Brooke Gosling - It's the Little Things that Count

The Little Things
We have all heard the phrase “look after the little things” and most of the time we nod our heads in agreement or understanding of what that phrase encompasses. Over the last two years since I have been a part of the Alberta World Cup Academy I have heard this on an on-going basis and have indirectly been reminded of it everyday. Sometimes it causes me anxiety because when I do an account in my head it starts spinning so fast with everything I have been told to look after…and essentially all these little things are actually one big thing that can make or break you as an athlete.

The other observation that I have made about these so called “little things” is that they don’t affect you until you are at a race that matters the most. So I have compiled a list of the little thing I feel are important and also what I have been taught being on the Academy and also
from observing athletes who can hold it together when it matters. Please feel free to add to this list as I think this is an important exercise for any high performance athlete.

In no particular order, here are some “little things”:

-SLEEP: rule of thumb, you need 8-9 hrs plus whatever you trained to recover properly. This is very important for women because this is the only time that you release growth hormones= recovery of muscles.

-FUEL: plan to eat 6-8 times a day. Breakfast should be well rounded, try different things to find what works for you- spend the time to figure this out, it is key, everyone is different! You also may need to vary this for intensity or races vs. an over-distance workout or strength. After training re-fuel with a liquid recovery mix for the quickest absorption (try different products to find what works for you, ask your teammates, coaches).
Lunch should be one of your biggest meals, followed by a snack before your second training and then liquid recovery after your second training. Remember to bring a snack and sport drink for distance workouts and plan to bring recovery nutrition with you if you have to travel to and from training. Timing is key. Try to keep meals whole and well rounded- you need fruits and vegetables! if you don’t like them, take greens plus or an alternative!

-REST AND RECOVERY: Find out what works for you, sometimes this is a nap, sometimes this is reading, homework or crocheting :). This is essential between workouts and between races. You need to find a way to decompress and let your body and mind chill out. This is the toughest one for me as I work and try to run errands.

-PLAN your day and week: As an athlete or student athlete or athlete with children, time management is the key to performance and fitting in the little things. Plan your meals; plan your workouts, when you will shop, when you need to run into the city to get new roller ski wheels, when you need to get blood testing done, when you need to nap.

-Be SELFISH: this year more then any other year has to be about “you”. Always ask yourself if a decision or action is helping you achieve your goal or not. Those closest to you will understand. You can’t be stretching yourself thin or trying to please everyone or saying yes to everyone- it costs a lot of energy and stress is very hard on the body!

-Find a GOOD DOCTOR: At this point in the game you need to know what’s happening in your body. This means knowing you are not low on anything. Find a doctor who can help with regular blood testing. Make sure you keep them up to date on how you are feeling and always ask questions.

-STRETCH: This is so essential for recovery. The easiest ways I have found for stretching are the following: get a yoga pass- if you pay for it you have to go!, stretch for the duration of a half hour sitcom or other tv show, get a stretching group organized within your team- we tried this briefly last year and it definitely has potential.

-MASSAGE: You need to budget 2 massages a month at the very least. Do some research and talk to other athletes about who they have seen and who they like. You don’t want to waste your money on blindly going to see a massage therapist that can’t go deep enough.

-PHYSIOTHERAPY: Skiers are prone to overuse injuries. We are constantly on edge of pushing our bodies too far. Try to see someone once a month to ensure you have good mobility and biomechanics, get them to give you strengthening and balancing exercises. We are all good had hammering, but sometimes taking time to realign is a chore.

...
-SUPPLEMENTS: A good coach will know physiologically what you need. Talk to them or talk to a doctor or sports doctor. Endurance athletes are usually depleting everything everyday, you need to be sure you are starting each day topped up and ready to go. You don’t want to feel tired for two months and find out it was because of low iron or low vitamin D. This is another avenue to help you keep track of where you are at in
training and feeling especially when there are a few months on your ilog that have feeling level of 3.

-PSYCHOLOGY: At this level everyone is as fit as the next. The one who will win is the one who can push past the pain for the longest. I would definitely suggest budgeting in a sport psychologist. They can help you get stronger and help you with race plans, strategy, imagery and overall well being.

-SUPPORT Network: Ensure that the people you have around you are “in the know”. Your family and true friends will understand where you are at and why you are going to bed at 9 or yawning at the bbq at 7. You want to feel comfortable in your circle, not that you have to stretch yourself out to maintain good relationships.

-FINANCIAL Stability: Nordic skiing in North America is a tough career to get wealthy off of. It is getting
better, but a lot of athletes struggle. Work on making your sponsorship package stellar, plan a few days to go and seek out sponsors, cold call companies, talk to other athletes who have had success with getting financial backing. If you want this to happen, you really have to make it happen. It takes work, people will not just hand you money, especially with the economy’s current volatile state. You can also set up a meeting with your bank to talk to someone about budgeting and financial planning. Financial stress is just as much an
energy drain as any other type of stress.

-COACH Relationship: An athlete needs to have 100% confidence in the coaches prescribed program and the coach needs to have 100% confidence in the athlete’s ability to recover and look after the little things to execute the program. Find out what works for you: email, phone, face time. Always ask questions, keep track of how you are feeling and how that fits into the period of training, be honest with your coach and speak up if you are not sure. You have to be proactive about the program.

-EQUIPMENT: Be prepared the night before a workout. Don’t show up with classic poles for a skating intensity because you left your skate poles in the team van. Make sure your pole tips are sharp. Show up with enough water and fuel for the workout. Show up early to wax skis and be ready so you can get a quality warm-up in.

-Pay attention and Observe: who are the fastest on the team, what do they do differently to get to that level (within reason). Pick their brain, ask questions and in harder workouts use them to bring you to the next level. If you are the fastest female use the boys for benchmarks. Don’t be afraid to go with the fastest athlete.

-Know the purpose of the workout: Each workout has a purpose. Pick two technique cues and then follow the plan. If it is a low z3 workout, go low z3. It is important to write this down in a book or in your training log, you need to have a quality workout!

-Balance: Staying happy and excited for training and racing is probably the most important. Obviously it is tough to stay even-keel all the time when you are pushing your body so hard and you are constantly on hormonal peaks and valleys. Take the time to make sure you have a good balance. Be aware of you happiness and ensure you have a balanced lifestyle.

Hopefully that can help some of you. Obviously some people may not agree with all the points, but I encourage you to make your own check list!
Happy training!
Brooke

- posted by Coach Richard

Team Meeting #1 - Agenda

Thurs 9 Sept, 6:30-730 pm
AC #202

welcome & intros
What are your season goals?
Training programs
Race schedule - a new "University & Colleges Ontario Cup" , race licenses
Team selection
Coaching - Richard Lay, Ian Ritchie, Curtis Donnahee
Manager - Shaun Guerin
Communications (blog, press) - Patrick Twohig
Finances - Laura Hewitt, Kyla Vanderzwet - team fees
Wax & Equipment - Jordan Forsyth, Erin McLean-Purdon
Roller Ski rentals - Mike Weersink
Clothing - Lindsey Chapman
Athletics Dept - Health & Waiver form, Eligibility Form, Handbook, varsity fee, drugs policy, code of conduct, full-time studies requirement
Fun Stuff

- posted by Coach Richard

Ski Season Dates

Here are some dates to start the season:

• Sat 4 Sept, noon-3 pm: Residence Move In - meet new students and help carry their stuff. Call Richard to offer to help.
  
• Wed 8 Sept, 9-10:30 am: Academic orientation for 1st year Gryphon skiers. at Library.
• Thurs 9 Sept, 6:30-7:30 pm, AC Rm #202: Nordic Ski Team organization meeting

• Sunday 26 September, Orangeville: Mono Trail Run, with optional Brooks shopping spree afterwards (Mississauga)
• Oct 15-17: Fall Training Camp, Penetang
• Dec 18-19: O-Cup #1, Duntroon

- Coach Richard

Athletics Director's Message

Here is a strong message I received from the Director of Athletics to all us coaches. I think I can share it with you as it reiterates some of the athletics policies I have already sent you, and which we will be discussing again.

Coaches,

Its that time of year again. Everyone is powering up for another season and we are all optimistic about results that we can achieve. Its also time for me to send to you my precautionary message about things that can negatively affect your program. Please ensure that you address the following issues with your staff and teams.

Health Forms

We have instituted on-line forms this year and i understand that this process is going well. Please ensure that all of your athletes are cleared to participate before they begin training camp. If your athletes have been flagged or if you are not sure of their status you should consult with Gunner before the athletes participates with your team.

Eligibility

Your athletes must be registered for school before they can compete and they must be registered in a minimum of 9 credit hours in the semester in which they will compete. ...

Hazing

Gryphon Aathletics has a zero tolerance policy on hazing. This means that initiation parties are not allowed. Any activity that requires individuals to do things against their will or has the potential to cause embarrassment is not acceptable. Drinking alcohol, keg parties, dressing up, public exhibitions etc are not acceptable (you get the idea). Remember that in the age of face-book and You Tube nothing is private and the most innocent parties will end up causing a problem for all of us. I hate to sound harsh BUT ignorance on your part is no defense. You are responsible for the behavior of your athletes and you will be held accountable. It is mandatory that you discuss these issues with your team and you must agree to any orientation activities that your team wishes to conduct.

Doping

The on-line and in-person drug education will be valuable to your athletes and to your coaches. After the debacle at Waterloo, the CIS will be ramping up the random tests over the next year. The department will also be implementing its own random testing as required. Please make your athletes aware of the consequences of performance enhancing drugs from an individual and team perspective. I am also concerned that athletes understand that social drugs are also banned and can be tested during competition. These drugs can stay in the system a long time. Your athletes should be aware of the issues around social drugs. Please make doping discussions a regular part of your meetings with athletes. Let us maintain the positive brand image of Gryphon Athletics.

Conduct

You and your athletes are representing the image and reputation of Gryphon athletics and the University of Guelph. Athletes public behavior must conform to the Code of Conduct that every athlete will receive. More is expected of our athletes than would be expected from the normal student body. Any negative behavior will quickly become a public issue for the media. Mentor your athletes to be ideal citizens. Do not wait until they get into trouble before you make them aware of their responsibilities.

I am optimistic that we are going to have our best year yet. We have great staff and excellent athletes, but the athletes are young and they need guidance.

I wish you all much success and remember that my door is always open and my job is to help you in any way that i can.

Tom Kendall
Director of Athletics
Department of Athletics
University of Guelph
Guelph, Ontario
N1G2W1
(W)519-824-4120 Ext.56593
Fax: 519-766-9563
Email: tkendall@uoguelph.ca

PROUD TO BE A GRYPHON!

Roller skiing in torrential rain and hale only makes you stronger- or appreciated snow a whole lot more!

Ladies Number One Strength Training Session

Power Weight Routine- Exercise Descriptions
Gord Fogg’s Demo 24 June 2010

1. Deadlift – Load a barbell and set it on the floor or rests to raise it slightly from floor. Squat behind the bar with your feet shoulder-width apart. Grab the bar overhand with your hands just outside your legs, your shoulders over or just behind the bar, your arms straight and your back slightly arched (the opposite of rounded). Engage your abs (transverse abdominals – the core stabilizer muscles.).
Finish: Push your hips back, straighten your knees, push down with your heels and pull the weight to your body as you stand up. Pause with the weight (don’t lean back), then slowly return to the starting position. Pause with the weight on the floor and reset your body over the bar.

2. Clean Pull – Same as a vertical jump. Hold the bar using overhand grip approximately shoulder-width apart. The bar is at your shins or just above your knees. Your hips are down, feet flat and shoulders tall. Your back should be arched - not be rounded at all. Forcefully drive into the ground to pull the bar off the floor. Hips, knees, ankle extension just like in a standing jump. You can get the weight moving by moving your hips back just as you start the jump. This is an explosive leg strength exercise.

3. Barbell hang clean - Grab the barbell with an overhand, shoulder width grip. Set your feet shoulder-width apart, with your knees bent about 30 degrees, and bend forward at the hips as you hold the bar at arm’s length just below or above the knees.
Finish: This is a multipart sequence that you execute quickly and powerfully. First, dip your knees, as if you were about to jump. Quickly reverse the motion, as if you were jumping and trying to throw the bar over your shoulders. With all this upward momentum generated by your lower body and then your traps (shoulder shrug), pull the bar up to shoulder level as fast as you can. Finally, dip down with your knees and hips as you ’catch’ the bar on your shoulders. Your upper arms should end up parallel to the floor, in front of your torso, with the bar resting on your shoulders, not your wrists.

4. Barbell Front squat – Face the barbell in the squat supports. Bend your knees slightly to step into it and set it on the front of your shoulders. Hold the bar with a wide cross over grip, straighten your legs to lift the bar off the rack, step away from the rack, and set your feet shoulder – width apart with your knees slightly bent and your lower back in its naturally arched position.
Finish: Initiating the descent at the hips, not the knees, lower yourself as though sitting in a chair behind you. Stop when the tops of your thighs are parallel to the floor or when you can no longer keep you back vertical, pause, then push back up to the starting position. Your knees should stay in line with your feet throughout the movement – they shouldn’t splay out or pinch in

5. Push Press –. Start with the bar on your shoulders in front of the neck. Keep the body upright, dip downward until you are at a quarter-squat position and then forcefully drive upwards with your legs using this power and momentum to drive the weight overhead while jumping to a stride position for front-back stability. Your arms and legs should be straight when the weight is locked out overhead. Step together and control the weight as you lower it back down to the shoulders.

6. Split Squat or Lunge- Place the bar behind your neck. Or hold dumbbells down by your sides. Place one foot well out in front of the other in a staggered position. Set your core and maintain an erect torso as you descend as deep as possible with the front heel firmly on the floor and the rear heel slightly raised. Attempt to push with the back leg as much as possible. Your front knee should not go fwd of your toes. Push up to feet together.

7. Single Dumbbell Shoulder Press – Holding a dumbbell above and beside your shoulder, elbow wide so that your upper arm is 90° to your torso.
Complete a shoulder press in this position Press the dumbbell straight up. Pause, and then slowly return to the starting position.
Variation: Stand on half ball for balance training.

8. Bench Press – Lying on your back on the bench, hold the bar with an overhand grip shoulder width. As you lower the bar towards your chest, push your shoulders down = away from your ears. Lower bar almost to the nipple line and prevent shoulder blades from dropping below level of bench. Keep wrists in a neutral position (all lined up so weight is directed straight down through arms) to minimize load on your wrists. Push up fast.

9. Dumbbell Flies – from same bench press position lying on bench. As in Bench Press, don’t let shoulders shrug or form a T-position straight out to your side; upper arms should be at less than 90 deg to torso when seen from your spotter’s position.

10. Back on the Ball. Lying on your back on the mat, place your heels on an exercise ball and assume the plank position. Exercise 1) Drop your hips almost to mat, then raise back to plank. Exercise 2) Starting from the plank position, lift your hips as high as possible, while pulling your heels in slightly. Exercise 3) Repeat while lifting one straight leg off ball.


Deleted from original list of exercises:
Reverse Grip Barbell Bench Press– Not recommended.
Good Mornings– Not recommended.
Incline Bench Presses – Not recommended.
Decline Bench Presses – Not recommended

thank you Vesta, Annalee, Gillian, Jessica, Kyla, Laura & Laura, Lindsey, Jennie & thank you Shaun, Jordan, Matti, Erin, Ian, Patrick, Mike, Scott

for a promised night in the Borealis
for a cowbell from the Olympics
for the pleasure of your company at dinner on Thursday
it really can't get much better
you have friends you enjoy spending time with and doing real things
you have known difficulty and hardship and come out laughing
you have come from Wiarton, Sudbury, Owen Sound, Penetanguishene, Etobicoke, Kenora, Mississauga, St Mary's, Orangeville, Almonte, Tobermory, Aurora, Orillia, Wahnapitae, Parry Sound and Port Elgin.
How would you ever meet and befriend such a group from those far-flung places?
You have been to vietnam, gatineau, whitehorse, nicaragua, duntroon, bolivia, badenoch, france, eden mills, germany, ottawa, india,val cartier, hepworth
and are ever moving on, certain that there are new adventures and places to explore.
remember us all and be proud that you made it happen

Richard