With the League Championships coming up on April 24 and 26, athletes start thinking ‘hey, I want to have a great day out there!’ Here are some things to think about…
Overall Fitness Levels Don’t Change Quickly: Pretty much, your fitness is a product of the work you have put in at practice the last eleven weeks. If you have been working diligently, you have increased your fitness level dramatically. But if you are looking back and thinking ‘gee I wish I had not missed that week back in March’, now is NOT the time to try to make that up. Don’t go out on Sunday and try to get that 20 miles you missed or those 16 300s you skipped. Your body will not adapt to stimulus that quickly. What you want to do is get the most out of the fitness you have, so…
Get Plenty Of Sleep!: Getting plenty of sleep is one of the best things you can do this week to help your performance. “Adequate sleep is clearly underappreciated,” says Dr. Michael Fredrickson, medical director for Stanford track & field. “[Sleep] can do more for an athlete’s running performance than the proposed benefits of any vitamins, minerals or supplements.” Planning to get plenty of sleep all week, by thinking ahead about homework and school requirements and being diligent about your time management, might have the most impact on your performance than anything else you might do.
Hydration: It is going to be warm this week–and that is a good thing, after weeks of cold temperatures we are finally getting real track weather! However, warm weather has it’s own challenges, and after a lot of cold weather it is easy to get a little too casual about hydration. Even mild dehydration can have a negative impact on athletic performance. And being well hydrated takes some sustained vigilance and attention. So make up your mind to be particularly thoughtful and deliberate about your hydration this week. Start each day with a big glass of water. Then, carry your water bottle around with you all day and sip frequently and refill the bottle often. When it’s time to race, you will be well hydrated–and your body will thank you for your diligence!
Food: Let’s be especially kind to our bodies this week. Maybe this is not the best week to see how many bags of Flaming Hot Cheetos you can eat in a sitting! Eat plenty of clean, healthy food including plenty of veggies. You don’t have to be perfect (I’m not sure what a perfect diet is, anyway!). But you know, for example, that a chicken and veggie burrito from Chipotle is probably going to make you feel better than a Big Mac and fries from McD. And you know that your mom’s chicken, rice and a side of green vegetables is going to make you feel great, too. Don’t diet, don’t skip meals, your body needs fuel; and be smart about what to eat. (Ask coach if you have questions!).
Do What Works: At this point you know how you want to prepare in order to race your best! So focus on what works for you–what pre-event meals work best; how to warm up, stretch, get your gear ready; what routine works on the start line or in the ring; how to get settled while waiting for the gun. You don’t need to try anything radically new. Focus on doing what has worked in the past and you will be more relaxed and confident because you know what to expect. Competence brings confidence. Trust that you know what you are doing, and execute!
Positive Mindset: Show up every day being proud of your team and proud of what you have brought to the team! Tell your teammates about what you admire and appreciate about them. Talk about some of the incidents from the season that are most memorable to you. Think and talk about how lucky we are to be healthy, living in Cupertino, running around, and part of this team. Show up for race day thinking, and saying, ‘This is a great day to race!’ If you are thinking that it’s going to be a great day…it probably will be!
And a bonus…remember to thank all the judges and volunteers and timers at the meet. Whether you have a great day or a bad day, you can make someone else’s day better and make them feel appreciated. And making someone else’s day a little better is always a win!
