Agility Mental Block
I was at a small athletics meeting today (at the English Institute of Sport, which is such a gorgeous indoor track!) that our club held as part of the celebrations for the centenary year. I saw “our club” here, I’m not technically a member any more and at no point in my life have I ever been interested in doing athletics. But the club is 100 years old, and some of the members still think it’s 1908, and can’t use computers or electricity etc. So I volunteer and do the results, and catch up with friends and watch my sister doing her athletics thing.
That was a long intro for something entirely different! I got chatting with my lovely sister about her runs in the 60m Sprints, where she won both her heats looking very cool and relaxed, and 10m in front. At “proper” competitions (not just against her mates from the club!) she gets very nervous and tense before, during and after the race. I completely understand how she feels, because when it comes to Agility Qualifiers or Finals, I get exactly the same way. We both agreed that we need to sort ourselves out this summer!
The strange thing is that in normal competition classes, I don’t have a problem, and Kim and I stay happy and relaxed, and then go off and either make a horrible mess or win things. But when it comes to Qualifiers or Finals, I can’t kick it. I start over thinking everything, getting stressed, and Kim (of course!) picks up on it and either shoots off like a rocket and is uncontrollable, or refuses to play. It’s like I just can’t make myself believe that it doesn’t matter, which of course it doesn’t! But having that “Qualifier” sticker on the ring card just messes up my head. Incidently, Kim and I did well in a Qualifier, once, and came 2nd with a held contact, but we’d already qualified for the Finals through points, so I was planning on running it as a training round! This leads me to the conclusion that my problem is … my dog is too good. I know she could do relatively well in and qualify in most Qualifiers, but only if I can handle her properly. And putting the pressure on me!?
Strangely, that qualifier was also an early morning run. Despite how much I hate having to get up at 5:30 to go to shows, once I’m up and about I’m actually quite chirpy. By 2pm I’m bored and mardy, which is why I’m always so happy about my runs being first thing in the morning when any sane person would surely be thankful they get an extra hour in bed.
3 Comments
Ems
I totally see where you are coming from!! But i suffer with panic attacks anyway.
Well done to your sister!
Vicki aka Giruff
I’m the same. I dont think I could ever cope with going to Crufts to do agility or obedience in the main arenas – I’d have a nervous breakdown. Pip was in the Masters final back in march. They close all the rings so people can watch and they have a big seating area next to the ring they use – I nearly had kittens when I saw the row of faces. I kept telling myself “dont look at the people” (didnt help that I’d just fallen over in another ring, lol)
Leanne
I completely understand Vicki! Kim was in the BAA Intro Agility Final, and I just lost it. They close the rings for the afternoon and everybody gathers around to watch — the worst thing for me was that the Qualifier I mentioned above was for this final, and was in the morning, so I knew she could beat all the dogs she was against! Not only that but it was a great course for Kim, but I was so tense … poor dog!
Crufts, strangely, I didn’t have a problem with, I didn’t get nervous at all. I can’t think why, I’d have thought it would be worse as I was in a team so other people were relying on me!
Emma – I heard about the panic attacks, I hope you’re ok! 🙁 Sounds terrible.