Completed Part A of NCCP Program plus Provincials for Western Canada

This past weekend I completed Part 'A' of the Canadian National Coaching Certification Program. Anyone interested in coaching should definitely look into this program. I'll be taking Part 'B' this Summer and on my way to being a certified coach. Beyond the multi-sport components, I'll need to get into sport specific programs offered by BC Target Sports Association.

Here is a list of upcoming Provincial Championships happening in Western Canada:

• June 3-5, 2011 - Alberta Provincials
• June 10-12, 2011 - BC Provincials
• July 16-17, 2011 - Saskatchewan Provincials

Registered for 2009 BC Provincials and 2009 Canadian Nationals

I've sent my registration in for Provincials in Campbell River, BC next month and for the 2009 Canadian National Handgun Championships in Calgary, Alberta in August. The 2009 Provincials next month will be my first competition back since last summer when I injured my shoulder.

It will be busy weeks leading up to both events. Next month I might be going down to San Francisco for a few days for a conference and I'll be volunteering at the 2009 World Police & Fire Games right before flying to Calgary. I've signed up for 10M and 50M pistol events for Calgary and will only be shooting 10M at Provincials.

Delivered a rushed performance at 2008 BC ISSF Championships

The great thing about going out of town for a competition is I tend to leave 'stuff' behind once that airplane takes off or I've driven out of town. 'Stuff' like work schedules, meetings, errands etc. With the competition being a local one yesterday and my schedule the way it was I didn't leave 'stuff' behind, it was another hectic business day and not a competition day.

I got to the competition in the late afternoon and there was enough time to shoot before the BBQ. Without really thinking about it for too long it seemed like a good idea. Unfortunately this wasn't a good idea and broke a lot of my regular competition habits.

It's a good idea to get a practice session the day before (if possible) to get a feel for the range. Knowing the conditions of the range helps with preparations.

Unfortunately for me, I rushed there, I rushed in, I rushed to start my match, and I rushed through all my shots (549/600) -- what I should have done is practiced that day and gone early to shoot the next morning. I would have known that the 10M range was outdoor, that the lighting changes, how the target system worked, and what the temperature was like. I think the last time I shot at that range was in the mid 90s.

Knowing the conditions and environment helps with packing the right tools and equipment (ie: a jacket if it's cold) and preparing mentally. I think this actually applies to almost anything in life.

This competition has reinforced that for me and I intend to make sure I get a practice session in the day before at Nationals in Calgary next month.

Registered for the 2008 BC ISSF Pistol Championships

I'll be attending the 2008 BC ISSF Pistol Championships at the end of May. I'm waiting to see if my PAL (Possession and Acquisition Licence) gets sent to me in time so I can compete in the 50M Pistol and Standard Pistol events, both events are shot using .22 calibre pistols. Over the next few weeks I'll be making updates about my training for this competition as well as for Nationals in July.

Registration forms for the 2008 BC ISSF Pistol Championships are online now at the BC Target Sports Association website. The event will be held in North Vancouver at Pacific Shooters.

Back from the Island and online again

I checked out of the hotel Sunday morning and headed back out to the shooting range to see the overall results. I finished in 2nd place with a 552/600.

How does scoring work? You have 1 hour and 45 minutes to take 60 shots. The highest point value for each shot is a 10, so 60 shots = 600 maximum score. The ISSF website lists the World Record at 593/600 by Sergei Pyzhianov and the Olympic Record at 591 shot by Mikhail Nestruev.

The number of competitors attending Provincials was definitely lower than what I've seen in the past when I was competing before. It would be nice to see more people out at these events.

Yesterday was fun, some friends of mine were staying at a cabin near Prospect Lake. It's a beautiful area around there. Canoeing. BBQ. Fishing. Nice way to finish up the weekend.

Nationals are in August so there are over 10 weeks of training time before then. I'm going to review my notes from this past weekend and get a training plan developed which I'll write more about later.

552 / 600... my result for my 1st competition back

It was good to be in competition mode again... all the little things I'd run through in my head started coming back to me. It really is almost entirely mental.

The air pistol range at the NSRG is indoors but has some vinyl walls which allow for a certain amount of sunlight and shadows to be cast inside. The changes and lighting as the sun moves behind clouds don't factor too much on the one side of the air range I shot at.


I was shooting in position #5 (That isn't me :))

552/600... I'm pretty happy with this score. 92%. For not having practiced more than 3 times in the last 4 years and shooting with a gun that had just been serviced last week and hasn't yet been tuned for me... it's a good score.

I need to get back into the 560s+ for Nationals in August.

This Provincial event is a 5 gun match where shooters compete in Centre Fire, Standard Pistol, Rapid Fire, Free Pistol, and Air Pistol. The last 3 are Olympic events. I only came to shoot Air Pistol as you need special licenses etc to carry and compete with the other guns. I will need to get my permits etc so I can compete in other events... I'd like to compete in Free Pistol again.

There are a few shooters left to shoot their Air match today so I won't know how I did overall until tomorrow.

Heading back for the BBQ... tomorrow I think I'll go see what's happening in Victoria. There are Titanic artifacts on display at the Museum which would be pretty cool to see.

Feel free to leave any comments on here! :)

2007 BC Provincials Details

I just finished booking a place to stay in Victoria near the Airport. It's a couple kilometers from the shooting range so that's not too bad. It will be nice to be around Sidney, BC and explore the area.

Here is a link to a map of where the shooting range is located.

More event details are available on the BCTSA website:
http://www.bctsa.bc.ca

The PDF registration form is available for download here:
http://www.bctsa.bc.ca/pdf/07BCHGchampsReg.pdf

Photos and other preparation details will be posted over the next few weeks.

Less than four weeks to prepare for Provincials

It has literally been years since I've attended a shooting competition. Normally, I'd be training for a specific amount of time before an event in order to have peak performance at that particular event.

For this upcoming shooting match, it is the only one coming up that doesn't require travelling out of the Province so I'm going to it primarily for fun and to see my fellow shooters from around BC. I'm telling myself it is for fun because I want to ensure I'm setting realistic expectations for this first match... and well, I'm due for a vacation so that's what this is.

That said... I still want to do the best I can given the situation, so here is a short list of tasks I need to complete before going to Victoria next month:

• Victoria travel and accommodations planning and booking
• Air Pistol maintenance, cleaning
• Check grip and make any changes to adjust for any changes in my hand's strength and shape over the last 4 years
• Clean my shooting glasses (and possibly get a new lens made to account for any changes in my vision)
• Weigh my pistol's trigger and make adjustments to ensure I'm within the rules and regulations
• Check my air pistol's shooting velocity
• Continue physical / cardio training
• Continue strength training
• Get out to the practice range in Richmond a few times
• Practice where and when I can
• Dry firing
• Final equipment preparation

There are a few place to practice around Vancouver, New Westminster, and Richmond so I'll discuss them as I find out more information. I've also created a practice area back at my parent's house in Gibsons, BC. I'll post up some photos of this... basically I practice by shooting down a hall, past a pool table, and into my Dad's workshop. Like I said... practice 'where and when I can'.

This coming week I will get my accommodations and travel arrangements sorted out and go through some of the basic maintenance of my equipment. I'll post up photos along the way.