Here are my tips for picking an activity goal and sticking with it

Hey Athletes!

There is a nip in the air and the leaves are starting to fall again. I don’t know about you but I got sucked into the idea that perhaps for once, summer might last forever this year.

Where I live, it was hot… until it was not. Literally overnight!

The kids are going back to school, fall programs begin, and the riding season starts to wrap up.

These natural season changes are a great opportunity to build our routine. While dates may seem a bit arbitrary, big transition dates like this are shown to increase reflection and motivation for change.

I want to help you get the ball rolling here… lets get you moving while the perfect storm is brewing. I have come up with a few tips (or assignments if that word helps!) for you to start building an autumn routine that will set you up for continued motivation through the winter.

Lets make this a 4 week challenge. What is something you can commit to doing every day for 4 weeks? Here are my tips for picking an activity goal and sticking with it:

Think about something you are already doing 3-4 times a week but perhaps erratically. Can you make it a daily thing? Example: Maybe you eat a good breakfast on weekdays before work but go for fast food on the weekend. Can you adjust your weekend to better nourish yourself?

What is something you are already doing daily? Can you add intensity or another form of challenge? Example: Maybe you take the dog for a walk daily. Can you add in some short jog intervals? Or maybe increase the duration? Add more hills?

Can you attach a certain time or trigger point for it? Example: At the end of the workday, when you close your computer, can you take 5 minutes to unwind with a short walk or stretch break before moving onto your next activity?

Can you find a commitment partner? Example: You ask a friend to join you in a program and report back to each other at the end of the day. Why not make it a fun game too, assign each other a daily exercise. Get a little mean if you have to ;)

Use tools and resources already at your disposal. The FitRider membership already has 2 great 30 day programs that you can follow along with, or use the exercise demos to design your own. I recommend printing off a copy of the download as well so you can put a big satisfying X on every day you complete. Or if you aren’t a member, try our favourite stretch video for free.

-Sarah

Do you remember why you got into riding?

Hey Athletes!

Every year I book off the labour day long weekend for the Cala-boogie endurance ride - my favourite ride ever!

Of all the places that I have been, this one holds the most special place in my heart. Even before completing the 100 mile buckle ride, I found a way to get to this ride every year in some capacity. Sometimes I am a rider, sometimes a co-ride manager, sometimes riding my horse and sometimes on others.

It’s not the closest ride for us, in fact it is probably one of the furthest that we go to. Most people in this area don’t travel much more than 2 hours for an endurance ride. How spoiled are we that we can participate right in our own backyards? Whenever I travel I am reminded of this, knowing that riders in other areas of the world would consider the 6 hours I travel to Cala-Boogie to be a short trip.

So what makes the trip worth it?

I used to look at the rides as a purely mathematical equation. I wanted to ride more than I drove, and that was totally fair! I wanted to increase my mileage, be eligible for awards, and spend a lot of time in the saddle. I LOVED spending lots of time in the saddle… driving, not so much! Working on my stats was a tangible goal and it felt good to knock off the miles.

Now? I think I am more adventure focused than mileage focused. This past weekend I even dropped down to a lower distance.

Maybe I like riding a little less? Maybe not. I do know I am looking more for quality of riding than quantity of riding. Spending so many hours in the saddle is still fun, but sometimes heading back to camp for the party is fun too.

I think for me, this is why I love the Cala-boogie ride so much.

I definitely feel the quality and adventure in this ride. Whether you are riding 100 miles or 12, there are so many little things that add a sense of fun along the way. Lots of reasons so slow down and savour it. Then we have a wonderful party and enjoy good company.

It is not uncommon for me to have to do the math to avoid going overtime at this ride. It completely pulls me out of competitive or mileage mode and into adventure mode: stopping to swim in the lake, picking delicious berries and grapes in the forest, meeting golfers on the golf course (which yes, we get to gallop across!). If we have entered the longer distances, the quiet enjoyment of riding through the cottages and lakes and looking up at the moon and stars above, knowing its only me and my horse awake for miles.

I believe that everyone needs a ride like this in their life. A ride that helps them think less about the numbers and spend time in the moments.

THATS a ride worth travelling for.

I spend a lot of time with myself and my people working on redefining success. Take a moment to ask yourself now:

Do you remember why you got into riding?

Has that changed since you started?

When was the last time you checked in with yourself? Do your current riding goals still motivate and reward you?

Is it time to step back or step up?

Are you ready to be more competitve? Or do you need a break from these feelings?

Next time you go out to a ride, whether it be competitive or not, take these answers and feelings into your ride. Plan your ride out accordingly. Plan to be competitive, or plan to ditch your plans. Go somewhere new. Eat the berries. Go for a swim.

Motivation comes and goes in cycles, changing the focus every so often can refresh your body and mind, and your horse as well! Lean into what your gut is telling you, and get out and ride!

-Sarah

Celebrating one year of FitRider

Hey Athletes!

We are coming up on the one year anniversary of the FitRider membership platform, and as you can imagine, my mind is whirling.

I started Ride Like an Athlete with one goal in mind, to help riders believe that they are absolutely athletes and that they deserve to treat themselves as well as they treat their horses.

For as long as I can remember, there has always been a badge of honour with riders treating themselves poorly for the sake of their horses. Eating ramen noodles so you can afford high quality grain, wearing old damaged shoes while your horses get the finest farrier work. Nearly passing out of dehydration while fretting about your horse at the trough who merely isn’t drinking because they know their biological needs and just aren’t thirsty.

However, as anyone who has watched the safety demonstration on the plane knows, we need to take care of our own needs so that we are physically capable to take care of others. The thing is it isn’t a secret, its widely known, but it is so culturally ingrained and celebrated, that we still participate.

Working with the group of FitRiders for the last year, I feel more and more like we are starting to see a shift in this. Not only within our own group, but I see more and more social media accounts popping up with similar views. The tribe is building.

With my Mongol Derby riders who are now reflecting on their experience, we have been talking a lot on the topic of success and what makes something a success. While I could go on endlessly on that topic, I want to take that same mentality back to the FitRider program in my own reflections.

There have definitely been a lot of things that haven’t worked this year. I threw a lot of spaghetti at the wall to see what stuck. What did everyone like? I spent a lot of time, money and energy on things that didn’t take. I have lost some subscribers in the process, but I am learning. Much like fitness and cross training might be new for many of you, training online is new for me. Trying to close the gap between who I am with my athletes online vs who I am when I can physically be with them is really hard! Soliciting feedback is hard! Sometimes I feel a little blind when behind the online curtain. There are many days when I worry whether my FitRiders are satisfied enough to let their membership renew for year two.

I don’t talk about it a lot, but I often have self doubts. These feelings are innately human and none of us are alone in that.

Do I let it get me down? In all honesty, I have some bad days where I wonder why I haven’t gotten it just right yet, and I give myself that hour or that day to feel that, and then move on from my pity party and try something new. One of these days my million and two ideas will come together in a more cohesive way and that light bulb will shine bright and things will click. Perhaps its because I am an optimist, but I believe that giving up on one thing might open up my spirit for even more possibilities.

So I guess that is my long winded way of saying, I hear you guys.

I am going to keep trying for all of you.

I am going to keep trying to inspire you to treat yourself right.

I am going to keep making changes to the FitRider program to find the right product or service for more of you.

I am going to keep narrowing it down until its easy for you to use and feels good!

I am going to keep throwing some spaghetti, but I am working on my aim and the consistency of the pasta.

I am going to keep looking around and seeing the positive changes in the world, beyond just my own clients, and keep believing that one day there will be a new generation of athletes, who will be born into the belief that riders DO deserve to treat themselves like an athlete, and the self-inflicted suffering to win a badge of honour in their community never has to even cross their mind.

I’m going to keep defining success not on my numbers but on staying true to my values and personality.

-Sarah

PS. In case you didn’t gather, some changes will be coming soon to the FitRider program! :) I really hope to see you there!

The Mongols are taking back the Mongol Derby

Hey Athletes!

Well another edition of the Mongol Derby is done and dusted. Something very exciting this time around was that there were two Mongolian riders competing… a first! I don’t think anyone was all that surprised when one of them won the race entirely.

I made the joke the other day… have you ever seen the meme that is something along the lines of “We should send one normal person into the Olympics for reference so we can truly appreciate the talents of these world class athletes”? I like to think of the Mongolian rider being the opposite of that. It gives us a solid reality check.

When I finished the Marcha, I had a dramatic change in my perspective of these races. Competing alongside the locals with the best of THEIR best was satisfying beyond all belief. It made these “adventure” races seem like a big ego driven tourist escapade. A bunch of foreigners descending on an exotic land, prepared to conquer the landscapes and horses, while the locals looked on in amusement as our narcissistic attempts swiftly humbled us into the dirt of the steppe.

It’s what I loved about the Marcha. I didn’t speak the language, I couldn’t bring ego there if I wanted to… I could never tell them how wonderful I am and all the things I did in the past or to prepare (cue air quote and eye rolls). I had to prove myself worthy of being there by riding with skill, kindness, and a willingness to learn and adapt to the local style.

So going back to the Mongol Derby, after having that experience at the Marcha, it had zero appeal to me anymore. I don’t have any FOMO from my attempt at it, but it kind of sealed the deal with me because I had a taste of riding shoulder to shoulder with the locals and I loved it. It was such a relief to give up any ego still clinging to life after many wins and defeats and just RIDE.

I still love the people that I work with for rides like MD, and I love the “genie in a bottle” effect that the MD has on your life. It gives you what you need/want but not necessarily in the way that you asked for and you may not be happy about it. I absolutely encourage others to enter and take a crack at it. However, I knew it wasn’t the experience I was looking for… my genie gave me that.

Having the locals compete in the Mongol Derby, now THAT changes the game! That is an amazing gift to both the locals and the riders who get to compete. Sure, it can add to the intimidation factor (which is already so high during these races), but it will pay dividends to the riders who are ready give up the ego and fully submit to the experience. Those are my people, and I am overjoyed for them. I do love and appreciate that the Adventurists are committed to improving the race every year, perhaps they heard inside my head through the Marcha and wanted to get ahead while the gettin’s good and try to dominate on all fronts.

Good job to everyone in both derbies, riders and staff alike. Whether you finished or not, may your personal growth continue as you reflect on your experiences.

Watch the world around you change, its the same as it always was but your view is a little different - life will never quite be the same.

Take some time to look inside of you, this is the perfect opportunity for self honesty. You can get everything you want if you are willing to dig through to find and open to receiving it.

-Sarah

New Service Alert!

Group coaching is now available to book - sessions start November and space is limited, so sign up now!

Starting in November 2022, we will be offering group coaching for various levels. These will be held online biweekly and limited to groups of 5 to ensure everyone receives the personal experience they need. Each will be 6 month sessions and complete near to ride season (northern hemisphere) or close to the event date in the case of ultra ride.

Group coaching offers athletes access to a coach at a lower cost, and the added benefit of the group’s questions - sometimes you don’t know what you don’t know! It also gives you a community of riders working through similar struggles, working as a group builds confidence faster than working alone.

Ultra-ride: Riders preparing for the Mongol Derby, Race the Wild Coast, Marcha di Resistencia. We will cover a wide range of topics from endurance riding rules, gear, fitness preparation, time management in your training program, coping with emotions surrounding your race and getting the most out of your adventure.

Endurance ride: Riders who are interested in trying their first distance ride (20km+) or upgrading to the next level (40, 80, 160kms). We will largely be working on rider fitness to prepare you and be an open forum for discussing horsemanship, time management, organization for your ride, horse training plans, gear and camping with your horse.

Fit Ride: Riders of other disciplines who would like to improve their personal fitness levels. We will be focusing on balance, recovery strategies, core strength, riding stamina and the prevention of injury.

After your purchase, your coach will contact you to confirm your admittance. Once we have a full group or are nearing the start, days and times will be selected based on what is most convenient for the group.

Please note, NONE OF THESE are weight loss coaching. We don’t believe in that here so don’t ask for that. We believe in creating a a healthy relationship with exercise and movement to bring joy into our lives and appreciation for the amazing things our bodies can do… not what they look like!

When the going gets tough…

Hey Athletes!

I want to take a moment to brag a bit about my amazing FitRiders.

Combined, all of us logged 170,000 minutes of activity since January first! That’s 2,833 hours, 118 days, 16 weeks. I mean you could state it any way you want, but that’s a lot of time spent in the saddle, stretching, walking, running, paddling, even lighting it up on the dance floor!

Each month I run a mini-challenge to encourage riders to keep consistent with being active and log their activities. At the end of each month I will draw a prize ranging from RLA swag to gift cards.

Well this month I did a little something different. As you can imagine it was difficult for ME to keep recording the logs while I was riding the Marcha in Brazil so I combined June and July into one big prize.

But if we are combining the months, it better be a damn good prize. I wanted to let my FitRiders know how much they mean to me so I brought home a busal (halter) from Brazil for the prize. Its hard to get more special than that!

In fact, it was the only souvenir I brought home outside of the clothes I bought to wear during the Marcha and some leftover mariolas (banana fruit leathers) that were my pocket snacks and a couple of gifts given to me by my new friends (ask me nicely on Monday and I will show you one that’s particularly meaningful to me). My spouse didn’t get souvenirs, nor my family, nor the usual friends.

Sorry guys, I just don’t do souvenirs anymore - just stories, photos, and life lessons to share.

So when I drew this special prize, it filled me with joy when the winner wanted to donate it forward. We chatted a bit for ideas and came up with a new awards at the Calaboogie Endurance ride that she manages (and I help manage to a much lesser extent too!).

So we have come up with the Resiliency Award. This is a nominated award that anyone at the ride can win (yes volunteers and crew too!). Now, we could set parameters on what it means to receive this award, but I think keeping it a bit mysterious and open will make it even better.

I want to hear YOUR best stories of resilience, as it relates to this particular endurance ride of course. I want to hear all your stories about what you had to overcome to get to or through this ride. Nominate someone you know who struggled but pulled through, or share your own story.

Here is mine. We entered the first Calaboogie 100 mile (160km) ride ever held. It was during COVID so we hadn’t been able to test out our fitness on any other races because it was the ONLY race held that year. We went big. It poured rain so hard all day, so hard I could feel the rain filling my boots and I would sit in a puddle on my saddle each and every down beat of the posting trot. It turned most of the trail to either slick rocks or deep mud bogs.

We had actually entered in the elevator, starting with the 75 mile and choosing to go on for an additional 25 miles after that completed. I was the only one who elected to go on, people thought I was absolutely crazy for not quitting while I was ahead. What they didn’t know was that I had intended on retiring my horse at the end of this ride. I cried so much.

Bentley had done many amazing things, but he has terrible arthritis and every year it gets more difficult to manage. My vets been telling me for ummm maybe 7 years to retire him, but he won’t quit. Now she says “I have stopped telling Bentley what he can’t do” (That’s the kind of person you want on your team BTW!).

Only two years earlier too he had a horrible accident and a fun hack turned into a Tarantino film and had to undergo emergency major surgery on his hocks. We didn’t know if he would live through the drive to the hospital, or through the surgery, or if he would ever be sound enough to even be comfortable on pasture.

Of course, we don’t tell Bentley what he can’t do, and after nearly 23 hours, we finished that impossible ride. On the last loop as we quietly walked out on trail alone in the dark, he didn’t even look back to camp.

He is one of only 3 horses who has ever been able to successfully complete the course and earn a buckle.

So it seems only fitting that this is the ride to honour resiliency and I am so excited to support this. Oh and I guess me riding 750kms qualifies me as a suitable sponsor lol.

Cheers!

-Sarah

PS After we earned our buckle Bentley once again told immediately me where I could stuff my retirement plans, and thanks to some amazing work by our vet, the magic of stem cells and Bentley’s sheer will to compete, he saw absolutely zero time in retirement lol.

PPS I highly recommend the Calaboogie endurance ride for your bucket list. Check out the facebook group to find out more or you can reply to this email as I may just have a resilient grey horse available to lease ;) And its not all 100 miles… we have 12/25/50/75 milers if any of those are more to your liking!

Dot watching… its tough work!

Hey Athletes!

It has been quite the week watching dots travel across Mongolia.  Have you been keeping tabs on the Mongol Derby?  I must admit I haven’t been sleeping well and my stress levels are high. Tuesday I spent most of the day in bed feeling like garbage in what I am going to dub SDS (Sympathetic Derby Syndrome) after several days with less than 5 hours of sleep and some intense back to back zoom calls with current and upcoming derby riders.

My spouse, now a hardened dot watcher, lights an imaginary cigarette with a steely stare. “You don’t even know Sarah. You deserve this misery.” Boy, have I put my family through a lot… enough that they barely bat an eye when I announce my next crazy adventure like I just declared “I think I will order the shrimp today”. Actually if I ever ordered shrimp, it would probably set of fireworks of red flags to those who know me, far more than any of these adventures that could quite literally kill me.

For those readers who have never done one of these races, let me tell you a thing or two about dot watching: it only shows you about 0.1% of the story.  There is a HUGE disconnect between the race itself and what we see back here.  Add in the twitter and facebook posts and you maybe get up to 0.5% of the story.

I want to share with you a story that I always try to keep in my mind to keep myself from panicking when I see dots doing weird things. 

It was 2016 and I was riding in the inaugural Race the Wild Coast. At the pre-race training we were given two trackers - one for the horse and one for the rider in case we got separated because rescue is so difficult on that terrain.  One of mine was missing a cover to the data port on the back side of it. I pointed this out to the organizers (knowing that we had to swim rivers and this wouldn't be watertight) and they said it would be fine, just throw it in a plastic bag. Ok. Done.

The race starts and on day 2 we had our first major river swim.  I am not a good swimmer, so of course I was rather nervous, but I used the techniques in training and all went off without a hitch.  I was actually leading the race much to the surprise of everyone involved.

However, the surprise wasn’t just because I had a bad track record of flunking out of ultra rides… 

As I had somewhat predicted, my tracker got waterlogged and malfunctioned. Did you know that the default in this scenario is that it sends out SOS signals?  I know that! (Now)

When I reached the next vet check, one of the organizers ran over to me and told me my SOS signal was going off.  Knowing they were filming us for a reality TV show, I assumed this was a ploy to get some drama and improve their ratings, so I rolled my eyes and dismissed it.

“No, we actually sent a helicopter to rescue you, but it turns out you were fine… winning actually!”

I pulled the tracker out from my bag, and sure enough, that little red light was flashing!  Oops! Lol! Apparently I am the only one looking for drama.

After I got over myself and decided to ride on without the second tracker, I asked about what would get posted about the situation on the social media channels and how it would look on the map.  After all, people at home might be freaking out just a wee bit.  I was assured that something would be mentioned in the updates so my family and friends at home knew I wasn’t sleeping with the fishes.

That night, we also didn’t have cell reception. Usually I would call in and give Ashley updates to post about. So I just had to sit and assume all was good.

Well, I guess nothing ever got posted and my family got to spend some time living the fear that I had drowned in the river.  Eventually they saw a post the following day about me continuing to lead into the vet checks and decided I was in fact alive and even thriving, but that had to be a pretty tense day for them!

That’s not a slight to the organizers of course, things get crazy during these races and if everyone is ok, good news is ok to let slide.  If things weren’t ok, emergency contacts would be called.

So that’s what I go back to every time things aren’t quite adding up on the map.  There are SO many things that could happen out there.  This was especially important for me this derby session as I live only through the tidbits I can find on the map and official pages and the dots that I was invested in were showing irregular behaviour. 

Bottom line is that we can’t put ourselves into panic mode when we don’t hear updates about our loved ones… its not always bad news. Trust the riders, trust the organizers, and let them all focus on their race… if we are lucky they will share their full stories with us down the road. The only person that feels your stress is you, so treat yourself to a deep breath and a distraction. Nobody needs that extra cortisol if it isn’t imperative to your survival.

There are only a few days left of this session of the derby. I will probably sleep for 2 days straight so I am fresh for round 2.  

How about you?

Cheers!

-Sarah

Its Mongol Derby time again!

Hey Athletes!

It’s that time of year again… or rather finally again! The Mongol Derby kicks off this evening (my time) or tomorrow morning (Mongol Time). 40+ riders will be galloping over the starting line about to challenge 1000kms of Mongolian wilderness on wild horses.

Sounds a little crazy right? If you are like me though, you love a little bit of crazy in your life. Well… the right kind of crazy as I like to say!

This year, as a result of two skipped pandemic races, there are not one but TWO sessions of the race. The organizers have made an absolutely brilliant effort to be able to bring this experience to so many riders this year.

The race itself is more popular than ever, and rumour has it they are already accepting athletes into 2024 (and I think there aren’t too many spots left up for grabs then either).

As for me, I fear my social media detox is going to have to be over at least for the next 10 or so days while I eagerly await updates and follow dots on a map. Those of us who remain home can live out our riding dreams watching these riders go after the impossible.

I must admit, I don’t quite feel ready to come down from my adventure and move onto the next exciting race, even if I am just an observer and superfan. My mind is still bursting with ideas and lessons learned from the Marcha that haven’t really gone anywhere. Honestly, I have been spending my time just living a happy life… and I cannot remember the last time I could genuinely say that! That’s a feeling I want to hold onto as long as I can.

Courses and blogs can wait…but, of course, the Derby will wait for no human to be fully prepared. Just tell that to the riders currently assembling at the start line!

Riding times I understand this year will be 8am to 6pm (this is so riders can be safely into wherever they may lie for the night before darkness falls). I am thankful Mongolia is a 12 hour difference, which means a bit of media with my morning coffee and then again before bed. While the riders sleep, I will be at my desk or in the saddle, musing how I may support and encourage the riders for 2023 and beyond.

I already have some awesome ideas that I think will make an impact, but they are still floating around my mind like little clouds I can’t quite touch, perhaps this session or the next of the Derby will produce the thirst quenching rain so I can grow the seeds into a satisfying meal for trainees. Fingers crossed I can get my mind from the sky to the earth… or at least pen to paper.

I am going to leave it at that, you can follow along on the Equestrianist’s website too, and I am sharing what I can to the Ride Like an Athlete facebook group.

Cheers,

Sarah

What do you want to know about the Marcha?

Hey Athletes!

Are you enjoying your digital detox as much as I am? Hopefully this was one of the few newsletters you actually wanted to keep receiving if you did choose to take my advice last week and step back from social media and/or other digital triggers that may be causing you stress and overwhelm.

Just in case, I am sending this announcement out nice and early so that when you return to your emails, you can still get in on this special event.

My mind has still been whirling thinking about everything that happened during the 20th annual Marcha Di Resistencia and I have about a million and one topics that I could write or talk about. Like most things horses, if you get me started, I could probably go on forever and take a lot of tangents along the way.

So you are probably not surprised this in of itself is a huge source of overwhelm for me. How am I going to combat it? It’s so simple I feel a little foolish not starting here… I just want to go right out and ask you!

All this is to say, I am going to host an online Q&A about the Marcha and I would like to invite you to attend.

It won’t have any particular topic beyond the Marcha, there is no agenda or presentation (though I will likely screenshare some great photos), just open Q&A, no topic is off the table!

You must register in advance through our web shop. If you can’t make it, a replay will be available to FitRider Members (see below for more details) within a couple of days. I expect that we will limit the discussion to half an hour, but if it goes well there will be more sessions added… so tell me you want this and register now!

Cheers,

Sarah

Do you need a digital detox?

Hey Athletes!

Wow, a lot has happened since I last wrote you… namely I rode 750km in 15 days on one horse in Southern Brazil. Trust me, a lot happens in 750km! I definitely have a lot of stories to tell and I spent a lot of time inside my own mind, learning about myself and making plans for all the wonderful things I can bring back for all you.

But all that will come with time.

I promise.

Today I want to talk to you about what I have been doing since I got home - I have been taking a social media break. Rides like this change your life, and like a good pot roast, you need some time to let the juices work in and do their magic… unspoiled. Set it in the slow cooker and forget about it for a few hours if you want a delicious meal to come home to.

So instead of poking and prodding through social media to distract me from the teachings of this adventure, I have deleted Facebook and Instagram from my phone so I too can sit in my mind’s juices and soak in everything that I thought of while I rode.

Do you live in Southern Ontario? If so, last Friday you likely had your internet and/or cell phone services interrupted for a full day thanks to a widespread service outage from Rogers Communication. If you weren’t affected, just take a moment to close your eyes and imagine now that you woke up and there was no internet or cell reception and you have no idea when service will be returned.

Were you scared? Were you relieved?

Unless your answer was that you were indifferent, this is likely a sign that you need a bit of a digital detox.

Lets go back to that day. Without internet or cell reception, what does your day look like?

Do you pull out a book? Do you spend some time being active? Do you go for a ride or spend some time grooming your horse with no deadline? Do you get some yardwork done? Do you take your stash of cash and walk uptown for poutine and ice cream?

Now pay attention to your breath - take one deep breath in through your nose into the bottom of your lungs and let it out forcefully. Did even just thinking about this slow your heartrate?

Now you don’t necessarily need a full day to do this. Once you have gone through this little mental exercise, why not just take half an hour randomly (or maybe even better when you are feeling most stressed by your day job or social media influences) and do one of these things… leaving the phone behind and without setting a deadline. Unless someone is bleeding out, most “urgent” items can be best handled with a bit of space and time for reflection.

I find a lot of my time has already been freed up by giving up social media, its only been a week but I can already feel the effects. You might think too that I am getting so much work done. That is not true! I am getting about the same amount of work done that I always do, and the extra free time is spent in the yard with a beer, or chatting with friends at the barn.

Remember, your time doesn’t need to be completely filled to be valuable. We only have so much productivity in us until we need a rest, the difference is whether we choose it or whether it is forced upon us by our body or mind limits.

So that is your homework today, take that time to be unproductive, step away from technology, and give yourself that physical and/or mental rest you need and deserve.

Cheers,

Sarah

Is your Horse Uncomfortable?

Hey Athletes!

Is your horse uncomfortable?

When we are exercising or working out, we can feel in ourselves when we start to fatigue, when something feels uncomfortable or when something starts to hurt, but can you recognize that in your horse?  Aside from “acting out” or bucking their rider off, can you recognize when your horse is uncomfortable or trying to tell you that the work they are doing is too much for them?

 Research has shown that the Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram (RHPE) is made up of 24 behaviours. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7341225/

If a horse shows only one or two of these traits while being ridden, a musculoskeletal problem cannot be assumed. However, if eight or more of the 24 behaviours are identified in a ridden horse, the likelihood that this horse is in pain during ridden exercise is high. The studies done showed that lame horses an average of nine of the above traits displayed when ridden versus an average of only two traits when they were not lame.

The benefit of this ethogram is that it can enable horse owners, coaches, trainers to identify an issue, even if they are unable to recognize lameness. This ethogram isn’t conclusive and more research needs to be done but if riders and owners can become more attune to what their horse is telling them and get them help sooner rather than later, we may be able to address issues before they become bigger problems and we can improve horse welfare and their quality of life.

 Have empathy when working with your horse and you will maintain motivation and confidence in your horse.

 -Ashley

The importance of posture

Hey Athletes!

Since Sarah is on a plane to Brazil to compete in the Marcha da Resistência (follow the RLAA socials to keep track of all the updates), you get to hear from me, Ashley, for the next little bit. I am an equine body worker with a main interest in fitness building as well as exercise rehabilitation.

While most coaches and trainers are well versed in exercises to improve the horse’s skill in a particular discipline, a lot them do not know a lot about biomechanics and proper movement to enable the horse to perform those specialized skills to the best of their ability.

In the wild, horses had to hide any sort of pain or weakness because if it was outwardly displayed, a predator would know that horse would be easier to attack.  Because that has worked so well for horses over the course of evolution, we still see that in domesticated horses of today. The difference is wild horses were just trying to survive and the horses of today are being asked to do incredible athletic feats.

Let’s take a look at the above photo as an example. Looking through photos from shows or endurance rides, how often have you seen horses displaying posture like the second or third photo? A lot of competitive horses are great examples of how horses are excellent compensators and shows how a horse CAN perform the task but not in a bio-mechanically correct way.

A lot of the horse’s posture has to do with core engagement. Just like when you are doing a workout, you’ll often hear the trainer or coach tell you to engage your core before performing the exercise or movement. We need to do the same with our horses when we are working with them.

One of the simplest ways to strengthen your horse’s core is using pole work. Don’t have poles at home? Utilize logs on the trail. While different pole set ups and going over them at different gaits have different purposes,just walking over poles is a great way to start. Try it yourself! Set up random poles in your arena and incorporate them into your workouts.

Keep an eye out in upcoming Ride Like An Athlete emails to see when the new “ Fit Horse” program is going to be released. Similar to the Fit Rider program, Fit Horse will be comprised of exercise videos for your horse with ridden and ground exercises, stretches, pole work layouts and more. If you have any suggestions on what you would like to see, send us an email at ridelikeanathlete@gmail.com and let us know!

-Ashley

Counting down the days!

Hey Athletes!

I am counting down by the day now, my flight leaves Wednesday morning and my first day of riding is Saturday.

This is of course the time when I (or sub in your name here if you wish), feel the insane desire to do something stupid. Its the final crunch and out mind starts to wander to the thoughts of “Have I done enough training?”, “Should I try a different piece of equipment?”, “What have I forgotten?” “Can I sit a rodeo the way I think?” “Maybe I should drop 10lbs to save my horse”

STOP

BREATHE

There is very little than you can or should change before a big adventure. You can either trust in your training, or trust in your ability to figure it out, or best yet both. Nothing you can do in the last week or two before your adventure will make your trip… but it can break your trip. So again.

STOP

BREATHE.

Ok now having been through this a couple times, here are some of the things I am doing to avoid doing something stupid before I leave because I think I haven’t worked hard enough. You can do these too, whether you are prepping for a big race like the Mongol Derby, or you just need to take some time to yourself to chill and be kind to your body and mind.

• Got a massage

• Fixed some nagging dental issues

• 15 minutes of daily stretching and/or mobility work

• 10 minutes of low weight strength training daily

• Walking the dog

• Building my packing list and online shopping for anything I am missing (PS if you want a copy of my packing list, reply to this email and if I get enough I will make it a free digital download)

• Focusing on others and making sure they are prepared for me to be MIA for 3 weeks examples:

  • making food for my spouse

  • arranging alternate coaching for my Team Riders

  • filling up supplement buckets for my horses

  • making clear instructions for the person who has to do my day job while I am gone

  • Basically… busywork that keeps my mind off the race and help me feel like the stuff at home can STAY at home and I can enjoy my ride

• Fixing the things that hurt - my broken toe is getting iced daily in hopes of bringing the inflammation down before I have to shove them in boots for 750km

• Talking to others about anything I am struggling with, its surprising how many great ideas you get when you JUST ASK!

No hard rides on crazy or green horses (ok other than this weeks photo where I am cross country schooling, if you have ever ridden Westie you know just how safe that is with him!). No high intensity workouts. No big equipment changes (just some tweaks like duct tape) and most importantly…

NO NEGATIVE SELF TALK

I’ve got this. You’ve got this.

-Sarah

Wow, I am two weeks away!

Hey Athletes!

Wow, in only 2 weeks I am getting on a plane and headed south to Brazil for the Marcha di Resistencia. I have been waiting for this date since late 2019 so it hardly feels real.

Pictured above is Almirante with his owner Adriana. He will be my mount for this adventure. He is a Criollo gelding and was actually the winner of the Gelding division last year.

Let me tell you a little bit more about the race in anticipation of your questions. Here are a few quick facts in no particular order:

• The race lasts 15 days and 750 km on one horse

• The first 12 days are controlled speeds (meaning you have to go between a minimum and maximum speed similar to our set speeds or CTRs here)

• The final 3 days are open speeds, so only horses who hold up to the first 12 days of riding will be allowed to “race” but like with any endurance ride, the rider has to ride smart and with their horse’s welfare as their top priority

• The race is being held in Quaraí, RS, Brazil and attracts riders from Brazil and Uruguay (my friend Krystal rode for a couple of days but I will be the first official international competitor and carry the Canadian flag)

• There are 35 entrants in this year’s race

• Some days we ride once, some days we ride twice. Individual legs are anywhere from 15km to 60km

• I will absolutely have time to tour around and we will be doing some day-tripping to Uruguay and Argentina for shopping and sightseeing on the days with less riding

I am still figuring out how I am planning on sharing this journey with you all. Might come through this newsletter, or perhaps my personal social media handles so make sure you are following along (just search equestriancyborg on your favourite platform)

Stay tuned!

-Sarah

Have you practiced your “what ifs”?

Hey Athletes!

Sometimes things don’t go as expected… and when horses are involved it seems like the chances of that happening double, no matter how well prepared you are!

This past weekend was supposed to be the first endurance ride of the season here in Ontario. I am always a bit of a mental case preparing for the first ride of the season. It is less to do with the actual ride but more to do with the packing and preparation. Honestly it takes me days to make sure everything is moved back to the trailer that needs to be there for camping, all the memberships are current and other paperwork is filled, the logistics are all sorted (especially if I have additional riders or crew) and I have prepared for every other circumstance that I could possibly think of.

I told my rider, Alia, to pack for all weather.

Little did I expect we would be hit with a Derecho… a new term that southern Ontario learned. A devastating storm that went from one side of the province to the other, leaving destruction and at least 8 deaths in its wake.

We had already finished our ride for the Saturday (12 miles) and were all cleared for Sunday’s 50 miler. Everyone was looking GREAT. We went back to our campsite and shared updates about the day’s ride. Then we got an emergency alert on our phones about a severe thunderstorm incoming. So we sprung into action and put anything we didn’t want to get wet into the trailer, then sat out in the sunshine and watched the horizon to the east.

The grey came, and the wind turned cold. It started changing directions, circling. I called Alia that it was go time and to get in the trailer NOW as the hairs on my arm stood up. Seconds after we closed the trailer door, my large and heavy camping table got whipped off the ground, right past the door where we had just stood and landed at the other side of our campsite.

Alia looked at me and asked if we should go get it, ABSOLTELY DONT GO OUT THERE. Buckets, tents, EVERYTHING was flying around. We watched out the window as the grass flattened, other riders struggled to lock things down and get into shelter, trees started coming down on the corrals at the treeline. The trailer bounced up and down and shook. The horses wobbled, trying to stay upright.

It was genuinely terrifying. I still am choking up a lot typing out this story.

We were incredibly lucky for many reasons. Some riders were still stuck out on trail, hearing all the trees snapping above them, getting trapped in the forest. Campsites only a couple kms away had total destruction of trailers and campsites and required emergency evacuations. Other posts I see on facebook confirm that tornadoes were touching down around us. I can’t even imagine each individual experience through this disaster.

I honestly can’t think of a worse weather event that could happen at an endurance ride than a tornado. If you can think of one, I am not yet ready to hear about it but you can start preparing yourself too.

One thing that has me a little hung up though is the emergency alert we received. It was for a thunderstorm, and I had completely underestimated what we would get. Thankfully nobody in our endurance family or their horses were injured, but I do have a lot of “what if’s” in my mind if I had known tornadoes were possible.

My spouse, Lee, said on the way home when I was talking it through (and about the time my shock of the event wore off) that the best thing we can do is treat every storm alert like its the worst case scenario. I think we did a pretty good job, not waiting to prepare and taking action where we could. Not every thunderstorm is going to yield these results, but I had practiced the pack up many MANY times in the past which helped us (though next time the table is going DOWN).

While I don’t want to send this out as a message to scare you, I do want you to take a moment to think about some of the what if’s and whether you have a plan for it.

I do a lot of “what if” training with Mongol Derby riders too. Its not to be pessimistic, but to set up tools and processes that can get you out of a jam and could potentially save your life. And if you are someone who is anxious about all the what if’s actually writing these down and coming up with the solution is actually an incredibly empowering exercise.

What if you are in ride camp and a tornado is bearing down, what if you are riding? What if it is a fire? Or hail? Or flood? Who has your back? What will you do? Where will you go? Is someone keeping an eye on the storms and calling you with updates?

You can’t prepare for everything, but you can learn from the experience of yourself and others, and explore those fears to help give you the confidence you need when the stakes are high.

I hope this helps.

-Sarah

I got burned! Ouch!

Wow I would sure hate to be that chick! LOL!

Is it any wonder why we get impostor syndrome? Can I ask you to read through that again… do you feel any less like an impostor after reading that? Do you feel encouraged?

Let me try rephrasing it a little bit.

Example… chick did 2 days, and despite not finishing, she was able to learn from her mistakes and watch those of others and since then has completed and even excelled at many noteworthy races, enough to feel confident in training others to chase their dreams.

Or what about this one

Example… chick did 2 days and after withdrawing and following the riders around with the crew, discovered her true passion was in helping others achieve their dreams and decided to dedicate her life to this.

Are you feeling a little better yet? I always find redemption and the underdog story much more inspiring - at least more than saying “you can’t possibly be worse than this poser!”.

My point here is the driver of impostor syndrome is in the black and white - success and failure as defined in the dictionary. No, I have not completed the Mongol derby, but I did get my derby experience. A race that big changes someone whether its what you expected or not. It gives you what you need… are you open to accepting its gifts?

My gift was people. Amazing people who brought me into their tribe, who I get to ride in wild places with. Who share their derby experiences with me and give me more tools and advice to then pass on to others. People who challenge me to continue to learn and share. Knowledge doesn’t have to be first hand to be valuable, but we still have to earn it. I earned mine by being friendly, helpful, and encouraging. I earned mine by dropping my defenses and learning to be vulnerable so others could do the same with me. That was my biggest “failure” in the derby, the refusal to be vulnerable.

Think back now, how have you earned the tools in your toolkit? Have you learned them as a result of perceived “failures”? Great, stop calling them failures and call it progress. As you can see from me, yes, some people will continue to define you only by your failures. You can’t change their opinion, but there is one person’s whose opinion you can change. That is yours. That is one less person hating on you, and that feels wonderful.

Here is another thing that I tell the riders that I work when when they are doubting themselves.

1) Nobody is thinking about you as much as you think they are thinking about you (they are spending 99% of their time thinking about themselves, this is the absolute truth!)

2) Even when they do think of you, its rarely what you think they are thinking of you

and

3) Even if you are right in what they think about you, relish the fact that you have made enough of an impact to hold a space in their mind… for everyone hung up on hating you, there are 10 more people silently looking up to you as their role model, and they think you are AWESOME (and if you don’t believe this, count me as superfan #1)

Yes, I still get impostor syndrome here and there, but its a little less than I felt last year, and last year was a little less than before that, and it most certainly was lower than when I lined up at the derby start line.

So cut yourself a break.

Get off social media for a day.

Go out and spend some time with those positive people who think you are a rockstar - I will be here if you need me ;)

-Sarah

PS if you hadn’t guessed, I am that chick! And proud of it!

Do you work in an office?

Hi Athletes!

The past couple of weeks I have been 50% work from home and 50% work from the office, its a very big change from what I have become used to the last 2 years working solely remote.

One of the biggest changes is I have become used to going for a run and/or doing a workout on my lunch break… which is a little hard to do when you are in a nice dress and other people can smell you upon returning!

So I wanted to put together this list of how I am adding movement into my day on the day’s I am working from the office, maybe a couple of these will work for you too!

• Save hard workout days for WFH, active recovery type activities for the office

• Take the stairs - not just on your way in/out but each time you need to use the washroom I go up and down 3 flights for “fun”

• Set a timer for 30 minutes, whenever it goes off… MOVE (doesn’t matter how… my coworkers are also listening for this now too lol)

• Do movement snacks (I discussed this last week) Ideas in the FitRider Library and stretch at your desk

• Eat your lunch at your desk while working (usually discouraged), take your lunch break time for a walk instead. Most people I know eat at their desks anyway, so TAKE your break and take it to move.

• Invite those around you to do these with you and foster a culture of movement at your workplace

Hope this helps!

-Sarah

May is all about Movement Snacks

Hi Athletes!

Phew I have had a week (or two perhaps!). Every newsletter I want to start out by saying sorry for the delay, and I feel like I am adding a day or two every time. Perhaps instead of a weekly newsletter, I should be calling it a “every 9 days or so” newsletter. Hmm not quite as catchy I suppose.

Let me catch you up on what I had going on which kept me away from my writing.

First off, I want to say HOW PROUD I am of all my FitRIders. Combined, we have achieved 100,000 minutes of activity since January 1st! That’s about 1,666 hours of activity. This group is pretty phenomenal and I am so happy to have them to help motivate and inspire me… plus share challenges, wins, and the things we have been learning along this journey. If this sounds good to you, its never too late to join in on the action as we have monthly prizes and challenges happening. Just join FitRider and start logging, and I will be there receiving your stats, pumping my fists, and cheering you on!

Next, the photo above is of 2022 Mongol Derby rider Nancy O’Neil (better known as Mama Nancy or @canamnightmares) who came in from Kelowna BC last weekend for bootcamp training. I put her through a RUS ride where she got to learn how to take her balance to a different place. She is no slouch having done many years of classical dressage, search and rescue, trail guiding and more… but getting up on top of a saddle really changes how you use your body and it is an amazing tool to add to any trail riders toolkit. She remarked several times on our 40km ride on Sunday how well the RUS prepared her for better riding the trail at speed and balancing the horses over terrain. She was such a joy to have and a refreshing break from my day to day.

The 40km ride was also a good test for my own fitness as I prepare for the Marcha which I leave for in one month and 10 days. Both Nancy and I came out with our own todo list of things we still need to do before our respective races.

As for what is happening inside the FitRider portal, the month of May is all about fitting small movements into our day. We are focusing on movement snacks - little exercises or stretches that you can do when you only have one single minute - because everyone deserves to treat themselves to movement. In fact, as soon as you hit the end of this email, I want to you to go do 1-2 minutes of ANY movement. I am working on a few more digital downloads to this extent, but that will be announced in a little bit still.

Right now the sun is shining and I am getting ready to get mounted and take full advantage!

Cheers!

-Sarah

When was your last deload?

Hi Athletes!

I want to talk a little bit today about training and deload. What is a deload? It is an intentional rest week where you greatly reduce your activity. Those who do any kind of distance racing might know this as tapering before your race, but it has a place outside of competition as well and it can benefit all athletes - human and equine.

I bring this up because I am in this phase of my training AND I was just covering this topic with a Mongol Derby trainee.

When it comes to a training program, I have noticed how much people are attracted to the 30 day programs. It’s a special magic number. You see it on the magazines, online challenges, books, and gyms. It is a nice bite size number which can encourage us to get started when we are feeling a little overwhelmed.

The problem is health, fitness and life in general isn’t done in 30 days. It is a continuous endeavor whether you are training for a big event or not.

If the 30 day program was successful, you are feeling motivated to get started on another, and another, and another. At some point in time, you have built in habits and a mentality that you need to be constantly working out and progressing in order to be successful. That’s when it all falls apart.

Does this sound familiar?

Here is the thing… if you don’t give your body the chance to deload (think rest and recover), it is going to force one upon you with injury or exhaustion. More is not always more… BUT if you take the opportunity to do a deload, you are almost guaranteed to be able to do more on your return.

So what is the magic recipe for a deload? How often and what does it look like?

Well… that is a difficult question because everyone is going to be different. However, here are two tips you can use to get started. Make sure to check in frequently with your body and energy levels to see if you need more or less.

Follow a 5 week schedule: 4 weeks on, 1 week deload

Deload = 50% of a regular week (either in intensity, frequency, duration/mileage, or all)

Remember, we still have rest days in our “on” weeks. The deload is an extra chance for your body to recover. It can be a big mental step to scale it back when you are used to going hard, but trust in the process and the value of rest in your programme.

So if you have been enjoying those 30 day programs, perfect timing! Take a week, then get back at it. Trust me, you won’t be losing out!

Cheers!

-Sarah

Welcome to the team Twang!

Hi Athletes!

I had an exciting weekend. Twang arrived at our farm. He was originally supposed to come back in March, but he had a slip in the field (which anyone in Southern Ontario knows was sheet ice this year) and had an injury which delayed his arrival.

He is all recovered now, and ready to get into the bootcamp that I have planned for him.

Now before I get into those details, I will put out there that I am NOT allowed to keep Twang. I have already made that promise to my spouse lol. While I know horse people say that a lot, I am doing the mental hurdles to make that actually happen. In fact, I have become super excited to prepare him for his new home (wherever that might be).

I have to say in the last few years I have been more focused on getting new riders into endurance sport. I am less excited about myself entering and completing endurance rides, and more about the people who I can support on their first endurance ride. So it feels natural to now be excited to produce a really lovely horse to help someone else fall in love with horse sport. While no doubt it will be hard to say goodbye whenever that happens, I truly am excited to be in this role for him.

That being said, he’s getting the same treatment that he would if he WERE mine, and even more important to this discussion he is getting the same treatment as if he were one of my human trainees.

You have probably heard me say it before, I believe the humans deserve to treat themselves as well as they treat their horses. Part of being an athlete (and the basis behind my brand name Ride Like an Athlete) is that we want to develop holistically, its not just about working out or adding more to our programs. It’s about considering all aspects of our lifestyle and how it can contribute to our athletic performance.

So when Twang arrived yesterday, he got the spa treatment that every athlete deserves. He got his hooves trimmed by my farrier (humans, when was the last time you replaced your running shoes or had your stride assessed?) then he got a massage and diagnostics on this musculoskeletal status (human, have you been cleared by a doctor or physiotherapist to begin an exercise program?).

My two experts helped me build the game plan for what the first month of his training will look like. Same as my humans, the first month is about rebuilding the body frim any issues that are present from lifestyle and previous injury - things that could potentially get in the way of success down the road even if they aren’t screaming at us now - those little nagging things that we tolerate but maybe aren’t best long term. Its also about building good habits and getting used to the routine of consistent work. Its about giving him the skills and awareness in his body to be able to complete the work in good form BEFORE we add any load or intensity.

Yes, all my humans get that too. It’s a program that I trust to build a lifelong love for movement. It’s something you can use for yourself and your horses as well.

Next time you are wondering where to go, whether starting a new fitness program or reviewing your current one, ask yourself… “If it were for my horse, what would I do?”

Would you seek help from professionals? Would you go back to the basics? Would you spend the money on bodywork or better equipment?

If you believe your horse deserves it, you deserve it too.

-Sarah

What did I learn from my root canal?

Hi Athletes!

Well I promised that you would hear more from me… looks like you are going to see more of me too! Lol. How is my tooth looking? Fabulous right?

I had meant to make Monday’s my regular email day but I had a portion of a root canal yesterday that knocked me down for the better part of the day.

The fun thing about the root canal (yes I said that), is I have nothing to do but lay back and let my mind wander for 1-2 hours and think about all the things I want to write you about. It’s been a crazy week and there are so many things going through my mind and lessons learned. It is definitely a good problem to have a busy mind when there are bright lights, scary drills, and bleach going down into your face.

I had so many different topics that I had thought of to write you all and now I have totally forgotten them. Seriously, I have a bit of an idea of what was going through my head but no one clear and concise topic for today. So let me know what I DO know from this little exercise…

Letting your mind wander can be super helpful for your body. I know you hear lots about meditation and clearing your thoughts and how good that can be for you. I have never been able to do that. I just CANT sit and do nothing AND think about nothing. I am just not programmed that way.

I DO zone out down long sections of trail in an endurance ride or on a particularly intense run or lifting session, but that is the closest I have ever felt to a meditative state. Moving my body settles my mind.

The dentist was the opposite, I needed to move my mind to settle my body. Believe it or not, my heart rate was consistently at least 20bpm below what it was during my drive to/from the dentists office.

So if you are like me and antsy, excitable, curious and just can’t seem to find a way to BE still, why not try what I did? Try one at a time. Pick which you want to settle (based on your current situation and feelings) and move the other.

I like to say, sport is 20% physical and 80% mental. Let yourself wander and see where the amazing interaction between the physical and mental will take you.

-Sarah

PS extra bonus of being at the dentist, I am forced to take long deep breaths through my nose and concentrate on that. This is your reminder to take a few moments to BREATE today!