I feel good...so good

Yahoooo, I am back. I had a brilliant weekend at Nottingham Champ Show. It was hard, as the 3 heights of champ were in split over two rings, and along with cruft singles in another separate ring -which I blew. (Mind you Nottingham DTC are really good and put all these rings together). Then I made a mental note to self "stop worrying about it - the juggling of key runs is a skill I need to learn."

Rivi worked super,  however we went off course - my fault. But the Rivi is really liking these rubber contacts, she looked so more confident and sure 'pawed' and we worked so well together. And we also faced our Nemesis with a team run and we ran clear - so needed that after the big 'e' at Crufts.

Then Zev what a little star, with myself sorted out, he was on top form speed wise and I luv it when he is like this - on the edge of the seat ride around an agility course. We went into the final 5th from pole position, which was a great result. Unfortunately due to how they place - we got no rosettes :-(  How I wish they would do finalist rosettes or even a card like Rugby DTC used to do, it would just be nice to have a memento of such a fab day and doing so well.






And for me I just could not stop smiling, for the first time I felt like I belong in Champ or Grade 7 classes. Plus I was enjoying my agility and that is really important to me as it was a shock at the last couple of shows not to be in that mind frame.
 
With the confidence issue I had always had a conflict about positive mantras and affirmations, despite my understanding of psychology and applied behaviour. By sheer chance I was reading Glamour - Fashion Magazine  June 2011 Edition (which is great for fashion and other girly stuff) and there was an article called 'YOU can do anything' Which was a frickin' brilliant read and the tip 4 'Don't Fake It' was just what I needed to read. It says in the article for some people the affirmation/mantra approach can have the opposite effect of its intention.  All the sport psychology that pushes this affirmation/mantra approach , can actually creates more self doubt in some individuals. 
 
Since I read this article at breakfast on Saturday morning it stayed with me and it was just what I needed. That was £2.00 very well spent. Thank you Glamour
 
Summing up: I was just feeling so good and proud of me and my guys - yahooo indeedy :-)

Mr Bigs out of action....for a daft reason ;-)

Mr Big - Power Mode

Mr Bigs....out of action as his recent new nickname of Sir Shag A Lot because he was delirious and seriously a humping whilst Dixie had her first full season. He has sore muscles in a certain region. Hence the lost of form, hope to resume form in about 3 to 6 weeks.

Tiny and cute - Mr Big as a puppy

So its true you can have to much of a good thing...and now I think he addicted as he still wants to be a humping...a daft reason to be out of action for sure ;-)

Ready for.....another Nuts

Yep it that all important decision time, to think of getting a puppy in 2012.
Sometimes with great bonds I think perhaps you only come across it once or twice in a life time, like a great love ♥. I have already been blessed - with my guys can it happen again?

Nuts ♥

So the hunt is on for a puppy to join me and my guys next year.  Rivi will be five and by the time you factor in 3 years before edging to the top level if it all goes well the next puppy would not be in enroarching on Rivi in agility terms until Rivi is eight, which should be a nice progression. Worked out with the extensive gap I had before Nuts retired in 2007 and now in late 2010 finally back in Grade 7 but first full season 2011- that is a long time out at that level. But will have to focus on less is more - rather like training - quality not quantity ;-) that is to be the focus. No more worrying about lack of experience and time out. I am so over it :-) da da a light bulb moment, whilst writing my blog!!!!

This puppy plan will probably be totally mad really with work, studying and the guys and general day to day stuff. But if you wanna do it you just gotta otherwise your life is forever on hold and its to short for that. As a friend said "if you wanna make it work, then you will".
 

Getting the blip sorted...in Perspective

Me & Nuts - Switzerland 2006

Its odd how one blip, starts a chain reaction in my thinking processes, on a subconscious level that I was not aware of until I analysed why my handling was going 'haywire'. Confidence can be so fragile, it is easily shattered, but so resilient it finds a way to resurface. This year sees me with the first full season of having two dogs at Grade 7, in Champ class and thinking of qualifiers. They are good enough for us to do well and I think this rather smacked me in the face the other weekend....I found "doubting thomas" was back subconsciously....hmmmp!!!! Had not seen him around for a while, and it took me a while to realise he had hitched a lift ;-)


Nuts and Dixie - How do you do :-) May 11

I think the difference for me this year is the lost of naivety. With running Nuts the world was my oyster, and I was blissful in complete naivety. Now with Rivi and Zev, I realised what I know now I did not know then. And realised my source of conflict in myself.  The doubting of the way I wanted to tackle a course. Confusing my guys for sure...which mortified me even more.Yikes, they so know if I am not 'full throttle'.


Nuts and Dixie - May 11

Then I remembered what I learnt i.e LB book that helped me take me and my guys in the direction we are going. Then I remembered something that I loose occasionally and then find again and it comes to the fore. Which is resolve, determination and belief. 

So at training, I tackled the courses at training and hurled myself into them ....I choose my own handling way that suits me and allows me to be consistent and confident... and most important of all to have an absolute blast with my guys. And I am sure Rivi and Zev would probably have said "phew....our proper Christine is back, lets rock 'n' roll"

Nuts turning on the charm for Dixie - May 11

 Needless to say it was a good night of training and "doubting thomas, hit the dirt". Now I just need to hit some competitions, which I will at the end of May as it is time to Rock 'n' Roll as it is all back in perspective.

 

 p.s The pictures are of my darling Nuts with Dixie. Totally cute :-)



Yahoo its bank holidays galore...and a blip hits

Rivi, Zev and Mr Bigs April/May 20011

Luv the extra bank holidays - means I with the guys more and less guilt trips about having to work. Plus we were crazy and booked four days of agility at Newbury. In the depth of Winter it seemed a good idea. The weeks are hurling along - and crikey, getting to grips with Grade 7 - the season has started so well - with so many rosettes and Zev and me managing to qualify for one of the UKA finals in December. However amongst all this I started to lose my nerve irratically, the busier the ring i.e crowded, the less confident I was. This was the blip that hit. Which is interesting from a behavioural perspective as success should be reinforcing - but no my brain which I always seem to be training to be positive was rebelling .....The blip that hit was:-

"......... at the point of several wins ... went into the agility with Rivi and as she starts to do her poles a dog flew out of its ring.... and made a bee line for Rivi and it was not nice...it knocked my legs in its determination to get Rivi...'lucky I clocked it'....I told it to 'get out' in no uncertain terms.Which it did..... Have the whole incident on video, unfortunately you can't see the handler, as Marc was videoing me and Rivi.... the handler of dog was so gutless as not to even apologise to me and Rivi. Thankfully Rivi is fine, due to my intervention and bravado. Over in a matter of seconds this whole incident. But for me, it stressed me enough to make my stomach hurt on the rerun and really shook me up. I have horrid bruises on my legs where the dog impacted on my legs. Still onwards and forwards - time to bounce back....as they say 'another day, another dollar' and the main thing is my Beautyoli is absolutely fine....