Just a reminder for all of our club's athletes (MAs) who practice on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays (BR), and/or Saturdays. Class students can/should also take note.
Hydration
Please be sure to prepare for practice by drinking at least 80 oz of water before you show up. At practice, meaning in the rink, please bring plenty of hydration. Using the water fountain alone is simply not enough for athletes. We need to be taking in our 80 oz BEFORE practice and have another 80-100 oz on hand during practice and special precautions should be taken in the summer and in high altitudes to the conditions (hot weather) and demand (roller sports). This approach is a minimum that helps prevent medical emergencies (overheating) and promotes your body's natural recovery after practice. Waste not your time :)
What I do
As you all know, I'm on the floor all the time because I trained that way my entire life. You should be on the floor all the time, too, with 5-minute breaks every 20 minutes for hydration and rest. So, if you're working the following into your shopping habits (lots of lemons, lots of prep) then your outcome will be comparable.
In the morning (throught the day before practice)
80 oz of water with two lemons squeezed in and 16 oz (2 cups) of coconut water.
Before I leave
Every 20 minutes, we should be chipping away at the concoction we brought to practice. It should be gone by the end of practice.
My Concoction
• Coconut water (due to its characteristics)
• 80 oz of water with lemons juice (2 lemons per 100 oz)
• 1 Gatorade
• 8 oz of Tazo fruit/hibiscus
Legal/Medical
As a former athlete, now coach, I have to say that this approach is the Olympic Training Center's approach for advanced and elite athletes (what you aspire to be). It may seem like a lot, but you're also asking a lot of your body. Fake it til you make it. It is also legally something that I must state may vary according to your doctor's recommendations, which will always trump my recommendations. Since conditions in the summer will vary by the temperature outside, you should always include all the factors when speaking with your physician and know that new habits create new results. So, let's get it done right, and let's make it a habit. Yes, you'll be going to the bathroom a lot at first but your body will thank you and it won't always be new for your body and fewer trips to the bathroom will follow :)
Can't wait to see all your faces today and every day.
