60 Yards Baby!

Today, the fearless The Ageing Archer (Richard) and I popped along to Crystal Palace Bowmen in Beckenham.  Having spent the last 12 months concentrating on indoor ranges and competitions we thought it was time that we breathed some fresh air and head outdoors.  And boy did we choose a doosey of a day for it.  The sun was high in the sky, the temp was rising and there was very little wind.  Bingo!

So we racked up to the site which is the Old Dunstonian's Sports Club.  It comes complete with its own club house and parking area.  Perfect!

The club's members turned out to be very friendly and it wasn't very long before we started setting up our gear.  Mark (the club secretary) turned up and recognised us from our indoor competitions.  That's always a good sign.  Before he would allow us to shoot he did a quick kit inspection.  It turns out that my setup needed a bit more work but it was welcome criticism as it pointed out a few failings.  For starters, the vertical sight rod was not inline with the riser.  Yikes.

Anyway, once our kit passed inspection we fired a few arrows downrange.  Naturally Richard was nailing the gold at 20yds.  Mine had a few more reds in it but I wasn't too disatisfied.  Mark had more words for us.  We both had bad habits when it came to elbows, string fingers and stance.  And boy was my stance in need of correction.  It turns out that my shoulders are rounded and I need to straighten up.  It wasn't long before Mark had that sorted.  Oh and unbelievably he managed to add an extra half inch to my draw which meant I was able to move the clicker back a half inch.

So, after some sound and sage coaching tips we ventured into unknown territory ... 40yds.  Again Mark had advice for us.  We moved our sights as directed and ... we both scored hits at 40yds!  Not a single arrow missed.  And nor did we miss in the following ends neither!  So, with our confidence riding high we moved the target back to 60yds!

Ok, so I started to miss a few here.  At one point I had most of the shooters looking for my arrow.  But by the end of it I was pretty pleased with my performance.

The arrow in the 10 is mine :)

Overall we thoroughly enjoyed our day.  The Club is great, good venue and the members are friendly.  We paid £1 as visitors (full members pay approx £30-40 a year with no range fees) but Mark gave us over an hour of coaching.  More importantly, the coaching was immediately effective.  Mark clearly knows his stuff.

I won't be hesitating in sending back the forms for associate membership.

The Mybo Clicker

I've been testing a new clicker these last couple of weeks and I have to say ... it rocks!

For those that don't know, a clicker is used as an indicator that your draw is at a particular set distance.  If set correctly, each shot should be achieved with the same draw distance and stance and body position.  And as we all know, good archery is all about repetition.

Most clickers are a straight piece of metal or carbon.  Those of you who are a bit more eagle eyed will notice that the Mybo clicker is not .. straight.  The curved edge (when properly set) ensures that the contact point to the arrows point is vertical.  This provides a more consistent result.

Well, whether you believe the science or not ... I definately think it works.  I gave up on my previous clicker after a few sessions.  This one has already outlasted that record.

Not bad for approx £7

Another Comp and Battle Buddies

It's another weekend and another competition.  This time its the Essex Indoor Championship.  It's the last comp for my indoor season before I start preparing for my first outdoor season.

As usual, the day started with a trip to MacD's and then to pick up the TheAgeingArcher (Richard).  Richard was due to shoot in tomorrow's session but weekend public transport was going to let him down.  Instead he generously offered to accompany me to the competition to spot for me.  Trooper! Our destination today was the Sandon School in Chelmsford, Essex.  The journey wasn't too bad.  Approx. 1.5hours from Croydon.  The sports hall we would shoot in wasn't too shabby at all.  A bit smaller compared with some of the halls we have visited this season but still a good place to shoot.

 Not a bad venue at all

 Equipment line ... archery porn!

And this is how many archers there were in my session.  There are some dirty compounders on the right!

Pic courtesy of TheAgeingArcher

The judges at the comp were a bit more lively than some of the ones we have seen in Surrey.  During the assembly the judges lined up either side of the comp organiser.  But whilst he was making various announcement they are proceeded quietly further behind him ... did they know something we didn't?  Also, one of the judges required the use of a belt mounted voice box.  Although it is never appropriate to make fun of anyone for any reason you have got to admit it was different and set the mood for the day :)

This pic taken by Richard is worth it's weight in gold flecks!  It shows I'm leaning my neck to the string, body is leaning and right arm isn't straight!
Pic courtesy of TheAgeingArcher

The comp started badly.  For starters, I did not realise the targets would be set up 4 to a boss.  I would be shooting on the lower left target.  Immediately I had flashbacks of the troubles I had with the triple spots.  the lower target was never my strong point.  My first 6 arrows contained 2x5 and a 6.  I don't normally shoot those colours!  Oh did I mention these were 40cm targets?  Fortunately, with Richard's help I was able to continue battle my way through to 475.  Not bad really.  The last time I shot these targets was in the King's Cup and I only got 470.  I won't lie, I was hoping for more but when you analyse everything ... it's not too bad.  It's only the third time I've used my v-bars, I still have't picked up my practice hours and frankly ... I'm out of shape.  I could tell my string hand was wrong.  Richard could see my bow arm dropping and could hear me plucking the bow.  

Not bad at all

I should mention at this point that Richard was invaluable today for making sure I didn't slump any further.  It would have been too easy to focus on the negative and then dig myself deeper into the black hole.  Instead he was able to provide insight into possible areas of improvement and give the odd word of encouragement.  We've decided that where possible we might be able to spot for each other if we book into separate sessions.  One shoots the early session whilst the other spots and then swap over for the second session.  I like this.  Battle buddies!

And so comes to an end my first season of indoor competition.  And I must admit ... I loved it!  You can read through my previous blog entries to see how the other comps went.  I've made some good friends and I've been to places I wouldn't normally go (Essex hehe!) ... oh and \i had a quick chat with Brady Ellison!

Outdoors here we come!!

Sutton Bowmen Charity Shoot 2014 and New Kit

Today, myself and Richard (TheAgeingArcher) attended the Sutton Bowmen Charity Shoot.  This year's chosen charity was the Kent Air Ambulance.  There are several archers who shoot at both 2020 and Sutton Bowmen so this comp would also serve as a nice gathering of fellow archers.

As usual we bumped into a familiar judge.  This time it was Mark Davis who we first met at the SCAS shoot last week.  During the day we had a good chat with Mark.  It looks like 2020 is on their radar ... for all the right reasons.

Earlier this week my v-bar and short rods turned up ...

 Riser with new v-bars and short rods and extender

Normally, you would spend several hours/weeks at the range to fine tune the v-bars.  Even with the limited options with the SF Axiom+ v-bars you try to get some range time in with them first before using them in a comp.  Not me!  I couldn't wait so I slapped them on (with Richard's help) and off I went!  Yay!

Whilst waiting for our shooting session to start we tried our hands at the raffle tombola.  I handed over £10.  Its for a good cause.  What I didn't realise was that £10 gets you 50 tickets!  The tickets had been rolled up and inserted into a display board.  All I had to do was pick 50 tickets and unroll them to reveal the number.  Any numbers ending in 0 or 5 got a prize.  I won a handbag, necklace, address book and picture frame.  More Yay!

After the tombola mishap we started looking out for friendly faces:  Richard and Claire were busy shooting their recurves.  I hope I still beat Claire.  We have our own mini rivalry and the current King/Queen of the hill gets bragging rights.  Bryn is shooting his long bow.  Trent is there with his compound.  Neil is marshalling.  And Jason Meehan of CMO .. well he's just shooting the pants and knickers off everyone with his barebow!

It's not long before it's our turn on the line.  I start the session with some average shooting.  Nothing major but no 10s :(  Whilst I tackled the tribulations of rusty skills and lack of range time I struck up onteresting conversations with those on my target and neighbouring targets.  Seems we all shared similar past times other than archery.  Some used to do practical pistol whilst others were former armed forces.  And yet none of them were eager to jump out of a plane like me ... I wonder why.  Still, it does show that archery lets you meet some interesting characters.

  

Dirty compounders ... always holding up the shooting line!

Anyhoo, I eventually settled down into a nice shooting rhythm and routine.  However, it wasn't until near the end of the shoot that I was happy with my shots.

 There's always one that doesn't want to play with the others ... 

 Mine are the thin black arrows.  

By the end of it I managed 531.  That's a good score in my book.  I managed 535 last year when I was shooting 7 sessions a week!  So 531 after a long break and with new kit ... Yeah I'll take that!  Richard set a new competition PB of 554.  Well done!

Richard spotted that we had both altered out setup in some way.  I had new v-bars and he had re-tuned his bow.  None of us had shot or tested our new setups before the comp.  Also bear in mind that I had never shot with v-bars before.  Maybe there is some truth to New Kit Syndrome!

Next competition - Essex County Indoor Championship.

Another Club Shoot

Well, it's my first club shoot after a long break from archery and I'm still trying to get back into my shooting.

10-10-9 I can live with that

The shoot didn't go too badly but it's still not at my best level.  So ... I decided to order some v-bars and short rods.  Woo hoo!

There are many many v-bars and short rods in the archery market.  Which one do you buy?  The old advice of testing before buying is still good advice.  but I was impatient and wanted them pronto.  so what does an impatient archer do when he wants kit but can't test which ones to buy ... he buys ones that are a matching colour for his riser.  I'll post pics once they arrive.

SCAS Indoor Championship 2014

Better late than never, here's the entry for last week's SCAS competition.

SCAS or Southern Counties Archery Society is the umbrella organisation which includes amongst its members Kent, Essex, Sussex and our own County of London to which 2020 Archery is a member.  For a full list of counties and other info about SCAS you can check here.  This year they held their indoor championship at the K2 centre in Crawley.

The day started with what is fast becoming the usual routine on a competition day.  I picked up Richard (TheAgeingArcher) before setting off to the venue.

The venue was ... very nice.  It was effectively a sports centre in its own right.  The facilities included a climbing wall, gym, swimming pool, climbing wall, running track, squash courts, halls, conference rooms and its own car park.  This would definitely be a place I would like to come back to ... if only they had more parking spaces.  Fortunately, I arrived just in time to occupy the the last space in their overspill area.  Phew.  

Once we figured out where we were meant to go we spotted something which always brings a smile to my face ... a t-shirt vendor selling custom shirts for the event.

Front view

Back view

hose of you with keen eyes will see that the back panel is a list of all registered competitors.  Unfortunately they didn't have this in red.  There were other stickers and logos available.  You could choose what you wanted and where you wanted them on the shirt.

After buying our first trinket of the day we booked in and set up.  At this point we started getting worried that Jeff still hadn't appeared.  We got even more worried once we started making our way into the hall and were about to assemble.  Richard informed the judges that we were short an archer but that he was on his way.  They said that as long as he turned up and was ready to shoot by the time the competition started (ie missing the sighter ends) then he could still compete ...  he arrived just in time to set up and start scoring.  Don't do it again Jeff!

Jeff ...

Speaking of judges, we bumped into Steve Vallis again.  He remembered us ... that's always a good sign ... I think.

Anyway, the actual competition didn't go too badly.  I only managed 501 but I knew I was still a bit rusty and in need of more range time.  Richard managed 550 which equalled his best competition score.  He might have got 552 if his penultimate arrow hadn't coincided with his long rod falling off ...

Anyone seen my long rod?

With the competition over, all that was left to do was buy one last trinket ... a red zip up hoodie.  Unfortunately, they didn't have any at the stall but I could order one for delivery.  Yay!

Next competition ... Sutton Bowmen charity shoot 2014.

Failure Breeds Success

Well, this weekend's first competition was the King's Cup in Chessington (no not the theme park). A fair few archers from 2020 and other nearby clubs would be attending so I was rather looking forward to the event.  I haven't been back to 2020 in over 2 weeks so was feeling a definite lack of range time.  It would also be nice to meet up with my shooting buddies.

But first, I needed to pick up Roger from East Croydon Station and then a short trip to fetch Richard.  Now I must confess that I couldn't remember the exact times I told each person to be ready for pickup.  Regardless, Roger ended up arriving earlier than expected but Saturday morning traffic meant the trip to Richard used up most of the buffer Roger's early arrival created.  Still, we still managed a visit to McDonald's for breakfast.  Result!

The journey to the venue (King's Centre, Chessington) was uneventful.  My trusty SatNav did not fail me, unlike previous events.  It wasn't long before we bumped into some familiar faces.

This was my first visit to the King's Centre and I was impressed.

The hall is carpeted, well lit and mildly ventilated.  There were two rows of chairs for competitors and spectators and a large space behind the equipment line.  Things were looking up!

We picked our spot and started the bow stringing dance.  It's a ritual that all modern archers learn early on in their archery journey.  However, today's dance would be different for Richard.  He's forgotten to pack his new super shiny sight!  D'oh!  There's nothing quite like the feeling you get when you're unpacking your kit bag and realise you've forgotten something.  Fortunately, today Richard was surrounded by his fellow archers and he was able to move his shooting slot to a later session and therefore borrow my sights off my bow (more on this later).

After assembly I settled down to the task at hand.  Given that I had changed my nock point the previous night I knew that my sights needed to be adjusted.  This would normally be done at the club prior to competition day.  I had just 2 ends of sighters to do it! Grrr!

As I took up my position on the shooting line I noticed a few things:

1. There's 4 targets per boss.  A through to D, starting top left and then moving in an anti-clockwise direction.
2. There were two dot matrix displays at the sides of the range.  They would show the time left to shoot your 3 arrows (120secs).
3. The dot matrix displays also showed which details were due up on the line (A and B, or C and D).  This would be a very useful feature.  More competitions should have this feature. 

I won't bore you with a breakdown of my 60 arrows.  To summarise, I scored 470.  I had hoped to get 500 or higher but you have to remember that I was shooting on 40cm targets and I hadn't shot in over 2 weeks.  But even this low provided me with some very useful info ...  

For some time now my form had taken a drop.  Around January I had reached a level of performance where most of my shots were landing in the gold.  I couldn't miss and was feeling a certain amount of ego inflation.  I wasn't at the level of a county champion or even a club champion but I was definitely feeling good about myself.  But then I started scoring under 520 ... what was I doing wrong?  54 arrows into the King's Cup I finally figured it out.  My confidence had made me arrogant about my archery.  It turned out that I was just raising my bow, drawing, point at gold and then assumed the arrow would hit gold.  That's not how it works .... unless you're Korean.  I had totally forgotten about my shot routine, my form, breathing, shoulders, target focus etc.  My final 6 arrows took all of my concentration and energy.  In fact they took more effort and concentration than all the arrows I had shot since February.  And I was rewarded with 10,9,9 and 10,9,8.  ChaChiing!

Anyway, with that revelation and my 60 arrows shot I stepped away from the shooting line, presented Julie with KitKat chunky for doing all the scoring for everyone on our boss and handed over my bow to Richard.

For those who remember from eariler in this blog entry, Richard had forgotten his sight and was going to use mine.  Except that we couldn't remove the sight block from my riser!  Luckily Bryn Bache offered his sight.  With the second disaster of the day averted, Roger and Richard proceeded to warm up for their 60 arrows ...

Not sure they taught 'Jazz Hands' stretch in the beginners course

After watching R&R start their session I joined the others at a local watering hole to await the final scores.

And so ended my first King's Cup.  I thoroughly enjoyed today.  It's always good when you have your shooting buddies with you at a competition.  It helps calm the nerves and in Richard's case you can call upon them for help if needed.

I guess I better get ready for the SCAS competition on Sunday!

Don't forget to check Richard's blog for his thoughts on the competition.

PS.  I should probably mention the other highlight of the competition ... a couple having a domestic whilst on the shooting line of a world ranking status competition ... whilst each holding a bow and sharp pointy arrows in their hands.  It never ceases to amaze me the things you see at archery meets.

Weekend of Competitions and Disaster

Well ... it's 1.41am of the morning of my first competition in March.  Normally I would be excited but I'm not really feeling it this weekend.  I haven't shot an arrow in 2 weeks and I know my bow has a nock point that is too high.  So, there's only one thing for it ... man up and string up.

I've just opened one of the compartments on my archery bag and found everything covered in a blue gel.  It's all over my tool pouch ... feck it's the thread-lock!  I normally store my bag in a vertical position but since I haven't had time to shoot the bag has been lying flat on the ground and the bottle has leaked everywhere.  Guess I'm gonna have to buy some replacements ...

OK, I've moved the nock point down but I have no idea how effective it's gonna be.  I really should be testing this at 2020 but it's a bit late for that now.

So, competition for today is the King's Cup at Chessington.  A fair few archers from 2020 will be competing.  It'll be nice to get some pointy sticks down range again.

The Coach's Eye

Richard has just spotted that the amazing coaching tool The Coach's Eye is available on Android.  Head over to The Ageing Archer for his write up about this essential training tool.

I'm Back! St Valentine's and Rome Can't Stop Me!

Hello everybody!

Apologies for the lack of blog entries recently but it's been a hectic 11 days.  So here's a quick update for you all:

Sunday 9th Feb:  Herts Indoor Championship

As already mentioned in the last entry this day was not a good one.  515 from 60 arrows placed me in the bottom half of the archers.  Not a score at all.  You can read about it all here.

The full results can be found here.  Apparently I won some raffle prizes again: A chocolate orange, scented soaps and a bottle opener ...

Monday 10th Feb: Club Shoot at 2020

After the humbling performance the day before I thought a casual session at the club would sort me out.  That was not to be.  With Richard's help we've determined that my nock point is too high and that maybe I need stiffer arrows.  In addition to shooting my normally fletched arrows I also shot my bare shaft arrows.  They were impacting lower than my fletched ones.  We're taking that to mean a higher than usual nock point.  I'm not due in again until Monday 24th but I'll let you know how it goes.

After dropping off Richard at his abode and driving home after the club shoot I sank into my favourite comfy seat at home and breathed a sigh of relief.  Why?  Because it was St Valentine's on Friday and I was due to fly off to Rome with Ceri on Saturday to celebrate her birthday.  Woo hoo!  I figured after all these competitions I could have a breather and look forward to the weekend city break....

Hang on ... St Valentine's ... Friday?  That's 4 days away!  OMG!  Flowers!  Restaurant?!  How on earth have I left it so late to get things organised!  Ceri would not be impressed!  Ok, we can do this.  It's only Monday evening.  That's still plenty of time to get things done.  The following is what every male needs in case he finds himself up a certain body of water with no method of propulsion before St Valentine's Day:

1. Flowers - I use http://www.interrose.co.uk/  They have never let me down.  Yes they are much pricier but your better half will thank you for them.  Trust me, These roses will hit the spot.
2. Restaurant - Bugger, I eventually ended up at a sushi restaurant ... more on that to follow.
3. Gift - It's Ceri's birthday 2 days after St V!  http://www.buyagift.co.uk/ to the rescue!

Phew, my bacon's been saved and Ceri will be impressed ... I hope.

                        Surely Ceri will be impressed by these right?                        

But something is bothering me ... I know I have forgotten something! ... ROME!  What are we doing for Ceri's birthday?  Aargh!  Fortunately, the hotel we were staying at had a very helpful Concierge - Flavia!  With her assistance I was able to book a spa session and dinner at a terrace top restaurant .  This was all arranged via emails and ready by the time we arrived on Saturday.  Fabulous!

Don't forget the restaurant!

So surely that's it.  What else could go wrong?  All I need is for Friday to arrive and I'm off for my first St Val with Ceri and our adventure to Rome ...  It gets better!

Thursday 13th Feb:  Unlucky for some ...

I should have known with today being the 13th that something bad would strike me ...

8.00am ... flat car battery!  I don't know what happened but all I know is that it's not even managing to tick over.  Fortunately I was able to borrow Mum's car and get to work at a reasonable time.  On the way back home I purchased a new battery from Halfords.  

Now, I'm not a car mechanic nor am I one for DIY but I figured with a Haynes manual and a shed load of tools I should be able to do this ... wrong!  Who ever designed the battery connectors is a dark lord and should be struck down with the sword of common sense!  Check here for the forum discussion on how to do this!

The nut that needs to be loosened on the positive terminal is somewhere behind all that mess!  I managed the negative terminal no problem but this bugger ... I eventually had to rely on my good neighbour who is a vehicle mechanic extraordinaire.  Anyway, that didn't get done until Friday afternoon and I was sweating it all the way through cos if my car didn't start then we would have to re-organise the long stay parking arrangements at Stanstead.

Friday 14th Feb: St Valentines Day

5.15pm ... I get the shock of my life when I ring up the restaurant and ask them to move back the booking by 20mins.  The chef has had a big accident and they need to shut early due to lack of cover ... but it's St Val night and you're only telling me this now?  2 hours before my reservation?  Aaaargh!  What am I gonna do!  The panic subsides long enough for me to gather my thoughts and control the fear.  I manage to book another table at another branch for the same time.  At least I know my beloved will get fed tonight.

The Aftermath

Well, Rome and St Val went without a hitch.  Ceri was impressed and I live to tell the tale and continue on this journey of archer perfection.

Well there's always the raffle

Well, I have to say that I did not do myself justice at the Hertfordshire Archery Association Indoor Championship.  515 is not a good score for me.  It's below my average/

There were many reasons for my poor score:

• Long drive to venue
• Cramped venue
• On my own
• Lack of preparation during the week.
• Brain not in gear

And it was the last one that was the biggest problem.  I just couldn't get my brain to focus on what I was doing.  I just aimed and fired.  No thinking whatsoever.  I fired 60 arrows and each one felt different.  I just wanted to shoot my 60 and go home. That is not how we do archery.  I will have to concetnrate on this aspect of my game

The other reasons that I found the comp difficult are a bit more harder to pin down.  I drive 60 odd miles on my own.  The journey was along so rather odd looking and windy country roads.  Couple that with my comp buddy Richard (TheAgeingArcher) not being there (he had shot the previous day so was not there with me. ) I was not really ready for this.  When I sat there waiting for the start I was more nervous than when I was at Telford!

I'm also feeling the decision to cut down on my archery before the comp to be a mistake.  I am concerned that my wrists weren't used to the extra weight on my long rod so my last practice was on Wednesday.  Maybe 4 days is too much of a break before a comp.

The last thing was that I found the venue very cramped.  Now yo might find that odd given the 2020 venues but a lot of the competitors were tripping over each other to get to the shooting line.  The judges table had been placed in equipment line effectively taking up the space for 3-4 of the bosses.  At one point we have archers lining up to approach the shooting line, archers coming back from the shooting line and everything grinding to a halt because we the returning archers were waiting for the archers on the line at full draw to shoot so that the second detail could approach.  But who am I to kick up a fuss?

Next time I'll get it right.

But as always, I met a few more archers, some new faces and lots of jokes were flying.  So all in all a good shoot.  But still one I'd rather forget.

Oh and one last thing ... I won more raffle prizes!!!!

Fiddle me this!

Well, Last night was my last practice before the next comp.  Myself, Richard (The Ageing Archer) and Ray will be competing in the Hertfordshire Archery Association Indoor County & Open Championship.  Another weekend another comp.  I'm beginning to like this!

So the session started as most do, build the range, chat to fellow archers and then send some sighters down range.  After sending 9 sighters down range I decide that things are not quite right and change sight marks .... Nothing unusual there.  

I then spend the rest of the evening changing the sights in the pursuit of perfection.  In the end with 15mins to go till the end of the session I realise that the sight marks are back to where I had them when I shot my first sighters!  D'oh!  If that wasn't a lesson in not fiddling between ends then I don't know what is!

All in all, if I can settle down my nerves and don't let missed arrows get the better of me I should be set for some good results.

On a positive note ... Richard is now happy with his bow and set up.  I think he's set to bring home the bacon/beef/sushi (delete as applicable).

Get off my face! (Unless you're a silver fox)

Last night saw me sharing a target face with Richard (TheAgeingArcher).  It was fairly busy at 2020 hence the double detail.  Still, it provided the opportunity to watch him in action with all his new gadgets.  Richard recently went back to his fibre-bow and is quickly getting re-acquainted with it.  He's also had a few issues with his new sight.  He had to take a spanner to it in the middle of our last competition.  I think it's behaving itself now.

Good to see some more 2020 club members getting their own bows.  There's nothing quite like owning your own kit.  Unless you have bought unwisely and got yourself a set of limbs that can shoot a redwood down range you're scores should improve considerably.  Also, if you are going down the sighted recurve route I'd recommend a finger sling and long rod.  You won't regret it.

I swear Richard has magnetised his arrows!  He has magnets in his quiver which stop his arrows falling out should he bend over to far.

Mine are the skinny arrows

If you cast your brains back to school science lessons you'll recall that when you pass a metal object through a magnetic field repeatedly you will slowly induce a magnetic field in the object.  Well I think that's what he's done cos the entire night my arrows were falling next to his.  He shoots high, I shoot high.  He shoots left, I shoot left.  Go figure

Richard spent most of the night shooting first which meant I had to negotiate a forest of carbon before my arrows got anywhere near the target face.

I've also abandoned my 'Freedom Stance' for the moment.  One of the judges at the comp last week mentioned my stance was a bit wide and was therefore placing undue pressure on my back leg.  From the above pick you can't really argue with the results.  However, my back was a bit sore by the end of the night.  I'll let you know how it goes for the competition this weekend.

Speaking of competitions Richard, Ray and myself will be attending the Hertfordshire Archery Association Indoor County & Open Championships (HAAIC) this weekend.  The venue looks peachy (Princess Helena College) so whatever happens it should be a fun trip.  Except They are shooting Saturday and I'm shooting Sunday :(

Anyhoo, I'll probably pop into 2020 on Saturday to get a last minute practice before the comp.

Middlesex County Archer Association Indoor Championship - Pt2

11.00am - Okay.  So its competition day again.  This time its the MCAA Indoor Champs.  One of these days I'm just gonna have a lazy weekend with nothing to do.  

The weather seems really good today!

1.00pm - I pick up Richard (The Ageing Archer) and set off on another road-trip.  We both seem in good spirits for this one.  The ghosts of Telford are long behind us.

 2.30pm - Where on earth is the venue?  We've arrived at the location according to SATNAV but all we can see are BP buildings.  Where are we?  Richard get out google Maps and fine tunes the directions.

2.35pm - We've arrived!  Though it's not quite what we're expecting.  Are we in the right place?  We're in a car park ... a flooded car park. Let's just park up and get indoors.

2.36pm - We spot a man with an archery bag!  Yup, this is the right place.

Next we spot a lot of people in purple shirts.  They look like they mean business.  They're busy taking photos whilst me and Richard set up.  I wonder who they are.  No time for that now.  These bows aren't gonna put themselves together on their own.

2.45pm - I bump into a staff member from Telford.  He remembers me.  He's a judge today.  Archery definitely gets you to meet new people and makes new friends.  It's not just about the arrows.  

We also meet an archer from CMO Bowmen.  It's a club me and Richard have been looking at.  He recommends it to us and re-confirms they have a shortage of recurve archers.  I think we're gonna have to take a closer look at them.  He also tries to win the biggest belt competition.  He has a US army water canteen and what looks like a radio pouch on a 3 inch leather belt along with various carabiners and archery goodies.  It's a good attempt but no chance buddy.  You're gonna need more than that to beat ma padded molle combat belt.  Better luck next time.

5.15pm - The session begins.  We're getting through our ends at a very fast rate.  Should be done in about 2 hours.

I hear murmurs about my 'Freedom' stance.  Hehe, 

Again the first 30 arrows go without a hitch.  It's looking good.  But just like Telford it begins to drop in the second half.  Fatigue sets in and I start hitting a few 7's and 8's.  When I get back to 2020 I'm gonna have to take a look at that.

My final score is 541!  That's not too bad.  I had hoped to get above 550 as my PB is 548.  Maybe next week.

5.30pm - Raffle time.  The organisers have laid on a raffle.  It's always good to support raffles at competitions.  The money raised either goes to the club to help fund new equipment or helps to lower shooting fees.  I manage to win 4 of the 6 prizes.  Oops.

5.55pm - Homeward bound.  Another weekend another competition done.  

Oh I found out who the purple shirts were - University of London.  Even though they all have the gear, only one of them looks like they know what they are doing (he's a really good shoot too!).  The purple shirt next to me mistook my arrows with his own when scoring.  He also managed to destroy 2 Easton Jazz arrows.

All this competition practice is proving useful. 

Next one is in 7 days! 

Middlesex County Archer Association Indoor Championship - Pt1

Here we go again.  Another weekend another competition.  This time its the MCAA indoor championship. And no FITA triple spot. YAY! It's a Portsmouth round.  60 arrows and a 60cm target at 20 yards.  We know how to deal with these ones.  My buddy The Ageing Archer  will also be attending.  He's been known to shoot 560+ so this should be right up his alley.  Personally, my PB is only 548.  If I can get near that I'll be happy.

I've looked at the target list and seen quite a few archers from Aquarius.  I've heard they are some really good archers ... they've sent their best archer and their club champion!  

Arrows start flying at 3.00pm

Chinese New Year

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR - Gung Hei Faat Choi!

I hope the Year of the Horse brings good fortune and prosperity for everyone!

Hopefully, some of that will rub off into my archery. I have a competition tomorrow so I'm gonna need it.  It's the Middlesex County Indoor Championship at Meadhurst Sports Club.  We're shooting Portsmouths again so this should be a little less daunting than Telford.

On a slightly different note ... it's freezing in my work office!  Yes I know it's Winter but the heating is off!  I hope the sports club tomorrow has a heated shooting line.

Gas Leak, Pub and Practice

Thursday 30th January 2014

11.30am - Well, today has been a fun one so far.  I'm just getting down to some coding when we're evacuated from the office in Blackheath.  Someone mentions something about a gas leak.  I don't smell anything but rules are rules.  We hot foot it out of the building.  The client support team bring out a tray of tea and coffee.  Well it is cold outside!  

As we're hanging around waiting for some news I consider the fact that I could have got in some practice if I had my bow with me.  Any time you send an arrow downrange is value added I always say.  Next time I'll be better prepared.

Last Practice Before Next Competition

Wednesday 29th January 2014

Its the last chance for me to get some practice in before the next competition.  This one is on Saturday 2nd February.  Its the Middlesex County Open Indoor Championship.  At least it won't be on a triple spot target.  

I managed to shoot a round of 529 with 60 arrows.  About average for me.  It was good to see the club again and shooting a Portsmouth.  After weeks of shooting at triple spot targets it feels good to be back on the target that I started with on my journey.

This will be my third competition.  I've really got the bug for it now.

Let's see how well I do on Saturday!

Telford - Archery Indoor Championship Day Three

Sunday 27th January 2014 - Day Three

6.00am – There is no way in hell anyone should be up at 6am and contemplating shooting arrows.  Even if it is only 15 arrows.  But that is exactly what I’m doing.  Having not made the top 32 cut-off for the qualifications round I have automatically been entered into the Second Chance competition. If I can score well with my next 15 arrows I might be in with a chance of getting some of the goodies in the prize fund.

6.30am – I’ve trudged my way to the main hall thinking of nothing but wanting to go home.  It’s early, dark and cold.  Even my beloved Ceri is still snuggled up in bed.  We didn’t really see the need for her to be there.  This’ll be over in about 30mins.

OMG!

Entering the main hall I see just about every archer who didn’t make the top 32.  I thought this would be a nice quiet affair.  Boy was I wrong.  I might as well make the most of this experience.  We’ve all travelled many miles to get here so why waste it?  I guess I better man up and string up!

9.30am – I’ve shot my last arrow for the competition.  And I must admit, I had more fun shooting in the Second Chance competition that in the qualification round.  Most of the archers were there to have fun.  The targets were unfamiliar (a triangular Vegas three spot with all three targets overlapping) and most shooters didn’t really stand a chance (I saw some county champions there).  So the arrows were flying and so were the jokes.  Good times.

Here’s me shooting my last arrows.  The guy on my left ended up with no arrows with a full set of vanes.  Hell he was shooting a bareshaft!

9.45am – Last chance to support the team.  Karine is still setting up whilst Claire is ready to shoot her first round of sighters.  Karine waves me over and needs a bow stringer.  She’s left her kit bag in the bag area and has only just realized her string is on upside down.  Fortunately, I’ve just completed my shoot and have everything on me. One red bow stringer to the rescue!

10.30am – Myself, Ceri, Claire and Richard Poole settle down to our last breakfast in Telford.  We chat about our experiences and what is happening in the archery world next week.  Of course I don’t miss one final chance to rib Richard about his position on the line between two Olympians.

12.00pm  - Check out and homeward bound. I didn’t feel like queuing up and watching the finals.  ArcheryTV will be showing that later on and have better seats than me.

It was a pleasure to come and shoot at Telford.  ArcheryGB came up trumps when they managed to steal the competition and host it in the UK.  Where else will shooters of all ages and abilities get to shoot against the world’s greatest.  I may not have shot at my best but I’m not complaining.  Next time (whenever that will be) I’ll be back …

Telford - Archery Indoor Championship Day Two

Saturday 25 January 2014 - Day Two

8.00am – It’s early and Richard Parker, James and Jeff should be on the line getting in their 4 sighter rounds.  I am still asleep so miss most of their arrows.

I only get a chance to see Richard during the second half of the shoot.  Seems fatigue and timing has hit the silver fox (his own words).  It’s not going well.

10.00am – After nice hot bath and a filling breakfast I am ready for my turn on the line.  Ceri is curious about how I will do (it’s her first time seeing me shoot arrows and is rightly intrigued by the kit). 

10.30am – 18 arrows on the practice range and my kit is inspected by the judges.  All is good.  Time to control my nerves for the qualification round

A few 2020 members pop over to wish me luck.  I’m now a nervous wreck.

12.00pm – Here goes nothing.  I’ve got my bib and number attached to my quiver and ready to take names and shoot arrows.

                                      Boy I’ve got my anchor sorted!

I’m shooting next to Josh from Scotland and someone who is waaaay too young to be left alone with a pointy stick (little did I know …).  Josh takes up the paper scoring duties and I get to play with the electronic scoring device.  My first shot strangely feels natural and hits the target.  Maybe it’s all gonna be alright on the night ….?

28 arrows in and I’m feeling pretty good.  I haven’t missed yet.  I’m on target to beating my PB and maybe beat Roger!  I’ve got plenty of water and chocs in my belt and nerves don’t seem to be an issue.  I’ve got Ceri and Sarah cheering me on.  What else could does a man need?  Refocus, arrow 29 is ready to fly.

I adopt the freedom stance (my own name for my rather wide stance).

Arrow 29 is nocked and lined up.

I draw back and take aim ….

MISS!!

I don’t believe it.  My first miss!  Calm down and reset for arrow 30. 

I adopt the freedom stance again …

Arrow 30 is nocked and lined up…

I draw back and take aim ….

HIT!

Phew.  I can live with one miss.  So I end 30 arrows with 245.  That’s higher than I have ever shot.  With a bit of luck I might be able to nudged 500!

5.30pm – 30 arrows later and it’s over.  I don’t bother looking at my final score.  I know I missed 6 times.  I haven’t performed as well as I had hoped.  But that’s the reason I’m here. Where else will I get the opportunity to learn what it’s really like on the world archery stage?  Today has shown me that endurance also plays a key part in your performance.  I need to be able to last more than 2 hours and where necessary adapt my shooting when things go wrong.  Lessons identified.  Lessons learnt.

So it’s back to my room for a shower to relax and then drinks at the bar in the Holiday Inn.  The silver fox with James and Jeff in tow turn up for a few drinks too.  Eventually the whole gang is in the bar chatting about the day’s events and archery.  Somewhere in the conversation we learn that Brady Elllison has been knocked out of the competition and ranks 5^th in the final scores.  That’s a bit scary given he’s just set a new world record with 593 in the qualification round.  But that’s not of importance now.  We’re all a bit dejected and down after realizing that not a single 2020 member shot within their abilities. 

9.00pm – A quick trip back to the Interantional Centre through the cold night leaves us in shock.  The men’s recurve second chance shoot is tomorrow morning at 7.30am!  OMG!  That’s the final smack in the face.  Someone has a rather dark sense of humour in ArcherGB and Telford. 

10.30pm – Well that’s an early night I guess.  See you all at 6am!

Telford - Archery Indoor Championship Day One

Friday 24 January 2014

7.30am - It's an early start today. Have to pick up Roger and Sarah from the station for a three hour drive to Telford. Sarah's just texted to say they are running late as Roger has forgotten his ID. The day is already off to a good start.

Half way into the journey I have a sudden panic attack. Did I pack all my documents? I know I have my GNAS card and photo ID on me but what about my entry ticket? Do I turn around? Not likely. Professor Sarah wisely points out that we can check at a service station. 20 mins later my worries are gone. I packed it after all. I'm already a nervous wreck and I haven't even arrived at the venue yet!

12.30pm - Wahay! Mr SATNAV has not let us down. We arrive at our hotels and the International Centre in one piece. We've plumped for the hotels which are right next door to the venue. Sarah and Roger are in the International which is about a 4 minute walk from the venue. I'm another minute down the road in the Holiday Inn. The rooms are pricier but it's so much more convenient. And the hotels are very well kitted out. There's a bar, restaurant, gym and pool. I can see I'm gonna like it here.  However,  check-in isn't until 2pm. So, what do three young archers do at their first competition? They go shopping at the trade fair! Bring on the new kit!

OMG!  We’ve just seen the targets and the shooting line.  The targets look so small and miles away.  What have we got ourselves into?  Maybe entering the competition wasn’t a smart move.

12.45pm – New finger tab acquired.  Hello Fivics!

12.50pm – Bump into Claire Conner and Richard Poole.  They are busy getting some arrows downrange in the practice area. They are scheduled to be first in our group of intrepid archers to shoot in the competition.  Claire looks relaxed.  Richard … well I don’t think relaxed is the word I would use.  Only two nights ago we found out that Richard had been assigned the target face between Brady Ellison and Jake Kaminski.  No pressure!

Hey look it’s Fadil, another 2020 member.  He’s not here to shoot but has made the journey to support us.  Good man!  We do our best to persuade him to buy some gear.  I think he’s got his eye on the KG Archery stand …

13.00pm – Brady Ellison!  The man himself has arrived … we’re all staring at him!  Ladies and Gents, we’re in the presence of an Olympian and World Champion!

We also spot Aida Roman of Mexico.  Sarah is due to shoot right next to her!  No pressure Professor!

As Claire and Richard go off to the main hall others from 2020 start to arrive.  Trent, Karine, Akos and others all arrive with various levels of nervousness and trepidation.  Well, maybe not Karine.  She’s done this thing before.

My first and only foray into the food offerings of the International Centre leaves me … hungry.  Next time I’m bringing a stove and a wok!

2.00pm – Claire and Richard shoot their first arrows whilst we check into our rooms.  I must admit, I like the Holiday Inn.  The rooms are very well specced and the facilities in the hotel are top notch.  There’s even a spa and pool!  It was worth spending the extra money to be closer to the venue.

2.05pm - Danielle Brown!  I swear I’ve just spotted Danielle Brown in the reception area getting a beverage from Costa.

2.08pm - Rick van der Ven!  On the way to the hotel we bump into Rick van der Ven in the car park.  He seems to be in a hurry to get to the practice range.  Both me and Roger are showing unheard of levels of excitement at the Dutch archer’s presence.  Such a moment necessitated a fist bump!

I return back to the main hall to catch Claire and Richard finish their sighting rounds and start scoring. 

                            That’s Richard sandwiched between 2 archery legends.

Rather than sit up in the stands I decide to hover behind the coaching line and provide moral or logistical support wherever I can.  Both shooters seem OK.  Richard is doing an exceptional job despite his position.

5.50pm – The next session starts.  Sarah, Roger, Trent, Akos and Bryn are all up for their moment of glory.  Again I hover the coaching line to add my support.  Bryn is first to flag me down, about half way through the session.  He needs chocolate.  Unfortunately I am not in my usual archery setup so I have none to hand.  A quick visit to the food hall results in water and kitkats for those who need it.  Then Akos throws a polite come hither at me.  He needs a pen to mark his arrows.  Again, my casual spectator setup doesn’t include a pen.  In an unusual moment of clarity I decide to visit the expo stands.  Surely one of them has a pot of pens to give away as a freebie … nope.  Not a single one.  We have wristbands and t-shirts but no pens.  Luckily Bow International save the day and kindly donate a biro. 

Wow, Brady Ellison has come down to watch and support some archers.  I find myself standing next to him … AWESOME!  I even get to exchange a few words with him.

                            I sneak in a cheeky photo op with the big man himself!

9.00pm – The final arrow of the night is shot.  I’m not there to see it as I am at the station waiting for my beloved Ceri to arrive.  The weather has moved on from slight drizzle to heavy rain.  Just another day in Telford then.

That’s more than 3 hours for 60 arrows.  I’m beginning to feel concerned as it usually takes me 2 hours at most to shoot my 60.  And I know my own endurance levels will only last for two hours.  Thank god I am doing no shooting today and have until tomorrow afternoon to gather my energy.  I think I am gonna need it.

9.30pm – Dinner at the Beefeater is not what we hope for.  With beef in their name you kinda hope that they know what they are doing.  Turns out we were wrong.  A handful of rib-eyes turn up looking … microwaved.  There’s no hint of heat on them and they look greyer than the sky earlier today.  Sarah and Karine are vocal about their discontent and we manage to get both meals refunded.  The beers are flowing thank god.  We won’t be back here tomorrow night.