First of all…
Congratulations in competing in your first individual competition.
Although this guide should cover most things, please feel free to come to me or the other coaches with any questions, and we will do our best to give advice/coaching where needed leading up to the event.
Speaking of which, here is my first piece of advice:
This is not the Games. Each of you will have your own level of ‘seriousness’ about competing, ranging from super serious to just there for a laugh. No matter which, this should be a fun experience.
Try to relax and accept the highs and lows of competition in whatever form they may take. With that being said:
‘Success is where preparation and opportunity meet.’
A week before the competition…
Training:
At this point you cannot get any fitter or stronger, but you can burn yourself out or lose your edge. Training should look a little more relaxed, with some opportunities for intensity.
It’s about keeping the iron hot so to speak, leave every workout feeling like you hit some intensity but had a lot more to give. Remember you earn no points in training, save your fire for the competition floor.
Nutrition:
Try not to stray too far from what you normally eat, we don’t want any drastic diet changes that might make you feel uncomfortable. But you can increase carbs and you should feel high energy levels for the day or two before the comp.
Sleep:
This is where you need to be a bit more disciplined if this is something you struggle with, mentally and physically competing is demanding. A good week of sleep will set you up for the day of competition. Remember, we want to be as fresh as possible!
Stress:
A part of life whether we like it or not, try to do as much as you can in advance so you have an easy ride as the competition gets closer. Pack your bag a few days before, think about what food you will take and get to the shops sooner rather than later. Washing for me is usually a weekend job and with comps being done on a weekend, I do
one before hand so I have fresh clean clothes to take to the comp. As my brother always
used to say, ‘Look good, feel good, play good.’
The day of competition…
The morning:
If you are nervous you might not want to eat first thing in the morning but you must get something down. Personally I go with oats, a nice slow release carb.
A small amount of caffeine, enough to take the edge off but don’t go slamming 3 scoops of pre-workout too early! It is a long day, you want to save the big guns for the afternoon slump.
Get to the venue early and register, then go and find out where bathrooms, warm up areas and your favourite food vendors will be. This will save you later in the day when you have limited time between events to get stuff done, you want to be recovering between events as much as possible, NOT doing laps trying to find a toilet.
Warming up, cooling down, time between events:
I’ve been in warm up areas with two rowers between three heats, and no rig before a gymnastics test. You might not be able to warm up like you do for class or in your gym sessions. When in doubt, get your heart rate up and try to get yourself in the zone. Don’t panic too much, 20 burpees and you’ll be grand 😉
Listening to music before or during your warm up can help snap you into the mindset for some pain and suffering if your head is not in the game yet. Also great for cooling down after the event as the place will most likely be blasting dance music all day.
Post event you’ll be buzzing but try to avoid staying high as a kite for too long as it will then be a grind getting yourself ready for the next event.
Enjoy your performance, but start the recovery process straight away.
Quick release carbs – water – sit down and chill out.
Personally, baby food has been a game changer. I can sink like 4 of them for a decent hit of carbs without feeling like I’ve eaten loads. Usually there is 3-4 events and a final. At the lunch break its time to start thinking about
the afternoon slump and preparing by getting a solid hit of caffeine in.
A bigger portion of carbs will be helpful but have an easily digested meal, don’t get bloated and feel sluggish. Avoid high fat foods.
During events:
This is where you can really send it, every second/rep/kg counts and you do not want to walk off that floor thinking you could have done anything more. Let all your hard work show, try not to think too much during the event. Let your muscle memory and training carry you.
The goal for most comps especially the first one is to enjoy yourself, but if you know where you seeded in terms of a place on a leader board, try to finish higher than that if you need a target to motivate you.
Post comp protocol
2-3 full days rest.
You might feel like you could train, but mentally and physically you will be a bit spent. Let yourself have a break and come back in recovered.
Usually the motivation to train is sky high after competing which is why this bit is hard, but your risk of injury and burnout is increased post comp. You have just SENT IT harder than ever before, let the body rest.
Eat and enjoy your victory. Training can wait there is no need to rush back.
Final points and tips.
- Don’t spend your day looking at what others are doing and comparing. It’s your day, focus on yourself and your own successes.
- Don’t dwell on anything that goes wrong, accept it and move on.
- All positivity no negativity.
- Although some of you are competing against each other, #WeAreWildcard support your friends and shout louder than anyone else!