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! :)

Day One- Fatigue and Frustration

I hate getting up early. You know how in all those Olympic sports movies like Cutting Edge and Miracle it always seems like they enjoy getting early to train? Complete Bull! Unless your a morning person it really sucks. I rolled out of bed at about five thirty and would have given just about anything for more sleep. A shower and some breakfast did nothing to improve things. Contrary to popular belief athletes DONT love to practice ...its boring, its long, and its pain in the butt. I had to literally drag myself upstairs to set up bow and then out to the backyard to my target stand. I start this early because out here in the desert it becomes hell after about ten AM. And by noon the temp will top out at 115. In that heat the bow becomes almost too hot to touch.
Usually ill start out with some light stretching and light cardio. Once the blood is moving I start working through my form and routine with a large elastic band. I work through my shot as if I have a bow in my hands. Mostly this is to cement muscle memory and improve mental focus but it really can help to build up strength.
The actually shooting is a repetition of the form that is perfected in the band work. Every practice has a goal and purpose... I decide what im going to work on ahead of time and build the session around that area. On this particular day I decided to work on keeping my back shoulder down in socket. Sometimes it starts rising up on me which really prevents a good clean shot. Its a work in progress... It was a little better by the end.
As for my fitness... summer has kinda done a real number on me so far. I kinda took the first month of summer to rest and recuperate... yeah, not a good idea. haha I feel amazingly weak. Its pathetic. Well time to shoot myself back into shape. Ill talk to you all tomorrow! Have a great day!

It Begins...

Hello Everyone.
This is my first time ever posting to a blog so its def taken me a while to learn the ins and outs of blogging. I'm not the most computer literate in the world so I did some reading up on blogging techniques and all that before registering this. I'm quite excited to finally be starting this and I truly hope you ll enjoy reading it.
The purpose of this blog is to document my journey from now to the 2012 Olympics in London. I wish to take all of you on this journey with me, through all the up and downs, successes and failures. Even though Ive been competing for eight years I feel that the next four years will define my career and therefore Ive decided to create this living chronicle.
Since I was little I have always been addicted to the Olympics. I loved the purity of amature sports and the passion of the athletes. My hero's were not professional football or Baseball stars but rather men and women like Gary Hall Jr, Kerri Strug, and Michael Johnson. While watching the 2000 Olympics in Sydney I decided that, whatever the cost, I would one day walk in the Parade of Nations.
Since that day eight years ago I have been competing in the sport of Archery. I currently attend The University of Arizona in Tucson Arizona as a Near Eastern Studies major and serve as the President of the archery team there. During the summer I live and train at my parents place up in Phoenix.
Ill get into more about me and my athletic history later...for now I think its time to hit the sack so Im not dead during practice tomorrow. SEE YA ALL THEN