Improving my mental game

[kacie tri-ing]

I loved that post! Thanks for the link!

Good luck in your race! Stay confident!

[OakLeaf]

Good luck on the TT Smurf!

You'll do great. TTs are so different from regular racing.

[smurfalicious]

Thanks Salsa, that does rock, really hard. I sent it to a friend of mine and she was really into it to. She's head to the Tour of the Gila so, she could use it.

I can't believe I've forgotten my ultimate inspirational character. Once when I was uber depressed, so bad I left work early because I couldn't cope, my friend Wade insisted I join him at the skate park to photograph.

Well I got there before him and camped out by a bowl and started shooting. There were two guys in there, one in his teens and skilled, and one ragamuffin little blond, probably ten or so. Naturally I was shooting the kid who wasn't falling on his butt non-stop. So floppy haired blond boy just kept trying, and falling, trying and falling. Eventually he made it and asked point blank if I was taking pictures of him. I smiled and said I might be. That was all he needed to hear. He puffed up and said, "Do you think I'm good? Cuz I am!!!"

So here's little mister crash-a-lot all boastful and proud of his skills. So much so that he's willing to announce it to the world. I love that kid, glad I met him.

I learned a long time ago while showing and rodeoing that you can only "Run whatcha brought whitcha." Warm up your horse, fine, but don't spend that precious time trying to teach him something at the last minute because it won't change a thing and it will only stress him and you out. So I'm gonna take a chill ride tomorrow, avoid the course like the plague, and just relax.

Sunday I will run what I brought with me, and if that's slower or faster than what others brought with them, that's okay. I'm not racing to be a super star, I just want to get out there and feel those butterflies, and the thrill of competition. I don't have that anymore being removed from the happening barrel racing scene back home.