm just *incrediably* out of shape, but I see people who are heavier than me and they have a quiet leg. Maybe I'm just built funny for a wanna-be dressage rider.
I'm making progress, but it is so glacial that I'm thinking I'm going to have to do something in addition to the riding and my morning leg exercises. Ruth (Jokie's other person) runs, and has for a long time, and she has no problem engaging the proper muscles. And Laina has been doing great with the running-thing. Ruth tells me that if I have proper form and good shoes I can run and minimize the risk of injury. (Ruth had a book/DVD recomendation that she follows--she showed me the difference in how one runs properly, which is much easier than running the way you *think* you should run.
And the thing about running is that it is more realistic than joining a gym or even riding my bike. I have a lot more control over when and where I could go. And with the spring coming the weather would be more cooperative. I'd have to do it first thing in the morning, though, and as most of you know I'm not a morning person.
Now if I were independantly wealthy and didn't have to work for a living getting fit would be so much less of a problem!
