Saturday, May 31, 2008

Another post for canoeists. On Friday, most of us would have witnessed Jared almost fainting during Cher's debrief. I hope that the incident would not make us dread going training but would actually make us put in more effort during training. Personally, I believe that our training is not very tough. However, to ensure that we can readily survive our training, we must satisfy certain criteria in nutrition, hydration and rest.
Firstly, on nutrition... again. Jared could have collapsed because of a sudden lack of glucose to his brain. Glucose can be derived from sugar and other complex and simple carbohydrates found in rice, pasta etc. One must make sure that his body has an adequate supply of glucose to last during training. That means that one must consume more carbohydrates. Meals (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) are times where we can stock up. Eat a lot of rice, but do not forget your fruits and vegetables. Also, in between meals, one may feel hungry (i certainly do). Thus, i eat something like a muesli bar or some cereal or bread to fill up my stomach. This ensures that i have constant energy levels during the whole day. With an adequate store of glucose, i will be able to last through training. Don't be worried that some of these excess carbohydrates will turn into fat, as we'll be using a lot during training.
Hydration is another key factor. We often feel thirsty during training, and sometimes, especially during races, our mouths will suddenly dry up which causes breathing and talking difficulties. This is because of a build-up of lactic acid, causing our body to feel thirsty. To prevent this, we must drink a lot of water, not only during training, but before and after training. Remember to drink at other times too.
Last point, rest. By rest i mean sleeping and just slacking. During these times, especially during sleeping, is when our muscles will recover the best. Thus, we may need a lot of 'rest', especially after a week of gruelling training. When we feel tired/sleepy, just sleep/slack/lie around. Especially when it's nearing bedtime, don't stay up playing games, chatting, doing work (seriously), and SLEEP if one starts feeling tired. Don't fight exhaustion just to do some stuff like playing games, especially after a day of training. Listen to your body.
After this post, I hope that any other incidents similar to Jared's collapse will not happen again.
We only have 5 more weeks to our competition, treasure it and use it well.
P.S. Anyone knows how to create a motivational speech. Something that doesn't have to do with "THIS IS SPARTA!!!" please..

Labels: Canoeing

Posted by Canxiang at 6:39 PM