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relaxedPersonally, I believe there is a logical pattern to all goals. First starts with gaining confidence, consistency and enough speed. For goals that are purely on a Local level, those things must happen to achieve the titles required. Without that on a local level, achieving success on a National level will be very hard. With each upping of level, there's going to be more pressure, so mental game becomes more important as well as an increase in speed. IMO without success on a National level, gaining success at an International level (or getting the chance to play at that level) doesn't happen very often. I actually can't think of an example where it has, but maybe someone else can. I'm not saying you have to have won Nationals, but most of the successful folks on the International scene have at least made a national Finals. So, if the goal is International success and local success or even national success hasn't happened, there's still a big step to be made imo.
Locally my goals remain the same. Use the shows as an opportunity to try out things, maintain criteria and pick some runs to run hard. We met the consistency goal a long time ago. ;-) I would like to pay more attention to my mental game at local shows. Really think about my footwork, try to spend a little more effort on visualization. I should also see about developing a pre-run routine, which I'm very lax about locally.
Nationally, I would like to compete well at Cynosports again. I would like to run braver than I did last year, I would like to be injury-free and I want to really pay more attention to my mental game/pre-run routine.
Internationally, WAO is the new goal. I'm going to do a UKI in the beginning of August to see if I can get qualified for the Masters Series (I think that's what it's called) for the US Open in November. I think I have a chance of making the team without winning on, but the chance to win on is in CA and doesn't conflict with anything I have planned. Plus it's another opportunity to run with pressure and I can use more of that.
General training goals will remain conditioning for me and Vic. On the agility front, I'm not totally sure what we need to work on. I'm hoping seeing Nancy in a monthish will help me there. Well, I guess I have some idea, more work on him driving ahead (including lightening him up to backsides, 270s, rear crosses) and my timing. I'd like to feel more confident about his weaves, but really, he hasn't given me any reasons to doubt this in practice, so I need to start pushing them more at the local shows.
The other goal is my mental game. It's generally pretty good, but one thing I really want to be is a good sport. I want to be the person who remembers to congratulate people. I don't want others to see my disappointments, because I am never disappointed in Vic, just myself. Unfortunately, when people see someone upset about a run, they usually think there's some blame on the dog. I think the open disappointment that I often see, is what fuels the blaming of dogs, that I wish I would never see again. I never want people to think I'm disappointed with Vic. I also want to remember that it's too easy to take this sport too seriously. I do agility because it is fun, I love the puzzles and I love playing with dogs. Every run with our dogs is such a gift, just because I don't always get exactly what I want, doesn't mean I shouldn't appreciate it.
Just some rambling thoughts for the day. Vic is sleeping, Starlet is staring at Gari the Cat who is sleeping and I have to get caught up on some seminar stuff. I never really get to take a full break from agility, but I'm enjoying this time to reflect on it, while we are on this break from actually doing agility. :-)
Vic swam a LOT at Kristi's. He's way too skinny right now.
Starlet swam too!And just because it's so rarely seen, here's Vic's dark side.
giddy
