When I was a kid I was horse crazy!
Nothing would stop me from making my way to a local stable to pay for hour long trail ride or whether it was just hanging over a fence enticing a horse with an apple. My room was full of horse pictures, books and toys. Most girls wanted Barbie (which I always ended up with), but I wanted a Tonka Truck along with the horse trailer (which I got). I even made my dog jump obstacles in the backyard, pretending we were at a horse show.
As I got older I made arrangements to work on weekends with one of the "larger" equestrian stables, so I could pay for riding lessons. As always, you work harder than what an hour long lesson actually costs. I mucked out stalls, taught little kids to ride and groomed at horse shows. I even got to ride at a couple of some of the smaller shows.
My family could not afford a horse, so I begged, borrowed but never stole a horse to show. I gained the reputation of a kid who would get on and ride anything and pick up ribbons along the way. I would get on anything, whether it was great, good or a puke, I'd ride it into the ring as if we were going to win (even though I wasn't a great rider, I always loved what I did).
Along the way I met riders, rich and poor and always had a great time. Eventually I met, who I thought would be my partner in life and we ran a very successful show stable. He even competed as a member of the Canadian Equestrian Team. We rode and showed across Canada and USA, although he did most of showing, I maintained the home farm and got the young horses started.
To make a long story short(er), I took some nasty falls along the way...breaking collar bones, my nose several times and even breaking fingers and toes along the way...throw in a car accident and well, you're pretty much a wreck.
I decided that it was just getting too dangerous for me to be on the younger animals and I semi-retired from riding to flying the skies.
My passion of riding continued but with easier horses to ride and show. It was fun to be back on the circuit again, we let go of the show stable and just became "boarders".
Life changes and my "significant other" had a roaming eye, I was away flying and came home to find him in a compromising situation with one of our younger students (yes, she was of legal age).
So, I packed up and headed out, both living arrangements and stable arrangements. My young mare had only a barn name at the time, but she was ready to start showing, so I named her "The Secrets Out" a little vendictive but what the heck...as life would have it, another series of events unfolded and I lost her in a barn fire. She was a lovely animal and would have really done well on the show circuit, the last show I had her at before her death, she was Preliminary Reserve Champion.
Again, life turns, I got over the trauma of loosing a beloved pet in such a fashion and I was going to try out another horse, as I was getting ready to mount up and swing my leg over the saddle, the horse reared straight up into the air and flipped over pinning me underneath. (I had asked if the animal had any quirks). Needless to say another injury to add to the list. I had a fractured left hip....
So, you ask, where the hell is this story going?
Ever since that fall I've been very careful with myself, maybe too careful, where I sat on the couch ate and drank like I'd never reach 200 pounds....well I did...and then some. After another life altering situation of a health scare, major drugs and major surgery, I thought, girl, you've got one kick at this life, get your sorry ass in gear and do something about it.
So, I started running.
That was eight years ago and I've never looked back. Running has changed my life for the positive, I've met some wonderful people, I've run in some really wonderful locations and I've got the Wooo Hooo's. I've got a new lease on life...minor injuries are nothing now, so when I hurt my back in November, it wasn't a new hurt, it was just re-awakening something from long ago....a left hip fracture, so I was compensating by putting too much pressure on my right S.I. joint.
I'm working with my Chiropractor and even though it was recommend to me that I may not be running any huge distance for awhile in the near future, it isn't going to stop me. For now, walking and 5k's will work, in the new year I'll have to make the decision as to whether I'll be ready for the Half Marathon on January 25th.
Life's fun if you don't weaken,
Lily
