It has been a really busy few weeks around here. I have been to Texas and back to see some family, which I don’t get to do much of during the season and taught a great group of people at Christie Tull’s Greenwood Farm while I was there. Glen and I have been named to this spring’s High Performance B list which is a huge honor and allows us access to additional funding and support from the USEF and the USOC. We just returned from the convention yesterday and while it is always fun to see friends and catch up by night, there was a lot of business to take care of by day. On Friday morning at 7 all high performance riders reported to the mandatory fitness testing for the USOC. This was my first time to be evaluated and I have to admit it’s pretty rigorous. The squats, plank test and the run each require strength but there I was surrounded by my peers who were pushing themselves to the limit and it quickly became obvious that the evaluation was mostly about stamina and who could gut it out the longest. Needless to say we’re a pretty competitive crew and while I do carry the lowest percentage of body fat, I’ve got a ways to go to catch some of the others in the squats and plank test. After the fitness evaluations we had one on one meetings with the strength trainer, nutritionist and the sports psychologist all of which were informative and mapped out short term and long term plans for us to follow. I had a chance to talk one on one with Mark Phillips about his expectations for me next year and while it is a pretty tall order, I have come away from Nashville feeling energized with a plan in mind and a real sense of support from USEF’s High Performance. Now it’s time to put my head down and get to work. Glen and the other horses have started their light conditioning canters in preparation for their first recognized event in February. It’s going to be here before we know it.
11 December 2011
