Free Ride & Rider Fitness & Fitness Goals

Went to see Pony this afternoon, she was pleased to come out of the bugs! It poured rain this morning so we had to ride inside today and it sounds like we'll be in all week.

Over all she was really good, we did a lot of trot work, collecting, extending, sitting.... We worked on more leg yielding and she listens really well but she can get a bit crooked and starts to lean in and falls towards the wall. And sometimes it's difficult to feel if she's really crossing over or if she's just moving on an angle. On Thursday we worked on building an "up down" momentum rather than  forward "so think piaffe", which was also the goal today, but it's still hard to know if it's exactly right without some there to watch, which is also something that needs to be worked on. I need to be able to notice that stuff for myself otherwise we won't improve over the free rides the way I'd like.

But she's getting much better at bridling up at the trot and walk. She likes to carry her head low, which isn't that much of a problem until her head is below her whithers. So she's starting to carry her head up a bit more, the other thing we're supposed to work on is getting her to tuck her nose a bit rather than sticking it out.

So, rider fitness is probably just as important as the horses.
I love working out and running, but because of diplomas in June and then last week being so busy I didn't get to the gym as much as I would have liked. It's amazing how quickly you can lose cardio endurance.

Saturdays Training Session
Cardio: walk @ 3 for 2 minutes
              jog   @ 4 for 10 minutes
              run   @ 5 for 5 minutes
              sprinter intervals x 5
                 - 30sec @ 6
                 - 1 minute @ 5.3
Weights: Pink kettle bell : 10 swings
                                         10 swings each arm
                                         5 snatches each arm
                                         5 snatches + over head press each arm
               Blue kettle bell:  10 swings x2
            
Core: Plank 30 seconds
          Leg lifts 10
       
Stretch  

Over all it was a fairly easy workout, the kettle bells are a lot of fun, but you have to watch out with the over head press so you don't smash yourself in the face.

Today's work out (no trainer)

Cardio: run 12 minutes @ 5 (would have liked to make it to 20 but I haven't run in a while so the
                                              stamina just isn't there)
               walk 1 minute @ 3.5
               run    1 minute @ 6
               run    30 sec @ 5
               run    1 minute @ 6
               walk  5 minute @ 3.5
            Stair Stepper 10 minutes
                     - 45 stairs per minute
Core: 10 burpees x2
           plank
              -45 seconds
              -30 seconds
          10 sit ups x4
          10 Russian twists x3 with 6kg medicine ball
          30 seconds V-sit with 6kg medicine ball
Weights: 12.5lb barbels
                10 triceps x2
                1- biceps x 2
Stretch


GOALS:
-by September 7th 2011-run and bike a total of 960km (length of the Pacific Highway) with the ultimate goal 13 296km (distance from closest city to Sydney) by July 19th 2012.
-                                     -be able to do plank for 2 minutes straight
-                                     -run/bike at least 6 times a week
-                                     -do yoga everyday
and that's all I can think of for now.