Arrive Early

Published: March 27, 2014

I attend Spinning classes twice a week as part of a fitness regime which i’m hoping will help my knee rehab & improve my aerobic fitness. Cycling is great for fragile knees as there is no impact & it can help strengthen the muscles around the joint.

The thoroughly enjoyable classes are run by an excellent instructor. As a full-time coach, I can appreciate high standard teachers in any field & my Spinning sessions are consistently well delivered.

I take both sessions very seriously & work hard as I know that is the only way I’m going to reach my fitness goals. However this morning I was late. I was lucky in that there was one free bike which was fortunately near the entrance. I adjusted the seat/ handles & placed my feet in the pedal straps & off I went.

Then the problems kicked in. Due to my late arrival I had little time to prepare the bike as I liked it. My saddle was too low & the handlebar was too high. I hadn’t had time to fill my water bottle so I was low on water & my heart rate monitor was not yet working. I didn’t feel able to concentrate on my performance as I was consumed with the discomfort I was experiencing which was entirely self induced.

Arriving late is always going to impact badly on performance. If you’re playing a match I would recommend getting to the venue as early as possible. Get accustomed to the environment so there are no surprises once you start. Gauge the weather & amend your attire accordingly. Apply plasters/tape to blisters, supports to joints. Ensure you have sufficient water & an emergency food source.

Take some time to collect your thoughts. Go through your Game Plan & visualise yourself playing some great shots. You’re now in the right frame of mind to compete. When I played in County Finals I did prepare well & arrived in time to implement my pre-match routines. I will have to ensure I apply the same rigour to my spinning!