grassy knoll Posted July 1, 2002 Share Posted July 1, 2002 this past weekend was my first ontario provincial championship in barrie, i have been to about 25 other local matches but i had never been to this big of a match, we started shooting at 8:30 am and done at 8:30 pm, i know there are lots of others who have gone through this many times and i want to know what you do to beat the heat, dust and mental fatigue what do you do at matches that go on for a couple of days? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BSeevers Posted July 1, 2002 Share Posted July 1, 2002 Today I practiced in 95+ degree heat. That helps. I drink water and eat a little something the entire match. I leave extra ammo and weight in car. Pick up more ammo at lunch. Some friends carry Handi wipes and refresh with them. If clubhouse is not A/C then sit in car for lunch. Bring lots of water and food. You never know how long the match is or what they have for sale to eat. I also run or walk around neighborhood for training. Most people miss the fact that a big match is an endurance test as well as a shooting one. Getting a full nights sleep helps. I see people wear those water cooled headbands. I have seen umbrellas mounted on chairs. Coolers are great but sometimes heavy. For the mental "When the going gets tough the tough get going" Its not BUDS you know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shooter Grrl Posted July 2, 2002 Share Posted July 2, 2002 Good shoes, lots of water, a wagon to pull my stuff so I don't get worn out just getting to the stages, lots of water, a good nights sleep, lots of water, regular exercise during the week, lots of water and lots of water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grassy knoll Posted July 2, 2002 Author Share Posted July 2, 2002 thanks mr seevers and shooter grrrl our squad was 12 guys and even though we were helping patch targets there was a lot of sitting around and waiting, i guess these types of matches would be a marathon and the ones that i am used to are the sprints and the training should be accordingly thanks again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lumpy Posted July 2, 2002 Share Posted July 2, 2002 Gatorade and energy bars help. Like everyone else says, lot's of fluids. I pace myself on the taping and picking brass. Alternate with your fellow shooters as not to burn yourselves out. Lumpy P.S. Going to Nationals? Look for the big Albertan with "Lumpy" tattoo'd on his leg. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shred Posted July 2, 2002 Share Posted July 2, 2002 And my favorite piece of match advice... "Never underestimate the value of good socks" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted July 2, 2002 Share Posted July 2, 2002 grassy, Think of building endurance as "not giving it away." Besides being in good physical condition, the most important factors for me are - 1) PLENTY of water, in the morning, and all day long (as opposed to sugary sports drinks), 2) Eat a balanced diet, as described in Barry Sear's book, The Zone - all day long. 3) And I'd have some sort of "Sport's booster" in my shooting bag, ike "Goo" or something similar, in case I needed an extra boost to get through that last stage. be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kellyn Posted July 3, 2002 Share Posted July 3, 2002 I am a HUGE believer in goo shots, but only the non-caffineated ones. They are malt sugar packs with all sorts of extra good stuff. At this year's 3 gun natl's, I was dogging on the last day: too much sun and too much time waiting around to shoot the last stage which was the 60+ yard shotgun "run n' gun." I had a goo shot 20 minutes before shooting and felt reinvigorated and went on to win the stage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted July 3, 2002 Share Posted July 3, 2002 Yea, they've saved me a couple times. I dig the caffeine though. According to nutritional guru WFMFT, the glucose solution is across your stomach lining in 5 minutes... be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sincityshooter Posted August 11, 2002 Share Posted August 11, 2002 Along with the posted advice. I make it a point to sit down whenever possible and I only put my loaded mags and gun on my belt when I'm 3 shooters from shooting. I remove everthing right after finishing the stage. That extra 10lbs or so adds up after 6 hours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Moneypenny Posted August 30, 2002 Share Posted August 30, 2002 to me, the water, some "watered down" gatorade, and most of all, a CHAIR. a nice comfy chair, they make really light ones and sell them at discount stores. i have one with arms for certain matches. where very little walking is incurred. and i have one without arms for long distance walking. steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Suber Posted December 30, 2002 Share Posted December 30, 2002 Endurance is improved through exercise and conditioning. A person must condition himself to the environment in which he will compete. Conditioning also includes proper diet. If you are going to compete in a match where it will be hot, you do not need sodas, coffee, greasy foods, etc. You will need foods your body will process properly in certain environments. Ever seen a pro-baseball or football player eat a cheeseburger or drink a Mello-yello during a game? How about drink beer the night before a game? Has anybody ever noticed how many shooters in our sport (who expect to do well) spend an ungodly amount of $$'s on their equipment, travel, matche fees, etc but totally blow it when it comes to being prepared physically for a major match? Just a thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake Di Vita Posted December 31, 2002 Share Posted December 31, 2002 So far endurance has never been a problem for me. Barring unforseen circumstances, I go to the gym 6 days a week, eat good, and drink plenty of water. I think keeping hydrated is the most important thing besides good conditioning. If I have plenty of water, it will take a lot longer to get exhausted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Moneypenny Posted January 1, 2003 Share Posted January 1, 2003 The conditioning is something i sort of took for granted, if your not used to walking as much as you will at a major match, especially the WV state IDPA, or Ohio Section you can get tired quickly, I do martial arts 3 times a week, and the college i attend is on a hill, so i'm in fairly good shape. I recall T.I.S arriving at a stage at the Ohio Section that was about a 200 or so yard walk with steep hills long before our squad mates, and were less winded than they when they got there. One more thing i have to add, is eating, what you eat all day effects your performance, the best i have seen at this is Scott Warren, he has everything planned out very meticulously. I prefer eating a little bit all day, not eating a heavy lunch and don't eat too much, i've seen guys lose a match because of eating too much and they have said "i just felt sluggish i was too full". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wfmft Posted March 6, 2003 Share Posted March 6, 2003 I think the appropriate question is "how do I maintain cognitive function over long periods of stress?" Few shooters are actually stressing their metabolic systems so much that they are physically exhausted by the end of a 12-hour match day. But as they become psychologically tired, the body responds as it is in the habit of doing. A decent base level of physical fitness will help but everyone knows an exception to this rule. I'd train balance, core strength, and cardiovascular system in addition to dry-firing, etc. Training for those long days so you are not surprised by a decline in performance will also help. How? Do more long days. And train in the temperature and humidity that you will compete in (if at all possible). Go early to the big match so you get over the jetlag and get used to the temps - expect three days or so to achieve some temperature adaptation. Longer if you are going from sea level to the Mile High area. But I agree with Brian, hydration, diet, rest and recovery. Those guys aren't wearing and using hydration bladders (CamelBak) because they look cool. Drink water at the rate you are losing it - it's simple. Constant intake of small amounts is the rule. On hot days you can put ice in the bladder, test results (US Olympic cycling team 1996) show improved physical performance from the cooling effect of the cold bag on the spine (some important pulse points there). Gatorade? Stay away from supermarket drinks that contain sucrose as the sugar component. Sports hydration drinks with glucose polymers (maltodextrin) as the "sugar" component are better tolerated by the stomach, especially when it is quite hot, and the long-chain sugars burn slowly, which helps prevent the blood glucose spike (sugar rush) and certain crash that follows. Most sucrose-based drinks have a strong flavor (which is why one poster mentioned adding water to it). It's easy to get sick of that flavor and to limit intake because of it - a sure way to get dehydrated. Eat for what you are doing. Eat for preparation, eat for movement, eat for recovery. Sears' book is a fine starting point if you want to familiarize yourself with a 40-30-30 diet. Not the best diet for hardcore physical activity but quite useful for shooting sports (based on my own experience). Eat a little, often. This robs less blood from other systems (circulation, respiration) for the digestive process, and you'll feel lighter ... Besides diet there are some useful supplements available. Caffiene is ok especially if you do not over-respond to it. Useful for mobilizing fat as an energy source too. The "Goo" BE is talking about has the equivalent of 1/4 of a cup of coffee (who's coffee?) for each 100 calories. And it is true, if "eaten" with the appropriate amount of water to create a 4 to 8% glucose solution it will empty from the stomach in minutes (less than ten) and shoot across the intestinal wall, ready to be used. That's not true though if you ate a cheeseburger just before you Goo-ed up. Rest and recovery, not just a good night's sleep. If you are not shooting you should be recovering from shooting and preparing to shoot again, which means resting your brain. Why spend energy on how the other guy is doing? You are effectively giving that energy to him, depriving yourself of same. Do only what is necessary. Make picking up brass your meditation. Pretend your range bag is massaging your shoulder instead of driving you into the dirt, and carry less in the bag. Wear a hat. Seek shade. Sit. Close your eyes. Relax. No one can stay "up" all day without some consequence. Ok, time to rest and recover. Smooth is fast, WFMFT (Edited by wfmft at 8:45 pm on Mar. 5, 2003) (Edited by wfmft at 8:50 pm on Mar. 5, 2003) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Dunlop Posted March 6, 2003 Share Posted March 6, 2003 Brilliant post wfmft, thanks! P.D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loves2Shoot Posted March 6, 2003 Share Posted March 6, 2003 Get you butt off the couch, less beer, pototo chips, fast food and move 30 minutes everyday Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pepper Popper Posted March 22, 2003 Share Posted March 22, 2003 I have ran a few triathlons and sort of incorporated some of the nutrition learned their over to this sport. So here is what i take before a match and during. Ginkgo Biloba 120mg Improves mental alertness vitamin C 1000mg vitamin E 1000mg Ginseng panx Gives you energy with out the jitters of caffeine Power jel Endurox R4 Energy drink this stuff is Awsom, proven to improve physical performance up to 55% and post-exercise muscle stress by 36%. of coarse i eat a light breakfast and then lunch at the break and plenty of water............ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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