It can be hard to connect with theoretical ideas around training and competition prep.
I’d like to share some of the things I’m doing to prepare for the upcoming World Cup in Vancouver.
1. Review what I did before the last competition.
The last competition I fenced in was the October NAC, and it was a great day for me. Despite getting off to a slow start in pools, my preparation paid off and I eventually came in 3rd. Of course I’d like to repeat that success, so I’m going to look over what I wrote down after that competition about how I prepared and what seemed to help.
2. Plan a low-stress week with extra down time leading up to the competition.
I want to make sure I go into the competition relaxed and un-stressed, so I’m going to make sure I have few commitments the week prior to the competition, and give myself extra down time in case anything unexpected comes up.
3. Get extra sleep.
Something that’s been hard for me but is a reality I need to accept is that sleep is more important than training. I don’t feel like I’m accomplishing anything when I sleep more, but I feel better and perform better. In any given week, sleeping enough is more important than training enough.
4. Focus on what’s going to help my performance in the short term.
I know things that help me long term – bouting consistently, crosstraining, lessons, technical drills, footwork, and so on. But I have limited time, and only a few of those are going to impact my performance in the next couple weeks. The most important for me will be footwork and lessons, and I can set the rest aside for the moment.
5. Keep my perspective (and have fun)
I’m going to stay focused on the fact that I’m fencing because I enjoy it, and competing because it’s fun. I know that if I lose sight of that, competing becomes stressful and I lose my ease and creativity on the strip. Having fun with my fencing really will be my #1 goal for this competition — for those who have worked wit me, my ‘process goal’ each time I step on the strip.
6. Be ready with my mental training resources and competition day plan.
Just like I did for the NAC, I’m going to have a plan for the day, some specific mental training skills to use, and the SharperMind Training Competition Day Worksheet and Perform PERFECT Checklist printed off and ready to go. (You can get the perform PERFECT checklist by signing up for my email list)
P.S. If you want to prepare for competitions like this but you’re not sure how, I can walk you through this process step-by-step.
If you’d like to get on the waitlist for 1-on-1 coaching and be notified when I have an opening, click here