Winter sport’s kicked off again. You’ve found your boots at the bottom of the cupboard, using your sense of smell alone, and you’re resolved to get fit. However, if your gladiator alter ego is Procrastinataur, you probably plan ‘extra sessions’ every year only to declare Mission Aborted in round 5 of the fixtures, in between ‘The Biggest Loser’ and the next episode of ‘Brothers and Sisters’. So, instead, this year be realistic and instead of extra sessions look to get the most out of your compulsory team trainings.
1. Treat the coach like a free personal trainer. Rather than getting through with as little pain and effort as possible, view training as an opportunity to get value for time and money. As a coach, I have one particular player who always requests that trainings are tough. After all, why else would she want to spend her time at my sessions? It adds to my drive to produce quality sessions and her enthusiasm rubs off on all the other players and helps to build not only fitness, but club culture.
2. Go at game pace. Often training involves drills with small periods of effort followed by recovery while standing in line. This is classic interval training, and it is the most beneficial if you do your effort at game pace, then take appropriate recovery (stretch or actively rest by walking or jogging). When drills are finished, always run it in.
3. Do a little extra before or after. One of the most time effective ways to increase fitness is to get to training early and do a run session. Don’t be nervous about being tired for the coached session to come – it’s perfect game simulation to perform ball skills tired. Of course, if the training is part of selection program then have a run afterwards. Most of your coaches training will be interval based, so you can use your additional run to focus on speed (interval work on top of the coaches session) or endurance. Ideally, alternate speed and endurance each week, it will help to keep fresh as well as improve both systems. Here are some examples of short interval and endurance workouts, though note that reps and distance should be adjusted to your fitness level.
- Example interval: 10-minute warm-up continuous run followed by comprehensive stretching. Set of 10 x 100m increasing from ¾ speed to full sprint with recovery walk back. 10-minute continuous run warm-down and stretching. The key to intervals is consistency, so strive to maintain the same time/pace in the first as the last.
- Example endurance: Straight 25-30 minute run. Over time, you can work speed training into your endurance run, varying pace by either short almost sprints returning to a jog or faster-paced runs for 3-4minutes returning to a jog.
4. Know yourself. If you’re the kind of person who pushes through pain too much and exacerbates genuine injuries then underestimate your workload to start with. You don’t want to get out there all gung ho only to do a hammy or pull up so tired and sore that you’re deterred from your next session. On the other hand, if you think you should be harder on yourself (i.e. your team mates call you princess), then chances are if you over-estimate what you can do, you’ll be surprised what you can pull out of the bag.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, do what works for you. If it takes buying a new outfit, booking training with your mates, getting an iPod, or giving yourself rewards for sessions complete, in the words of Nike, just do it. Soon enough you’ll be too fit to quit.
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Jay Williamson is the Coach and President of Coastal Breakers Gaelic Football Club and an accomplished triathlete, who completed her second half Ironman in Busselton in May.
