Calamity Jane Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 After much thought, I have decided to join the range diary gang. The idea of keeping a public log may be just the thing to keep me on the right track. I don’t have all the answers but I’m more than willing to share my journey. My 2007 journey is going to include learning a new gun. This year I'm taking the plunge into Open. Many have said that shooting Open for a year will improve my limited shooting. We will see if that is true. My Open gun is being built as I write this. It should be completed in March. My log is going to include the usual range diary stuff but it will also have a lot of mental management stuff. I’m really into the mental aspect of the game. I thrive on the challenge to overcome myself. I’ll be posting pictures and videos to document my progress. I’ve wanted to use the video camera more in my training. Keeping this log gives me a good excuse to do that. I am like many of you. I don’t really like to be told what to do. When it comes to shooting my husband and I have a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. If I don’t ask…then he doesn’t tell. Sometimes the best way to learn is from experience. I want the reward of self-discovery. Comments of encouragement are always welcome. A new journey has begun. Hope you all enjoy the ride. Jane Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue edge Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 Jane won't tell who her gunsmith is!! BUT I know who it is Jane Ill not tell anyone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Micah Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 (edited) Jane, I'm very glad that you decided to begin a journal. Having mine has kept me honest and diligent. Edited February 4, 2007 by Pharaoh Bender Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catfish Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 Jane, I'm very glad that you decided to begin a journal. Having mine has kept me honest and dilligent. +1, I have found it to be quite rewarding. Welcome aboard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn Knight Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 MMMMMMMM........... Journal fun!!!! Me like journal!!! Welcome Jane! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XRe Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 Once you get the motor skills, the mind game is where its at, Jane One of my favorite topics, too.... The "don't ask, don't tell" policy works well for me and my wife, too I can't teach her anything, and vice versa, so... However - if you haven't already (and, heck, even if you have), think about picking up a class at some point with a good instructor (there are quite a few out there). Your game might take a whole class jump - especially moving onto the new platform... The open gun will feel foreign, at first - fighting it will only lead to further frustration. Roll with it, and shoot the crap out of it, and it'll make sense in short order Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caspian_45 Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 Welcome to the Dark Side......... Soon your training will begin.......... I can feel the force is strong in this one............... Obi-wan (Dave) would be wise to learn much from her. See you at Terre Haute. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calamity Jane Posted February 5, 2007 Author Share Posted February 5, 2007 Thanks for the welcome guys. I had Dave look up the exact round count I shot last year. I shot 18,560 rounds. We know the exact number because my blessed husband keeps track of every single round he loads and he loads ALL of my ammo. As you can see from that number I shoot a lot and my range diary will reflect that as I continue to post. However, to get started I’m not going to be talking of shots down range. These first posts will reflect what I’m thinking and where I want to go this year. I’ll be doing a lot of talking setting the stage for my shooting season. After the stage is set there will be nothing but action. I will share what I’m doing with those 18,000 rounds down range. Stay tuned....the first subject will be overcoming obstacles/barriers that stand between me and my goals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calamity Jane Posted February 6, 2007 Author Share Posted February 6, 2007 Life is an obstacle course. Each day I'm faced with new obstacles to overcome just to make it through the day. The choice is to go around, go over or go through these obstacles. I prefer go over or go around. Going "through" something is never very fun. As I woke up this morning I was reminded of the obstacle course of life. My youngest son tells me he needs a pirates costume for Spirit Day at school with only 8 minutes left on the clock until we need to leave for school. I dealt with that issue and then realized that this is the day the cleaning lady comes. Looking around the house I see a disaster. You men are thinking, "That's why you have a cleaning lady!" The women reading this understand the cleaning lady is there to clean. She is not there to put away all our stuff! Anyway, I had to reorganize my entire day so that I could pick up the house. It cost me my swimming workout at the YMCA. Life is an obstacle course with consequences. Shooting Open has provided me with new challenges in which I'm going to have to overcome to be successful. Some of the obstacles include: I have no open gun. I'm unable to train this winter with an open gun. I'm working an extra shift to finance shooting. I'm struggling to find a training schedule that works because of my extra shift. I’ve had a difficult start to my 2007 season. My plan was to purchase a used gun late in the fall and then dry fire with it all winter. The used gun I purchased did not work out which meant I had to start the building process. This totally blew my training plan. I had a 3 month winter training plan on paper! I was devastated mentally. It took me 6 weeks to figure out that I should just use my limited gun to do my training plan. I was focused on what I couldn’t do instead of what I could do. This is a quagmire I often find myself in. Focusing on the negative never helps you achieve the positive. The other factor that is making my 2007 training season difficult is my extra commitment at work. I’m working an extra 12 hour shift to help pay for our shooting hobby. This extra work day has put some extra stress on the home life. I guess you know you are addicted to something when you are willing to make life changes for it. As miserable as I am at work I'm willing to do it if it means we all keep shooting. Action Steps Taken My open gun is being built and will be complete in March. I've adjusted my training plan so that I can continue working on the elements that I want to with my limited gun. At home, my boys have picked up the slack and have made things work. My training schedule is still a work in progress. My next post will talk about finding a training schedule that works. I have so much to say about that....it deserves it's own post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Micah Posted February 6, 2007 Share Posted February 6, 2007 Jane, it sounds like you have outlined the steps needed to make your Open goals achievable. It's cold here as well, but the majority of my "off season" training has come from daily dryfire. It's convenience and cost (free) has kept me in practice and focused for the 07 season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calamity Jane Posted February 6, 2007 Author Share Posted February 6, 2007 I just talked to my gunsmith. My open gun may be done as early as the end of next week. That would be one heck of a Valentine's Day gift! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ihatepickles Posted February 6, 2007 Share Posted February 6, 2007 I just talked to my gunsmith. My open gun may be done as early as the end of next week. That would be one heck of a Valentine's Day gift! You say the coolest things, a true Renaissance woman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadyinBlue Posted February 7, 2007 Share Posted February 7, 2007 I just talked to my gunsmith. My open gun may be done as early as the end of next week. That would be one heck of a Valentine's Day gift! Hey Jane... Ditto on the Valentine's Day Gift. Wanna see what my husband gave me for Valentine's day a few years ago? Nanci Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calamity Jane Posted February 7, 2007 Author Share Posted February 7, 2007 I just talked to my gunsmith. My open gun may be done as early as the end of next week. That would be one heck of a Valentine's Day gift! You say the coolest things, a true Renaissance woman. I just talked to my gunsmith. My open gun may be done as early as the end of next week. That would be one heck of a Valentine's Day gift! Hey Jane... Ditto on the Valentine's Day Gift. Wanna see what my husband gave me for Valentine's day a few years ago? Nanci Pretty cool gift. Husbands are awesome Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boo radley Posted February 7, 2007 Share Posted February 7, 2007 I just talked to my gunsmith. My open gun may be done as early as the end of next week. That would be one heck of a Valentine's Day gift! Isn't that illegal? I thought anyone building a gun operates on Gunsmith Savings Time -- 11 weeks later than anyone can possibly be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calamity Jane Posted February 7, 2007 Author Share Posted February 7, 2007 I probably can count on one hand how many times I've been to the circus. The last time I was there I saw "Amelia the Human Arrow". She appeared to the crowd draped in gold spandex and then was launched the length of Market Square Arena. You see some amazing things at the circus. Perhaps the most amazing are the jugglers and plate spinners. I'm in awe at the amount of things they can keep in the air. I ask myself, "How do they do that"? Perhaps the question should be, "How do I keep the plates of my life spinning?" I've spent quite a few years trying to figure that out and I've never found it easy. I want to share with you what I consider my most important plates and how I keep them spinning. Then I will explain what this has to do with my shooting….the answer by the way is going to be…EVERYTHING! The most important plates in my life are: spiritual, family, exercise, work, and shooting. I live my life each day trying to keep balance between these plates. Keeping everything going requires constant attention. Just as the juggler has to constantly keep his eyes focused of what he is doing, so must I. I am constantly adjusting myself to keep everything going. My biggest enemy is distraction. Not paying attention to what is important leads to disaster. I know this from experience. Here is a breakdown of the plates Spiritual I am a spiritual being. It is the core of who I am. I have to nourish that. I set goals for myself in this area and attempt to nourish it daily. Family My relationship with Dave comes first and then the kids. Being available to give my love and emotional support is my number one priority. My responsibilities around the house come next. I'm responsible for the cooking, groceries, laundry, cleaning etc. Exercise I've always been athletic. However, shooting has given me a reason (other than staying healthy) to work out. My goals this year are to improve my core strength and improve flexibility. This is what I'm doing right now. Swimming 2 x's a week Weight lifting 2 x's a week Pilates 3 x's a week Nordic track ski 3 x's times a week Elliptical 2 x's a week Stretching 7 x's a week Work I'm an intensive care nurse who is working three 12 hour shifts a week. I also contribute to committees that require meetings in addition to my shifts at work. What keeps this plate spinning is my sheer will. I want to add this as a side note. I admire those of you who are going to jobs that don't necessarily inspire you for the mere reason to provide for your family. God bless you. May your wife (or husband) make love to you often… because you deserve it. Shooting Dry fire, live fire, and work on weakness. That pretty much sums it up. My goals are to dry fire 4 x's a week and live fire once a week. I will be more detailed about this section when I discuss my goals. The most difficult thing for me was to figure out how to do all these things at once. I had to make some pretty uncomfortable changes to get a schedule that works. For example, on the days that I work, I get up at 4 am and do Nordic track ski / Pilates/ and stretching for total of 60 min. This makes a long day! However, I get the satisfaction of knowing that my work day DID NOT STEAL my health or my training. It's my way of "sticking it to the man". On my 4 days off, I do the other stuff…swim, lift, elliptical, dry fire, live fire, groceries, laundry etc. I am doing something all 7 days of the week. There is no "off" day. The good news is everything has been broken up into small manageable pieces. You know the old joke, "How do you eat an elephant?" I believe the one bite at a time theory is true. What does this have to do with shooting? I can not succeed at shooting unless I have balance in my life. Balance provides the stable platform in which I can shoot. I'm going to talk about my goals in my next post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Cheely Posted February 7, 2007 Share Posted February 7, 2007 I like it. Keep it up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittlePistol Posted February 11, 2007 Share Posted February 11, 2007 Wow, I wish I was that organized! I have no family to care for (except my puppy ), yet I wake up everyday wondering what I need to pack for the next 2 weeks, how I'm going to get my bills paid while I am out of town, where I'm going to eat, what motel I'm checking into, what homework I have forgotten to do...etc. I'd love some advice on how you keep spiritually balanced...that is the one aspect of my life that always seems to suffer as I struggle to maintain my commitments to everyone else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calamity Jane Posted February 12, 2007 Author Share Posted February 12, 2007 (edited) One of the things I've learned from many years of experience is that you NEVER brag on your relationship to a girlfriend. The moment you say "Everything is great" is the moment things begin to spin out of control. I don't know why I thought sharing my "plate rack" would be any different. The moment my finger pushed the enter button on that post was the minute my plates began spinning out of control. I lost 4 physical workouts, my patients at work were literally dropping dead making my job that stinks even worse, and to top it all off....I got the stomach flu over the weekend. I still haven't recovered from the stomach flu thing. I'm typing all of this with a smile because I have been here before. When the plates fall down, you pick them up and start again. Just know...that even though my well thought out, well organized post may sound good...the reality of them is a never ending challenge. I've got my goals done. I'm working on a format that easily communicates them. Should be done in a couple of days if I can stop my stomach from hurting. Edited February 12, 2007 by Calamity Jane Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XRe Posted February 12, 2007 Share Posted February 12, 2007 Hang in there on the tummy, Jane One of the great things about writing stuff down, though, is that you can also admit that things are dynamic, and subject to change - and you can later see how well you coped with that change... yadda yadda yadda Does posting here imply that I'm one of your "girlfriends"??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calamity Jane Posted February 12, 2007 Author Share Posted February 12, 2007 Does posting here imply that I'm one of your "girlfriends"??? Very funny. Let's leave and boy and girl out of it.....and just call it friends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calamity Jane Posted February 13, 2007 Author Share Posted February 13, 2007 I was shopping for mouthwash the other day and a bottle caught my eye. It was Vanilla Mint Flavor Listerine. Yummy! The bottle said “Less Intense, Equally Effective.” That sounded good to me so I bought it. It wasn’t until days later, as I was thinking about how disappointed I was not having an open gun to practice with this winter, that I again noticed those words on the bottle. “Less intense, equally effective”, is that true? Is that possible? Could my training plan be less intense but equally effective? Perhaps, if it is well planned and spread out into doable small parts. It’s with that hope that I approach my abbreviated season. Everyone has there own way of doing goals. I use a combo of Saul and Lanny. My goals are built in the shape of a pyramid. The base of the pyramid is my seasonal goals, then the plate rack or weekly goals, then the shooting goals, and then performance goals. The dry fire and live fire shooting goals will change with the shooting season. Performance Goals Peak performance at Limited 2007 Nationals Top Lady on one stage at 2007 Nationals Beat my mentor in a match (using an open gun) 2 second Bill Drill with a limited gun Win an Open stage at Silver Creek Skill Drill time improvement Live Fire Goals Trigger control Skill Drills Group Shooting Dry Fire Goals Perfect draw Perfect footwork Consistent reloads The Plate Rack (weekly goals) Spiritual Family Physical Work Shooting (covered these in previous post) Seasonal Goals Dec-Feb Build an open gun Define goals Find a training schedule that works March-May Train Fundamental skills June-July Compete Work on weakness Aug-Sept Switch to limited gun Prepare for Nats The core of my season is to train with the open gun. I wish I had more time with the open gun but I don’t. Cheely says you need a least a full year with the Open gun to glean all there is to learn. I don’t have a full year so I will make the most of what I do have. I’m tired of all this talking. I’m ready to shoot! Waiting for the gun to arrive so I can start my learning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadyinBlue Posted February 18, 2007 Share Posted February 18, 2007 All I can say is Wow! I thought I was a busy person but...wow! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calamity Jane Posted February 19, 2007 Author Share Posted February 19, 2007 Mental Management You don’t see high dives at public swimming pools anymore. Perhaps the lawsuits and the injuries have something to do with that but when I was a kid we had a high dive at our local swimming pool. I can remember jumping off that diving board and plummeting deep beneath the pools surface. My little legs would kick and kick as my face searched for the surface of the pool. Many times I thought my lungs would explode before I would reach the top. But just when I thought I wouldn’t make it, my face would pop through and I would take a big breath of air. There is nothing like inspiration after a long drought of empty airless space. I feel like that today only my face hasn’t popped through. I’m kicking and kicking knowing the surface is close at hand but feeling like I’m not going to make it. Stomach flu, winter ice storms, snow days with kids home from school, kids getting sick, I guess it’s understandable why I may be feeling a little melancholy. The waiting is starting to get to me. Waiting for the snow to melt, waiting for my open gun, waiting to train with my open gun etc… I need inspiration. I’m about to suffocate from the waiting. “The teacher will come when the student is ready”……I’M READY!!!!! Dry Fire Surprisingly I got 3 out of 4 scheduled dry fire sessions in this week. I’m already thinking about how I’m going to train myself to find the dot while I’m on the move. I’m doing this training exercise I call “walking the gun”. I’m basically walking around the house/basement with the gun palm down, elbows out, and acquiring targets (lamp shades, electrical sockets, etc) I learned I need to do some specialized weight training for my shoulders. Holding the gun palm down uses different muscles than holding it out like when you acquire a target. I’m learning other stuff that I’m not ready to share yet. My plan is to walk the gun everyday until I can easily pick up the dot while moving. I know the biggest obstacle is finding the dot. I’m not going to spend 3 months searching for it. This will be the FIRST thing I figure out!! Now all I need IS THE GUN!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m.e.t. Posted February 20, 2007 Share Posted February 20, 2007 Way to go Jane. I hope you burn them down this year. You have the tools and the drive. I hope this year it all comes together for you. MIKE.......... Who gets the open gun next? David or Jackson. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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