Are you getting enough of this?

It's argueably the most important performance principle but yet is the most ignored at the same time. In fact, most everything we do is designed to do the opposite! What am I talking about?

You are only as good as your body and mind's ability to recover

Last night I was in my bed at 8:15pm. Something I have not done in well over fifteen years!!! Although I did not go to sleep until a little before 9pm, I did not have the tv on nor did I read a book (too much stimulation for the brain).

Waking up at 5:45am this morning was great and wow did I feel rested and mentally ready to go! Here are a few links about the importance of sleep for athletes:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3076707/

http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/guide/sleep-like-an-olympian

If you think about it, designing a training program is all about proper application of stress. It's too easy to get caught up in the design of the program itself. If we are not careful, we may be doing more harm than good. Below are a few questions to think about when designing a training program for your athletes:

• How much sleep does your athlete get each night?
  
• What about the other events, demands, stresses, etc. that the athlete has throughout their day?
  
• Are there any upcoming major stressors such as tests, semester exams, etc.?


• What is your athlete's daily rhythm? When do they feel most energetic?