Clean Run - August 2018 - 39

GOAL

STRATEGY

PROCESS

PRACTICE

Plan for Action
By Mia Grant

I'm going to admit, I was a little nervous
about writing this series. Writing down
my goals and the steps I am taking to
achieve them is, on one hand, awesome,
because it keeps me accountable, and on
the other hand, terrifying, because what
if the plan goes off the rails. As someone
who teaches agility for a living, I often joke
with my students that if they "fail" they're
just a failure, I'm a failure and a fraud.
And yes, that is a joke, I don't believe in
failing, I believe in learning opportunities. Fearing "failure" only slows down
your progress to achieving your goals.

Cynosport (2016) was the importance
of staying rested. I am sure my mental
fatigue cost us in the Steeplechase and
Grand Prix Finals. AKC Nationals has a
schedule that allows you to stay rested.
We walked one course at a time. I always had a chance to take Rich to the
nearby park before or after runs, or go
to the hotel and relax. I understand why
people like spending the days watching and cheering on their friends, but I
couldn't be happier with how I handled
the downtime. Rich too, since he loved
that park and stretching out at the hotel.

It is the weekend after Rich and my first
AKC Nationals. Mother Nature did not
cooperate with my training plans, but we
did get in a day with our amazing coach,
but no shows since our last dirt adventure in February. The lack of showing did
not bother me; the dogs were much happier spending the weekend before the
event running on some of our beautiful
trails. I would have liked one more day
of training for my peace of mind, but I
also knew at this stage we have the skills
and it would be a matter of execution, so
a day or two more of training wouldn't
make a real difference.

I felt in good physical shape going into
the event, I expect to be in better shape
for AKC World Team Tryouts, but between the rain and the natural disasters,
I was happy with where I was physically.
Rich is in great shape from all our hiking
and beach romping. 

I have gone to many Cynosport World
Games and been in many Finals there,
so even though this was my first AKC
Nationals, I understood the energy of a
big event. What I learned from our last

August 18 | Clean Run

All my videos from the AKC Nationals
are on my Facebook page and are public.
The most entertaining video is our first
real run of the event, Premier. For years I
have said Vic made me look good, but he
never had to make me look good while
I was flat on the ground at a national
event. Rich and I had a great run going,
four obstacles to go and I fell. I tripped
over my own feet and fell like I'd hit a trip
wire. But thanks to all those "get up/get
downs" with my trainer, I was able to redirect Rich to go on and get back on my

feet in time to cue a threadle. We finished
the run clean, even took fourth place in
the class. It was a fantastic way to start
the event. That recovery gave me high
confidence in my ability to fight for a run
and Rich's ability to rise to the occasion.
Plus the crowd support on that run fired
me up for the rest of the weekend.
From that run, I made note that I need
to do footwork drills. My trainer is busting out the ladder, on my own I'm doing
some old soccer drills and revisiting the
footwork for a threadle to a front cross.
My feet got happy, way too much wasted
movement, which isn't good, even when
you don't trip over them.
I had plans to go out to dinner that night
with friends, but my body said ice was
in order. The night before I had found a
place with a great happy hour and I went
back there. I ordered the same thing,
sat in the same chair and when the staff
noted I was back again, confessed I was
having a superstitious moment.
Saturday was the first day of the event. I
do not love the consistency game that is
AKC agility, but it is the game, and we
were there to play it. We ran a solid Standard. I forgot to decelerate before the
jump to the last tunnel, so that turn was a
little scary, but otherwise a nice run and
we took fourth in the class. Jumpers was
a fun course. I did run a conservative
"keep that bar up" plan after the weaves,

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run - August 2018
