Training Vacation

Athletic training is a full-time job, I train a lot, 6 days a week, 2-3 hours per day and as a full-time student, a coach, and with a part-time job my schedule is full.

“A dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work.” – Colin Powell

Besides regular competitions locally, provincially, nationally and internationally, along with the unique opportunities of Canada Winter Games and World Indoor Championships, I have been without any break for over two straight years. Personally, I never realized just how tired and exhausted I was, however my coach did. Therefore, I am on a two-week vacation from shooting and training.

There are many benefits for taking a vacation including…

• Recharge & Avoid Burnout – Taking regular time to relax helps avoid burn-out and get us back to feeling our best.
• Overall Well-being – Lower stress, better sleep and better mood will improve your overall energy levels.
• Friends and Family – Reconnect and strengthen relationships with loved ones and reaffirm the support you have behind you.
• Performance – Better focus and re-energizing will influence your performance in a positive manner in the end.

The key is taking a good amount of time off from the stresses of training and competing will recharge your batteries and help you reach those long-term goals. Personally, I recommend at least one to two week break between indoor and outdoor seasons and easing back into to your full-time training programs.

A good vacation is over when you begin to yearn for your work.  – Morris Fishbein

Remember to stay active to during a vacation like swimming, taking a walk, going for a bike ride, going to the batting cages, or playing laser tag. Remaining active will make it easier to re-start your training program after the vacation is over.

“The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.” – Vincent Lombardi

For the Love of the Game

“Winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing” is a well-known sports quote however winning is NOT everything!

Sports have the perception of big money so there are lots of different pressures to succeed. It is very common for any athlete to feel stressed which can come from thinking you need to be the absolute best and win every time. Sometimes young athletes continue within their sport, bottling up the stress and feelings to the point they break-down mentally or collapse physically and end up dropping out of the sport hating it. You can feel resentment towards your sport by being forced to compete.

The reality is, only a couple of sports produce big money contracts and then only a couple of athletes ever make the big bucks. Archery is not a big bucks sport and you need to do it for the love of the sport itself and not the thought of some large paycheck.

Whenever you start to feel pressure, resentment or giving it up completely, stop and try to remember what you loved about the sport in the first place. You may want to take a short break to regain your passion again. Archery is a sport for life and that can be a long time to be miserable.