In the pool. Image: Delly Carr / Sportshoot
Tapered program
“I’m not expecting a whole lot in the first race of a season because I’m coming in off a big training base; it’s a chance to see how you’re placed and where the improvements need to be made. I usually find that you have your real ups and downs during those first couple of races – you can feel really good one minute and really ordinary the next. As you go through the season you refine things. You definitely need to taper – but that’s very individual, and it very much depends where you’re coming from. You might have flown in from Australia or the US, so you have to manage the change in time zones and jet lag. That’s a bigger factor … ”
On the wing
“Travel is a major factor in our sport at elite level – you have to plan very carefully what time you arrive and what you’re going to do when you get there. Obviously your training and your tapering have to become entwined in that. That’s where experience really counts – it’s extremely individual as well. What works for some doesn’t work for others, so it’s mostly trial and error – you usually have to find out the hard way what works for you. But the other thing I’ve learned is that there’s no certain secret, either – no particular way to go about it.
“It’s very important to know to go with whatever gets dished up – there are going to be times when you can map things out with airports and airlines, but if your flight gets cancelled and your plans get mixed up, you can end up doing your head in.“When I first started going away I had particular routines and food I wanted to eat at certain times before a race; when you start to travel you realise that that’s not an option. You can really let it ruin you or you can just let go of some of those things and look for the next best option and not let it stress you out.”
Fuelling up
“In general my diet is what I’d call ‘pretty healthy’: the better the stuff you put in the more you’re going to get out of your body. I’m not vegetarian or anything like that, so I make sure I get plenty of red meat for my iron and I find fish is really good, especially salmon with its high oil content. That’s supposed to be great for your joints.
“I love to cook at home, but I can’t say I’m very enthusiastic and imaginative when I’m training and I’m tired. Food is such a big
part of my life that my favourite treat is to go out and be cooked for. It’s very hard to manage your diet on the road, finding what foods you want, or even finding what foods are in certain countries when you can’t read the language – that can be challenging, so you learn to pack a few snacks as well.
“I definitely know the benefits of supplementing. I take an iron supplement. Calcium is important, and your fish oils. I take a good multivitamin to keep my immune system boosted, containing zinc and magnesium.
“You learn to become quite aware of your body, and quite often I’m able to determine what I may be lacking, though blood tests are a more accurate way of finding out. I’ve been seeing a naturopath here at home for a number of years who works very well for me.”