Are you Barrel Racer Fit? Interview with Sarah Van Vuren

my name is Sarah van Buren. I am a certified personal trainer and a barrel racer. So naturally, I train barrel racers to become the best version of yourself in and out of the saddle. , increasing strength and just being able to be the jockeys that we know that we can be for our horses, , and just kind of holding ourselves to a higher standard, just like we do our horses.

I love that. Like when I came across, I was like, Holy, this is such a game changer, because I feel it is so overlooked with our industry that people are counting. Like you said so much on the horses, but it’s like, what are we doing for ourself? Because it is only a two person partnership. It’s not like we have a team of 20 it’s only us in our horses. What can we do to help us be our best for us and our partners? So what gave you kind of the realization of like, kind of seeing that gap of, you know, I see a need for this, like what kinda made you think and wanting to pursue this?

Yeah, so I have always kind of been active and been fit and fitness has been a big part of my life from the time I was about 12 or 13 years old.

I started having strength and conditioning coaches for softball specifically. And, , so I knew that that that’s not normal for a lot of people, , especially in the rodeo and barrel racing industry to grow up with that type of intense training at a really young age. And so, you know, I rodeoed my senior year of high school. That was like my fun thing because softball was my job from the time that I was about, I don’t know, 13, 14 years old until I was 18. And so rodeo was, what’s my fun thing my senior year. And then I, , went off to college, came back and started barrel racing again. And, , I was just at these jackpots and I noticed how fit and how amazing these equine athletes were and how well we take care of them and take care of their feed, their supplement that we have them on an exercise, regimen, practice, and all that.

I mean, we treat them like athletes, but like you said, this is a two, , athlete sport. We are their partners. And, , a lot of people just don’t do the same for themselves and hold themselves to that stance, that same standard that we do, our horses and we are athletes. , as much as anybody that’s not involved with in this sport. And then this industry think that it is the, all the horse and we’re just sitting up there that they don’t understand the amount of, , work that we have to put in and how intentional we have to be with every single movement that we make for our horses. , and so, you know, we compete in what I consider one of the most competitive sports out there. , that’s down to the thousandth of a second. I mean, the thousandth of a second can determine whether or not you pull a check. So it, , you know, why not do everything that we can to put in a competitive advantage for ourselves, , by making sure that we’re as fit and as capable as possible.

Right. Totally. I love that. Like, we need to, if we’re going to take ourselves seriously and I mean, of course there’s people that do it totally for fun and they don’t care about the thousands of a second. They’re just there to have a good time. And that is totally okay. But it’s maybe more of the people that wanting to level up. They want to go from a 2d to a one D and they know their horse can do. And it’s like, what am I missing? What’s what do I lack here? And how can I take that next step and get there? And I totally think what you’re doing with fitness and just trying to promote that idea is going to help people. It’s going to make everyone kind of question, Oh, maybe I am not doing everything I can, maybe I should. And I’m like, you might have excuses.

Oh, I can’t, I don’t have time, whatever it is, but it’s like, maybe you need to reevaluate what you actually want. And I love that about you because you’re totally showing that to people like, yeah, if you want to get it, this is a, it’s not an easy thing, but it’s your life and your fitness and your health and your mental health, and it all kind of ties in to being better. So when you started and you kind of were going to jackpots, did you notice, because like you said, you kinda came from a different background, like you had the softball and you had coaches and learnt about more physical fitness early on. Did you notice a difference when you’re going to those races? And did you feel you had a bit of an advantage kind of because of your background?

I think that’s, that’s hard for me to, to tell. I mean, I feel like the more fit that I am, I noticed in myself, how much quieter, yet more aggressive I’m able to ride. I don’t know if that’s me, myself being better than somebody else, but, you know, I do believe my horse is 24 years old. I’ve, I’ve been competing on her regularly for the past, I don’t know, four or five years. And so she’s been in her twenties pretty much this whole time, and she’s been able to compete in the 3d and, , you know, while that’s not, it’s not the one D by any means, but I mean, I feel like the fact that I have kept myself in the kind of shape that I’m able to, I can help her as much as possible. , even though for the most part, she knows what she’s doing, but at the same time, if I don’t keep myself to that standard, , I’m not doing her as much justice as she needs to be able to compete to the best of her ability.

Totally. Yeah. And that’s where it doesn’t matter necessarily. Like they say, you know, your horse is only as good as you, and you’re only as good as your horse. So if you’re on a 3d horse, that’s totally okay. And you want to get everything you can and you want to provide and be the best. Like that’s kind of the moral of the story is thinking and striving to be your best. So your horse can be its best and vice versa, vice versa. Right. So what are some of the benefits of people are kind of considering, but they’re not really sure if it’s the right fit or what they want to do or getting a coach. Like, what would you say a lot of the main benefits and differences that you’ve noticed since starting and having clients and just watching their journey and progress?

Yeah. So I think, you know, we kind of live in a DIY society. Like I’m going to figure it out for myself, which is totally fine. You can do that. , I just think it’s no different than getting, , a trainer going and taking lessons from a coach, , for barrel racing. You know, you could probably figure it out on your own, watching enough YouTube videos and doing enough trial and error on your own, but you’re going to expedite that process by going and getting the help from someone who’s either been there, done that, or has the knowledge and expertise that you might not have yet. It’s just going to speed up the process. And I think having someone in your corner that is able to give you a plan so that you’re not guessing every single time you go to the gym or you go out into your garage or wherever to do a workout, , you have a plan to follow that again is just going to expedite the process.

, and just having someone to hold you accountable. I know that is a huge thing for every single person that I work with is just the, that having a coach or even a workout partner or whatever will give you, , to make sure that you, you just stick to it. , because it is a process and there’s a lot of days that, you know, the women that I talk to, , are not having a good day, you know, maybe their weight went up now. They think that they gained weight, but in reality, , they probably had extra sodi the day before, or they’re just bloated or just different things that, , when you don’t have the extra knowledge of how your body works, you might think that you’re going in the wrong direction. And so having someone to kind of get that feedback to, and somewhat a reassure, no you’re doing the right things.

Just keep going, just keep going, trust the process it’s going to happen. I, I promise. And then, you know, my, my biggest thing that gets me fired up is just, there’s a lot of coaches out there that tried to do these lose weight, quick things when in reality, and this is why I train barrel racers specifically, which, you know, some people, their goal is weight loss, but at the same time, this is a lifestyle. It’s not a lose seven pounds in seven days thing. It’s not a crash diet. It’s not like if you’re looking for that, I, I really hope that you, you just kind of sit back and think about it for a second, because it really, it can cause some, a lot of other damage to your body and your health. And at the end of the day, this is about your health. Of course, we’re training to be better, better barrel racers, but you can’t do that without, without your health at the end of the day. Totally. Yeah. You said so much

Right there. And I’m just like, there’s so many points that I want to know. And it’s so true. Like from the accountability,

The aspect of even, you said, like, you can feel so discouraged so easily. And that’s the word that came to my head when you’re saying that of someone thinking that they gained weight and meanwhile, it could only be from yesterday or maybe if they’re trying to get fit or you could have just easily start gaining muscle. Like when I gain weight, I’m the odd one that I’m like proud of it. And I’m happy because if I start losing weight, like I’m going to turn it nothing. And I’m like, I’m today. Right? So it’s like a good thing to get totally depends on your, like what your goals are and what you’re actually trying to achieve, but I could totally see how those people would feel so discouraged. And if you didn’t have someone like to be in their corner, like you said, it’d be really easy to just kind of fall off the wagon and let it go and say, you know, maybe I don’t really care that much about this, or I do care, but I just am so discouraged to keep going.

And that’s where for sure, the accountability. So people listening, like if you want to coach and something very specific, if you are a barrel racer, a horseback rider, a hundred percent, like Sarah knows, like she is dealing with those people and knows how to, like you said, train for life. Like it’s not. And that’s the other thing that I wanted to touch on as well with what you said, it’s not like, Oh, I’m going on a vacation. And I want to look good in a bikini. And then when you come home from the vacation, you lose it all. Like you just like totally fall off and you go back to your normal life and everything goes back to normal. You might, you know, if you’re whatever it is, you, you were fit or you got what you wanted for the vacation and then you lose it all.

So it’s like all that work that you did, it’s not sustainable in some ways where you said it’s like the lifestyle. So for those people that are wanting to kind of touch and like dive into that lifestyle a little bit, what type of tips could you give for those ones that are maybe afraid to start? Like, cause I know myself when I first was going to the gym, if I went by myself, I would be like traatized to go because even barrel races, like you go and you don’t know anything, you feel like people are going to judge you, you can feel at a place like you don’t know what you’re doing. Like what kind of advice and tips could you give those guys that they’re just kind of like trying to dip their toes into this new lifestyle? Yeah, absolutely. And I, this is definitely something that has been the case for a few different women that I’ve worked with.

, there’s one in particular that what I started working with her over a year ago, you know, she wanted to do all of her workouts in like the back room. She didn’t want anybody to see her working out because she was, she, she just felt like she didn’t know what she was doing. And , you know, now she’s like up in the prod room, like modifying on her own, texting me on the fly, like, Hey, this machine isn’t available, so I’m going to do this. Is that cool? I’m like, yeah, you, you do you. That’s awesome. And so I think as hard as it is, it is like going to a girl race by yourself. You just kind of have to slowly gain that confidence and put yourself in an uncomfortable situation. , you know, start small, start with a plan so that you’re not sitting there while you’re already, , worried about everything else that’s going on.

You’re worried about people looking at you and judging you and all that stuff. Start with a plan. That’s already written out that way. You’re not trying to figure out what exercises you should be doing. , I think that’s the biggest thing. And then that way you can go in, you already have your mindset on I’m doing this, this, this, and this, and, , just go for it. And 100%, honestly, like as much as you feel like people are staring at you and judging you and everything, just like when you go to a barrel race by yourself, nobody is everybody’s paying attention to themselves. And what they’re doing at their exercises, just like at a barrel race, everybody’s paying attention to, you know, themselves and their horses and everything. So, you know, for a little bit, it will be uncomfortable, but you just kind of have to put yourself in that position.

And then you’ll, your confidence will grow wide. Absolutely will grow. If you just stick to it, you just keep going, keep sticking to your plan. You’re going to get the hang of it. You’re going to start feeling like you’re meant to be there to just like, you feel like everybody else’s and you never know who is at the, you know, the machine next to you. They might be in the exact same situation as urine. And they might feel really intimidated also. So I mean, you just never know you’re not alone. That’s 100% for sure. I love that.

It’s so true. And it like, it’s so funny how it is so relatable to barrel races. Cause I think everything in life, I somehow relate it, how it applies to riding. And I think that is like, right. I think this is a perfect example. And there’s so many things you can learn

Just from, in life that you’re overcoming the obstacles and like the mental obstacles that you feel you face before you even really start or even going in the arena, you’re battling with it. And you’re trying to overcome those things while bettering yourself. And I think like you said, if you can get over that, like you start from somewhere and you start and I’m sure even you, when you just first like got your training certificate and stuff, you were a beginner, like you didn’t know how your business would start. Like it’s the same thing. Can you kind of touch it

On that a little bit? Like, what is that kind of journey been like for you?

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I think everyone goes through this imposter syndrome of feeling like that they’re not good enough or that they don’t actually know what they’re doing. , you know, I’ve 100% felt that, , starting this whole sort of, , training thing and you know, I had my certification, I knew what I was talking about, but at the same time, I’m like second guessing myself every single time. And obviously as I’ve trained more and more and more and helped so many more people, I’m like, no, I actually do know what I’m talking about. I did learn all of these things and I mean, it’s, it’s the same again with grower. It’s like, when you first start out, you, you feel like you don’t have what it takes or you don’t have the horse or you don’t, you know, you, a lot of doubts come into play and that’s, that’s totally normal.

That’s just han nature. And so, you know, just getting through it anyways and doing it anyways, even though it is terrifying. And I know like when I started training people like five, I’m a hundred percent super type a, so I’m really hard on myself and that if it wasn’t perfect, I wasn’t going to do it. And I just had to drop that. And it’s, it’s the, with your weight loss journey, it’s not going to be perfect. It’s the same with your horse training off training horses. And they’re never going to be perfect. You’re going to ride this roller coaster of emotions of I’m doing awesome. Now I really suck. No, I’m doing really awesome. So it’s just, it’s just life, you know? Yeah, for sure. And I feel like kind of

Funny, like everyone has their different personality types. Like you said, you’re a type a, and that means everyone has their own unique set of obstacles that they’re okay

For coming. So never think that you see someone that is like fit, like super fit, knowing their stuff like don’t ever think that they didn’t have hurdles to overcome because think everybody does. And what you said earlier that I just thought of is just the goal setting of if you were actually prepared, you feel confident. And I

Think in two ways, how that really helps

Is one, like for smaller scale, just prepared going to the gym. And then when you work out for, let’s say one whole month and you set the goal, like the bigger goal of one month, you went to the gym, you had your it’s like the steps of preparation, like you prepared for the gym, but you also prepared to go for a whole month. And then I think how in the next level, it’s like, you go to a barrel race now and you did all those little goals. You went to the gym, you know what I mean? Like you did all those things and now you feel probably even more prepared for your barrel race, which for you and your business and your clients like that is the ultimate goal is exactly what to get them to that barrel race. So when you’ve been helping these clients, taking them kind of from point a of beginning, they’re new to you.

And then to point be like, what is the biggest change in transition that you’ve noticed in people and the writing? I think, you know, overall their confidence, not only in themselves, but in themselves in that saddle, , has just become that. That’s the biggest change. And that’s the change that I love seeing the most over any kind of physical change, because the mental aspect of knowing that I put in the work, I’ve done everything that I can, and I know that I can ride by a horse to the best of my ability. , at this point, you know, I’m stronger. I can, , hustle my horse more. I can do the leg lifts that I’ve never done before. You know, just different things like that. And then getting the text messages when I checked in with everybody on the weekends and they were like, Oh my God, I just had this amazing run.

And I’ve never felt like this. I’ve never done this. And you know, or to the point of just trying to get back in the saddle because there’s women that I’ve trained that, you know, they used to ride and then they got to a point in their health that they couldn’t ride anymore. And then now, you know, just slowly getting back into it and being able to ride again and just getting those text messages of, , you know, thank you so much. Like I can finally do what I love to do again. And like that literally makes me want to cry. Cause that’s, that’s why I do this. You’re changing their lives. You know, like you’re, you’re a fitness coach, but I think it’s so much more than that whenever I’ve talked to or listen to podcasts of other trainers that have helped people in this same situation, but a grander scale, like they were like living on a couch, like so heavy, they couldn’t get up.

And then it’s not just getting them fit to do daily activities or the things they love, like horseback riding. It’s making them realize that they’re, they’re worthy of it and that, you know what I mean? Like it’s just so neat to see, cause it is it’s like it would be so rewarding and satisfying to know that I helped these people. And I’m sure that’s why like you get up and you do this and you started doing it is to, you know, yak, you’re taking these people on such a transformation for the better. And I just salute you so much. Cause I think that is just absolutely incredible. So when, , when I’ve heard of people that they have a bit of a misconception for riding and they obviously, like you said, writing is very physical and one thing I’ve noticed and I’ve heard people say before that aren’t totally in this sport, they don’t really fully understand, but they say that riding is enough.

Like, Oh, I’m writing, I burn calories. I’ve heard this. Like, you know, when you’re doing long distance, like long trotting, you’re burning calories and all that stuff, which is true. Like you do exercise to some degree, but what do you have to say about that when people say, Oh, but you ride like that should be enough for your fitness lifestyle. Yeah. I’ve, I’ve seen the thing on Facebook that it’s like, Oh, you know, moving X nber of bales of hay or the bags or writing for X period of time as you’re going to burn however many calories, , you know, that’s part of your daily life. And so your body is used to that. , and so while I understand that that does burn calories because I know when, you know, I have a really good or really intense workout on my young horse because I have to pay attention to my body a lot more on her, , that it is a lot more taxing, but that doesn’t replace what exercising and doing, , resistance training and everything like that can do for your muscles because, , at the end of the day, or at least the way that I train and train all of the barrel racers that I do, it’s not necessarily about how many calories can I burn.

It’s about building muscle and building strength because, you know, even if you’re a hundred pounds soaking wet and you’re on this horse and you’re flopping around and you don’t have any strength, you’re not doing that horse any justice either. You’re not helping them out. So, you know, we, we have to be strong and you’re not going to gain that strength by just doing the things that you already do anyways. , so yes, you burn calories. It would never replace, you know, either going to the gym or doing a home workout three or four times a week. Totally.

I feel like just the mindfulness of setting that expectation of yourself and following through and doing like, you’re like, you can lift bales, but you can have your back curly art using horrible form. And you’re probably at the end of the day using or doing more damage. And I’m the type of person cause I got into yoga and we can touch on that as well. And I noticed a huge difference just with my balance and my posture. And I think when you’re fit and like you said, you’re strong. Those are really like two huge components for barrel racing. If you don’t have balance and you don’t have good posture and your saddle, like you said, you could be a hundred pounds, but you’re not helping your horse. Like you’re still, you’re still all over the place. And I think when you have intention of bettering yourself and actually taking the one full hour to work out and getting yourself on that program, it will help you lift bales better, be more effective.

You know what I mean? So I think just that idea of, yeah, like just it’s giving, it’s being more mindful about your days, even which I think that is, you know, you’re holding promises to yourself, which is the other aspect I think of this goals we have of getting fitter is the rewards. Like we feel better knowing that we were accountable and we actually followed through. And I think that totally transitions over to our day-to-day life and makes it easier. And I think once you get the moment, it is so much easier. So for you with some of the people, if they’ve, you know, kind of fall off the wagon a bit and they feel really defeated, what type of advice and tips would you give people to kind of keep moment and keep motivated as they go through this?

Yeah, I think, you know, it happens just to having the realization that this isn’t all or nothing. It’s not, you know, I’m going to be perfect all the time and then you slip up once and then it’s like, Oh crap, well, this week’s Dawn. I might as well just give up for the rest of the week and, you know, start over on Monday. That’s the cycle that kills progress. So it’s just the mental aspect of if you have a bad day or even a bad week. I mean, there’s been times that, you know, even recently, like I haven’t wanted to work out all week. , you know, I’ve had other things going on with my family and everything and I’m just like, you know what the realization of, sometimes it’s better to take a step back and then be able to go a hundred percent and realizing that that’s not going to kill your progress.

What’s going to kill your progress is saying, well, I messed up one day. So on, on like Tuesday. So I might as well not work out the rest of the week and eat like crap. That’s what’s going to kill it. Not, you know, okay. I had pizza for dinner. I don’t, I don’t even know pizza might not even be bad. I, it depends on each person, but you know, I messed up and I missed my workout on Tuesday. So you know what, I’m just gonna get up tomorrow and I’m going to do better. And that’s what I tell every single girl that I work with is, you know, it’s not all or nothing. It’s just, like I said, we’re training for life. So things come up and things happen and we just kind of have to realize that we can do better the next day.

And that’s how we just keep putting one foot in front of the other and making slow, incremental changes and just making it a habit. And then even after doing this for years, like I said, I still have bad days, but I’m not going to sit here for a month and say, well, I had a bad week, so I’m not going to work out for another three weeks or something like that. It’s just, it’s, it’s a big mental hurdle that I think a lot of people, , have to get through and just realizing that it’s not the end of the world, if you have a bad day.

Totally. And the one thing I, that my mind kind of went to, and you’re saying that is kind of remembering your, why always having your, why in front of you and realizing why did you even start? Like, if you’re about to quit it, think of why did I begin this and to me, so my story a bit, I was going like super hard and then quarantine happened and we bought a few things for an at home gym and I totally flunked, like my mom was going out and I’m like, Holy, like she’s like killing it. And I’m like, for me, I just couldn’t do it. And like, I have such a hard time going to the room beside my bedroom to work out for an hour. It just was such a, it just made it so difficult. And I’m like, I just want the schedule back.

I just want to go out to a gym. And that was so difficult. And I think when you’re able to kind of like assess that and realize, okay, I flunked for a bit, but you know, when the gyms opened up, like I’m going to go back and I’m going to do what I can every day. It might not be what I was doing, but at least it’s like you said, the one foot in front of the other. And when you get back into it, it’s just knowing what was my, why initially. And like, I don’t want to quit. I don’t want to let everything I did prior. Totally. Like go to waste and go back to square one if you don’t have to. And I feel like a lot of times probably when people lose moment, they just, they lose it all. Like they just go back to the very beginning and then they’re like, how did I get in this place again? Like how did I get here? And I think for sure,

Just with everything that we’ve talked about with like the accountability and having someone keep you on track is so important, just you to keep yourself on track and remembering your why. And I think that is huge. So now that you’ve been doing this for a while and you’ve been getting the clients and people that have their why, and they have their reason to work with you and to stay on track and to say doing it, you’ve had some pretty interesting clients in one particular that’s in the NFR. So can you touch on that a little bit? How did that come about and just kind of a backstory of what was she trying to accomplish and how has that helped her? Yeah, absolutely. I’ve I have, I’ve gotten to work with some really amazing women, , all around and then, and then there’s Jimmy that everybody knows now.

, which funny enough at, you know, she reached out to me, I guess I had tagged someone in an Instagram story and got re posted. And then she found out who I was, I don’t really know how that happened, but she, she sent me a DM and we started talking back and forth and she basically said, you know, I worked out a lot in college because I did goat tying and it was super competitive. And that’s just, that’s what you had to do. You had to, to work out and be really fit for that. , and then since graduating and being just pro rodeoing and all of that, like, I haven’t, I haven’t been keeping up with it. Like I need, I need some help there. I was like, okay, cool. So we had been talking back and forth and Jimmy is a very budget mindful, , when it comes to everything, which I don’t blame her because it’s very expensive to do what she does and if you’re not winning, it’s, it’s really hard.

And so I, I completely understood that. So I, I was just coming out with, , a new training guide that I had written up and I was like, you know, what, what better person to just send this to for free then a pro , barrel racer. I was like, Hey, Jimmy, I’ve got this program. It’s not going to cost you anything. Just try it out, let me know what you think and how it goes for you. And, , she, she did that. And then by the time that she finished that I just happened to be opening up, , sponsorship applications so that I could sponsor a couple of girls for six months at a time, which I now do every year. , so that I can give other women an opportunity to work with me one-on-one that otherwise might not be able to. , and so she reached out to me and she said, Hey, let’s, let’s do something.

I was like, all right, cool. So we’ve been working together on that level, , for about a year and a half now. And Jimmy is one of the hardest working nicest people that I’ve ever met in my entire life. , she cares so deeply for every animal, , every horse that she competes on and has, , which is amazing. And we last smer was really hard. That smer run is really hard when you’re trying to train someone, because it is so crazy. It’s all night drives and, you know, very little sleep and everything like that. And so, you know, there was, there was some back and forth there and, , then it, it, it’s the realization that at one point, , I was just like, all right, Jimmy Udu for a little bit, I’ll check in with you in a few weeks, but I know you’re super busy right now, so I’m not going to keep bugging you because I know it’s not going to happen.

Let’s be realistic right now. Right. So that, and then, you know, Lena got sent home after Calgary. And so that was tough for her and she’s scrambling and trying to find other horses. And it was just last smer was a mess. And so for her to have a winter that she did this year, , and then COVID hitting and everything, which was really, I felt so bad because she was, she had the moment going into Houston. I mean, she had done well in Denver. She did well in Fort worth. , so it, it kinda sucked, but, you know, we took the time to regroup and, you know, get some workouts in and do all that. And then she finally got to go out again. And she finally, I mean, had pretty much cemented that she was going to make the NFR, which was pretty amazing.

I’d felt I was so happy for her just on a personal level, because I know what last year was last year was so hard and she was so close. I mean, she went into the smer, I think nber five or something like that. And, , she was up there and had just a really rough smer and ended up not making it. So I was so happy for her. And now we, , we have this like little group going that is her and, , a bunch of people that she’s friends with because I’ve found that group programs tend to work really well when it’s a group of friends, because they’re a lot more likely to kind of call each other out to get it done, versus a bunch of strangers where you’re like, ah, I don’t know how I should talk to this person because I don’t know them, but we’ve got that going right now.

And, you know, just really ramping up things for the last, you know, I don’t even know how many days we’re down to now, before the NFR, but roughly, you know, a little less than two months before the NFR. And I’m really excited to go watch her run. I mean, she’s running in basically in my backyard, which couldn’t couldn’t have been any better. I love Vegas in December. I absolutely love it. And I’m sad that it’s not there, but at the same time, like I get to drive 45 minutes and go watch her run at the NFR.

That’s awesome. So with that, like just cause that’s like such a high level and I love that. She’s almost being a bit of an advocate to showing people and you’re spreading the message and I’m trying to spread the, of people at the top need to do this. Like, it’s something that you’re going to get an advantage of. And I think like the mindset, like I was thinking, if you were to kind of take two people, one that was working out and doing all the things, doing yoga, eating right, fueling themselves with real good food for their mind and body. Like they, I would put money down on them any day. Like, you know that they’re going to have a bit of an advantage. And I think when you’re at that level of, in the NFR, you need every bit of advantage you can get. And so how has that been? Cause I know, like you’re saying, it’s so hard in the smer, they’re on the road, they’re driving all day. How do those people balance that? How do they stay away from eating fast food? Like what tips do you give for people that are on the road? A lot rodeoing are not roasting, but they just, it’s like really hard for them to keep that schedule. What kind of things do you like, what advice do you give for her and others?

Yeah, so fortunately Jimmy is like the easiest person ever when it comes to nutrition because she already likes to eat like healthier things. Obviously there’s like tacos or marks or something every now and then, but for the most part, you know, she will actually prep a lot of different things to have in the trailer that way she can just heat it up. , and so that’s a big thing that I would advise for anybody that is on the road frequently. , prep as much as you can because a gas station will always have a microwave that you can use to heat up whatever you meal prep, , or there’s always options. And I, and I did send Jimmy a list of, , you know, fast food options, like, you know, get grilled chicken over fried chicken, get, you know, just make the conscious decision when you’re at even a fast food place to say, okay, maybe I’ll get a side salad instead of fries or a fruit cup instead of fries.

, but it’s also about balance. You don’t have to eat healthy all the time. So it’s like, like I know Chick-fil-A, , is big for us. And so it’s like if I want regular chicken nuggets and not grilled chicken nuggets, then I’ll get a fruit cup. If I get grilled chicken nuggets, I’ll get fries. And so it’s just kind of playing that balancing game of, you know, it doesn’t have to be hard, just be mindful about what you’re putting in your body and then just making sure that you’re getting enough protein at every meal. So whether that be, you know, maybe you have a jug of protein powder with you on the road, or, you know, you get some beef jerky or just different things like that, that, , just making sure that you’re, you’re keeping your protein up. Cause that’s, what’s ultimately going to help with, , either losing weight or gaining muscle because, , your protein basically puts your body in this state where it’s fat and restoring and maintaining your muscle.

So always making sure that you’re getting protein in throughout the day, , is probably the biggest piece of advice that I could give. And there’s always options at any fast food, any gas station, anything like that, that has good protein and isn’t super fattening. Totally. And like you said, it’s just kind of being more mindful about it, like making the aware decision of, okay, what am I going to do? And I think that’s like a huge piece of the puzzle is just with everything you do your day to day, like be more aware of you body aware. And I think like we talked about it a while ago, but just like the whole yoga thing, it totally makes you just more, you’re taking time to be way more conscious of yourself and what you’re doing. And even how you sit, if you cross your legs all the time, how that affects your riding.

And I think it all just ties in together to one nice package of being balanced and a healthy han being. So I like, I love your messages and I love that idea. Cause like I said earlier, but when we first started something that’s so overlooked and so non cared about as much as it should be as an athletic sport. And so I appreciate everything that you’ve been doing here and just helping spread that message to another level and having someone in the NFR is a huge accomplishment for you and her. So I wish her all the best luck. I’m excited for you to go watch her and hopefully she kills it. So for now moving forward, if people listen to this and they’re interested and they want to know more from you and maybe get on a schedule and a call with you, where can they find you to connect?

Yeah. So I’m on Facebook and Instagram as at barrel racer fit or Facebook slash breweries or fit. , yep. Pretty easy there. I try to make it as easy as possible when I was figuring out what I was going to do with this whole idea that I had. So yep. Just barrel racer fit. Perfect. I’ll , well, yeah, I’ll take you in the show notes and stuff and have your link everywhere and I’ll tag you on social posts. So people know where to find you through me anyways. And I hope they do. And I hope if people are saying have questions and want to learn more, don’t hesitate to be beginner and don’t hesitate to reach out and not know everything because nobody does. So just take the step to be a better you and be better for your horse. So that is all for today. And thanks so much, Sarah, for joining me and talking about this thing that I feel like we’re both just so passionate about. Yeah, absolutely. Thank you so much for having me on I’m excited and hopefully this helps a whole bunch of people.