perfect aim vs. perfect shots

more archery practice today.
less arrows, more focus.

first shot of the day, mantra: "it's all heart"
[note: my bullseye is painted as a heart]

arrow hits the bullseye, and in one of those freak physics moments, hits so hard that it bounces right off, flying 8+ feet back towards me!
perfect aim, wrong mantra?

shocked, i adjust my mantra: "i want everything"

arrow penetrates deeply, right on edge of bullseye.
a mild smile of satisfaction comes across my face.

final arrow of the day, mantra: "show me some power"

arrow flies, perfect feather spiral, hits straight into center of bullseye, with such force that it goes clean out the back of the target and 30' into the grass. YES.
Perfect Shot.

Forward.

splits: the agony and the thrill

As I push, my inner thighs scream. Tendons approach the edge, straining to the limit of their stretch. My breathing gets deep, really deep. My heels hurt, as 90% of my weight rests atop them. And I am closer. Closer. Almost... there.

"There" is a goal I've had for years: the full wide splits. And now as I approach this practice more seriously than ever before, it gets into deep meditation. All I can think about when I practice the splits is my relationships. And splits, duh: its about breaking up. And at the same time, it is some kind of bridge, isn't it? extending the heels wider than any other part of the body can reach? 6 feet, 7 feet? With full strength!??!!

As my width has expanded, I've been practicing muscle tensioning in that extreme position. Tightening the thighs and glutes while gravity does the rest. I think it helps. And then there's the aftermath: crying, panting, headrush... and some strange behavior that I've never needed before, but is totally instinctual post-splits:

I simply cry, lean, and embrace the wall, my cheek in bliss against the cold drywall. And my mind empties... and


that.
is.
all.

limits

Ferrari 599 vs. Chevy ZR1... guess who wins?

i am coming to the conclusion that i am pushing too hard on my aging body...
i've been pushing it pretty hard to start the year right,
and unfortunately i am experiencing a new kind of soreness.
its not the typical "my muscles feel sore 'cause they've been tested in a new way"
its more "my joints feel sore cause they've been excessively strained"

i think i may use this year to de-tune back from my natural form of ferrari (superfast and light, always starts in the lead, but sometimes the engine catches fire and the car explodes) to that of a chevy (powerful and reliable, if a little bit sluggish and heavy, always finishes the race)

how about you?