I realize that most folks go with tradition and begin thinking of resolutions and such as the current year closes out and a new one approaches.
For me, however, it seems the year is based on the ride schedule.
As the Mustang Memorial ride wrapped up in mid-November and the snow began to fly in our neck of the woods, I wrapped my brain about the ride season that just ended and the new one coming.
I don’t think this is unusual for riders in the Northeast Region, nor for endurance riders in any part of the country where ride season hibernates for the winter months.
For me, it means thinking of the ways I will try to stay reasonably fit (or horrors, gain a bit of fitness) during the non-riding months. It means planning healthy meals that will require more preparation than plucking and rinsing lettuce out of the garden and tossing part of some poor formerly-living beast on the grill.
It means finding out when the 100s will be in 2011 and how I can best schedule each of the three boys to compete in one (or more than one, if the fates will allow).
It means <insert cheering crowd noises here> a new-to-us truck to replace the Ford that has left me stranded in several states along the east coast while hauling to or from an endurance ride.
It means shaking the trees to find new clients or old clients with new work to pay for said, aforementioned truck.
It means getting back to the days where I have plenty of down time looking out my windows at wooly horses and feet of snow and swirling winds and re-re-re-contemplate submitting a query about a book deal.
It is the time of year where we all, horses and riders alike, rest and recoup and recover from the tiny injuries and insults of the previous competition season and begin dreaming of the next one all over again.
More soon on all of the above.
–Patti