Pre-competition Routines

[d0gz|song]

Yay! I'm about to go to my first fencing tournament! Anyways, I've heard that having a good pre-competition routine is always an asset. I've already created one, but I'm just curious... What is your pre-competition routine? Do you have any superstitions?

[a517dogg]

i like to have some working weapons the night before, but that's not always the case... usually i like to get there BEFORE registration closes.

uhh bring snacks to eat and water and gatorade. and maybe a cd player or something.

[Mo]

My daughter has a very interesting way of getting ready for meets.
About two weeks before the meet she gets rid of her nervous energy, (it takes two weeks.)
She acts like a bratt, no one is safe, grown persons weep.... I still have bite marks.
By the time she gets to the door of the competition she is ready to go!
She is calm.
She is cool.
She is ready to kick butt.
Works for her but most families are not as patient.

[JEC]

My son just plays some extra PS2 shooter games and then competes. My daughter acts like Mo's every day... I guess behavioralists would call her behavior teen years and mine, overprotective dad.

[Dave]

I have always found that a hangover helps. Not to sever, just enough to make sure that being hit makes bells ring in your head so that you don't let it happen again.

[3ngu4rd]

I seem to always get caught in traffic jams and show up late for registration. I'm getting very good at pleading my case! It's a pain... especially when I have to fence first bout! I've never missed a bout, but I've cut it close a couple times! Try to show up about an hour to half an hour before registration closes and warmup running, stretching, and light fencing.

Best of Luck!

[Mo]

Originally posted by JEC
My son just plays some extra PS2 shooter games and then competes. My daughter acts like Mo's every day... I guess behavioralists would call her behavior teen years and mine, overprotective dad.

It is the teen years I think!
Isn't it amazing how they go from responsible person working very hard to bratt in under 10 seconds??
But hey, I can do the same thing.

[Zelda]

I've been called a brat more then once recently and I'm 25...so obviously some people dont grow out of it!

[thyme_daniels]

at big competitions, i go find the venue the night before, and get my body cords and mask checked, if possible. then i get a good nights rest. i know some people go to mad parties and stuff, but i prefer to give myself as many advantages as i can. i get up about 2 hours before, shower, eat a carb based breakfast, and i bring apples and oranges with me to the venue, plus 2 bottles of water to stay hydrated. i warm up with 20 minutes before check in closes, then stretch, then find someone to fence with until they call pools. and i always wear my warmups because it's important to keep muscles warm. if i can, i will try and find my coach. i also bring along money to buy lunch for before de's, or i pack one. plus, i bring the ipod with. music is great. :-) thats what i do.

[Mo]

Originally posted by thyme_daniels
at big competitions, i go find the venue the night before, and get my body cords and mask checked, if possible. then i get a good nights rest. i know some people go to mad parties and stuff, but i prefer to give myself as many advantages as i can. i get up about 2 hours before, shower, eat a carb based breakfast, and i bring apples and oranges with me to the venue, plus 2 bottles of water to stay hydrated. i warm up with 20 minutes before check in closes, then stretch, then find someone to fence with until they call pools. and i always wear my warmups because it's important to keep muscles warm. if i can, i will try and find my coach. i also bring along money to buy lunch for before de's, or i pack one. plus, i bring the ipod with. music is great. :-) thats what i do.

Do you have any fun??

[Sarah]

I usually run a lot, it calms my nerves and it warms me up. But don't run until you're exhousted, that won't help. I also jump around, I don't know why I do it, but it gets me on my feet and alert, that way I don't fall asleep in a bout. Oh, and I meditate before the first match and the DEs, that really calms me down.

Hope this helps!!!

Sarah

[Catlady]

Basically, it doesn't matter a lot what your routine is as long as you have one IMHO. Routine gives you something to focus on, and signals to your subconscious that it's time to get down to business.
I do pretty much what everyone else does--and basically what my first coach told us all to do.

I try to get a good night's sleep the night before, but that doesn't always work out since I get excited and can't sleep.

I have a light, but nutritious breakfast, usually when I'm at home yogurt and cereal or granola and some juice. Then I get my stuff and get to the venue. If they're ready to start registering when I get there, I register, if not, I start warming up instead. I know they tell you when registration opens, but I like to get there early, especially if the venue is somewhere I haven't been to much and I might have trouble finding parking or figuring out where to go, and then, at least in my division, when they say registration opens and when it actually opens are two different things.

Anyway, once I get to the warm up part, I jog around the venue a little, alternating speeds, and skipping for a few steps. Then I start stretching. I usually do the my own take on the "Salutation to the Sun" series from Yoga, stretch my arms, do what I call the butterfly stretch (bottoms of feet together, knees bent, lean forward. Then I do some advances and retreats and a couple of lunges. Then I get my gear on and look for people I know both to do some warm up drills and bouts and to talk. I'm the kind of person who can talk to others without losing focus, but some people can't. For me it helps me to be less nervous if I have to focus on some one besides myself. If I have time, I may do some Tai Chi to center myself. And, while I do tend to enjoy "mingling" before competitions, I do try to take a few moments before pools are announced to go off by myself and meditate/focus/gear up. I basically lie, or sit on the floor and envision myself doing well and I try to relax my muscles.

As far as what I bring, I bring a big bottle of water, of course, which gets refilled all day as needed. I tend to bring a lot of small, light, quick energy kind of snacks-- for instance, cheese and crackers, or peanut butter crackers, fresh fruit (apples, bannanas or grapes are all good), or chopped veggies, or a box of raisins, like you put in kid's lunches. Basically, if I eat too much before I fence I feel sluggish and get indigestion, so I go for the lots of small meals/snacks approach. Generally, I eat the first of my snacks between the end of pools and the beginning of DEs, but I basically drink water whenever I can.

I will give the disclaimer that I usually don't get past my first DE, but one of these days. . .

[lfortier]

This sunday, I will be going to my first tournament (YAY!) What is the best thing for me to do to prep for it- I'm really nervous. P.S.-- I will be bringing those Luna bars (high protein power bars) and some Gatorade for the 3 and half hours of compeiting- is this good idea to eat this?

[Mischa]

Hey all.

I usually drink 4 extra litres a day two days in advance of the competition, in order to get my body used to an excess of water. I find it enables me to drink almost constantly during the actual competition, which aids both my mental concentration and my stamina. Beforehand, I warm up (stretching, jogging, side steps) and have a loose fight with someone.

I also snack on fruit (fructose, duh) and other high energy sweets.

You should also wear a pair of tracksuit bottoms at every time other than when you are fencing: not only does this keep your muscles warm, but it looks cool too

[Peach]

Originally posted by lfortier
This sunday, I will be going to my first tournament (YAY!) What is the best thing for me to do to prep for it- I'm really nervous. P.S.-- I will be bringing those Luna bars (high protein power bars) and some Gatorade for the 3 and half hours of compeiting- is this good idea to eat this?

Have fun! Bring whatever won't upset your stomach, and whatever you can force yourself to eat when you're competing. You don't need to eat a lot. It's mainly important not to let your blood sugar get too low, so nibble a little bit now and then, and sip water regularly.

I usually take a light meal with me. I've given up Gatorade & such, because they're basically sugar water, but when I did drink them I diluted them half and half with water so I wouldn't have an upset stomach.

[pammie003]

Seems like most good things have already been mentioned. Water is a necessity. So is something light to nibble on in case the fencing lasts forever (one of my team tournaments last year took about 10 hours). Also, I personally try to choke down some type of breakfast, although this is sometimes less than successful. I'm usually a bundle of nerves until after my first bout.

But relax, or try to at least. In time, you'll figure out your own competiton routine. And amid all the activity, don't forget to take a second to simply enjoy your first tournament. Good luck!

[135711]

I get really nervous before a competition, and react like a nervous badger, there's no answer for it, i wear totally uncool bell-bottom warmups that fall well above my ankle, so that can't be it. The other person in the other thread said it best, stretch, stay loose and relax, and you'll fence better.

Speaking of which, I didn't fence today, I totally blew it, - maybe catching the flu or something, don't know, but am staying home with aspirin and water. will read and relax and maybe tomorrow go watch them. [ack! this is the first one i missed in a long time]