Posted by batty on January 31, 2010 under Competitons | 
Home at last after a long ish morning in Munich airport sorting out the check in
Its amazing how different parts of one company can interpret things totally differently than the rest of the world… it’s a bit like Hampshire and west Yorkshire firearms licensing departments!
So on the way out we had 2 hold bags plus we had to pay the £50 charge for the rifle cases. On the way back and the German interpretation of the booking was that our rifle cases counted as one of the hold bags and we had to pay the €56 charge as well!
Piss take really but that can be BA sometimes!
The flight home was nice and easy and we were well on time for an early landing. It was quite bizarre seeing the continent as just a white sheet of snow and we crossed the channel and….. Green! No snow at all just all green!
I love snow!
At least when we landed at Heathrow G4S were timely and not lame, even if it was the same woman delivering our rifles.
Customs was funny this time as well. We told the customs officer that we were just carrying air rifles and, without even opening the cases, said “yeah that’s fine then”. Fastest time I’ve been off a plane, collected baggage and through customs! Which was great until I spoke to Mike and had to wait another 45 minutes for him to turn up… still as I’ve said a million times before, I love him to bits XXXXX
Home at last after a long ish morning in Munich airport sorting out the check in
Its amazing how different parts of one company can interpret things totally differently than the rest of the world… it’s a bit like Hampshire and west Yorkshire firearms licensing departments!
So on the way out we had 2 hold bags plus we had to pay the £50 charge for the rifle cases. On the way back and the German interpretation of the booking was that our rifle cases counted as one of the hold bags and we had to pay the €56 charge as well!
Piss take really but that can be BA sometimes!
The flight home was nice and easy and we were well on time for an early landing. It was quite bizarre seeing the continent as just a white sheet of snow and we crossed the channel and….. Green! No snow at all just all green!
I love snow!
At least when we landed at Heathrow G4S were timely and not lame, even if it was the same woman delivering our rifles.
Customs was funny this time as well. We told the customs officer that we were just carrying air rifles and, without even opening the cases, said “yeah that’s fine then”. Fastest time I’ve been off a plane, collected baggage and through customs! Which was great until I spoke to Mike and had to wait another 45 minutes for him to turn up… still as I’ve said a million times before, I love him to bits XXXXX
Posted by batty on January 30, 2010 under Competitons |
Bloody first shot nerves got me again today! First shot a cracking 8.9 up at 10 o clock. Its defiantly an area I need to work on however it will be much easier to train on this issue once my Meyton arrives 
I was on a different firing point as expected today and had a little issue with the lighting from above. Because of the way I look through my shooting glasses I have the nose piece just outside the iris of the rear sight and if I’m in the wrong lighting because of the metal work and clear plastic parts it glares in my vision and distorts it slightly and my visor just isn’t long enough to help.
Today’s match went a lot quicker than yesterdays one and the result was a bit better. Its disappointing in general as I have been shooting well in training but until I start to get competitions and training meaning the same thing inside my head. Another thing which I do need to get over is the definite “we’re not worthy” feeling (just like on Waynes World) I get when I walk down a range and see Olympic champions, world champions, world cup winners, world record holders or basically my idols and the people I only dream of being on a level playing field with
Maybe some day!!!
Posted by batty on January 29, 2010 under Competitons |
Today saw my first match of this competition which had a number of funny events for me!
Once again there was another total lack of consideration this morning from the same person!
My match was at 10:05 this morning so I took a trip down to the range at 830 after a nice light breakfast (the hotel has sugar puffs )
I was happy with the sighters on my match.. I’m still trying to get everything to be the same no matter what the shot it or where it is taking place, this is something I’ve had discussions about with our sports physiologist.
Still in the back of my head is that bloody awful first shot nerves… I know in the back of my mind that as soon as that button is pressed to start the match there is no going back and that it all counts from there… this is definitely something I do need to work on
Pop….. A 10! Good start that will do I started to settle down ok after that
After my 4-5 shot of the match I noticed that Donald, who was behind me, had got up and was speaking to the range officers I’d probably forgotten to do something or summat. I wasn’t interrupted in my shoot so I just got on with the match and put that to the back of my mind
It wasn’t until my shot 8 that I realised what the problem actually was… I had more pellets in my tray than what should be and after a little look at the monitor I realised that I had a ‘0’ I turned around to Donald and gave him a funny look to which he waved for me to come off the point.
I am so thankful that Donald was behind me plotting my shots as he was telling me that he had looked up and my screen to see shot 3, he wrote down the score and looked again to see a zero… this was why he was talking to the range officers if he hadn’t I would have lost the 10 points possible for that score.
It was quiet funny really because he commented on the fact he was wondering how long it would take me to realise but in all honesty its good in some ways that I had not seen it as that is exactly part of something I had been working on during training…. Accepting the outcome of the shot and getting on with the next one!
Back on the point and continue with the rest of the match. After my 27th shot I came off the point again and had a good natter with Donald, it is good to be able to come off the point and make the most of the facilities which are available and a coach, whether it is your own, your home country coach or the national coach, is there for you to make the most of. But not in a total take advantage way!
After getting a good whinge off my chest and in receipt of some good advice I went back onto the firing point, took a few moment to myself and shot my bloody socks off, 13 brilliant and consecutive 10s. Well happy with that
Posted by batty on January 28, 2010 under Competitons, Training |
Thursday and its my day off so a good lie in is in order… yeah right!
When on trips abroad it is important to me that I am as considerate as possible to the rest of my team.. by doing this I like to think that it sets the example and that the other people in my team will do the same for me.
Like that bloody worked after someone came into our room, with their mouth on the highest volume threatening to jump on me because I was still in bed…. Did they not care to consider that I was resting and that it wasn’t my day for competing?
Lessons learnt and rant over before I say too much! It may already be too late but hey this is my blog for my rantings!
I spent most of the day down the range watching people shoot and waiting to take opportunity of the pre-event training set out for senior women at 18:00
Again training was good and it was good opportunity to have a bit of feedback, a natter and to utilise the head GBR coach, Donald McIntosh.
Lets home I can transfer my training into tomorrow competition
Posted by batty on January 27, 2010 under Competitons, Training |
Today we’ve had a nice late start followed by training in the afternoon.
As the range was quiet full I decided to go through equipment control. Its always nice to see some friendly faces especially on the side of the Jury!
As I had gone down the range in my boots and left my trainers in the room it made for a little complication. As boots get tested at equipment control its easier to sling them around your neck and go with other footwear on but my boots (as its snowing here) wasn’t really the best and most comfortable thing to wear… or so I thought!
I borrowed Pickles trainers and OMG what a mistake that was as they are so uncomfortable
Thankfully I was only in the queue for 30 minutes (unlike Kennys 2 hours!) as Dave Goodfellow (a British ISSF A Licence Judge) came to say hello at first and then came back a couple of minutes later to enquire if I had brought my blue British Shooting equipment control card. As it stays in my diary, of course I had it with me 
This saved me the other 1h30 minute wait in equipment control and the hassle of getting all my kit tested again only to have it comfortably pass.
So back on the range and off with Pickles god damn awful trainers!
Training was good, many positive shots again even if I did manage to double load one shot! Like a numpty!
Still I manage to perform to a level which I was happy with for my training and after a break went back onto the range to shoot 10 more shots, with very positive results.
Happy Days!
Posted by batty on January 26, 2010 under Competitons |
This morning was an early start, I managed to get packed yesterday and didn’t have my usual panic with regards to weight limits, the rifle was packed in the case it came in and my kit fitted well into my bag along with most of my clothes!
Although our flight wasn’t until 12:25 I was at the airport at 8am as Mikey had to get back to work
After just over an hour of sheer boredom and texting Jen Mac who was on the other side of security (I couldn’t go through on my own as Kenny had our passports as our visas were being sorted out) Sheree turned up – at last my sanity was saved!
Kenny and Pickle turned up shortly afterwards and we could proceed to check in.
Now the plan was to eye up who we thought could be the most likely to give us the least charge for our rifles but that didn’t quiet work out.
A £50 “special baggage” charge later and we were checked in and off through security.
Security was a doddle this time, no frisking for me but it was a bit of an arse having to take my boots off, pull my laptop out of its case etc so much so that when I was though and started to walk away from security I didn’t realise that I had left something important behind!
As we are doing so much travelling so far this year Sheree, Pickle and myself went to register for the Iris recognition program to speed up getting back into the country. It was whilst in this queue I couldn’t find my mobile phone and panic started to set in.
Now you are probably thinking yeah that’s not really the end of the world but an important part of travelling for me is making sure that I am in contact with Mikey so I’m sure some of you can only imagine how much panic was starting to set in
After the short process to register for Iris recognition I dashed back to security to only hope to fine my phone (it’s an iPhone too!) A few puzzled looks from the security people and a couple of enquiries later and I was asked to describe my phone….. Thank god it had been handed in after it was found on the floor around where I had been putting my boots back on!
By this time it was time to grab some nibbles and drink and onto the plane.
Once again arrival in Germany was a breeze, the customs officers were knowledgeable and we were swiftly through and awaited our transport to the range and hotel.
We were met by Ralf Horneber and his wife Petra who took us to the range to drop kit off and then over to the hotel
The range was amazing on first views, it was great to see one of the venues where Mikey made a Prone Final and to see the ranges where he shot on when he was in his heyday!
We dropped our kit off into the armoury… Wow… individual lockers long enough for most rifle cases and plenty big enough for your kit bag!
Munich is an excellent facility and it is a great shame that Britain’s attempt doesn’t even touch the surface of what Germany has to offer.
Our hotel is the Ibis. Looked great on the outside and was going well until we opened our room doors!
Now I try not to get paranoid about things but at the best of times, I struggle to sleep unless I am tired and even then I fidget for a while… having been away a few times now I have learned that the best way for me to sleep is to do something until I am tired (usually 12am-1am) so I usually watch a film or something when I am away…. So we opened our room doors and …. Double beds!
Hmmm! Having originally been to share with Gorgs. Sheree swapped with me so I was in with Jen McIntosh. After some running around and chats with the hotel staff we had arranged to get some mattresses in our rooms so on the floor i am sleeping until i get home and can snuggle in my huge bed with my nice, warm and cuddly Mikey!
Posted by batty on January 24, 2010 under Training |
This week I have been trying to work on perfecting my air rifle process and visualisations for Munich. I’m finding that I am getting just a little bit sloppy with the visualisations but have been working on placing a “trigger object” on the firing point to remind me why I am there and what I am supposed to be thinking about. It’s getting easier to focus on the shot and I do feel much better at getting what I think is a perfect shot approach and release.
Let’s hope I can transfer that into next weeks competition!
I’m really happy with my new air rifle, it seems to fit me better than my other one and the adjustability is fantastic. I’d highly recommend the Walther anatomic!
Posted by batty on January 19, 2010 under Gym, Training |
I’ve managed to get mine and Mikey’s free access to the Mountbatten Centre in Portsmouth thanks to the Hampshire Talented Athlete Scheme. It’s great to get back in the gym though its not much fun when I’m there on my own but I get by this just by thinking “what would Kenny and Pickle be taking the micky out of?”
I’ve really enjoyed working on my own program and addressing the areas I think will benefit me the most, mainly my back and shoulders. I have got a hold of 2 books which are great for showing you what exercises work which muscles, its called strength anatomy (and it also shows you correct execution descriptions and diagrams) and I’ve also been utilising one called stretching anatomy. These books are available from Human Kinetics (or pirate bay, muhahahahaha)
Another good thing about the gym is watching Mikey get tortured by the gym instructors…. I mean I do love him to pieces but…… giggles!
Posted by batty on January 17, 2010 under Training |
Had to finish shooting the first stage of the ELEY competition today – the prone had already been shot in an earlier session so today was an S&K day! I did the standing and managed to shoot quite well taking on board the lessons learned in Hannover. Mikey was impressed and so was I. It’s nice to learn something, use it again and have good success with it
Kneeling was unfortunately a different matter. I do find kneeling so frustrating at times and today was one of those days, as I’ve probably said before it is very much a trade off between stability, comfort and balance. And I’m learning that a solid position kneeling maybe doesn’t exist for me at the moment. I know my jacket doesn’t help matters neither does the fact that I resemble the Michelin man on my good days
Still getting frustrated gets me nowhere so I’m leaving the kneeling for when I get back from Munich and I want to work more on my visualisation techniques when shooting air rifle as there’s just over a week until I travel to Munich for the IWK.
Posted by batty on January 16, 2010 under Training |
So Saturday arrived we had breakfast and headed off to the airport after some funny confusion with the taxi driver. We were waiting for the Airport Shuttle to arrive outside the hotel entrance. There was a taxi already there who asked if we were going to the airport… We explained that we were waiting for the shuttle. 10 minutes passed and this guy was chuntering away in German on his mobile phone for most of it when he suddenly turns around to Kenny and asks, “Are you Ken?” Ah well! LOL!
So we arrived at the airport, got in the queue and had a nice woman serving us at check-in
I hate check in at airports when travelling with my kit, its not the firearms, people there, handing over passports etc it’s the “big weigh-in” that terrifies me as I have heard horror stories about people getting screwed for £200 or more and I would hate for that to happen to me!
20kg’s was our limit plus 20kg for the rifle, quite hard to hit with 2 rifles, kit and clothes for a week!
But!!! Our rifles didn’t get weighed, our kit bags, although over the limit (Kenny had a cracking 27kg’s in his kit bag) got on the plane without any issues or charges. Although we did have a little wait as the crew there were so efficient
Once again we had the tiny plane on the way back, 2 seats on one side, 1 seat on the other side the hostess we had was brilliant though, She let me and Pickle move to the front seats which had better leg room which gave Pickle better chance to spread out and sleep after his long week and late night
So we landed at Heathrow around 12:20, we were off the plane and collected our kit bags and were waiting for our rifles to make an appearance.
Hmmm, what a wait that was. After waiting around for about 15 minutes we contacted the BMI desk to see where our rifles were.
Considering we had seen them sat on the run way at 12:25 we didn’t see our rifles until 13:50 after a great cock and bull story about it being too much for one person to transport and so they had to go back over to terminal 5 to get someone to give them a hand.
Now I’m short! And many people like to remind me about that but the G4S Security personnel who turned up with our rifles, a man and a woman… the old woman who was pushing the trolley was shorter than me by a good 2-3 inches and she was aided by and even older and frailer man.. Hmmmm What a piss take!
