Training Pause before Great Competition.

[LukeP]

Hello Folks,
after an intensive training period, i'm now 27 days away from my match-goal.
During last two months i followed my own training plan: reinforce basic tecnique, interiorization of shooting sequence with visualization, developing match plan and stress controll procedure and a bit of phisical training, mostly swimming, running and bicycle.
Now i'm a bit tired as natural consequency of pretty intensive training (am+pm); i'm getting nervous because i start scoring that damns holes in the paper searching for tangible confirmation of the goodness of my own work.

So i think is a good moment to sit in place and relax.

How would i can manage the following 27 days?
I was thinking about something like:

Days 1-5: Relax. Don't think neither near shooting. (Universities Book..)
*Days 6: At the range: FP replay match plan with no time limit.
**Days 7: At the range: AP replay match plan with no time limit.
Days 8-9: Relax. Mental Training.
Days 10: At home: Visualization, and hold exercises.
Days 11: Relax. Mental Training.
Days 12: At home: Visualization, and dry fire exercises.
*Days 13: At the range: FP replay match plan with time limit.
**Days 14: At the range: AP replay match plan with time limit.
Days 15-16: At home: Mental Training.
Days 17: At home: Visualization, replay detailed match in my mind.
Days 18: At home: Mental Training.
Days 19: Relax.
*Days 20: FP: Test Match in the same place of Goal Competition. Keep note about range, condition, time; confirm drinking eating routine soon before and during match. Evening: evaluate match management.
**Days 21: AP: Test Match in the same place of Goal Competition. Keep note about range, condition, time; confirm drinking eating routine soon before and during match. Evening: evaluate match management.
Days 22: Relax.
Days 23: At home: Mental training.
Days 24: At home: Mental training.
Days 25: Relax. Familiarizing with big event atmosphere. Equipment check.
Days 26: FP Match.
*Days 27: AP Match.

* Is Saturday and ** is Sunday, other days i'm at school.
General fitness maintenance with light running 3 times a week.

End of season,
best regards,
LukeP.

[2650 Plus]

May I make one sugestion? Increase the holding time as the muscles you use for that purpose deterioate rapidly when not used for even one week. You might do this with moderate dry firing suplanted by just holding the pistol in firing position for extended periods. Maybe up to the point of tremor and the a brief rest perion with a moderate number of reps. Good Shooting Bill Horton

[gordonfriesen]

Luke,

All I can say is Good Luck!

Is this event happenning near you, or is there travel involved?

Gordon

[LukeP]

May I make one sugestion? Increase the holding time as the muscles you use for that purpose deterioate rapidly when not used for even one week. You might do this with moderate dry firing suplanted by just holding the pistol in firing position for extended periods. Maybe up to the point of tremor and the a brief rest perion with a moderate number of reps. Good Shooting Bill Horton

Thank you very much.
I'll put some time for that.

Is this event happenning near you, or is there travel involved?

Near me, match start at 01.00 - 01.30 pm.

[gordonfriesen]

Luke,

I'd like to hear about your "eating dirnking routine"

I'm starting to suspect that my own eating before match/practice is interfering with the result. Not enough blood to my brain, perhaps.

Gordon

[LukeP]

See this detailed advices, scroll page to "nutrition":

http://www.targetshooting.ca/all_docs.htm

Especially number 2 and 6.
I usually eat a Banana before a match, 30-45 minutes before start.
For a big match, i eaten one with breakfast and one before match: i won my own score class, so i added it to my regular routine... ;)

My own defect i think is that i don't drink enough.
I don't like putting water bottle on range table, because there is not too much space, so i usually leave it near the chair: as a result i don't drink correctly during match.
This time, i'm trained with bottle near because hot wheather, so i pick up the routine to drink as i need.
I'm planning make two different bottle of water for matches: one only water, and one with sugar added if i become tired before mathc end.
I'll test it in match simulation next weeks.

[RobStubbs]

I think that schedule looks pretty good ! I'd advise a week break between heavy training and competitions. Yes do some mental bits and pieces but nothing too heavy and I'd drop it apart from light positive reaffirmation a couple of days before the match.

I'd also disagree with Bill in that a week or two makes no difference to your muscular strength. You're far better off resting the arms rather than over tiring them.

Rob.

[Steve Swartz]

"My own defect i think is that i don't drink enough."

Hear hear!

Ohh you mean hydration during a match.

Luke, there has actually been a bit of scholarship surround training tempo and tapering before matches. You ask a *great* question!

Basically like everything else here the one sure answer is "It Depends!"

It depends on

- Is it a match designated as a training/development match (train hard straight through it)?
- Is it a selection/championship match that you are willing to accept long term penalites for short term gains (taper to maximize match performance then back into training)?

Part of the trade-off is long term development vs. short term performance. This is a huge issue with many world class team members. If you have to always be "up" when will you ever have time for improving your skills? Look into things like "mesocycles" and "performance cycles" and stuff like that. We can talk specifics when you have more detailed questions at leslieswartz@verizon.net. Human organisms need alternating periods of stress and rest to perform at their optimum levels.

Most disciplines/teams recognize the need for re-assessment and re-building during an "off" season. Seems like in shooting we assume there is no such thing as an "off" season to dedicate toward training . . . so we always just do more of the same old thing, expecting different results?

[ronpistolero]

Just another crazy thought. Does coffee ever come into your system? There were quite a few times, short of discipline as I am, that I arrived in the range finishing my double-shot latte as I park my car. Entering the range, I find out there's an air pistol match and I join. I shot my usual mid 550's score. I can't explain this. I felt that maybe I was too busy catching up on the time to bother about the other factors.?

Regards,

Ron

[LukeP]

Part of the trade-off is long term development vs. short term performance. This is a huge issue with many world class team members. If you have to always be "up" when will you ever have time for improving your skills? Look into things like "mesocycles" and "performance cycles" and stuff like that. We can talk specifics when you have more detailed questions at leslieswartz@verizon.net. Human organisms need alternating periods of stress and rest to perform at their optimum levels.

Most disciplines/teams recognize the need for re-assessment and re-building during an "off" season. Seems like in shooting we assume there is no such thing as an "off" season to dedicate toward training . . . so we always just do more of the same old thing, expecting different results?

It's National Championship, so i train to be near peak's performance more or less that week, or at least, i wish not going crazy.

My Off Season training start November '08 end March '09, then again July, August '09.
My year is like: 5 months stress -> 3 months rest -> 2 months Stress -> 1 Month Rest -> 1 Relax.
'08 Off Season
-October: relax and fun shooting: s&w 625 .45, pin bowling, enjoy first time .32 center fire in a local match, shooting beretta 98f.
-November: develope detailed training plan, underline where there is urgency of correction and changes. Fitness program. Fun shooting.
-December: Mainly big elements training, fitness program, fun shooting.
'09 -> Long term development vs. short term performance, accepted.
-January, February, March: first 2 competitions valid for National Championship qualification, only air, matches are not so important.
-April: 3rd match valid for NC, both air and fire.
-May, June: last 2 competitions for NC.
High performance required on April, May and June, 3 matches required to graduating for NC in air, and 2 matches for fire.
-July, August: if qualified, relax a bit and then start last training. If not qualified, relax and learn the lesson.
Just a bit of my thinking.

@ronpistolero: i don't drink coffee usually.
My breakfast drinking is mainly milk and some fruit juice.

Best regards,
LukeP.

[training for competition]

Hi LikeP,

Thanks for the quick reply. Key element is obviously a tremendous amount of discipline. Would it be alright to ask for a graph of whatever results you get from this program/schedule? I think that's the sort of kick I need to develop a routine for myself. Am purely a weekend shooter whose discipline is nonexistent.

Regards,

Ron

[ColinC]

I wonder about the effectiveness of intensive training before a big event and I too will be interested in the results. However, I think that it is something which needs to be tested over and over again because one off results might just be co-incidental.

Hard training might create a better physical condition for a big match but does it also alter your mental condition which will affect scores, positively or negatively? For instance, if the first two sighters are 10s he'll think the change has paid off but if he fires a pair of sixes, it immediately creates doubt and a poor score is likely to follow.

I had a big argument with my wife before heading off to air pistol the other night and I was still fuming when I reached the range. I shot my best score in a long while. Does that mean I should provoke her into an argument before an important match to ensure a better score? If I do it a dozen times (and live to tell the tale) and my scores are better every time then I think I could assume that it has a positive effect on my shooting. Same with the increased training before a big shoot - check the results after trying it a dozen times.

[LukeP]

Hi LukeP,
Thanks for the quick reply. Key element is obviously a tremendous amount of discipline. Would it be alright to ask for a graph of whatever results you get from this program/schedule? I think that's the sort of kick I need to develop a routine for myself. Am purely a weekend shooter whose discipline is nonexistent.
Regards,
Ron

First i think that we must know our limits, whatever they are: time, money, pazience, and above all strength of will and be conscious of what we want to be as shooters.
If you think you are undisciplined shooter, and if you want be seriously with shooting, maybe you can try inserting little little disciplined trainining elements, i don't know, for example: "today goal is 10 shoot without fooling around, chatting with near shooters, distracting with next girl beauty". Put it in a simple way.

I found detailed advice, and for me it's a recommended reading, JP O'Connor series hosted by pilkguns coaching section.

Hard training might create a better physical condition for a big match but does it also alter your mental condition which will affect scores, positively or negatively? For instance, if the first two sighters are 10s he'll think the change has paid off but if he fires a pair of sixes, it immediately creates doubt and a poor score is likely to follow.

This passage is imho completely wrong, is like thinking about pistol training like lift up a strange looking piece of aluminium, weighting more or less 1 kg, make it bang and sit down.

The first two sighters can be whatever they want, if you trained correctly you learned specific skills to recover from strange thinks over match, few example: you know how to check natural point of aim, how to focus over front sight and not over the target, how to sit down and relax. If the first two sighters are not what they are expected to be, remember you have unlimited sighters, and in training you learned the skills to evaluate correctly sighters.

If the first two match shoots are a pair of sixes, or the first shoot is a Zero, because i miss puting pellet into the barrel, what do i have to do? maybe crying desperate because all my hard work is without effect, and poor scores is likely fo follow, invocating my moms?

In a match you can do what ever you want, you can sit on the chair and shoot all 59 restant shoots in the last 30 minutes if that serves to calm you down and restore correct internal behaviour; you can fooling around the range without your clothes to consume adrenaline excess, you can simply talk with a nice friend or your girlfriend at the range to receive confortation, you can simply also ignore that shoot.
You trained to manage situation like that, so where is the problem?
(Or you didn't train that specific skills?)

In JPO'Connor series is explained an example like your wife provoking.

Best regards,
LukeP.

[ronpistolero]

Hi LukeP,

Sorry but I am not good with researching. Where is this article by JP O'Connor? Where is the Coaching Section?Please provide link.

Regards,

Ron

[LukeP]

Hi LukeP,
Sorry but I am not good with researching. Where is this article by JP O'Connor? Where is the Coaching Section?Please provide link.
Regards,
Ron

Hour host, Pilkguns coaching section:
http://pilkguns.com/menu_coaching.shtml
Pilkguns Pistol Coaching Index:
http://pilkguns.com/pistolcoaching.shtml
On the Firing Line Series with JP O'Connor:
http://www.pilkguns.com/jpindx.shtml
"On the firing Line Series with JP O'Connor" is a pretty detailed and numerous series of article, starting from the basics and touching many very important points of view about competition and training.
I found that series very usefull and helpfull, is a pretty impegnative reading.

Best regards,
LukeP.

[ColinC]

Luke
You missed my point which was that to determine whether increased training had a positive effect or not, you would have to judge over many tests.

The two examples I used were to illustrate opposite ends of what might happen to bring about a different result on a one-off test to what might be determined over a series of tests.

That training prepares you for anything and everything approach is a fine theory but I am afraid unless you are superman, things do happen during matches which affect concentration. If your training has you so prepared, why do you not shoot perfect 10s every shot?
Colin ;-)>

[LukeP]

ColinC you are right,
but imho every match is different, so we train more generally to manage an undefined number of match situations.
Shooting all 10's is not my level at this moment, but that training plan, and the month before might help me performing at my own current level or a bit up.
How many times we perform better in practice test than at real match? so i tried to maintain my own tecnical level, and refining that skills most emotionals and mentals that permit me performing at my current level.

I wasn't suggesting the "gold way", only sharing what i'm doing, and what for me in the long term showed up good results.

Best regards,
LukeP.