A series of setbacks!

Typical beginning of the month behavior for me, as well as most runners is to mull over the previous month and contemplate what went well and what could have been better.

When I think back on August it was pretty much what I expected in the running department. However, September seems to be off to a very strange start!

I ran almost 100 in August miles which is fine. The weather was hot, and I was busy. My training (although I hesitate to call it that as, per my admitted norm, it wasn't too structured) was a kind of all over the place! Towards the months end I found myself in a pleasant routine, and was looking forward to more consistency and cooler temps in September.

Well. WELL. It has been hot as balls. SO HOT. Like, 90 for days and days on end and just as humid as can be. So strike one for September.

TOP: when it was cold. Bottom: when it is HOT.

STRIKE TWO. 10 days ago I was out bopping along in the last mile of an easy run when I fucked up my hamstring. BOOM. I had been suffering from some back issues during the previous week and think I may have set my personal path of destruction at that time.
I cautiously finished that particular run, iced and left things alone for a couple of days- other than some gentle rolling and stretching.
Not much improvement had been made by weeks end so I decided to stay away from running until this brutal weather breaks. At this point, if I run on a funky leg I will totally screw my fall marathon season. Nobody dies from taking 4 or 5 or 3985769 days off and that is what I'm doing!
(I'm a bit bummed that I have continued to feel some serious twinges from the pesky leg- my job has had me on my feet for 12 hour stretches for quite a few days so "rest" is relative. It's ok though, it will heal!)

In all honesty I am not too bothered by this minor setback. I'm being smart about it and doing the things (ice, gentle yoga, NOT running) that will have me back out there soon. And honestly, it is too damn hot!

And speaking of setbacks and trying to overcome them (this is horse stuff, feel free to exit now!)
I have my final long weekend of equine showing next week and that's another interesting situation!
We had finished up an incredible early summer show season when the little beast hurt his dainty little back (he most likely hurt it while being naughty and sassy... as horses often do!) He is not one to suck it up and bravely march forward while uncomfortable so we had a stretch of (what can best be described as) shit training while I figured out what was bothering him. Then he got to go see the fancy Vet who gave him the kind of care that he also dishes out to the top horses in the sport. Lucky pony! (I have wrapped this up in a couple tidy sentences. Describing the whole situation would take too long. So in short: horse hurt, acts bad, sees vet, is better :-))

Yeah, Serious Vet Stuff

I'm happy to say that he is back on his feet so to speak. We lost quite a bit of time during this debacle and I got to spend 7 weeks doing the kind of slightly depressed contemplation that only dressage riders with one horse can understand. When your partner is down and out you get a bit stuck, and spend too much time pondering the endless possibilities (most of which end up as you playing the horseless rider forever and literally drowning in your own tears. JESUS what the hell!!!!?? Dramatic!) I was plenty busy teaching a boat load of wonderful students and I got in plenty of riding time on a parade of 11 hand ponies that needed fixing but it wasn't the sameeeeeeee and I was so saddddddd. FIRST WORLD PROBLEMS I know.

Anyway. All of my riding friends know what I'm saying.

The thing about competitive sports is that you are constantly being humbled by either your own fragility or (in this case) your horses. I have been in this place before- plenty of times but never before as a one horse rider. I have made the choice to limit the number of horses that I own for "personal use" at this point in my career while I am building up a profitable client base. This is all going well and according to plan but man, does it ever stink when your only little mount has a bunch of issues to get through!
I am very, very happy that he is coming to the other side of this and is back to being comfortable again. There is nothing like 7 weeks of bad issues to make you appreciate the times of good training.
(sorry for the horse stuff, but it is actually what I care about in life haha!)