smetrack: Preparation for Meets...
Tuesday, March 25The purpose of this article is to inform the novice, as well as the experienced track athlete how to prepare for competition.
Preparation for track meets actually begins weeks before the first meet. In order for you to run faster, jump high, throw farther you will need to practice at near competition level. By practicing at near competition level your body begins to adapt to the stressors you are putting on it. Your body begins to handle higher levels of lactic acid more efficiently. Your body is also learning muscle memory for your event. By doing the motions of your event at near competition levels you begin to ingrain those motions so you automatically go to those positions while you are competing. (This is similar to practicing free throws in basketball over and over again until they become automatic.)
The week of competition you need to get plenty of rest. Studies show that most high school athletes neglect the importance of sleep. Studies also show a good nights sleep two nights before your meet is as important if not more important than the night prior to the meet. Get a good night sleep the two nights before your meet and you will be good to go.
Learning when and what to eat is important part of meet preparation. You must fuel your body. The excuse of “Oh, I can’t eat before I run” is unacceptable. Many athletes think if they eat something it will make them sick after they run. So an athletes innocent desire not to get sick turns into a six to eight hour fast. You eat at lunch then don’t want to eat before you compete so the next time you eat is after the meet at between 6 and 10 that evening. You are NOT fueling your body. Athletes need to eat breakfast and a normal lunch on meet days. Bring fruit, power bars, granola bars, nuts, peanut butter sandwiches to eat at the meet. Carbs are a good source of energy if ingested the days leading up to the meet, but not the day of the meet.
High school athletes are chronically under hydrated. Drinking a bottle of water the morning before a meet is inadequate. You need to be drinking 3 bottles of water throughout the day and bringing several bottles of water to meets. Sipping on a bottle of water during a four to six hour meet is not going to be enough fluid to maintain hydration. I suspect everyone has experienced light-headedness and dizziness during a practice this season. Some of that feeling is due to dehydration. The best indicator of your hydration is the color of your urine. If it is clear or light like lemonade, you are well hydrated, if it is darker like apple juice you are dehydrated.
To adequately prepare prior to your event you’ll need to know several things about track meets. First you need to know the order of events for the meet. Not all meets are the same. Also, track meets are run on a rolling schedule, which means once the first event occurs the remaining events will continue one after another until the meet is done. No regard is given to whether the events are ahead or behind schedule. You will need to begin your warm up 45 minutes to an hour before your event. Your individual coaches can direct you to your event specific warm-ups. For sprinters and hurdlers that means a three lap warm up, stretching and drills followed by several build ups. The key is to have your muscles warm as if you had just finished your race. Sitting and visiting with your teammates will not accomplish this goal. If you complete your warm up routine long before your event stretch, get a drink, do a few build ups but don’t just sit and hang out.
Finally, mental preparation is key. I do not recommend hanging out with other athletes from other teams and discussing personal records. ALL athletes lie about prs. Don’t get sucked into a conversation about your times or theirs. After the officials put you in heats you may be forced to stay in the same general vicinity as the other athletes. Give the athletes a nod and a “hey” then visit after the race. You will be amazed how intimidating it is to other athletes if you move off by yourself, get in to a zone and think about your race. You will find at the end of the competition (after you won, because you focused on your event) those athletes that wanted to visit aren’t interested anymore.
Hopefully, these tips will help you to prepare for your competitions. If you have questions ask your events coach. They have a wealth of knowledge and are willing to share.
Good Luck,
Coach Pennington