One of the most common mistakes I deal with when it comes to field based athletes is not having a specific routine on game day or even game week for that matter. Ultimately everything you do that week from food, sleep, training volume and recovery can have a detrimental effect on your 60 or 70 minutes to shine. For me doing the simple things well will lead to positive outcomes. Below are some of the habits I built into my preparation game week.
Game week Schedule
Monday - Recovery
Tuesday - Pitch
Wednesday- Gym
Thursday - Pitch
Friday - Recovery
Saturday - Walk the dog
Sunday - Game
Preparation for me begins Monday. In my diary I outline my week as above and write down 3 things that I can control and prepare for in each session. I like to freshen up on Monday for my week by stretching, getting to the pool or sea and offload any fatigue or tiredness that might have carried over from the previous week.
Tuesdays pitch is my last opportunity to cement the things I'm good at. It will be the toughest session that week so always go hard in everything you do. Don't start to try new things championship week. Be excellent at the basics and confident in your own capability.
Wednesday gym - Throughout the season I have built a solid baseline of strength work in the gym. The gym for me is about building a foundation that supports my sport and contributes positively to my power, strength and speed on the field. Don't make the mistake of not doing one maintenance lifting session a week during the season. In contrast don’t try new exercises or decide to start lifting the week of a game if you haven't been before.
My Wednesday's session for me consists of
• 10minutes of steady state Watt bike
• 5- 10 minutes dynamic movements and mobility
• 20 minutes strength and power
• sets and reps vary from 3 x 3-5
• 1 lower limb compound lift / superset with box jumps
• 1 upper limb push / superset with med ball throws/pushes
• 1 upper limb pull / Banded dead bugs
Thursday Pitch - Is about enjoying yourself and hoping you have done enough to start. Even though Thursdays sessions will tend to be lighter, it's important that you're exposing your body to small amounts of high speed running meters which will act as a protective mechanism when you are exposed to it on game day.
Fridays Recovery - Unless you're in the team bubble it can be energy sapping, chatting with people wondering who's playing, will ye win and all the uncontrollable topics that we can't control!!! I like to get to the sea for 10 -15 minutes in the water with other teammates who enjoy each other's company and know you have no interest in talking about the game.
Saturday - Saturday can be a long day to pass. Whilst you want to reserve your energy it's important to get some sort of movement in like walking the dog, mobility work or something you enjoy. Get the gear packed and ready so there are no hiccups!!!!
Sunday Game 4pm - With a 4pm game it's important to get an early start to the day so that you can continue with your fueling and hydration for the game. Fueling and hydration starts 48 hours prior to the game so that I'm not cramming food or have the feeling of discomfort because of being too full. It's also important to note that the below works for me and is specific to me so don’t worry if you struggle on game day to eat because of nerves. Fueling up the days in advance is the key if you struggle to eat. My game day looks like
8AM - Breakfast 1 - Porridge, banana and a pint of water with Mi-Wadi (easier to drink)
- Hydration
10.30 - Breakfast 2 -scrambled eggs, beans, multi-seed bagels
- Hydration
12.30 - Lunch - Pasta or rice / turkey steak /chicken and a small amount of mixed vegetables
- Hydration
2.00 – Bagel / jam / banana and coffee
Some other key aspects include sleep. Similar to your food you want to top up on sleep throughout the week by getting a consistent 7/8 hours per night. Remove any distractions from the room like mobile phones, iPads or leave the remote controls for the tv in the kitchen!!!
If the opportunity allows, try to get 30-40 minute naps before training and arrive training fresh and ready to perform.