Overtraining

There are at least a couple of forms of overtraining. but today we are concerned with only one. Shooting too often. I don’t suspect this is much of an issue for most people, but here it is anyway. I have been shooting almost everyday lately. Not a ton of ammo, but usually 300-400 rounds at a time. That is not a long session for me and I feel pretty good at the end of it. Today though, I simply performed terribly. My targets looked as good or as bad as they usually do but my times were way off.

If my Bill drills have been in the 1.9 range when warmed up (from concealment, of course), today they were in the 2.2-2.4 range. Not only much slower but a much bigger delta. If my single shot draws (again, warmed up and from AIWB) were in the .85-.95 range, today they were in the 1.08-1.2 range. The hits were the same as ever, but the times were way slower.

This past week has been physically strenuous, between my lifting, BJJ, shooting and other stuff. Every week is like that, but this past one was harder than most. Combine being a bit run down with shooting everyday, and I set myself up for my poor performance today. When I was in my 20’s or 30’s, that may not have been as true, but in my 50’s, it is.

You may be saying: “That’s not shooting too much, that’s just being too weak.” Yes, there is that. On the other hand, knowing that I’m a bit run down, I could have taken a break from shooting today, rather than just pushing through. I’m not advocating for just being lazy, but knowing your internal performance level is an important part of maturing as an athlete. I didn’t hurt my shooting by hitting the range today, but I certainly didn’t help myself either.

We all like to get our training in, but sometimes a break is a good idea. Growth tends to occur during our down time, when the body and mind can rest, repair and process what you have done. Sleep tends to do that well, but if you don’t sleep that well, and you are training a lot, a day off may make things right.

The group above was fired off hand at 25 yards with a Gen6 G17. Federal Gold Medal Match 147g ammo. The other holes were from my K22, shot one handed at 25 yards. 40 year old ammo and not zero’d. Those old K22’s are pretty wonderful guns. The 22 was shot in the middle of my practice session, just for fun, and the G17 group was the last thing I did for the day. Even if I make lots of slow ugly targets in training, I always finish the day with some slow fire accuracy. Usually a one hole group at 3, 5 or 7 yards is my goal. Sometimes I go back to 25 or 50 yards, but not that often. The point is to finish the day KNOWING you can hit the target, even if you missed a lot while pushing your limits. That is usually better accomplished at closer ranges when you are tired.