June 11, 2006 – Like the title? It was a toss-up between that one and “Sculpt Your Abs,” as Sean Crooks suggested. Perhaps Drew Goldsack will tackle that one in his update next week. From equipment to emotions and everything in between, to prepare well is to give yourself a chance to perform at your maximum capacity.

As I rouse my body out of it’s holiday state this week with our team’s first training camp in Truckee, California, it is not without rumbles of disagreement and various aches. But that is to be expected after the extended break I’ve had to absorb this past race season (intense!). Having taken a good 8 weeks to play, rest, and de-stress, I’m back in action and it feels great.

As for you, dear reader, it’s your turn to make those measurable, motivating goals, and with any luck these 5 considerations can help you get there. Are you unsure about how to take the steps closer to your dream goal? Check it out…

Preparation

You have to be the most prepared that you possible can. Looking back at the 1.1km sprint at the Olympics, I remember the deep sense of peace that came over me a few days before the race knowing that I was ready. I was excited to get out there and ski to see what would happen. Having my event on the 12th day of the Olympics meant that I had lots of time to prepare on course. I spent this time fantastically absorbed in the process of nailing that sprint race, with no outcome expectations beyond wanting to be in the top 30. I was absorbed in the course, I did my intervals with the boys and I practiced my weaknesses (the flats into the stadium) with such focus that they became my strengths. I prepared physically, technically, mentally and emotionally.

So everyday this summer, when you’re working towards whatever it is that you aspire to, try some new things and be prepared to give it your all for your dream!

In our sport there are a lot of people out there hammering, but few are doing the necessary preparation/recovery to be able to give’r day after day, year after year for the amount of time that it takes to get good. Don’t be discouraged; the things that we need to do can be so painfully simple, which may be why they are overlooked in favor of surfing the net for the latest training trends or eating Doritos in front of the TV.

Here we go…

5) The Basics

Do the basics well: eating well, sleeping well, and hydrating yourself to be ready for a workout. Don’t underestimate the power of this preparation!
After the basics are done you can move on to your goals (from “find the flow” to “do 12 chin-ups”) for the workout and how you’re going to get the most out of it.

4) Equipment

Prepare your equipment beforehand! I’ve become very aware of workouts that are sub-par when we don’t budget the time to do little things like sharpen the pole tips before rollerskiing, or pack a jacket in case it rains.

3) Activate

My pre-workout physio routine is now a full 30 mins for the am workout and 15 mins for the pm. It appears that overuse injuries are almost as common as finding yourself in the grocery store wearing spandex. A high volume of training will expose your minor imbalances and make them hurt. Getting treatment is all well and good; actually doing those exercises that the physios give you can make a tremendous difference. I know, that sounds ca-ray-zy, but it definitely works. My workout starts with 15 mins of light exercises to get the right muscles firing through my lower body so that just maybe my knee won’t hurt, 10 minutes of exercises with the rubber bands for my shoulder, and 5 minutes of core to hold everything together. You’d think this was alpine skiing, sheesh.

2) Health

Two years ago while racing in Europe I learned the hard way that bad choices can land me a 5-week cold. There is nothing positive about pushing your body when it’s in a compromised state health-wise. It’s dumb. You are only permitted to use the “yeah, but I was sick,” excuse once, and then you absolutely have to learn from it. The first rule of holes: when you’re in one, stop digging.

And the #1 thing that will help you prepare and get more out of each workout is…

1) Recovery

Remember that your recovery from today’s training session is your prep for tomorrow’s challenging workout. Plan to have a protein drink and a 5-10 minute cold bath ASAP after your cool-down, do some stretching, have a good lunch and a nap, and do an easy recovery workout later in the day (as opposed to rushing around doing your daily cram of activities or standing a lot).

Preparation for workouts = Recovery!

The thing that will make the single biggest difference to your training, is not measured in seconds, hours, or reps. It’s the quality of your every action and reaction. When you hear talk about quality training, what that means is coming to every session prepared to perform your absolute best.