On Saturday, I headed out to Watertown, N.Y., to be present at the Bear PAC IBO event. As a state director, it's important to help these clubs out when they're entering the arena. I was welcomed with open arms, and the group of guys comprised solid people. They all wanted advice, and they wanted to know what they could do to make things better. It's always a good thing when people ask for help.
After going through the course and taking some mental notes, I gave them feedback. They did a good job for their first attempt at hosting an IBO event. Their grounds are second to none. They have one of the nicest pieces of woods I've ever shot in. It was a pleasure to walk the course. Although I had some issues with my shooting, I got off the course with a 396. While it was nowhere in the neighborhood of where I believed I should have been, I considered all the factors and wrote it off as a rough day. I look forward to working with these guys in the future. There is great potential at their club. The ride through the Adirondacks was very enjoyable too.
During the course of Saturday's events, I realized I wasn't feeling well and my throat began getting raw. By the time I got home, I didn't have much of a voice left and my head was pounding. Since I committed to going to Vermont on Sunday, I went to bed early and got up at 5 a.m. to make the trek to Whistling Arrow.
With dad driving and Wags in the co-pilot seat, I zonked out in the backseat and found myself trying to sleep for most of the trip. In and out of sleep, I felt like someone was beating me with a stick. I just didn't have it in me to shoot. I knew it was going to be a grind, especially with the torrential rain we were driving through.
After arriving and signing in, I shot about eight arrows at the 30-yard bag and called it good. All of the arrows but one hit the dot, and the shots felt really good. I would be shooting with Jacob, his dad and Aiden Pfiitze.
We started on a course that had a Corsican ram as the first target. Still a little foggy in the head, I didn't focus too long on getting a number. Instead, I dialed my sight and never thought about it. I settled in nicely and shot a good shot. The arrow struck the target above the core for a solid 5. I had a perfect line, so I was satisfied with the shot and the line.
Normally, I can let those things go quickly, but the unfortunate incident lingered in my mind on the second target, a javelina that was hard to see the whole target. When I drew the bow, I wondered if I had the right number since I had so badly misjudged the previous one. When the bow finally fired, the arrow landed at 9 o'clock in the 10-ring. I was satisfied with the results. I think the arrow probably struck the area where the pin was when the shot broke.
As the rain pounded when we were walking to the next target, I seriously thought about finishing the 10-target loop and returning to the truck to sleep. Standing at the stake for the third target, a bedded buck, I felt confident that I was going to get it. I like shooting the bedded buck because I always have a good aiming spot.
I felt good about my shot, but I was a little hot on the number. The arrow struck barely out of the 10-ring. My ability to concentrate was lacking, as all I could think about was my raw throat and pounding headache.
As we neared the end of the first course, I wasn't feeling good about too much. I was spraying arrows around, and I felt really weak behind the bow. Aiming it and executing was more than a chore on this day, but I continued grinding. Thoroughly embarrassed after shooting 11 down on the first 10, my inner-Todd thought about what he had to do to get some of the points back. Being sicker than a dog is not an acceptable excuse to shoot the way I shot. Heck, it's just being sick.
As we began navigating through the last 20 targets, I tried my best to regain my focus. I knew it would be difficult with the way I was feeling. After getting a 10 on a bedded doe across a little open valley, then following it up with one of my best shots of the day on an incredible target set (a leopard) by Tyler, I felt really good. At that point, I thought I could somehow muster the strength to shoot like "normal" again.
Through the next nine targets, I shot some of my best shots of the day. In the process, I realized something I had been doing on the first 10 that was preventing me from executing smooth shots. Instead of drawing the bow and letting the handle yield to my hand to achieve equal pressure on both ends, I had tension in my bow arm and hand. Once I discovered what I was doing, shooting became easy for a little bit. My hold got better, and my shots broke much cleaner. I gained back some of the ground I had lost, and my confidence increased.
As we meandered through the last 10 targets, I got a case of seeing things a little long and shot a few targets out the top of the 10-ring. However, I made my best shot of the day on a 45-yard feeding doe up a hill. It was a great target set, and the slight uphill angle added to the difficulty. When the shot broke, I knew I would center it if I had the number right. Stepping away and looking at the arrow, I was glad to see I was rewarded with an 11. Here's the shot.
Finishing on an antelope, I made another good shot and called it a day. The arrow pierced the 11 line at 6 o'clock. After enduring the day I endured, it just felt great to be done. I had no energy left, and my head was pounding. I had survived without laying a broken egg.
My Thoughts on the Day
While this wasn't the weekend I was hoping for in my preparations for the Second Leg of the National IBO Triple Crown, it still allowed me to see targets, and I believe seeing as many targets as possible is always beneficial. My health wasn't the best and neither was my shooting. However, I found a way to tread water and somehow not take any of it into my lungs and drown myself. It definitely wasn't anywhere near one of my best performances, but what could have turned into a disaster ended up somewhat OK.
I got to shoot with Aiden and Jacob's dad, John, today. I haven't shot with John in a few years and he's getting back into it this year. He shot really well and will be a threat no matter where he shoots. It's always good to shoot with people who shoot well. Shoulder issues are very difficult to overcome, and I understand that all too well. You never find yourself being able to do things at the same level you once did them, but if you're determined enough, you'll figure out a way to remain competitive. I guess John and I are both lucky to have done that. Hopefully, we both continue in the right direction and end up where we need to be in another month or two. Great job, John. It's always a pleasure to shoot with you.
Aiden struggled a little bit today. It's always difficult moving to a new class. You never know what to expect and sometimes you can let your expectations get the best of you. If you focus on the process and ignore the outcome, you can overcome it without ever thinking about it. When Jacob was Aiden's age, he battled target panic badly, but he was so determined to beat it that he eventually surpassed all expectations and now finds himself compared to the likes of the best of the best who have ever shot a bow. If you have the drive and determination, anything is possible. You just need to want it, and you need to be able to handle the failures as well as the victories along the way. Find the things you can build upon and work on them and ignore the noise. I look forward to watching Aiden progress as he continues working at it.
Jacob was Jacob today, as he totally destroyed everyone. It's even scarier to think about all the ones he barely missed. I love watching him shoot. He makes it look effortless. It looks like he's a sprinter blowing past all the marathon runners, then he finishes the marathon and isn't even tired. I have a feeling he's headed toward a great few months. He's about due for a few bounces to go in his direction, especially after some of the unfortunate, weird things that have happened at the last few events.
Tyler always does an amazing job setting courses. This course did not have any big yardage, but it was tricky yardage. There weren't many targets you could walk up to and instantly see the number. It seemed like I was second-guessing myself on every target. This just shows you that it's not all about abusing targets. Instead, it's more about moving the targets in and out and using everything you have to fool people. Great job, Tyler. We all appreciate your work. Thanks for humbling so many of us along the way.
I'm hoping I can recover from my sickness and be strong for next weekend. I feel like I'm in a good place. I just need my health to cooperate.
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