This post is mainly for canoeists, especially to the sec 2. As you all know, the national schools is in just 2 months time. Everyone (mostly) is revving up to go to the top and bring the title back to us, and i hope you are one of them. It is not too late to change our attitudes and commitment our sport and school. There are a few things in my agenda: firstly, time management, secondly, nutrition and lastly, sleep.
Time management. These 2 words are repeated all over again & again, but do not take effect on many people. For canoeists, it is critical. We train 4 times a week, each time we have training ending at about 7 three times a week. For most of us, that means we will only get home at about 8, and we still have to do our homework once we get home. Thus, it is important to have good time management. I encourage you to take dinner once you're home to aid in a faster recovery, and then a bath. Followed would be time to do your work. First, do all paper-related work. Then, use the computer. People tend to get distracted while using the computer, and may start randomly surfing the web or playing games. Thus, i think it would be a good idea to keep the computer for just as long as needed, keeping MSN conversations to a minimum. Also, another point in time management would be to choose your own fight. I believe the school organises many events that we may want to join/help out in. I seriously discourage going for such activities during our pre-competition days (now), as they would waste a lot of time, and may even directly affect our training. Remember, even the school places preparing for the competition to be more important than academics preparation. I hope this will help you manage your time better.
Secondly, on nutrition. As athletes, nutrition is very important in helping us recover faster and improve faster. Simple changes in our diets can help us significantly. For me, breakfast is usually with many carbs so as to give me an energy boost, while i always eat something during recess. Eating during recess is critical, as it will keep our energy levels up throughout the day. Lunch would be slightly heavier than recess, while i drink Milo along with it. Try not to buy the other drinks as they are rather high in sugar and are pretty nutrition-less. After training, i would consume a snack and drink a protein shake (I haven’t got it yet). This helps in recovery as some nutrients will reach your body faster. This also keeps one from feeling hungry on the way home. Dinner is rather heavy, with a lot of carbs (rice or pasta), protein (meat or tofu) and vitamins (fruits and vegetables). An hour to half an hour before I sleep, I will eat something with carbs, like cereal or a bar. That is my typical nutrition for a training day, but it's not based on anything save advice from my siblings (both active sportspeople). You don't have to follow it as this is according to my own personal preference, and you should come up with one that suits you.
Lastly, sleep is what I’m going to talk about. Sleep is important, as it is during this time, one's body can recover and gain energy for tomorrow. As students, we probably have quite some work to do during the day, and coupled with training, this would have to mean sacrificing some sleep. However, sleep is very, very important, and i recommend that one sleep at least 6 hours a night. That is the bare minimum during the weekdays. If you have any uncompleted work, you could write an email to the teacher explaining why you are unable to hand up and ask for a deadline extension. In school, you can also seek help from classmates (not copy) on how to do your work. Remember to prioritise!!! During the weekends, sleep a lot (About 10-12 hours is fine), especially to make up for all the damage your body received during training. Remember; do not starve your body of sleep.
That is all i have to say, and i apologise for this long post. Remember your commitment to canoeing and our school, and most importantly, it is YOU who is going to make the school proud, and YOU who is going to feel happy and YOU who is going to win the medal, not for anyone else, but yourself.
P.S. Sorry for my lousy first speech...