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Beijing Olympic Fever

by September 15, 2008

SAILING FIT

  • By: Meka Taulbee

  ACE Certified Personal Trainer

  SAILFIT Inc

By the time you read this the Olympics will be over and most everyone will have had what I call “Olympic Fever” This is when you watch the Olympics and get so pumped up and excited that you vow that you are starting your Olympic Campaign today. For the next week you train like crazy.  Then as a few weeks go by you start to tell yourself that you’ve got 4 years so why rush. Does this sound familiar?  Well, I hate to say it, but it takes years to build up to the athletic levels of many of the competitors in Beijing. So don’t put off today what you think you can do tomorrow.

Before I go on I want to recognize some  people who are prime examples of years of training in their sport. Congratulations to Anna Tunnicliffe for achieving what so many dream of. A gold medal  at the Olympic games. Andrew Campbell is an amazing competitor and person. He’s an excellent role model of how a campaign should work. Mike Leigh is  a sailor Canada should be extremely proud of. He is relentless in his work ethic and another great role model.Lisa Ross is another sailor Canada should be proud of. Aside from just being a great person she has put in a lot of hard work and dedication and is someone  female sailors can really learn a lot from. Thank you Anna, Andrew and Mike for all of your hard work and for representing the North American Laser Class so well. 

For those of you who don’t have Olympic goals in mind, but rather just the next regatta the same applies. Many times people come up to me three days, a week or even one day before the regatta and say,  “What should I do to be in shape for this regatta?” Sorry to say, starting your fitness program the day before the regatta begins is not the way to go.  Just being in good shape for an event is not a healthy option. Adopting a healthy lifestyle will make each regatta easier and much less painful. A steady, consistent approach is the best way to reach and maintain your optimal performance levels. For example if you wanted to lose weight and keep it off the recommended weight loss rate is two pounds per week. It is unnatural for your body weight to have big swings up and down, not to mention very unhealthy. When you gain or loose weight too rapidly it has just as rapid an impact on your organs or bones. If you gain rapidly you are constricting everything inside and most times when you gain to rapidly it is fat and not muscle you are gaining. This leads to a whole host of other complications. For example elevated blood pressure and cholesterol levels. If you loose too rapidly it puts the natural support system in your body in a weakened state. By taking things at a consistent pace your whole body can adjust to the changes and become stronger and healthier. 

Beijing was expected to be a very light air venue. Many of the sailors were at the lowest weight they have seen since they were junior sailors. In order to achieve their optimal weight they did not just starve themselves the week before the Olympics began. Well at least I hope they didn’t! The sailors needed to be able to maintain their strength and agility in the boat as well as being at a lighter weight. When your weight fluctuates it changes how you sail the boat. You may sail the boat differently at a higher weight than at a lower weight and vice versa. For example if you lighter you would have to depower your sail sooner as opposed to if you weighed more.

As the fall & winter sailing season approaches I would like to suggest that everyone start getting ready for the next regatta now. Even if it’s not until December or February and especially if you live up north where the sailing season is coming to an end, now is the time to start. Remember slow and steady progress is the key. Let me break it down to 3 levels.

First, start by spending a few weeks being more aware of what you are eating. NOT DIETING. Just by being more aware you will start to make better food choices naturally. Substitute 2 cans of soda per week with a bottle of water. Trade the bag of chips with lunch one day for an apple or piece of fruit. Eat Breakfast!  Most times we don’t even realize that we grabbed another handful of chips in the break room or a candy bar at the checkout until it is in our mouth or gone! When you start to pay attention you start to make different choices. Then these choices become the tendency and not the conscious decision. 

Second, spend the following few weeks adding stretching to your daily routine. Stretching is great because you can do it at work, at your desk, in the shower, while watching TV or even in bed. Then try adding in some sort of physical activity once a week.  It doesn’t matter what you do as long as you get your heart rate up. Walking, running, swimming, rowing, Basketball, tennis, weight training, it doesn’t matter just get out there and do it!  After adding this activity in just once a week you’ll find that it will then become easier to add in additional sessions. Shoot for two or three times a week. Remember to change it up. Don’t always do the same activity for the same amount of time in the same place. You’ll get bored and never want to do it again. Make it fun for yourself. If you have a dog you can take the dog for a walk or run. Make it a family affair and include everyone or get a group of friends together. 

Third, put it all together. By now healthier eating habits should be becoming more second nature, you have incorporated injury prevention by stretching and some cardiovascular conditioning. If you find you are really getting into it and enjoying yourself you may try incorporating some additional weights or adding in more activities. Most people think that working out will make them tired. On the contrary, it will give you more energy. You should find that the combination of all of these things will make you sleep better, have a more positive attitude and feel energized. That alone will help boost your sailing performance. Now when you go to the next regatta you are prepared. You may not do any other activities other than sailing during the regatta and your eating habits may slip a bit, but you will already have a good base to work from. It is hard to make the most nutritional choices when you are traveling but if your body has a solid platform to begin with it is easier for it to digest and make up for what it is not getting. The one thing to try to keep up at every regatta is stretching. It will help get your muscles warmed up and loosened up.  

Whatever your goals may be just take it step by step and you’ll get there. Don’t be afraid to ask others and see what they are doing. A lot of times you can get good ideas that you can incorporate into your own program. 

I can’t wait to see you all at the next Olympic trials! As always, if you want to hear about a certain topic or have any questions about this experiment feel free to contact me. You can always find me at www.sailfit.com or email directly to meka@sailfit.com. I look forward to hearing from you

Fear

by May 16, 2008

SAILING FIT

By: Meka Taulbee

ACE Certified Personal Trainer

 SAILFIT Inc 

Sailing has really introduced me to so many different people from all walks of life. Along the way I ran into someone who had a pretty cool story to tell. This self description is what caught my eye “ A Buffett fan looking to turn all my dreams into reality. Several years ago I decided to sell everything and move to Costa Rica. Best decision of my life” After digging a little deeper I realized he had something to offer that I thought all of us could benefit from. 

Dr. Timothy Laskis is the author of “Finding your Costa Rica”, sought after motivational speaker, behavior expert, personal development coach and organizational consultant. He holds a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Organizational Behavior from the California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP), Masters in Psychology from CSPP and Bachelors in Psychology from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Both his doctoral training and clinical internship are fully accredited by the American Psychological Association.

Tim’s book, articles and/or personal story have been featured in a number of publications including Latitudes & Attitudes Magazine, The Fresno Bee, The Greenville News, A.M. Costa Rica and Valley Voice.

What is  it that makes some of us put the rest of our lives on hold to travel around the world to compete in a 14ft one man sail boat, knowing that only 1 of us will go to the Olympics every 4 years. I am not trying to include myself as one of the sailors, but if you didn’t already know, I quit a corporate job, left my apartment and the life I was living, to travel around with one of you.(Best thing I have ever done by the way) What makes some want to be the best sailor locally, nationally or at their club? Most importantly what’s holding them back from achieving that goal? I’ve often thought that the fear of the unknown or success/failure could really hold us back.

Well when I met Dr.Tim I decided to ask an expert and see if I was just crazy or maybe I was onto something. I asked him if he thought the fear of success/failure could hold you back in competitive situations. I found his response  to be pretty interesting especially in a race situation. He told me that if we have a fear of failure we focus on the failure. Consciously or unconsciously we look for reasons to validate that fear and the fear builds. For instance, if you are afraid of not doing well in a race and you go out there and miss a wind shift you may say to yourself “see that’s exactly what I didn’t want to happen” . Now you are focusing on that instead of your goals for the race. As your focus is drawn to that missed shift you are loosing boats and one thing leads to another and you are at the back of the fleet. Now the fear builds for the next race and unless you can just shake it off it has a spiraling affect. Instead you need to focus on your goals and begin to validate those. So you missed a shift, your goal is to place better than you did in the last race. You keep thinking about that goal and you are more in tune with what’s going on in that race and you were able to pass some boats. Now the success builds and you start the next race out on a positive note.

Goals! I bet some of you never even thought about your goals for any one particular race. That led me to my next question. I asked what his advice would be about setting goals to achieve better race results. He explained that you need to have two types of goals, short term  and long term. Decide on your long term goal. Whether it be to go to the Olympics or win the summer series at the end of the summer at your club. Then break it down into smaller short term goals. Think about the steps to take to achieve to each short term and long term goal. Next WRITE IT DOWN and put it a place you will see it everyday. This will help make it more concrete. Our minds have so many things flying around in it that it would be easy to loose track of one your goals. He says to keep in mind that it’s ok if you don’t have all of the steps because your goals will grow and change along the way. With each goal that you set out to achieve you may learn something that will change one of the goals you set for down the road. He said one of the best things he thinks you can do is to find someone who is better than you or someone who has achieved one of your goals and ask them if you can pick their brain. Chances are they already have a blueprint  or a plan they have followed and you can just copy some of the steps to help get you on your way. I really agree with that one. While laser sailing is pretty competitive on the water, off the water the sailors are one of the most helpful groups of people I have ever met. 

Dr.Tim reccomeds that as you work toward these goals reward yourself for your accomplishments and keep it fresh. This way you won’t loose momentum and “your sail will always be full of wind”.

He also told me that visualization was a good tool to use. There are a lot of top athletes in all different sports who do this to help improve their game. He says to visualize an upcoming race or one that you have already done. This will help train your brain in knowing the skill you are trying to acquire. One thing he told me really surprised me, but after he explained it made sense. He states that “winning is an uncomfortable situation for some people”. It can be threatening if you have never been there before and all of the sudden you have a whole fleet of boats following you. Some find it more comfortable to be back in the fleet where they usually are. They know what to expect. This is why you should visualize your race and where you want to be. Get used to the feeling in that situation. You can also visualize past races to see where you would have made changes thus training your brain for that to be a more natural pattern. Then when faced with that situation again you are comfortable with making the right moves to put you where you want to be.

Finding your Costa Rica came about from Dr.Tim’s studies and his own experiences including his time living aboard on the east coast of Florida. I wanted to know what he wanted people to gain the most from what he has accomplished. The answer…”That they can make a change and to give them hope. It’s ok to go left when everyone else is going right”  He hopes that he can help people  realize they have the  tools that allow them to do whatever they want and that they can “thrive not just survive”

I really appreciate Dr. Tim taking the time to talk with me and hopefully you can use some of these tools to get the results your looking for on the race course.

If you want to learn more about him you can go to www.findingyourcostarica.com.

On a separate note. Two people who are turning a dream into reality are Anna(Tunnicliffe) Funk and Andrew Campbell. They will be in China representing the laser class in the 2008 Olympic games are both working very hard and deserve all the support we can give them. Visit www.annatunnicliffe.com and www.campbellsailing.com.

As always, if you want to hear about a certain topic or have any questions about this experiment feel free to contact me. You can always find me at www.sailfit.com or email directly to meka@sailfit.com. I look forward to hearing from you

Focus on the 4.7

by September 16, 2007

SAILING FIT

By: Meka Taulbee   

ACE certified Personal Trainer

SAILFIT Inc

Focus on the 4.7

Fitness is just as important no matter what age you are or boat you are sailing. With the 4.7 class now on the rise I thought I would focus on some of the basics to get you started. In the beginning it may seem difficult to add more to your daily schedule. By starting small and gradually adding on it won’t seem overwhelming and soon exercise will become more of a habit than a chore.  The advantage you have is it is easier to establish healthy fitness and nutrition habits when you are younger as opposed to when you are older. Here are some guidelines you can follow to start you on the right track.

SLEEP

Sleep recharges your body. Think of the batteries in your headphones. When they get old they start to play everything really slow and it sounds muffled and distorted. This is what happens to your body when you don’t get sleep. Your muscles aren’t as strong and fast. You don’t think as clear and you may even feel like you are in slow motion. Getting seven or eight hours of sleep at night can help you think quicker and help your body respond faster.  This is helpful on the racecourse and in school. 

STRETCH

Stretching will help prevent injuries. Your muscles are like rubber bands. If you keep stretching little by little it becomes easier to stretch further. If you just tried to stretch it really fast and really far it will snap. Well, your muscles will do the same thing. With consistent stretching habits, little by little your muscles will be able to stretch further and you will become more flexible.

EXERCISE

Regular exercise doesn’t have to mean going to the gym all of the time. Regular exercise includes things like playing hockey or basketball, swimming, biking and going for walks or hikes. This is something that you can do with your friends or alone. Try to incorporate some of these activities into your day a few times a week. Whatever you decide to do, pick something you enjoy and most importantly HAVE FUN!

HYDRATE

Water is one of the best things you can give your body. You need to keep your body hydrated to keep it functioning properly. Remember I said your muscles are like rubber bands? What happens to an old, dried out rubber band when you try to stretch it? It snaps, right? Well, that’s the same thing that will happen to your muscles if you let yourself get dehydrated. Try to keep drinking fluids all day long, working towards eight glasses of water a day. A general rule of thumb is, if you feel thirsty you are already dehydrated, so keep a regular flow of liquids going into your body.

EAT SMART

Developing good eating habits are sometimes hard, but very important. You should try to get in five fruits and vegetables a day. These will help make you stronger and think clearer. Make sure you have eaten a healthy meal before you reach for something sweet. A healthy meal is one that includes foods from the major food groups such as fruits, vegetables, protein and whole grains. This doesn’t mean that you can’t have cookies or Ice Cream, just try to limit the amount that you have. 

Most of these guidelines aren’t very time consuming. Hopefully you’ll be able to incorporate some or all of them into your daily routine. If you already have, congratulations, you are well on your way to improving your sailing ability. Most importantly remember to have fun. You’re more likely to stick to it and get better if you are enjoying yourself. As always, if you have any questions or comments feel free to email at meka@sailfit.com or visit www.sailfit.com. I’d love to hear from you! 

What’s Your Excuse

by June 16, 2007

SAILING FIT

By: Meka Taulbee

ACE Certified Personal Trainer

SAILFIT Inc

What’s your excuse?

Well, my deadline is coming up and I really thought that I would have to reprint something for this issue. Then it hit me. I was running and I started thinking about what different athletes put themselves through to be able to stay on their game in their sport or even just for their own satisfaction of staying in shape.  As you can imagine as a trainer I hear all sorts of excuses as to why someone didn’t work out, couldn’t work out, couldn’t eat healthy or left the regatta early. Hopefully this short article will light a fire under some of you. 

What lead me to this train of thought? Well, for those of you that don’t already know, Team Taulbee is adding another member to the team. We are expecting our second baby at the end of June. Yes, you read right, I was running when I thought about this article. I am 36 weeks pregnant and still run at least five days a week and do light weights. Most times I am pushing our two year old in his jogging stroller as well. Crazy? Maybe, but it’s what I do. It would be really easy for me to make excuses to not go. I too have to motivate myself and talk myself into it sometimes, but in the end I do it and feel great for going. 

I started thinking about some of the sailors out there who have had setbacks, but have kept going and are stronger for it in the end. One is Brad Funk. He had to go through major surgery and rehabilitation on his shoulder. He timed his training around this and now look at how well he is doing. He is still just as strong of a sailor if not stronger. He has been traveling back and forth from Europe to the US to train and sail. Doesn’t look like it stopped him one bit. It would have been really easy for him to make excuses to not train as hard. 

The next person that came to mind was Andrew Campbell. Just recently he broke his wrist in Europe while cycling. He had to change his plans a bit and make sure he heals causing him to travel back to the states for some time in a cast. It doesn’t look like this slowed him down much. He was still out on the water doing some judging and then as soon as the cast was off he was doing some Etchells racing. This was the day before he left to head back to Hyeres, France for some more high level Laser racing. He got injured during his training and still no excuses from him. He’s back and ready to rumble. 

I have had the pleasure to be able to work with one of the Paralympic teams before the last Olympic Games in Athens. This was an extraordinary experience for me. If anyone has the right to make up an excuse not to train it would be these guys. Yet, they worked harder than a lot of other sailors I know. 

The last person I thought about is my idol as an athlete. Whenever I think I can’t go out and work harder or even train at all I think of him. Lance Armstrong. Need I say more? 

WHAT’S YOUR EXCUSE?

Getting Ready Part II

by March 15, 2007

SAILING FIT

By: Meka Taulbee

ACE Certified Personal Trainer

  SAILFIT Inc

Getting Ready part 2

As a follow up to my last article I have asked about ten different sailors what they do to prepare for a regatta. I asked juniors to masters and novice to experienced. Needless to say I only got a few replies back. I take this as a good sign that everyone is just too busy sailing instead of sitting in front of their computers. Interestingly enough the responses I got were all from top level sailors on the current US and Canadian Sailing Teams. 

Before I get into what they all said I want to thank each of them for taking the time to help me out. These sailors are some of the busiest I know so I really appreciate the thought and time they took answer these questions. I think it will give all of you some great insight into what it takes to put together a solid program. Thank you Andrew Campbell, Mike Leigh, Ian Lineberger, Kurt Taulbee and Anna Tunnicliffe.

I was hard to try to group the information because everyone is different and had varied responses. I decided to just out line the questions and give you what each person gave to me. As you read these think about what your own answers to these questions are.

  1. Do you do anything specific to prepare for a regatta?

Andrew– Plenty of details come into play for the preparation for a regatta. But, I think success is in the details. Getting housing figured out more than the afternoon you arrive!, making sure that all the parts and pieces are in place and working order before the first day of the regatta, and having spent a ton of time training in the weeks leading into the regatta, not just the afternoon ahead of time are three easy steps

Mike– Train on and off the water

Kurt-I work on my fitness so I go into a regatta feeling good in the boat. I work on my boat handling and balance in the boat a for a few sessions before the 

regatta.

Anna– I practice a lot in my boat…either at the location, or at home depending on the level of the regatta.  I also fuel my body up with energy to be prepared for whatever conditions may bring.

  1. How far in advance in advance do you start preparing?

Andrew– Fitness: months ahead, Housing/Flights: week(s) ahead, Proper food intake: days ahead, polish/soap boat: the day ahead, proper breakfast/bars/hydration: hours ahead…

Mike-11 months-The first month is mostly land training to get my fitness up to a reasonable level before I start working hard on the water.

Kurt-For a big event 3 months.

Anna– It depends…for worlds, I stat preparing right after the previous worlds, other regattas, I start preparing two days before…just depends again on the level of the competition

  1. How many hours do you spend in your boat on average?

Andrew-2-4 hours a day 4-6 days a week

Mike– Approx. 15hours/week

Kurt– 4 hours a week until 3 weeks prior to the regatta then 8 hours a week

Anna– Per week about 15

4) When you practice do you have specific things you want to work on each time?

Andrew– Specific things are in the works every time. Having a focused understanding of things that you want to improve is the key to getting anything out of practice. If it’s as simple as having better windward mark roundings, or better tacks, each practice must have a certain focus so that there are specific gains made in each session.

Mike– Yes, I always try to be focusing on one or two things when out training, or racing in a training event.

Kurt– Yes, very specific boat handling or speed drills

Anna– Yes…I set out a practice and focus on the little things for that day’s sailing

  1. Do you like to train with a partner/group/coach or would you rather train alone?

Andrew– As much as possible train with at least one other person. Not to say that it isn’t possible to get something out of sailing by yourself. Sailing with a coach is the biggest luxury in the sport. Take the maximum advantage of those situations by getting marks, drills, and film prepared before the practice session. 

Mike–Training with a group of 3-5 quality sailors is ideal.  Having a coach present is always an asset

Kurt– I like to train a small amount alone and then with a group with any number of sailors for the majority of the practice time. This works best for me, but not always possible.

Anna– Most of the time when I’m at home I train with my fiancé Brad, but when I’m else where, I train with other Radial sailors.

  1. What do you do physically to prepare?

Andrew– Weeks before the event strength training can still be in full force. I taper to only cycling in the week before the regatta. 

Mike– I am in the gym 3 days a week lifting weights, and then 1-2 days a week of cardio.

Kurt– base aerobic fitness for several months then leading up to a competition I do plyometric work and hiking bench work( on the Quadzilla of course) and high heart rate cardio then balance and flexibility work. 

Anna–I go to the gym 4-5 days a week to lift weights and I run between 20-30 miles a week

  1. Do you work on your fitness goals regularly or just before the regatta?

Andrew– I like to think that I work on them regularly, as much as possible.

Mike– Ideally, I start working on my fitness about 10-11 months before the major regatta of the year.  It just depends on how much lead up time I have before that event.

Kurt– Regularly

Anna– regularly

  1. How about Nutrition? Do you work on this regularly or just before the regatta?

Andrew– Maintaining weight is the critical part of proper understanding of Laser sailing. Finding a healthy weight through proper nutrition should be a priority months ahead of a regatta that you are peaking for. That way you need not go through a crash diet or quick weight gain just before the regatta

Mike– I try to consume as much fruit and vegetables as I can.  I find I get sick when I am not eating enough veggies.

Kurt– Generally, I eat pretty healthy all the time but during a regatta I have specific food and drinks that I use that are double, triple top secret!

Anna– All the time…you should have a healthy lifestyle whether you’re competing or not

  1. Do you do anything to Mentally Prepare? 

Andrew– Mental preparation is focused in the details. The more details you’re sure you’ve already taken care of, the more at ease your mind will be. The more confident you are in every breeze condition, every sea-state, every current situation, every cross, duck, tack or jibe, the more at ease your mental state will be.

Mike– I work with the Canadian Team psychologist

Kurt– I think about and visualize the things I need to improve on to get the results I want. For example, my agility in the boat and maintaining a great attitude for the entire event.

Anna– Visualization…very important for when you can’t get on the water one day, or you haven’t raced in a while.

  1. Do you like to keep your training program secret or do you share with anyone who asks?

Andrew– Good sailors have some little secrets that they keep, but not many. The reason good sailors are good is because they don’t sit around and talk about their programs, they are constantly in the cycle of those training programs.

Kurt– I share mostly everything. I don’t have many secrets.

Anna– Share…if they can hang…then good on them…hehe…if I give help to someone, it’ll come around back when I need help with something.

Ian Lineberger summed up what he does pretty well by giving an example of how he trained for one regatta in particular. He says: 

When I was training for the Masters in Ireland I sailed 9 major regattas in the 12 months leading up to the event. I remember practicing a few months before where I wasn’t able to get my legs tired after a 40 minute beat. That was a breakthrough for me, as I don’t really hike so well all the way around the course! I then took 30 days off right before flying over to heal and get my weight up to 190. No sailing, no running, no hiking bench, just sat on my butt. I really needed the extra weight as the food in Ireland was, well, hmm, that’s why the beer taste so good I guess.

  Nothing beats big regatta time, if you have to practice alone sail long beats and runs while working on straight legging upwind and S carving downwind. Get a training partner, I sailed with Tim Landt the whole year prior to the 2001 Master Worlds and it helped us both. I would be very careful not to overdo it. You can hurt your back, especially on a hiking bench. Been there, done that, don’t like it! If you can’t sail to train then I prefer swimming and biking to get in shape. But the reality is you need the T.I.T.B. (time in the boat).

After training for that regatta which was the biggest master worlds ever (330 boats) I finished second in the 94 boat masters fleet.

Look at what these sailors have to say and compare your answers. They have all given you something to strive for if you are looking to improve your laser sailing. To learn more about what they are doing you can visit their websites.

Andrew– Member of the 2007 US Sailing Team www.campbellsailing.com

Mike– Member of the 2007 Canadian Sailing Team http://www.sailing.org/bio.asp?ID=CANML1

Kurt –Member of the 2007 US Sailing Team, Apprentice Master www.sailfit.com 

Anna– Member of the 2007 US Sailing Team www.annatunnicliffe.com

Ian– Past president of the International Laser Class for 5 years and North American Laser class president for 10 years. Coach of Team4

Give these sailors some support they are all working hard to achieve their goals and dreams. They should be an inspiration to everyone. 

Getting Ready

by December 15, 2006

SAILING FIT

By: Meka Taulbee

ACE Certified Personal Trainer

  SAILFIT Inc

Getting Ready

A large part of my job is to just observe. You learn a ton by just closing your mouth and watching and listening. That being said, I have been doing just that and it has lead me to this next article. My question to you is what do you do to get ready for a regatta? Do you prepare mentally or physically or do you just go out there and let it rip and hope for the best? How far in advance do you start preparing? These along with many other questions made me think that this is something that I would like to point out to everyone.

I am fortunate enough to live in a place that has a lot of high caliber sailors as well as a lot of club sailors and I am also fortunate enough to have the pleasure of knowing a lot of sailors in the laser class. Over the years I have been able to watch a variety of different training styles. Needless to say everyone has their own “Method of Madness”. Right now there are a handful of sailors who are camped out in Florida all training for that next big event. For some that event is a month away and for some it is a few months away. In either case these sailors are spending hours in their boats working on specific skills to make them better. They have brought in training partners who will challenge them and whom they can learn from. These training partners are getting the same in return.

Aside from spending time in their boats I have noticed some great workout routines that are implemented on a regular basis and some routines that are rather sporadic. Some are concerned with their nutrition every day and some are just worried about it during a regatta. Some are making sure that they are mentally focused on their goals and again some don’t give it any thought. These sailors are all great sailors no matter how they choose to get ready. What works for one may not work for another, but we can all learn from each other and maybe even find something we would like to incorporate into our own program.

What kind of sailor are you? What kind of sailor do you want to be? I ask Think about this a little. Over the next few weeks I have decided to interview a variety of sailors in North America. Some of the sailors are highly competitive and some are weekend warriors. They will range in age from junior to Master and I will ask them all the same questions:

  • Do you do anything specific to prepare for a regatta?
  • How far in advance do you start preparing?
  • How many hours do you spend in your boat on average?
  • When you practice do you have specific things you want to work on each time?
  • Do you like to train with a partner/group/coach or would you rather train alone?
  • What do you do physically to prepare?
  • Do you work on your fitness goals regularly or just before the regatta?
  • How about Nutrition? Do you work on this regularly or just before the regatta?
  • Do you do anything to Mentally Prepare? 
  • Do you like to keep your training program secret or do you share with anyone who asks?

Ask yourself the same questions and see how your answers compare to other sailors you may be competing against. If you’d like to hear from someone in particular let me know. I’ll see if I can get them to participate. 

I’m always here to answer any questions you may have on any topic. If you want me to address a certain topic, let me know and I’d be happy to. You can always reach me at www.sailfit.com or meka@sailfit.com.

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