TargetTalk

I am posting here to announce my return to AP shooting after almost 8 years of stopping!

I bought a brand new pistol and am training 3 times per week at the shooting range and this went for one month. Guess what, I joined the local competition and got a gold medal. Although my score was not that high (374/400), but i plan to continue, I will have few other local competitions until joining the National team again, not sure yet if I will manage to go for the world champion in Munchin mid year. However, I wil do my best.

Also, I started today a physical fitness program as requested by my coach. I wonder where have I been all these years ??????

Wish me luck!

Looks like a good start back, but that depends on what level you stopped at I guess.

You won't though be doing a world championships in Munich next year though, as you're a year late. There is though a world cup there.

Rob.

Thanks Rob for the encouragement.

I played the olympics of Sydney, which was 10 years ago, I ranked 16 , with a score 379. I don't know what happened afterwards that took me away, may be I felt that I have to look after my career, my studies, my personal life. May be I was saturated, but all those years I felt that I will shoot again.

Now I am happy with the return, and I am planning not to go away again, never!!!

Any thought about a strong recovery plan will be appreciated. Thanks. Heba.

http://www.sports-reference.com/olympic ... etres.html

Most of us mere mortals have nothing to offer.

Sorry, Women's 10m AP.

http://www.sports-reference.com/olympic ... etres.html

You know I don't practice as much as I should, and there is little to no 10meter here in So Cal, so shilouette is what we play at. But there is something in this e-mail that got me practicing this week. There is a match next saturday.

Thank you - and good luck!

Dear Heba, I wish you the best of luck soon. Your re-start on this high level (which is not a mean achievement) is very encouraging.

I suppose your next goal will be the 10 metres disciplines in the 2011 All Africa Games, as the Olympic qualification event? If the ISSF calendar entry is correct, then I suppose this shooting will turn out to be a pure Maghreb event, and you will likely compete in earnest against your fellow countrywomen and two or three Tunisians. A Kenyan friend of mine will probably start there too, but I afraid that she will not be quite at your level yet, though she has very nicely progressed so far.

(If only your country's shooting association website would be a bit better kept, and not as unkempt and outdated... *sigh*).

Best regards,
Alexander

Don, good luck in your competition. Let us know how did it go

Alexander, your words are so motivating. I saw the future when I read your words, I saw myself competing and achieving.

African championship for 10 m will be in Egypt in Feb, I will be working hard to be there and part of the national team. Until then I have some milestones that I have to pass. Wish me luck.

It is true that Tunisian team is getting stronger now, when I started shooting in the 90's they have not started yet, but always good effort pays off and it is always good to have a strong competitor that helps to raise the bar of competition.

Well, you are motivated, you have success, and you are picking up loose threads from the past, to finish the fabric for some beautiful tapestry...

Plus, having a coach and doing some additional physical exercise program might be a bonus motivator, more than a drain. Dragging out a pair of beloved trousers from former study times and finding "whew! now they fit me again!!" is a lovely feeling - so work towards it. *grin*

As to myself (and certainly many readers may share this self-critique), I am practicing quite a bit (on the range and dry), but not "training" enough. From your narration, it seems that you are indeed doing proper training - excellent !

Concerning the Maghreb, the Algerians are now pressing forward (with French support), as the 2010 African Continental Championships in Tipaza showed, but they are not yet there. Morocco and Libya are no serious competition for your level. The 2 or 3 top South African women pistol shooters might be (their ranking list results are accessible online via SAPA!), but I doubt that they will travel to Cairo.

Best regards,
Alexander

Alexander, you have great analysis of champions in our area! How did you get that? Also, please let me wish you good luck on your trainings too.

I am doing good training, yet I feel that I need proper mental training too, which is not that available. I am doing a lot of reading here on this site and others that I reach to.

Although this may sound funny, I can not forget one of the Chinese champions that I met in Munich many years ago, she was walking away as out of conscious and she has dropped something that I helped her to pick, this lady won the golden medal after the final on that day. She seemed very focused for the match that she was forgetting everything around. Lucky to reach this level, huh?

Dear Hebatallah, rumour had it that you would have gone underwater and have transformed into an artifical reef and diving site in the Red Sea (google your first name ;-)). I am glad that you have re-surfaced, so to speak.

The forum yields real treasures of information as to proper training regime, improvement, mental training etc. Alas, as is the case with all 'Net fora, you will have to winnow the chaff from the wheat. A newspaper editor is commonly defined as one who carefully winnows the manuscripts to separate chaff and wheat, then studiously throws the wheat away and only prints the chaff (I owe that one to a Kenyan sub-editor acquaintance of mine).

As a first start, I suggest that you direct yourself firstly to the "Archive" sub-forum here and browse through it. Secondly, the search function is also very helpful. Thirdly, several good websites exist for pistol shooting, and they have been linked here several times.

Alexander

PS: As to my interest in, or link to African Shooting (Kenya, South Africa), feel to contact me offline via email or personal message. My email address would be aeichener (and then add hotmail and com).

The airgun part of the "All Africa Games" shooting competitions will be held in Cairo in February 2011. A Kenyan friend just asked me:

"I want a break down of the hotel cost. the comp starts 21-25th feb so approximately 1 week stay. Which is the cheapest hotel near the Armed forces shooting range. so i need to know the hotel price per day and food prices also?"

If anybody can help the young lady who will basically have to pay her own way (resp. find a sponsor), by giving some advice, I would be much indebted for any hint.
Heba, do you have any suggestion perchance? My friend is mince, reasonably low-maintenance, and uses the cat litter box all the time. If she wants to be let out, she will scratch at the door.

Alexander

Hello Alexander, The shooting range is in very touristic place near the pyramids, so hotels around are expensive. A good way to start with getting offers from travel agencies that can get a better rate for flight and accommodation. Please ask her to view this website www.thomascookegypt.com. She can search on travelocity.com too.

Another option is to contact the Egyptian shooting federation, i am sure they will have plans to accommodate champions and this could be for a more economic option. They always have good plans.

A pure advice, let her always seek credible places, although sometimes may seem expensive, but secure.

Hope this helps. Wish her good luck.

Heba, first off I think its great that you are back in the game. I guess once an Olympian, always an Olympian. Any way just out of curiosity, what do you shoot? Your preferences regarding favorite pistols and ammo. Good luck, will be rooting for you!