So the hopes for next year is to try out for the Danish Team and the rules state that I need to be a danish resident for 1 year to qualify and I can't shoot for anyone else in that time. So this year is a bum year. Work hard, learn danish, knock out the kinks and shoot some local tournaments. It's already paying off in matchplay experience alone. I've shot about 20 matches this year already. That's about 4 times what I would get shooting in Australia in a year. But I miss World Cup. It's going to be a long year.
My new baby arrived from Hoyt (thanks Kevin!! And Hoyt!) - a purple Pro Comp Elite with Spiral X cams. Love the bow. Love the colour. And finally I'm strong enough to shoot my spirals again. Combined with the Carter Honey 2, I'm working hard on strong shooting and good back tension. And getting stronger everyday. The new bow is 1lb heavier than the old one and while the scores and consistency are still not there, I shot 673@50m last scored round in practice and the form is looking better all the time.
My new Pro Comp Elite and Honey 2
My latest epiphany is all in the bow shoulder. My arch nemesis. I get along with my bow shoulder less than I get along with my pancreas. If you watch any videos you can always detect a movement that just shouldn't be there. Some days worse than others. But yesterday was gold. I think maybe I use too much back and not enough chest to stabilise the shoulder and being hyper flexible and not strong means the shoulder moves out of line and I hit the arm a lot. So a few ends engaging more chest muscle to keep it still and things seem to be better. Cross fingers for me... I think we have worked it out.. now just need to shoot 3000 good arrows to make it stick and hope for the millionth time that I actually 'got it' and not just think I do :D
And still making friends with the Carter Honey 2. The Target 3 is officially in the naughty corner until I fix what is broke. And there's no hint of panic shooting the honey. But it's easy to see how much I need to work on as my consistency is poor. There's a lot of work in shooting a hinge well, that you should do with a trigger too, but as I always thought... trigger with no hinge work leads to bad habits. A week before Mexico I shot a comp and missed 3 shots with target panic. So a month later and I'm not flinching at all and my scores are better than in over a year. It's small steps, but I'll take it.
I can read a lot more Danish than I can speak, but I think the speaking is coming. I can order my bread from the bakery (jeg vil gerne have to frokoststykker) and actually get what I asked for and tell people I don't speak danish and I can navigate a danish recipe without too much help and follow the danish subtitles more and more every day :)
I got as far as 'i brought my own bag' with the self check out at the supermarket before it had a cat and a nice lady came to help. Was quite hard explaining that I didn't want the english version because I need to practice my danish and I know kartofler and rugbrød so getting there :)
We're trying to incorporate more and more danish words. I need to remember to use the danish word when I know it... the worst bit is when I can think of three or four languages for a word...just not the danish one. And I need to learn the money. We found over 300kr in my purse in coins because I can never work out the coins fast enough so I was just using notes :D
Gym is going great. I'm not pushing too hard because I was constantly sick last year, so baby steps. This is the first time in memory that I've been healthy for a whole month. Just 1-2 hours of cardio on top of shooting and a bit of core and stretching. And after a month my insulin requirements have dropped dramatically which is probably the best test for improved fitness levels, but causing a few issues with hypos. I'm becoming queen of the snack because I can't get through an hour cardio without a hypo any more unless I'm eating before hand and I'm taking less insulin than I was in my first year. My little fingers are full of holes. Feeling like the proverbial pin cushion and slightly evil eating in front of the gym bunnies :D
Got me some love in the mail. My sister sent me Vegemite, Tim Tams and Tom Yum soup all of which I had to excavate out of the hot chocolate powder that had exploded in transit. My home smelled like chocolate cookies :) And Petra from Germany sent me pocket warmers and an Easter bunny so I'm all set :)... although the vegemite is already running out :( but the chocolate is being carefully hoarded :)
Getting laughed at by danes for wearing my winter boots on a 9C day. It was evening mind you, so way colder than 9C by then, but maybe the fact that I was in the toasty kitchen standing next to the hot oven and still had 3 snow grade thermals and a jacket on was what got the smile. No I'm really not designed for the cold. Or maybe I'm just really comfy when it's warm :)
But we have had a few sunny days. Just to tease me and make me start thinking I don't need snow grade thermals today....
And my hon sent me flowers to make me smile :) So I'm off to gym with said smile :)
