We all know the feeling of being way too sick to go to work, but not nearly sick enough not to ride. But when your job is to ride, and you're totally looking forward to your next day, even more so since you've got a lesson first thing in the morning, waking up too sick to ride really sucks.
I felt it coming on for a few days, just a little tired, a little off, so I upped the vit C intake, added a little zinc, usually that does the trick. I felt better, went for a nice run, felt ok for another day, then boom. I still got dressed, picked the blue shirt since it went best with the handsome chestnut who'd be my first ride; I thought maybe it'll go away. I lied back down. I got back up. When I seriously questioned my ability to even get to my car which was parked right across the street, I decided I had to call it a day. Grudgingly I "texted in sick", wondering if I'd made the wrong choice and would feel better in an hour. But I had also learned to get a pretty good feel for what my body is telling me, we've been through some stuff together. And for better of worse, I called it correctly, things went downhill quickly from there. For the rest of the day, I told myself: "At least I didn't get stuck an hour away at the barn or on my way there..." (I do tend to see the positive side of things...)
When you need your body to function on athlete level daily for a living, you develop a slightly different relationship too. Of course I've thought about the hypothetical possibility of body failure. (I've politely declined to get on certain equines that were likely to induce that body failure.) And what that would mean, also financially. I thought of a friend in Germany who, as a professional rider, is employed by a "Verein" with a salary and full benefits. But then she has crappy weather most of the year.
It's a little scary how far we've come as civilized societies in terms of separating ourselves from our bodies. Since, thankfully, body failure, or partial failure, for most people doesn't mean automatic loss of livelihood, it has also induced a sense that the body is somewhat secondary, that as long as we're ok sitting at a desk and maybe visiting a gym every once in a while, everything is ok. I have a dear friend who is taking blood pressure pills at age 41.
My nutrition is super healthy anyway, I'm an all organic whole food (not Whole Foods) vegan, but needing your body to make a living adds a level of consciousness. It's not just: Is what I'm putting in healthy or not, it's: will it help my body perform at optimum. When you're sick, everything else really doesn't matter much, but you forget that as soon as you feel better again. Today, on day two, at least I'm able to sit on the couch and work on some of my writing projects, which is a lovely option to have. But tomorrow, when I'm back on a horse, I need my body to step up to it even though it probably will still be a little shaky. So here's to healing and healthy bodies. Stay safe and healthy, everyone!