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Sunday, October 28, 2012

Preparing for WPBA Nationals in Oregon

Hello all!  I've started playing more pool again lately.  I've been battling a string of physical ailments.  My back and neck have been as bad as it's been for a while, makes mornings especially pretty tough.  Then I got laryngitis and pneumonia on top of that.  Then I strained an abdominal muscle which made it tough to do the simplest things.  All of it is getting better but it's been more annoying than anything else because there's always so much to do.

One thing for sure, it's made me really hungry to play since I simply couldn't do it for the last couple of months.  I'm so excited to be playing again.  My main focus is to do the drills that focuses on my stroke.  The timing and alignment being perfect.  I love doing long straight in shots.  Hitting medium firm stop shots so that I can see any aiming flaws as well as seeing that I hit center on the cueball with absolutely no unwanted side spin.  Of course, the break is so important too.  I love my BreakRak.  It take a few minutes to set up but it's awesome because it saves so much time from having to rack over and over again and also, it helps me see what's really going on with my cueball without all the other balls running around to distract my focus.

I'm setting up more times to play with good players in my area as well.  That's always fun!  Love beating these boys!  Haha!

I've got to get strong again. This means making sure to hit the jacuzzi, getting more rest for my body, eating right, stretching and then getting to my gym to hit some machines.  I really need to do more cardio to keep my endurance up during tournaments but it's a struggle because I've never learned to enjoy it.  I love strength training but cardio is a bore.  I've got to figure out a way to make it more fun for me.

I've had some wonderful times with my kids, getting them ready for Halloween.  We really enjoy these fall parties and dancing and crafts that come with it!

As a mom, I always feel pulled between giving them the attention they need, keeping my business going of marketing myself and doing events, and playing pool at a World Champion level.  It's so hard.

In the morning, I have the toughest time physically so when George is home, he gets the kids up and ready.  I get up and head to the gym or work in the office.  Lately, I've gone right to the office.  I'm on the computer or phone all day.  I look for ways to make a living with the name I built. This comes with endorsements, exhibitions, teaching, speaking,  and marketing.  Finding ways to help companies bring more attention and hopefully more business for their companies using me and pool of course,  is challenging but fun.  Sooner than I want, I find myself at lunchtime.  Then, it's time to play pool.  I try to get in atleast a few hours a day.  If I have time, I try to make time to play with a friend or do some kind of drills.  Then it's time to focus on Cheyenne who comes home from school and cook dinner.  Then my favorite time is bedtime.  That time is the time they get all cuddly and beg for story time, snuggles, scratching their back, rocking them, singing to them....basically any excuse for them to stay up just a little bit longer....and then, they pass out!  I sneak downstairs and George and I either wind down with some Voice, X factor....or if he's watching sports, I go watch my cooking or Home design shows...Pretty boring, huh?  Occasionally, I'll watch pool tapes.  Lately it's been more often than not because I haven't been able to play.  On some nights, lately, I've had friends come over at 8:30 after all the kids are asleep.

This week, I'm doing a lot more competing than drills.  As I get closer, it becomes more and more important to stay in the present while I'm playing, as opposed to playing and analyzing my game.  The mental game is so important.  We tend to always look at ourselves and try to figure out what's wrong.  We tend to let our mind drift off to absolutely anywhere. But in battle, we need to stay in the present and commit to figuring out our weaknesses later in practice. When in battle, we have to stay in the present, being ready for any opportunity that might present itself.  We can't think about why we missed our last shot. We have to trust that we've done the work to get here and put all our focus on THIS shot.  This is not a natural thing to do.  It takes practice to think this way.  It takes work and commitment.  I'll be really focusing on doing this these next two weeks as I prepare for Oregon.  And when it's all over, then I can go back home, make new and short term goals, and do all the analyzing I want!  Wish me luck!  J

1 Comments:

Blogger Suki Ho said...

your family is so sweet and cute!

and i really like your attitude
about pool games and facing obstacles.

you are really an awesome player!!!

i am you super fans in Taiwan:)
always support you

November 23, 2012 at 4:59 AM  

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