The Confessional

I started quite well yesterday with a 49-5 (just shouldered my 2nd shot out at 10 o'clock) and felt I could live with the result. That was pretty early in the morning at short range. My next two details weren't until 14:45 and 17:15.

Visited friends, skipping a big lunch as I'm wont to do on shooting days here and headed to the range about an hour early (forgetting my electrolyte-added 2litre bottle of water with aforementioned friends.

The shooting is in pretty warm conditions the last couple of days (over 80F yesterday and hitting 88F today). Somehow I ended up on the wrong section of the firing line (had my kit laid out and everything) before we discovered I was on Range 2, not Range 3 of Stickledown (they are 70-80 metres apart). So less than 5 minutes to go and I need to pick up everything and lug it over (2 trips). In sny event I was very hot and somewhat flustered when I got settled in my new position.

Cutting my story short, I ended up very dehydrated (and accordingly functioned at a very low level in the Corporation match) and fired a 32 with a cross-fire (shot on another target as my last record shot). Just disconsolate, as I was only down 12pts for the entire Grand the night before.

A mediocre 45 in the Wimbledon followed at 600 to put paid to any chance of improving my overall standing over last year.

I suppose it's all a test of character at this point. There are still quite a few important competitions that start today (the St. George's and the Queen's Prize) and I have to work on regaining my cheerful attitude and remember that I love this sport though it can, at times, punish one very harshly. Must keep my chin up and put it all behind me.

Not like I don't know about the dangers of dehydration.

Next match at 10:45 today (St.George's at 300yds) and then I'm free for the afternoon. I may head down to the museums at the Portland Naval shipyard for a visit to their newly-opened Jutland exhibition.