By: Nicole A Musmanno
Sitting in the airport, totally exhausted, waiting for the plane to take me back to my happy place in Colorado, that happy place, of course, being with my horses. Do not get me wrong, I loved every second of Rolex CCI**** and being part of the Charles Owen team educating people on safety and introducing the Sergio Grasso Baxter (the TRUE multi-purpose boot). The energy level of intensity emanating from all surrounding creatures, there for one reason alone, to celebrate the horse in its ultimate athletic form, radiated and rattled off every tent post, stadium seat, blade of grass and grain of sand.
How I got through it all I will never know but I have my suspicions that go beyond pure adrenaline.
My fellow Charles Owen teammates warned me (all veterans of the show) that this was unlike any experience ever. Different from energy sapping trade fairs, Rolex has such life to it that while adding fuel it burns it too, a paradoxical conundrum. Morning coffee exempt, something reserved for rare occasions, I kept to my morning routine of early wake-up, exercise, yoga. Upon hearing my plan, everyone said I was crazy and by the second day I would give that routine up for more hours of sleep. They were wrong, but right, affirmed in their assumption that I am in fact crazy.
Every morning I woke at six, slipped on my yoga pants and headed for the fitness center. A quick stop for hot chocolate laced coffee and off I went for what I call at home, “me time”. Essential time I set aside for myself six days a week to perhaps venture on a mind clearing or problem solving run (I think better while running) or for a novel, non-fiction reading escape on the elliptical machine. This hour, sometimes torturous, often monotonous but afterwards rewarded with a sense of relief, has become such a part of my life, that without it I do not operate the rest of the day in the same fashion.
After an hour plus of cardio then light weights, I headed back to the room for a half hour of yoga. This portion of my routine recently added a year ago, I now wonder why I fought adding for so long. Listening to my body I have learned there is ALWAYS time for a little yoga. Mountain pose, back bends, standing poses, finishing with sun salutations, abs and twists, I greeted my morning with a pause and prayer of thanks to all that brought me this life, my place in it, where I am going, who I have met and will someday meet along the journey. Of course…Namaste.
Then off to a past sunset day of tent set-up, helmet fittings, running from vendor to tent to vendor (when I could find the vendors), stumbling across the cross-country course, and learning how to custom fit premium Sergio Grasso riding boots. Was I tired at the end of the day? Need I answer? But that never stopped me from waking up and allowing myself the morning time my body is trained to and looks forward to as its time to repair from yesterday and energize for today. Even on Sunday morning, typically my day of rest, I went for a light workout and shortened yoga session because I honored the fact my body would be rushed through the final morning of the show then whisked to the airport and worst of all, sedentary on two flights.
The culmination of this trip has been a learning experience of mind and body in an environment of encompassing energy. While learning about boot fitting and discussing helmet safety and fit, my body taught me a lesson; one I should know from my decades with horses. We are creatures of habit. When training a horse, often we hear, “don’t disrupt their routine…horses need consistency…consistency is key.” This is no different from our own bodies. I could have slept in. I could have replaced the gym with yoga or reverse but that would not be honoring what my body is “trained” to do.
In times of stress, we would never intentionally change our horse’s routine and when at shows we often try to keep them as close to the routine as possible. We are no different. Our body under stress turns to us to preserve and care for it in a manner it is accustomed. Inserting an exercise routine into the day, while not always exciting (admit it, the horses are not always keen about it either) helps regulate our systems, maintain balance and create energy when it seems energy could not be drained from one more cell of flesh. People often comment I have a lot of energy, actually that is totally false; I created a routine that in turn created energy that otherwise I would not have. Horse translation…hill work followed by long and low from crown to croup.
Always on a stumbling, wobbling, fumbling, often reluctant path of a wishful glimmer of enlightenment in life, I have learned in one week at Rolex, a few keys things: always measure the circumference of the calf in multiple places in order to ensure the widest part measured, most people know what size helmet they are and most are two sizes to large in their thinking, and an established routine not only maintains balance in our horse’s positive energy but in my (our) as well.
The author would like to note, she is ready to return to her key element of her daily routine…riding her beloved horses, Slewth and Ginny. The true source of her energy and light
