2008 Olympics

Getting a good sleep is difficult for some people when traveling. Last week in Hong Kong we had beds like tables. Fortunately, for the next few weeks luckily they’re like, well, beds. While you can’t travel with a bed, you can with a pillow so I always do. It just provides a familiar thing for my head to rest on even though my body might be on a not so comfy bed.

One important thing about sleep for athletes is that’s when a lot of the recovery takes place. The body releases more testosterone and repairs the microscopic damage that’s taken place during the day’s training. So for those who have trouble sleeping, any extra effort to help get to sleep and stay there is time well spent.

Having said that, I haven’t slept as well as I have here for weeks - the beds are giant singles and very comfy. Also, we’re pretty busy during the day because we’re still in an organizational mode, sorting out equipment. For those who are well prepared, the extra tasks will start to ease up now and things will feel routine again. Like a good pillow, a good routine keeps your head in the right place.

As an athlete, once you arrive in the Olympic Village the buzz and excitement of the Games hits you and it can make people do funny things. Some get motivated and start to train harder. Some worry more about their own performances compared with others’. Some wonder whether their final preparation plans are any good.

The Olympics isn’t a normal event, so it can’t be treated as such, but the simple things that an athlete has found helps them to perform well still must be done.

In the taper to an event, you can’t go wrong in terms of physical training by reducing the volume of training and maintaining the intensity.

Mental training should also ‘taper’ in the lead up to a big event. I reckon athletes should add a few more imagery sessions, have some serious relaxation time and above all have some fun time too. Think simple thoughts, keep learning, go with what you know and remember that you’re not asking yourself to do anything you can’t do.

Typical of the lead up to an Olympics is a bundle of stories in the media about stuff that I think is just there to fill quotas. For instance, last night a website reported that the Australian Sailing Team may not race in the Games. Absurd, of course.

There’s an old tropical storm (ex-Typhoon Fung Wong) nearby and the wind will probably be a little stronger for a day or two, but it won’t interfere with any racing.

The media needs these stories right now – they’re fully geared up with staff and equipment in the main Olympic cities of Beijing, Qingdao (Sailing) and Hong Kong (Equestrian) but have no Olympic events to report on. That’s their problem!

Here in the Village, it’s easy to get caught up in the mass of Olympic stories and it can feel like a swirl of information coming from all areas. And, of course, that can get distracting. That’s not so good, especially at a time when athletes have more time on their hands as their training starts to taper and wind down in volume.

I think the solution for the athlete in competition is to get a small dose each day of Olympic news, then largely switch off all that stuff and go about the normal training and preparations. To fill in the extra spare time, some good diversions are needed – movies, tv, games, internet chat, etc. A bit of fun each day will also do wonders for mental preparation.

Today we moved into the Olympic satellite village for Sailing in Qingdao. What makes it like Christmas day is that it’s also the day we’re issued our Olympic team gear. We get about three bags full of stuff – shirts, shorts, pants, a suit, shoes, hats, competition gear, plus assorted sundries like a tooth brush, umbrella and notepad!

For me it’s one of the most exciting days of the Games – you finally get to pull on that t-shirt, tracksuit or suit with the Olympic rings and country flag or emblem on your breast and your country’s name across your back. It means so much to be wearing your country’s official uniform at the biggest event on the planet. It summarizes all the work you’ve done over the years and means you’re one of the best at what you do. The pride can make you feel a few inches taller.

I made the track Tools to increase your arousal to help myself with getting hold of that deep-down inspiration and motivation at times far removed from big events like the Olympics and when the hard training must be done.

Hi and welcome to my 2nd post, the first in a long time, but to become regular from now. I want to bring you some ideas and experiences of high level sport, starting with the 2008 Olympics, at which I’m coaching for the Sailing Team.

Right now, I’m in Hong Kong with the other members of the Australian Sailing Team. I’ve been in Europe for the past two weeks at the European Championships and most of the team are fresh off the plane from Sydney. We’re here for few days for a ‘get together’ before we move into the satellite Olympic city of Qingdao, China.

We’ve got just 2 weeks until the first races of the Games, so years of training will soon to give way to the most important regatta on the program.

I’ve been to 3 Games as an athlete and I know that the Olympics can feel like a kind of Disneyland with so many distractions and people interested in your performance. Of course, this pressure to perform makes it vital to know how to constrain anxiety and focus on what’s important to the task at hand. To help deal with that, years ago I made a CD of audio/music tracks with me speaking about things like distraction control, major competitions, sailing imagery and so on. At times like this, in the lead up to big events I’d spend 10-20 minutes a day listening to a couple of tracks of I especially like. I’d find that they would help me become very focused but also relaxed and quietly confident.

It’s my voice on those Sailing Mind Skills tracks, and, no, I don’t like listening to myself all the time! So, I’d also have some favorite music on my iPod to relax with at other times. It’s good to have stuff like this planned as the Games isn’t the time to try new stuff. More in a few days from the Olympic Village.