Day Three: Training and Tradition

The last few days have really illustrated to me just how completely out of shape Ive become. Its not that Ive gained alot of weight or even become flabby, its that I have only a sliver of the strength and endurance I use to have. I'm getting about half way through my shooting when my shoulders and arms start to kill me. I really blame this on my not taking the physicality of my sport seriously enough. Ive concentrated so heavily on the technique that I forgot that I need strength to preform them properly. Sooo... to that effect I had my sister Alex, a very talented dancer, arrange a rigorous stretching and workout routine. Everyday from now on, I'm her exercise slave for two hours. haha We've had two sessions so far and its brutal!
So as I was describing yesterday, during my first year or so of shooting I was doing a wonderful job of making zero progress. I had no coach and so had no clue what I was supposed to be doing. Id nock an arrow, pull the string back and let go... hoping to hit the target. That's a great way not to get any better.
About two months later I went to my first tournament, The Arizona State Archery Championships. The atmosphere was nearly overwhelming, dozens of shooters cramming into a relatively small space. I was one of the younger shooters there so I was a bit short on competition in my age division. I think I had five or so others to shoot against. To make a long story short I was able to place a distant second. At the time I was pleased that I was able to place but still really upset I hadn't won. haha Yeah, I am really competitive. I should have been able to build on that success but it didn't happen.
Goodnight everyone! Have a great day tomorrow!

Day Two: Recollections and Respite

So I woke up this morning feeling pretty sick... not sure quite why because I got plenty of sleep and everything last night. I managed some stretching and a little band work before i decided that further work would only make things worse. So I thanked my lucky stars and went back to bed.
Like most people I stumbled upon my talents quite by accident. I didn't wake up one day and decide to shoot archery. You dont pick your passions, your passions pick you. I was in Boy Scouts back in 2000 and the troop went to a local range in Phoenix to qualify for our archery merit badges. I wasn't particularly good or anything, just as bad as everyone else actually. And there certainly wasn't that "flash of destiny" or whatever it is that you always here about. I kinda thought it was fun... like everyone thinks the first time they try it. You pull the string back... let it go... and watch as your arrow bounces off the ceiling... whats not fun about that? haha So when Mom asked me a few weeks later if I'd like to try it again I jumped at the chance.
That was pretty much the beginning of the phase of my Archery that I like to call the "Treading Water" period. I would shoot league on Friday nights at a local indoor range called Fiesta Archery and pretend I was improving. In fact, if I had only known the depths of the bad habits I was cementing wouldn't have shot at all. It was during this time, that I picked up things like "Target Panic," "Form Collapse," and the wonderful art of "choking." I was a young archer with alot of natural talent and zero guidance or direction. This is why America pretty much sucks in Olympic Archery when compared to the rest of the world. While in Korea your not even allowed to touch a bow until you have months of band work under your belt, here we throw our kids out there and expect the proper form will come in time. Its considered "too boring" in America to train our young athletes with any sort of discipline. We are so caught up in instant gratification, its killing any chance we have to compete.
Ill continue this tomorrow... bedtime. Night everyone! :)