ahaedicke’s BodyBlog

I am caught in that delicate stage before an athletic competition where you want to step up your training yet it is imperative NOT to over train.  I have witnessed a few indicative signs of this.  In the last five weeks i have had four minor injuries, though minor lil tweaks here and there are still signs of over training.  Basically, three weeks before a big tournament was the wrong time to try new workouts.  Also, it seems that shit piles up at once… in my case, training, streess, school, work, homework… etc.  So i settled for some active recovery/light workouts on thursday and friday, and took the weekend off to catch up on some much needed sleep.

The plan for the final two weeks of preparation is to go balls to the wall this week, moderate conditioning next weekend.  Then the week before the tournament i will settle for some very light recovery workouts, take 3 or 4 days to rest and maybe go for a light run, one day to travel, and the tournament is two weeks from today.

Judgment day is upon us.

A college wrestling match consists of three periods.  The first being 3 minutes, the second and third periods being 2 minutes in duration.  The total match (if it does not end in tech fall, pin, or injury) lasts seven  minutes. This is humbling to most when you think of the 20 weeks you spent training, for one double elimination tournament.  Double elimination means you’re garaunteed two matches.  Think of it this way, you spend hundreds of hours training, countless hours of dedication to your diet, unrivaled efforts to plan your training program and diet strategies, you spend hundreds and hundreds of hours of preparation for two seven minute matches.  You spend 20 WEEKS in preparation for 7 MINUTES of competition.  Make the most of your training because if you’ve come this far, you better get the most out of that 7 minutes as humanly possible.  Nah, forget humanly possible, you’ve committed more completely, sacriiced more to, and dedciated more time and concistancey to this than most commit to a life long goal of loosing weight or improving fitness… you did the work, now its time to make your own luck and decide your own fate.