Getting a Grip

 There was a time in my archery career when I was guilty of choking my bow. I didn't know the act of doing so was a heinous crime to my shooting evolution, but that's how we learn, right?

A decade ago a trend existed amongst bow manufacturers to incorporate high wrist grips into many beginner bows. I cannot say whether or not a high-wrist grip--a large wooden or composite grip resembling a turtle shell--truly affects a bows accuracy, but I can relay the affect moving away from them had on my own shooting.

Shooting form and the grip

Archery is a sport of rigidity. The human musculature allows for the body to nearly lock into a rigid form to support the weight of a bow at full-draw. For example, the top photo is of myself with a well-tuned Limbsaver Proton at the appropriate draw length. The rigid, "locking" effect is visible from where my release hand notches into place behind my jaw bone. Locking also occurs down my nearly-straight left "bow" arm, which supplies ample tension during the shot (hence back-tension shooting!). There is, however, one place you do not want rigidity in your shot: the grip.

Grip evolution

Many new bow manufacturers have switched riser designs to a low-wrist style of grip (see photo of my new PSE DNA's nearly non-existent grip on right).

Low-wrist grip's allow for a larger surface area of the palm, essentially the "life line" running down you hand, to come into contact with the riser. This contact improves stability during the shot process.

Conversely, a high-wrist grip focuses the contact into the dough-like wedge of flesh between you thumb and index finger, minimizing contact and allowing the "squishy" muscle to shift when the draw weight of the bow settles on the hand. It also kinks the wrist into a non-rigid movement upward.

 Your hand pressure on the grip is also important. Notice in each image how my hand is placed: slightly cupped inward, fingers not touching the riser. This minimizes contact with the bow during the shot process, allowing for a clean release of the arrow (no flinch!).

Another trend in bow design is to minimize the arrow shelf on the bow, essentially taking the throat (where my finger is pointing on the right image) higher and closer to the center point of the bow. The design allows for the hand to smother the top end of the grip, and allows for more downward riser area for a proper low-wrist grip.

The take-away from this is, if you have never tried a low-wrist or medium-low-wrist grip, to try it head to head with your current set up. Pay close attention to you shooting form with each shot and see the difference!

One final grip hint: We are approaching the cold late season, and most hunters tend to grab their bow and run to the field with a few more layers on, including gloves. Understand that every layer you add, whether it's an outer shell with thick arms, or a thin pair of gloves, place more distance between you and your bows fit. A difference of 1/4" on the bowhand because of a glove, coupled with another 1/4" of padding the release on the wrist can make a big difference in the field. So, be sure to shoot prior to season with all the layers you intend to hunt with!

The Mid-season Dust-off

Ah, Fall. That magical time of the year when the tree colors change, the weather turns crisp, and a bowhunters dreams are once again rekindled.

I say "once again," because following an enthusiastic early season of chasing bulls, bucks and bear, the inevitable season's end comes all too quickly.

So we hunters wait. We scratch away the time with trail camera outings, forum posts about tips and tactics, and hopefully continue our shooting regiment...Or do we?

It's time to be honest; Do you shoot your bow consistently following the early season rush? I mean, it was dialed-in perfectly, so why change perfect, right? This sentiment is common amongst many bowhunters around the country who hang up their bow during the month or more between seasons, and it can lead to major headaches heading into the late season.

I don't know about your part of the country, but here in the Pacific Northwest the shift from warm September days to the frozen November late season can spell disaster for a fine-tuned archery setup. So how do you avoid what I like to call the "mid-season dust-off"?

The Plan:

1. The easiest plan is a consistent one. Continue your shooting regiment as you have prior to early season (and hopefully year round!) Switch back to field points during the mid-season hiatus to save your arrows from being sliced and diced. Trust me, there's plenty of time to switch back to your broadheads, and it really doesn't take long at all. To make the transition easier, try this:

*Make sure you mark the vanes, by number, of each arrow you plan to hunt with.

*Likewise, when you remove each broadhead from the arrow be sure to mark it with the same number. Simple fix!

Knowing your broadheads is the key to having confidence in your shooting rig.

That way when you assemble them again for a quick broadhead session in mid-November you already know the broadhead in-hand is tailored to the arrow. Most hunters realize the importance of finding the proper broadhead-arrow combination, and that if one head fails to fly perfectly with one arrow, that it is wise to try another from the pack to see if it works better. Yes, broadhead ferrules (the main body of the broadhead) can vary ever so slightly right out of the package. So try the broadhead-switcharoo if one head fails to fly just right.

2. Shoot at least a week prior to your late season hunt! If mid-season dust-off occurs you'll need to understand what your bow is doing. What it's doing, you say? Shouldn't it be the same as earlier? No, that's not always the case. Cold weather, extra clothing layers, even your body adjusting to shooting in adverse conditions, can all play a roll in the shift from early to late season shooting.

Fine-tuned equipment in 90-degree temperatures can change dramatically in freezing conditions. Granted, the newest bows on the market can help curb some hot-to-cold whoa's, but don't count on it. The key is to shoot your bow rig in temperatures
matching (or close to) those you intend to hunt. You might be surprised what occurs during your late season practice trips, so remain calm and you'll be dialed-in in no time.

Good luck this late season, and may your arrows fly true!

One final tip: String wax. Not just for your bow string (a must here in the rainy Pacific Northwest), but for your broadheads as well. Apply a small amount of string wax to the threaded body of your broadhead ferrules to ensure they stay put inside your arrows insert.

Like Acid in my Veins: A Lactic Acid Refresher

It’s that point when your body parts feel like lead. Each step is labored, and your well trained legs seem to be fighting your every move in the right direction. What madness is this? Could it be that dreaded running demon known as lactic acid that is not only causing my race day agony, but my post-race fatigue, too? What role (if any) does it play in post-race blues?

Sometimes the only thing to do when you have pushed
too far is to rest and let the lactic acid settle.

Feel the [Acid] Burn

According to WebMD, the ailment-diagnosing source for all of us non-board-certified desk jockeys, the buildup of lactic acid stems from low oxygen levels during exertion, as the body attempts to break down carbs for muscle fuel.

Lactic acid begins to build in the body when glucose (sugar in the bloodstream) is broken down to it minimal form during any hard workout, resulting in the need for the body to clear the lactate from the bloodstream in order to maintain a high rate of exertion. As many runners have noticed, there is a limit to what the body can handle. 

The affect of too much lactic acid is that oh so lovely burning sensation in the muscles that gives the extremities the feeling of being lead-filled.

Often, the increase in lactic acid forces the runner to stop in order to decrease the acid buildup, which, according to the website BrianMac Sports Coach, occurs quite rapidly during exercise—with removal typically happening within one hour after exercise stops.

So what’s the cure? For the runner, taking a few minutes at the aid station mid-race can curb the initial buildup of lactic acid and prolong the physical output. The key word: “prolong”, which means, unfortunately, lactic acid is with you every step of the way on race day, but that doesn’t mean you can’t control its onset to an extent.

Steep inclines, high hills and a fast pace increase lactic acid buildup.
This hill, the Skyline Rim Trail, has an incline of 2,000+ vertical feet
in the first 2 miles, making for a lactic threshold-building run!

The Big Question: Does lactic acid buildup during an event mean more soreness after?

The short answer: No. Based on all of my research about post-race stresses on the body, my aches and pains are not to be attributed to that race day weightiness brought to my limbs by lactic acid. One positive note is that lactic acid levels, I have learned, can be beneficial if managed properly.

                  By pushing your body to high anaerobic levels you can help to increase the amount of oxygen your body can process during a given time period. By pushing your body’s anaerobic threshold you can offset at least some of the short term affects caused by acid buildup. The key is to push your exercise output above your standard, predetermined race pace for a short amount of time—typically 2 to 4 minutes, according to Runner’s World online. Follow this high-output with a “cool-down” running speed of 1 to 2 minute below race pace and boom! You have just helped nudge your lactic threshold in the right direction. Now, just do that several time throughout your run, several day per week, and you can simply avoid being burned by lactic acid…at least for a while. There are several good lactic threshold training plans available online through Runner’s World, so be sure to check them out prior to your next race.

                  As for the initial question: Why am I so sore post-race? It would appear that lactic acid buildup, contrary to common wisdom, does not carry over into my post-race blues. So, what does? In upcoming posts I will dig deeper into what causes the hurt, and (hopefully) figure out ways to avoid it!

Post-race fatigue is in my blood...Literally

The turn-around at the top of the Rainshadow Running Angel's Staircase 35k race

I was bent over, struggling for breath in the middle of the trail with sticky phlegm projecting with each cough, and the only thing I could think was: What the heck is happening? I was only four miles into my usual eight-mile trail run through the hills outside Ephrata, Washington, and my body was putting on the brakes. So, as I stooped over my spittle I thought about what had led me to this lowly point.

Maybe it’s just a coincidence that my current running struggle follows my longest—and toughest—trail race to date, the Angel’s Staircase 35k by Rainshadow Running? Perhaps it was the 21.7 miles of trail-running bliss peppered with 5,926 vertical feet of gain that could have done it? Perhaps not, so I decided to take a deeper look into what affects happen following an all-out race effort.

The Basic Premise: Getting to the root of my fatigue

Gravity sucks. And, when gravity meets altitude and incline, which, in the c

ase of the Angel’s Staircase race which peaks at 8,000 feet, you get an all-out battle for muscle-recruiting oxygen. The battle is most noticeable through the huffing and puffing that occurs as the elevation (and trail grade) increases. But what causes all this deep huffing and puffing when the altitude and distance increases?

An important thing to note before carrying on is that a large part of the struggle (or lack thereof) is dependent on your pre-race physicality, but elevation and altitude cannot be discredited.

The rapid transition to higher altitude—and yes, 8,000 feet is high for someone living at or near sea level—will cause red blood cells to multiply as they attempt to make the most of the dwindling oxygen in the atmosphere. When cells multiply, according to altitude.org, they make the blood thicker, which causes the runner to feel sluggish.

Combine the increase in red blood cells with the change in air pressure (which is roughly 25-percent less at 8,000 feet compared to sea level) with a substantially higher heart rate caused by the need to filter more oxygen, and you get one worn out runner. The speed at which this cell increase occurs is not clear, but the quick transition to higher altitude can cause quite a bit of physical discomfort.

Many runner training groups recommend high altitude training as a safe, legal competitive edge—a roundabout way of blood doping by making you blood thicker prior to sea level competitions. But there are limits. “At these higher altitudes [above 8,000 feet], your exercise capacity decreases to the point that ‘deconditioning’ can take place,” according to the Institute for Altitude Medicine.

So, what is one possible result of my racing venture above tree line? A buildup of red blood cells, which can significantly prolong recovery time and time between future training runs. This, of course, is not the only combination of factors leading to my unsavory mid-run state, so I will be addressing other factors associated with post-race fatigue and hopefully building a plan to counter it.

The Never-ending Countdown

"Well this sucks," is all my good friend and archery hunting partner Scotty could say after his fourth consecutive broadhead-tipped arrow found its way far from its intended mark. For Scotty, an archer who typically places five out of six arrows into a fist-sized target at 40 yards, this was borderline maddening. This feeling, a sense of frustration as archery season looms, seems to plague the working-class archer who often finds little spare time to shoot consistently.

So how can you make the most of your shooting time when time is running low? Here's a simple tip to curb your last-minute archery angst.

Focus on quality, not quantity. 

I, like most archers, relish the time spent at the range. In the not too distance past I use to find myself spending the entire day at the range. My time was divided between refining each arrow, chatting with fellow club members, even cooking up a lunch or dinner during marathon stints near the club house. On these days I could loose more than 200 arrows.
Fast-forward three years, a full-time job, college, and a shortening archery season and my range time has become a fraction of its former self.

Today, meaning an average workday, set the simple goal of six arrows.

And even six is a stretch. The goal should actually be just one. The first shot each evening should, in your head, be a play-by-play of your dream hunting situation. Visualize that monster mule deer feeding, or that rutted-up elk walking into your setup, standing a mere 30, 40, or 60 yards away, whatever your chosen distance may be, as you draw and anchor your bow. In archery you only get one shot, so make it count. On midweek days, shooting is all about reaffirming your in-depth weekend practice sessions--a chance to build upon quantity with the visualization of success.

This abbreviated practice can be accomplished with a standard block target or a full size 3-d archery target. The benefit of a 3-d target is the emphasis on shot placement, which can be adjusted to practice quartering shots. Just remember: be deliberate with your shot, because this season may boil down to that one well-placed arrow. Good luck!

Leave Nothing on the Table

Perhaps it was a moment of clarity or I had cracked, either way one thing was for sure: the brutal switchback was winning and my mind was wandering. It's during these moments of extreme exertion--in this case mid-race on a horrible ascent--that I was struck with a motto that has stuck: Leave Nothing on the Table.

Now, two weeks after that memorable moment I once again found myself toeing the starting line, only this time I was at the Mid-Columbia Challenge, a 5k go-for-broke event, which takes the racers over one of the most unique race environments ever, the Wanapum Dam.

Hours of event set-up had finally transpired into 189 racers rushing through the starting gate and up the dam. June 30, is one of the best times to be crossing the Wanapum Dam, as the run-off from snowmelt has swelled the Columbia River to near-record proportions, bringing spray and roaring echos over the dam deck. It also meant that I was weaving back and forth across the dam deck to see the massive amounts of water rushing off the dam only feet below me (think standing on TOP of Niagara Falls; pretty awesome power).

The Columbia River gorge lived up to its reputation and produced a monster headwind, which seemed to change directions just in time for use to double-back at the 1.5 mile turn-around. Regardless, my good friend and co-worker Scotty managed to buck the wind blues and steam ahead, finishing second in 20 minutes 22 sec., while I trudged in at 21 mins. 34 sec., to take third place. 

If you love competition and preparing yourself for the mountains is your goal you should really think about running races. I am a firm believer in choosing a race with a unique venue or one that will challenge you physically and mentally. The end result is one heckva workout where you've left nothing on the table and you'll be one step closer to being in tip-top shape for Washington's archery season!

When a Desk Jockey Flips...tires that is.

By Jameson

I honestly think that the idea of adventure is the thing that most excites the standard desk jockey athlete; that thing that propels you toward doing something far more than your standard day. The end result is fantastic, great water cooler talk to be sure, but it's the build-up that I have now while looking out at the big, stupid-crazy sage-covered hill behind work thinking 'hey, maybe, just maybe I should run that stupid thing tonight!?' that really drives me to find adventure.

Yesterday was a prime example of the adventure bug creeping into the workplace. Fresh off an epic 25k trail race the day before, I thought to myself 'now what?' and quickly found the solution in the parking lot of Anytime Fitness.

Tires. Worn-out, grimy, full of water and perfect for flipping end-over-end in the heat of the day, tires offer a great chance to feel like a beast. Ever tried flipping a 200-pound tire? I hadn't either until two weeks ago when I saw those ugly hulks steaming on the pavement. One flip and I was addicted.

For the archery addict striving to reach the mountain top there can be no better activity than flipping tractor tires. Strenuous? You bet, but you feel like a million bucks afterwards! This is just one of the ridiculous/obscene things I have incorporated into my archery season training, plus it's just fun throwing heavy things around! For more information on tire-flipping check out YouTube and learn proper form first.