A lot of us will do fitness for fun but some of us will want to test our fitness in a variety of sports events. Whether it’s a marathon or swimming for your local club, if you’re doing it for the first time, you’ll need some advice to get your ready and prepped for the big day. Here are some tips for when you’re training for an event.
Don’t Sacrifice Sleep
Sleep is important, and although training may be important, you shouldn’t sacrifice sleep. There might be days in your week where you’re very busy, and you’re not able to fit everything in. Obviously, training for your event is important but getting a good night’s sleep is essential if you want the energy that’s needed. On the days you are less busy, this is where you can spend maybe a bit more time that you’ve lost on training with other days.
In order to get a good night’s sleep, try to aim for the same time each night. That way your body will become used to the routine once you’ve done it for a few weeks. Sleep not only helps with your body, but it also puts you in the right frame of mind. A lack of sleep can make you feel sluggish, but it can leave you feeling short-tempered and stressed as well.
Hydrate Your Body
We’re all made up of mostly water and therefore if we don’t drink enough throughout the day, it’s surprising how much it can affect our bodies. Not drinking water can lead to dull and dry skin, it can make you more prone to headaches and dizzy spells. When you’re in training, your body is going to be using up much more of your water supplies, and therefore you want to be drinking more than the usual recommended amount. The usual amount is normally around a liter and a half a day, but on training days you might want to drink almost double that. You might find yourself going to the bathroom more, but it’s likely that because your body is overdriving on water, you might not feel the need to go.
Create A Schedule
Getting organized is something that needs to happen when you’re training, and it’s creating a schedule is definitely something you need to do if you’re not good at remembering off the top of your head. Plan it via your online calendar or on a spreadsheet and set out the daily and weekly training sessions that are needed. If you’re training for a marathon, you’ll usually get a schedule from the organizers, but this is something you can also use as a guide if you wanted to do any extra. If it’s linked up to your phone, then you might find it beneficial to set reminders that can go off when you need to do the exercise.
Have Rest Days
As much as the training is important, you also need to incorporate some rest days on your schedule. This allows your body to recover and to repair itself because if you don’t then you risk injuring yourself and that will only end up putting your training on hold which could impact your performance when it comes to the event itself. Take these rest days to very little, relax on the sofa and binge watch some of your favourite television programs or meet some friends for dinner and drinks. It’s important to unwind both physically and mentally on these rest days.
Write A Diary To Track Progress
Training for an event can be mentally exhausting, and it can be tough to talk through the experiences you’re having while training if no one else is doing it. Therefore, writing in a diary might help to track your progress. Talk about each day in length and don’t be afraid to write how you’re feeling when you’ve had a bad day. It’s something that you can look back on if you ever end up doing it again. It’s also great to monitor if there are any similarities to how you perform at different points in the week. You may find that later on in the week is where you struggle or at certain times of the day.
Eat The Right Food
Food is your fuel, and therefore you want to ensure you’re putting the right food into your body so that you’ve got the energy to make the most of your training. Certain foods can only hinder your training and make you feel sluggish and bloated. So make your weekly shop a healthy mixture of food and keep your home a healthy place too. Don’t buy anything for the household that’s a temptation because if it’s in the home, you’re likely to want to eat it. For cycling nutrition, you may find certain snacks work better than ones you’d eat when weight training or running.
Don’t Feel Guilty For Cheat Days
Sometimes it can all get a little too much, and the thought of another day’s training can be too much. We’re all human, so if you have a cheat day where you just want to relax instead of sticking to your schedule, do it. Don’t feel guilty about it as that won’t help when it comes to getting back into your routine. Take a break when you need to and don’t think that you’re letting yourself down because of it. That’s certainly not the case!
Training for a sports event of any nature can be daunting, but as long as you work hard and commit yourself to it, you’ll do you and your loved ones proud. So get yourself sorted with a schedule, making sure you have those cheat and rest days in between. Keep your body hydrating and remember to keep track of what you’re putting in your body. Record your journey with a diary and most of all, don’t sacrifice sleep for anything. It’s the thing you’ll need the most to prepare yourself for this challenging event that you’re doing.