Training NOT going to plan!!

Well Kaydee and I have hit a few setbacks this week. I guess I thought that if I could just get her back to fitness without any more physical problems, then I would get the great little agility dog back too. How silly and naive of me!! Fitness and basic equipment training are only part of the very complex sport of agility! Additionally I thought that if I could just motivate myself to get fit, then I would be able to run better. Wrong again!! Doh!
I'll start with Kaydee. A week ago we went to the Downlands show, and I could not get Kay clear round a course. She looked great, powering off, but just in the wrong direction! So this week I wanted to get her going in the right direction, and indeed she did three clear rounds. But three very slow clear rounds! In one she was even slower than Becky, and she has been between one and three seconds faster than Becky on every course for a couple of years. Oh dear. Is something physically wrong again? Is this the end of her agility career, should I retire her after all? Thanks to Karen who videoed her running, Nancy who made me realise that I was checking her (rather than sending) her all round the course, and Matt for suggesting that it was timing issues rather than a total disaster and reason for pulling her out of Olympia. I shouldn't need reminding that she has has six months out of agility this year! Much discussion and analysis followed, thanks to everyone who has to put up with me, you are stars!! I think I can see the way forward now, although I was unpleasantly glum for a while! She is currently only in one training session for half an hour a week, she shares an hour group lesson with Becky. I am still worried about doing too much with her, but clearly we need to do more training so that we can both run confidently. Unfortunately my finances are still overstretched from all the van problems I had so I have cut down on training. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Karen, amongst other things for letting me share some training at the weekend which really helped, and for giving me a fantastic early Christmas present, in the form of a lovely new coat for Kaydee to keep her troublesome muscles warm. (Hopefully I can add the picture that she took of Kaydee in it when she sends it!) Oh dear it feels like we are running out of time though, just one more 'dress rehearsal' (better not say practise competition, it sounds too much like 'training in the ring'!!!) before Olympia now!
Meanwhile, having been really pleased with the recovery of my achilles, and having been really smug with myself for being good about getting out running regularly, I went to step up the pace a bit last week when TWANG!!! something went in my lower back/left hip area and I could barely lift my knee for days. Although it feels better now I am left with a fear of trying to sprint in case it goes again. Ouch! Doh! Bahh!!
Now here's an odd thing. Kaydees dog walk contact was pretty good not so long ago. I was also pleased with how Zazzy's contacts were coming along. But in the last few weeks both of them have gone just a bit wrong. Is this some sort of autumn syndrome, are the contacts getting slippery or something?! Recently both of them have decided that either they will do them at a fair speed and not stop, or if I will insist on a stop, then they will haltingly venture down quite gently and slowly...... don't suppose anyone can lend me a dog walk?!!
Just one more short bit on fireworks following on from an apalling weekend besieged by them. It seems that everyone I talk to hates them too! I just want to mention Poor Becky, who rather naughtily did some sneaky horse poo eating at the show on Satuday, and having a tummy of delicate constitution, had a really bad Saturday night. She desperately needed to go in the garden, but even though Pookey and I went with her, the fireworks made it impossible for her to stay out there long enough to relieve herself. We tried half a dozen times as she got more and more desperate, then I tried putting newspaper down in the kitchen but she couldn't be persuaded to go there either. Poor Becky! Finally as she circled panting and distressed around the living room she couldn't hold the floodgates shut any longer, and it sprayed all around the room. So a lovely evening for me spent scrubbing the rug. To he honest I don't think it will ever be the same again.