Plan B The Review

Plan B The Review


My progress has not stopped, and I did not reach my final goal, I took some steps, and I completed one phase of my progress, but today, having earned my B card, I've been able to sit back, and think about what it has meant to me. There has been a lot of progress, a lot of growth, and I'm not sure if it is always obvious to people.

That video was me shooting a stage a year ago. It almost hurts my eyes to watch how I shot back then, but it shows how far I really had to come. Never having been a gun person, not knowing the first thing about marksmanship, that's where I started. I had a lot of learning to do, and I had to get comfortable with something that was distinctly uncomfortable for me.

When Les started Plan B, I was not even mediocre, I was just starting to get comfortable with the sport, but I lacked any kind of consistency or basic fundamentals, and when things went wrong, I had no idea how to fix them, and worse, I was stubborn and resistant. I'm eternally grateful that Les chose to spend his valuable time teaching me. With what you see in the video, I'm not sure I was an ideal candidate, but I'd like to believe that he saw that I had enthusiasm, and I had a lot of desire, even if I had very little knowledge. We had a rough start in November, with my twisted ankle playing football with Kozy, getting sick in December, and the concussion in January. I switched platforms from Walther to CZ, but despite it all he stuck with me.

In late January, feeling I was behind, I put in more time, instead of the assigned time, I did what I had to do in order to absorb a lesson, and sometime around then the lessons started to click, and the light switched on for me. I was by no means perfect, but I could see progress, and I understood the lessons, and was trying to make progress. At the WIIT, I shot the best match I had to date, and when I watched the video's I saw tons of things I did better in other matches, or in practice, but I saw progress. It was at that match when I realized how much I had learned, and that my goal was possible. I'd been exhibiting progress in different phases, now it was time to start putting things together.

Confidence was something I'd been missing all along. All along people like Kozy have been telling me that I had it in me, I just had to execute, and I was able to believe. Of course I'd heard, and still hear from other folks who utterly dismiss me, that I'm just a "classifier" shooter, or that I can't put together a full match despite evidence to the contrary. Before then I know I heard it. Now? It doesn't matter. I know how far I've come.

Prior to February, I admit, I had a habit of zeroing a classifier that I did not think was a 60%, so there were plenty of classifiers that I did zero. From February until now, I believe I pulled that stunt one time, 7 of my last 8 classifiers make up my current 66% classification, so it's not "grandbagged", it's earned. Again, I hear from a couple of folks that it is not earned, that I gamed it. Bullshit, the facts say otherwise.

From February on, I worked harder, I believed, and I attacked class, practice and matches with intensity. I was a convert, a believer. When I came back from Kentucky, I could have been all upset and pouted about how I performed, but Monday night found me back at the range with Les and Kozy, working to get better. That whole concept of "I train so one day my mentors become my rivals" speaks to me, and speaks to how I want to work. Today I have a toolbox that is not empty. I have an idea how I need to practice, things I need to improve on, and sometimes, I can even see myself doing something wrong.

Monday Night

So today, I'm excited about earning my B card. I'm a much more fundamentally strong shooter than I was 5 months ago. I see tons of things I can improve on, and grind off rough edges and get better at. I don't think a B card makes me special, while I'm excited, I'm actually pretty humble. I know it does not make a better shooter, or anything like that, but the B Classification gives me motivation to work harder, to both earn, and prove that I should shoot at that level consistently. I think there is an added pressure now, because folks know that Les taught me, and I know my success or lack thereof is sometimes a reflection on him, so when I shoot, that's in the back of my mind as well.

That's shooting, but in this blog I said I was growing as a person, and I have not touched on that at all. I've always thought of myself as mentally tough, but there is a difference between rigid and tough. Something that's rigid may have a breaking point, and once snapped is broken, tough? Tough rolls with punches, takes the occasional bad, and is always standing. My biggest disappointment during this period was my match in Kentucky this past weekend where I reverted to my old ways, and was rigid. I let myself down, and I won't do that again.

Over the past few months, I've noticed I've tried to apply that patience and attitude to my life at home, and at work. It has not always been a roaring success, but slowly, day by day I find myself with more patience, more strength, and I'm tougher for it. Kind of like a B card, I may have the basics down, but I'm a work in progress too, just like I aspire to earn a higher USPSA classification, I want to better apply those lessons to me as a person as well.

At the range, I can be a gruff personality, I get on people to help, to paste, but my time with Les has changed me. In the past I was a little over aggressive about it, or I would say something true, but incredible rude to a person because I was angry. That has not happened, I'm not sure if it is because I spent the time with Les and seen how positive and polite he is, but when I go back to someone judging my shooting, and it reflecting back on Les as my instructor, it's the same thing. I don't want people saying "Les trained Luke, and he's an asshat." I want to reflect positively on my mentor, and friend.

Les and I, the day I iced it.

Les is going to come out of this bargain with a few thousand extra bullets, but I'm coming out of it a better shooter, and a better person. I think I got the better end of this bargain, There are not too many people who would or could inspire me to be better at both, but he's a unique combination.

So, now that this plan is complete, where am I going to go? I'm going to shoot, I'm going to dry fire, and I'm going to work even harder. I want to get competitive in B class this summer, and I'd like to earn my A classification by the end of the year. There is a fine balance between how much time and resources I can invest in going beyond that, I'd like to see how far I can go, but we'll address that commitment when I have to. I want to see Linda earn her C card, she's at 38.3%, so she's close, and I'm looking forward to shooting a Major with her this year. This has never been an ending, it's just a step on the path.

I'm hoping to do some work on another website, although the owner and founder has not yet found any of my submissions to be worthy, I'll stay on him. I'll don a jersey soon, and be a member of a team, and that means a lot to me. I want to be worthy of it, and I want to earn my way, and be able to contribute. I have a healthy respect for the team members, and I want to be a credit to them.

Friends & Family Like No Other

This all started as a hobby, something to learn about, a way to maybe be an outlet for my competitive side. It did start that way, but I became a part of a community that I genuinely care about, and what to help grow. I made friends like few I have ever made before. I've traveled, I've involved my wife, my daughter, and seen them welcomed. This "hobby" is so much more today, it's a big part of my life, of who I am. It's been a long time since I've been so involved in something, and the word "special" does not do justice, but personally, I've found a place I fit, with people I enjoy. I'm at home.

Complete

Random Shots

Random Shots


So, Linda got to shoot her new SP-01 today, and the results were not exactly what she wanted. However there is more to a match than just results, and in seeing her shoot, she really struggled her first stage or two before starting to see some more positive results in her last 2 stages, in fact her last stage she did pretty well on, she shot the steel cleanly, she ran, and she finally looked comfortable with her new gun. While she had rented an SP-01, she had limited time with her own gun. Thursday she ran dry fire with me for about 45 minutes, and she put 50 rounds down range on Friday night before we set up for the match.

She does have a few issues, including a glaring flinch. On her first stage, it's possible she shot the floor a few feet in front of the steel she was aiming at, and she was flinching pretty bad early on. On the last stage, her first shot you can see another massive flinch on her double action pull, and a second flinch right after that. However, by that point, she recovered to run a really nice stage, that could have been a few seconds faster if she had not taken an extra shot on her final target. I sense some Ball and Dummy Drill's incoming because she really needs to break this habit. The reality is that she's had this flinch for awhile, and she did not want to do the drill, because she hated it. She hated seeing the flinch, but did not correct it. Personally, I think the excellent trigger on the XDM helped mask that flaw to some extent, but the more challenging double action pull of the CZ magnified this issue.  The good news is that she really saw it today, and says she'll commit to working the problem out.

Linda left the range saying that she absolutely loves the CZ, like me, she thinks the weight, recoil management, and accuracy of the gun is just amazing. (Wait until she get's some work done on it...) It's good thing though that she feels that way, because she just ran out of excuses. She's got GM level gear, and an investment in gear that says she is serious, and wants to compete. There are no limits placed on her progress by her gear, it's all about her, her practice, and what she does now.


Linda Video:

Here is some video of Terry getting cooking today, he shot a pretty damn good match, and as usual gamed the heck out of the second stage. Kudos to him.

Terry Video:

Concussion

Concussion

Ouch!

On Friday while I was going to pick up Lauren, I slipped on the ice and fell in the Kinder Care parking lot, and evidently whacked my head pretty good. Next thing I knew Lauren was outside the car shouting for me to get up, and was I okay, and another parent had stopped to see if I was okay. I got up slowly, felt passable, and then threw up.

I made a bad decision at that point, roads were icy, but I was just hurting, no other symptoms, and I decided to drive the 1.5 miles home. About a block from the house I started to feel a little dizzy, and was anxious to get into the driveway. Upon getting out of the car and standing up, I finally understood exactly how bad I was feeling, I was dizzy, disoriented, and had no balance. Lauren and I went inside, and I went to change out of my soaking wet clothes, and got dizzy, and went down again. Lauren freaked out, and this time I knew what was going on, I just could not move.

With Linda just leaving work, I knew I was not in a good place, and my first thought was to wait until she got home to do something, but my head was in agony. I ended up calling Kozy since he is a couple of minutes away, and I gotta give him credit, he was out the door in seconds and at my house in minutes. He was able to get Lauren calmed down, and after looking at me, hearing me slurring words, disoriented, and pupils out of whack, he called 911 right away. I admit, I was pissed that he did it, but what are friends for? I was in no condition to make that decision for myself.

Kozy (This is more fun)

Ambulance showed up, and off to the hospital I went. Kozy was at home with Lauren, and Linda got there, got a few things together, and relived Kozy. I know he would have stayed with Lauren, but I hated for him to miss his "date" night with Tracy, and not go out to a movie. Strange the junk you are worried about when you are on the way to the hospital.

Anyhow, got to the hospital, and what turned about to be an hour and a half wait in the waiting room, you know, with a head injury. Terry showed up there to keep me company until Linda and Lauren got there, and seeing a friendly face really helped. Linda and Lauren got there about the time they were pulling me off to triage, and he took Lauren off to his house so she could spend the night with his family. That was probably the one thing that finally made me relax, and start to worry about how I was feeling, knowing that my family was okay, and taken care of, made a difference.

Terry (see, this is more fun....)

 Is it a surprise I was a pain in the ass patient? First question they asked me is where I hurt, and I am trying to focus on the nurse, and I respond with "Uhhhh, the ice on my head, doesn't give it away? How about my head hurts?" I was pretty apologetic after that, should it have been a good sign that if I'm a jerk then my head could not possibly have been that bad?

Long story short, spent another 4 hours up there before I could talk them into releasing me, I refused the morphine they wanted to give me to break the pain and headache, and I had a phone call from Terry (evidently Linda had texted my refusal to him) that I was an idiot if I did not take the pill, and that it really would help me. I cut a deal with the doctor, that I'd take any pain medication less than a narcotic, and if the pain did not break, then as a last resort I'd do what they wanted. CAT scan came back normal (Personally I think that should have set off all sorts of alarms, me normal? Really?) It made for a long night, and I was happy to finally get home.

So, closing in on 48 hours after the fall, and I still don't feel right, my head hurts about a 5 on their 1-10 scale of pain. I can't break the headache, I'm able to focus now when I move my head, better than before, if I try to move too quick I get a little dizzy. According to the release papers, I could have these symptoms for a few days for up to a few months. I'll be setting up a doctor's appointment as soon as possible.

How on earth does this have anything to do with shooting? Well, I got my ticket for the match on Wednesday, and I'll only shoot it if the doctor says it is okay. I'm not taking any risks with my health and life, or with anyone else. I miss my dry fire routine this weekend, and I missed my class on Saturday with Dave and Les. Gotta get rolling, and I really did not need this setback.

I've had my "bell rung" before when I played football, but what happened on Friday, and how I feel today is a whole new ballgame to me. More than anything right now, I feel bad that it happened around Lauren, and that she had to see me like that. I know it scared her, and she is treating me now like I'm made of glass. I hate that, I'm dad, the guy you run at full speed and jump up at for a hug, the person who will carry you, tickle you, and so on. Words don't do justice to thanking Terry and Kozy though, so I won't even try in this blog, I've said it. Pretty great community of people here, and I'm lucky to have met 'em all.

At Area 5 Summer 2013