Christmas, Weight Loss, Upcoming trials!

I got this *awesome* caricature from my inlaws on Christas, thanks guys! And thanks to John LaFree for his great work! Also got Linda Mecklenburg's Developing Handling Skills from my mom. Started reading it and can't wait to start practicing!

I've been on a low-carb/lean eating diet for four weeks now. I did gain .4 last week due to some holiday "cheating", but am down 10.2 for the four weeks. I am thrilled! I still have 18.6 to go to my goal, which I'm not sure I can do by 3/5 like I want to (when we leave for Maui!), but I know I will still have some great progress. The best part is that I don't really feel like I'm dieting most of the time. Sure, it was obvious when I was trying to resist the oreo truffles my dad made on xmas eve (I did cave). But the rest of the time, it's been really easy. And I haven't been having food cravings which is awesome. I start jazzercise class on 1/3 which I'll be able to do for two months (thanks to Groupon!). I know jazzercise is cheesy, but I figure it will a) be great cardio and b) be good ankle rehab (ankle brace ON, thank you very much).

I realized this morning that BRAG's late August trial will be after the cutoff for qualifying for the 2011 Cynosport games. Darn. I am not planning on doing a whole lot of USDAA this year (or any venue really) since we are on a debt diet as well! So, it looks like my USDAA trials, within the qualifying period, will be:
BRAG in Jan - Starter/Adv + Steeplechase, so hopefully Panic will get a PSJ Q here
POAC in Feb - going up for one day to enter P3 std & PGP/PSJ.
BRAG in March - this will be while we're in Maui due to the trial moving to avoid L'ville AKC cluster. So, my mom will run her in PGP & PSJ.
CCDAC in May
BRAG in June (will have Team)
K9 Athletes in July (will have Team I assume)
BRAG all tourney July/August

So, I guess that's 6 chances at PSJ with me, and 5 chances at PGP with me, one more for each with my mom. Hopefully that's enough!

Counting down the days until the Jan USDAA trial, running Dex & Spry was such a blast at the most recent CPE one. Am crossing my fingers for maybe a standard leg out of each? That would finish Dude's AD!

LONG overdue post

Well I was so bummed out about my ankle I got into a funk, and no posts. Good news is the ankle is mostly better. My achilles is still a little tight, but running w/a brace I feel pretty darn good and comfortable doing FCs etc.

I took a few weeks off of class w/Spry because I didn't want to run her "funny", my ankle needed time to heal, and I didn't trust her not to bash into me while my weight was being supported by my bad ankle. But once I brought her back, WOW! Big changes. She and I are finally coming together as a team in class. She's keeping bars up, reading my decel cues, and doing MUCH better collecting in sequence. I need to remember she's not Panic, her collection isn't going to look the same.

We had our club's CPE Trial Dec 11-12. I had Panic in 2/day, Spry in 3/day, and dude man in 4/day. I wish I had entered Spry in more, but work (vending) has to come first! I also ran mom's dogs once a day. My ankle held up great, and the dogs did *really* well! Spry and Dexter qualified both days in Standard, so Spry moved up to L2 standard for Sunday w/teeter & weaves, both of which she does fine at. I think both days she was clean too, so no off courses or bars. Dexter did have an off course one day, but that's ok. He's still being a little too slow probably to Q in USDAA. When he runs he is fast, but he takes detours!

Our runs are here:
Dex's runs start here, and there are 8 of them.

Fullhouse was his best because I planned a nice short path w/enough points to Q, but didn't push it and stay out there longer for the "win". He was fast & happy. In his second standard class, he ran really nicely too, and even leapt the apex of the Aframe on the 2nd frame (no DW either day, just 2xAF).

Spry's are here, and there are 6 of them.

Her best ones were probably both of the standards. I think fullhouse was pretty good too. Her Jackpot run on Sun was a little nutso. Really the first run both days was a little crazy, but after those she didn't visit anyone!!!

Can't wait for the USDAA trial in Jan. I'm really hoping for some std legs, but will take whatever I can get :)