Start canoeing
Friday, 30 April 2010 11:16
Page 3 of 5
pro tips
Four-time Dusi winner Ant Stott's tips for before, during and after a race.
- Visualise yourself having a great race, feeling strong, not making mistakes and crossing the line in your desired position. This will bring you one step closer to the real thing.
- Try to eat two and a half hours before the start so your food has time to digest before the start. There is nothing worse than trying to race with a full stomach. Eat an extra something very small an hour and a half before the start if the race is going to be a long one.
- Before you leave home subconsciously dress yourself from head to toe as you would for real when you get to the race. There is a lot to remember when packing for a race and this will make sure that you leave nothing important at home.
- When you arrive at the race check that nothing in your boat has rattled loose while driving. I like to use a cock-pit cover while driving to a race to ensure that nothing important falls out of the boat. Double check all nuts, bolts, seats and bouyancy to make sure everything is tight.
- Get into your race gear before you cover up with sunscreen. This way you will know which parts of your body will still be exposed to the sun. Aerosol spray, sunscreen spray and sports stick are the easiest to apply without getting it on your hands. It is a nightmare if you can’t grip your paddle properly because your hands are too slippery.
- Go for a warm-up jog 20 minutes before the start in full race kit to make sure that all your gear is sitting comfortably. Don’t be shy to work up a good sweat and get the blood flowing. Climb on the water 10 minutes before the start and paddle hard. You don’t want your body to be taken by surprise when the starter's gun goes off.
- Start as fast as possible to ensure you get into a strong group. It is far easier to hang with someone stronger than you than trying to catch up later in the race.
- During the race don’t be scared to push yourself. You will never know your own limits unless you push them.
- Hold back on the drinking for the first 30 minutes. From then on sip on your juice regularly to keep the thirst at bay as well as providing your body with all it needs to keep going at the highest of levels.
- Drink your recovery shake no more than half an hour after the race has ended. Get some food into your body no later than one hour after the race if you have had a protein shake, otherwise much earlier. Your body needs fuel to recover so make sure you give it everything it needs to facilitate recovery.
