Tactical Games by Coach Leslie
Today I am traveling to southern Utah to compete in the Utah Tactical Games. The Tactical Games are a combined shooting and fitness competition that was started by a CrossFitter who was also a Green Beret. Think of the Tactical Games like the biathlon of CrossFit, only we use a handgun and a rifle. I have always enjoyed competition. You all know that I think competition reveals our character. Training for competition gives us focus and develops our drive and discipline. Competition itself checks our ego and gives instant feedback on our mental toughness. I love learning about myself through the entire competitive process. The Tactical Games are unlike anything I've ever attempted. I have competed both on teams and as an individual, but I have never combined an intense fitness pursuit with such a specific accuracy component. I have been training for the Utah Tactical Games since October. Once a week, and sometimes twice, I go to the range and do some kind of high intensity interval training combined with marksmanship. Sometimes I shoot at the end of a workout, sometimes I shoot in the middle. It just depends on what aspect I'm training. This past January I participated in an online fitness and firearms competition much like the CrossFit Open. For three weeks a workout was released on Thursday and I had until the following Monday to video my session and submit my score. I have 2 short videos from that competition above. Also in January I completed a 2-day pistol course from the Tactical division of GORUCK. In this course I learned how to manipulate and shoot my pistol in stressful environments. I had a blast and learned a ton. I look forward to more training from GORUCK Tactical. I am not a huge gyn enthusiast. I didn't own any firearms until I inherited some from my grandfather. He was a gun enthusiast and what was passed on to me was incredibly special. I figured since I now own guns I better master their use. Being a responsible gun owner means knowing how to use, clean and properly secure my firearms. It's how my grandfather taught me and it's what I learned in the Marine Corps. The fitness aspect of the Tactical Games doesn't scare me too much. I know from other Tactical Games events that I will probably ruck with all my gear. I'll have to go over a wall and probably climb a rope. My grip will be tested as will my ability to jump over stuff, crawl under stuff and move heavy shit from here to there and back again. However, never at the end of CrossFit workout have I been required to slow my breathing and drop my heart rate so I can shoot with accuracy and precision. It's those two aspects, accuracy and precision, that scare me the most. You know how at the end of a workout we are often heaps on the floor? Well, now I have to compose myself and try to hit a target while my hands are shaking and my breathing is labored. It is exactly this thing, that scares me the most, that draws me to this sport. I love the process I have learned and developed thorough training for the Tactical Games that allows me to control my arousal. If I am ever again in a stressful situation, I know that I can draw on my training to keep me calm and composed. Of course, it's all hypothetical until the shit hits the fan. Or as Mike Tyson famously said, "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth." I'll find out Saturday and Sunday how well I can stick to my plan when I get punched in the mouth. Wish me luck!
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