The role and importance of morning training sessions, and how to manage them.
Morning training is an integral part of an athlete’s preparation, as it gets their body clock going earlier than most people’s and prepares them more effectively for competition conditions.
>Many of the competitions we take part in have morning and afternoon sessions, and swimmers are expected to compete in both. Athletes who are used to getting their body clock going earlier in the morning can perform better under these conditions.
>In addition, our athletes’ most important competitions of the year, such as the National Championships, Winter Championships and, in some cases, international events such as the Acropolis Meet or the World Cup, involve morning races over three or four days. These may often be their only races if they do not progress beyond the heats.
>Planning, sticking to a schedule and taking personal responsibility allow athletes to manage and balance training, school and rest. Drawing on our experience of working with top athletes, many of whom have already visited our pool, we offer some general guidelines for managing morning training:
>Plan your schoolwork as soon as you know what has been set. Ideally, organise your study time over the weekend.
>Write out a weekly timetable that includes all the activities you take part in during the week. This will give you a clearer picture of your schedule.
>Just as you plan your activities, you also need to plan your meals on days with two training sessions, so that you always have enough energy!
>Let your school and teachers know about your sporting commitments. If they are aware of them, they may be able to help with everyday difficulties, for example by allowing you an extra 10 minutes to eat during the last break or making allowances if you arrive late in the morning. If they do not know, you certainly cannot count on their help.
>Pack your school things and snacks the night before, so that in the morning all you need to do is gather up the swimming kit you left out to dry overnight.
>If you have a little time to rest after school before tutoring or afternoon training, try to avoid using your phone. Let your body relax, perhaps by taking a short power nap.
>Whatever difficulties you face, speak to your coaches. This is a new routine, and we can find solutions together, as long as you ask for help!