I sent the following text to my family thread Sunday morning: . . . . "Something strange happened this weekend: for the first time ever before a run, I didn't feel nervous. I felt nothing but focus for my horse. We are arriving, I think." . . . From my dad: " Yes I believe that you are correct. Thinking that you have moved into the 'consciously competent'. You know what needs to be done and you know you can do it." . . . I barrel raced some in my youth -- but I pretty much earned my rodeo wings by roping calves and tying goats. And boy, was I good at both of those! . I was undeniably "consciously competent". . I could find a corner, visualize my run and go make it happen 99.9% of the time. . At the height of my game I lived in "the zone" -- "the zone" where the world blacks out and all that you see is yourself, doing what you do best. . If people cheered for me, or told me things during a run I heard NONE OF IT. It was like those scenes in the sports movies, where everything goes silent -- it's just the athlete doing what they do. When the calf was roped or the goat was tied, the sound came back on and I was aware of other things around me. But during a run -- I was aware only of what I was doing. . . . I FINALLY found "the zone" this weekend -- for the FIRST TIME EVER -- when running barrels. And dang it all, I'm staying there from now on. . Avie, I got you, boo. Let's show the world how bad ass you really are! . Photo of me, by me. #thezone #sportspsychology #horsepower #barrelracing #rodeo #horsebackriding #cowgirllife #horselover #aqha #cowgirltuff #cowgirlsrock #cowgirlsofinsta #adventureinspired #cowgirls (at The SDC Photography Studio) https://www.instagram.com/p/B2erZz1grcE/?igshid=1xlj8mykfp8ih