Clean Run - May 2018 - 46

P

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on the team at trials
© Victor Steel
PhotograPhy, inc.

Pa
rT 3
I remember the "salad days"-the days
where I spent hours the night before a
competition packing the car, bathing my
dog, and putting everything we might
need into my tiny sedan so I could head
out at o'dark thirty. Now, many years later,
I have muddy crates secured in the car, and
a bucket of toys, leashes, treats, and water
bowls-what else is needed? I pull out of
my driveway, sometimes just in time to
make my first walk-through. At times, it
feels like I'm living in the Upside Down,
a parallel universe. But there is an inbetween place-a place where I feel calm,
and where the pressures of competition
are easily soothed. There's a place where I
am not so anxious that I bring everything
in the house to a trial, but also not so apathetic that I don't bring anything. It's in
this place where I feel the most confident,
most ready, and most prepared to take
care of my own needs and my dog's needs.
In the in-between place the pressures of
competition are placated because I have
taken the steps to recognize pressure and
have practiced behaviors to help relieve it.
Pressure, as I am using it here, refers
to real or perceived demands that we impose on ourselves, or that we allow others
to impose on us. Just as Eleven escaped

By Tammy Moody, photos by Heather Christenson except where noted

the Upside Down, we can each escape the
pressures we feel at competitions, allowing us to enjoy our experiences. Okay, so
maybe we will not have to crawl through
a gooey, dripping hole from another dimension, but we are still finding or way
out of the belly of the whale so to speak.

The handler's needs
Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's been said a million
times before, but it is important, so I'll
make it a million and one times: Taking care of yourself is the best thing you
can do for yourself. If your needs are
met it makes it easier for you to meet
your dog's needs. From the food you eat
during the week before a competition,
to the exercise you do, to the sleep you
get, it all can affect how well your runs
go and the pressure you may or may not
feel during competitions.
Are the foods you are choosing to eat
creating a foggy brain, a bloated belly, or
making you tired? Or are the foods helping with clarity, making you feel light on
your feet, and giving you energy? Are the
exercises you are doing making your muscles fatigued, sore, and tight? Or are the
exercises loosening up your muscles and
giving you more flexibility? Are you getting enough sleep, or staying up late with
too much screen time?
If you know a competition is coming up
you can choose to eat the foods that give
you energy, drink enough water to be
hydrated, exercise smartly, and get the
rest you need to give you the clarity and
strength necessary to endure the long
days of competition. Removing trial pressure can be as simple as meeting your own
personal needs.
Preparing and bringing smart snacks and
meals to competitions helps you make the

46

choices that are best for you. It is easier
to avoid the hospitality table if a cooler
brought from home is stocked with beneficial foods. On the night before the
trial, set aside time to cook and prepare
meals and snacks for the whole weekend.
Choose energy-rich foods that make you
feel good. Planning out meals and snacks
for the whole weekend saves time the following evenings when you may be tired
from a full day of competing.

You can also prepare a bag that holds any
personal items you may need. Items may
include ibuprofen, lotion, sunscreen, lip
balm, dental floss, deodorant, a travel
toothbrush, extra hairbands, etc. Other
things worthy of packing might be extra
gloves, socks, hats, sunglasses, rain pants,
running shoes appropriate for the surface, waterproof shoes, and all weather
appropriate gear that will make you more
comfortable and ready for warm-ups and
cool-downs with your dog.
Knowing what you need to make yourself
comfortable in all aspects removes the
pressure of not feeling prepared for the
event and allows you the freedom to carry
on with routines.
Clean Run | May 18
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run - May 2018
