United States Eventing Association

Happy New Year from the USEA Official Podcast! As we kick off 2021, Host Nicole Brown is joined by Tony Sandoval from Coach Sando Training and Diarm Byrne from EquiRatings to get some practical advice on top tips to get your New Year off to a strong start.

• The first topic Brown dives in with is “What should people do if they are looking to improve their fitness in 2021?” Sandoval says, “My first piece of advice is to make a goal and actually write it down on a piece of paper.” That makes the goal real and then the person can make a plan to achieve it. He suggests going big with the goal and then reverse engineer it and break it into smaller do-able chunks. Sandoval also suggests celebrating each little habit that will add up to your ultimate goal.
• Byrne agreed with Sandoval about “defining a purpose – making micro improvements to help you achieve your goal.” But he also emphasized figuring out why you want to achieve the goal and the key driver in ensuring that you can stay on track.
• Byrne suggested thinking about it as a pyramid: at the top set your purpose, below that you set goals or objectives, and below that you set your tactics or micro-steps to begin to build habits.
• Sandoval agreed with Byrne’s pyramid example and said that keeping the top of the pyramid steady and then having the next levels be agile – plans will change, but your constant will be your purpose and there are plenty of ways to get there, but that only comes with writing down that specific goal.
• “Where would you start with goal-setting as far as performance-related targets?” asked Brown. Byrne responded that people often set goals of “I want to get better,” or “Win an event,” or “Finish in the top-five.” And he said that those are dangerous because there is no benchmark and it is impossible to manage. Byrne said that you need to start with knowing where you are now. “You need to take the time to stand on the scale,” he added. Byrne suggested starting with your six run average (6RA).
• Sandoval suggests getting a coach to help you self-assess, get your baseline, and stay agile which he explained in a recent Facebook post. He also added to make sure this is fun and enjoyable – at the end of the day, this is supposed to be something you really enjoy – and celebrate all of the wins you have.
• Byrne concluded with a reminder that “you should be kind to yourself to recognize that sometimes standing still is still making progress. Don’t fall into the curse of comparison.”

Do you have any suggestions for podcast topics, special guests, or episodes you want to hear on the USEA Podcast in 2021? Email us at podcast@useventing.com or get in touch on any of our social media platforms.

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