Article from Built For Hockey!
We’ve already written an article on what to do a few hours before your game (you can read it here), but we haven’t covered what you should be doing from the minute you wake up until you leave for the rink, which is very important! Again, keep in mind that no single hockey player is the same and that you need to find your own way of getting ready – simply use this as a guideline.
My Typical Gameday
On a typical gameday, I like to wake up at 8:30 or 9:00am , depending on what time I got to bed at the night before. If I wasn’t able to get to bed early enough, I’ll take the extra 30 minutes of sleep.
First thing I’ll do is head downstairs, put on some Sportsnet, and fire up the stove for breakfast. It’s important to eat a lot on gamedays – you need all the energy you can get. I like to eat more earlier on in the day than having a gigantic meal just before my game. My breakfast usually consists of 3-4 eggs with ham, toast, some fruit and a cup of coffee. I take my time eating and watch all the highlights from the night before in the NHL.
After breakfast, I go for a walk outside to get some fresh air and stretch out the legs a bit. Just to get moving really. You don’t want to stay seated or stay in bed all day. You need to wake your body up a little. The walk helps me digest my breakfast too.
After my walk, I’ll do whatever I feel like doing that’s unrelated to hockey for a while. Usually I’ll do some work, watch some tv or read a book.
At around 10:30 or 11:00, I’ll have a small snack – usually fruits. Then, I’ll go for a good nap. I love my naps on gamedays, and I usually sleep an hour and a half to two hours, again depending on how I slept during the night.
I’m up from my nap at around 1:00, and I head downstairs again to make lunch. I’ll usually have a sandwich or two with a huge glass of water and watch some tv.
After lunch, it’s back to free time for an hour or so. If it’s nice out, I’ll head back outside and stick handle a bit. Not too long, just to get my hands going and again to get some fresh air.
At around 2:00, I start to make my pasta for my pregame meal. A big plate of spaghetti and meatballs with bread, and a lot of water. I take my time eating so that I digest easier. Here’s when I start to thing about my game. I take a few minutes while eating to go over things in my head – how I practiced all week, how I’m going to play tonight, who our opponents are and what are their weaknesses. Then, I shut my mind off. No more thinking until I get to the rink.
After my pregame meal (I usually finish eating around 3:00), I start to get ready to leave. I’ll put on some really loud music, take a shower, and get my suit ready.
Once I’m fresh, awake, and ready to leave I’ll grab a snack for the rink – usually a banana or an apple. I’ll grab a water bottle and my redbull from the fridge and I’m ready to go! I drive over to the rink with some pregame music on to get me pumped up. Again, there’s no thinking going on. I only do that once I get to the rink.
That’s it! That’s what I do on gamedays. Whether it be a playoff game or an exhibition game, I approach them all the same. I like my routine and it works for me. Find what works for you and stick to it. It’s important to be comfortable the day of a game. You don’t want any uncertainty. You want everything to flow and go how you’re used to it going.
Have any weird routines or things you do on gamedays? Let us know…we want to hear what works for you, and our readers could use more examples!
No comments:
Post a Comment