I realize that one of the last blog posts I wrote talked about the importance of taking a break, and how it affects your season. Well I did take a break, but perhaps it ended up being a bit too long.
Originally my plan was get back to my fitness regime by the end of 2012. The goal was to take two months off, and start my pre-season works outs at the gym before regular practices start in January. Somewhere in between all of the beer, snacks, buying a house, back and forth between two cities, holidays, snow storm, cold weather, working, playing with dogs, coaching, cooking fun meals, watching entire seasons of a television series in an unhealthy amount of time, and whatever else, I didn’t seem to make the time for that whole exercise part.
I missed a goal, but that’s okay as long as I re-evaluate, re-assess and make some new goals for the new season. At this point, I am going back into the season with a rested soul and body, but maybe just a tad out of shape. I took enough time off that I am excited to get back to skating after a long and hectic 2012, but need to get my fitness level up ASAP.
For the next month or so, my week will involve going to gym three times a week. This will be my exercise time, and practice will be my roller derby time. Why is that? Practice is not always about getting a good workout, because we are often working on specific drills and technique. I will be working on strength building and well…let’s be honest… trying not die after a few minutes of exercise.
Another component of preparing for the season is eating properly. I am a busy gal, and I do a lot of commuting on a day-to-day basis. Since I am not home for long periods of time, it is easy for me to just grab some take-out along the way. Eating well usually takes some organization and preparation.
I am not one of those naturally organized people, so this takes a lot of extra effort on my part. I was noticing that I spend a lot of extra money on produce and other fresh food that goes to waste. I also don’t get home until after 9:30pm when I have practice, and I am usually exhausted. I have decided to make a chart and plan my meals for the week. This is effective because it makes my grocery shopping a lot faster and organized, allows me to prep part of the meal beforehand, and ensures that I am eating what I need to be eating.
I am not doing this to lose weight, but rather to make sure that I eat less take-out, save a couple of bucks, and that I am prepared for the 2013 season. I am a “pescatarian”, so I follow a vegetarian diet + seafood. It is important to me that I try to eat as well as I can, while being a normal person that is not a nutrition professional and can’t quite remember all of the specific rules and information An easy way to think about it is simply “Real food, less bread”.
Hopefully this blog will help you get out of the post-holiday complaining period and get into action. I would like to note that this is not a New Years BS resolution, and instead my early 2013 season prep. You should take responsibility over your own fitness, and ensure that you are 100% prepared for your roller derby season. Improving as a roller derby athlete goes beyond skating on the track and turning left.
K byeeeeee
Georgia W Tush
*I am not a fitness professional and only a doctor of shananigans. Please use this as a guide and consult a for realz professional to develop a plan for you.
