I’m always ready and never ready at the same time. Not sure how else to put it but getting my game on involves this unbalanced feeling of did I do enough? do I have the right materials at hand? is my head in the right space? what else can I do? I always feel like there is more to do … and of course organizing the home front adds a whole other dimension when I’m going to be away a day or two.
It sounds ridiculous but my BIGGEST stress by far is the other people in the group I am running Sally in. I so feel like a B team player got thrown in with the big guns. I’m thrilled on the one hand – because I’m dying to watch them run and have never gotten to see many of the international members run but on the other hand I’m thinking – oh my word … if the holes show up (and they probably will – these are tougher longer courses than Sally and I are used to) our B class status will be so apparent. I’m pretty sure I can focus and do the job I need to do (other people don’t worry me generally) but this is going to be another test.* No doubt at all.
Sally ran like a contender last night – fast accurate and she hit all her contacts (tipping off one but hitting it fair and square). I wasn’t thrilled with her performance as she needed a BIG reminder as she hit the down sides and I don’t like shouting at the dogs but it worked. So now I have to remember to do it this weekend. I know I should only want her at her fastest most driven speed but I could handle a slightly more thoughtful dog more easily – awful eh? Sally and Brody both weaved like ROCKSTARS .. I was amazed.
Brody did something he has NEVER done before – he actually raced ran ahead of me. He was Brody – steady and accurate -but he was flying … flying I tell you. What fun! Except of course I don’t know how to run him like that … I just pretended he was Sally and all was good though.
* Seeing one of the ICONS of Canadian agility is in the ring with one of her superstar dogs RIGHT after Sally is probably what provoked this mini melt down ~ anybody need a nice dog to run at regionals? anybody? anybody? Bueller? Bueller?
I'm glad you're having a blast and the dogs are showing off for you!
What a great feeling to be running with elite competitors. Be inspired!