Preparation

Being able to maximize your muscle capability on Day 1 and 2 of a tournament is quite important to personal performance. I thought I'd post on some of the things that I do to physically prepare myself for both Day 1 and 2. Then I'll also add some links to the suggestions of other people.

It's the Monday before a tournament. In terms of conditioning the week looks like this:
- Monday --> Wednesday are normal workout days and should stay on normal schedule.
- Wednesday is the last day of hard conditioning workouts and Thursday is time to start giving the muscles a break on the anaerobic stuff.
- Thursday is good to get some throws in, some dynamics, a light jog, and stretching.
- Friday is a day of rest. Let the muscles totally recover and be ready to go on Saturday.

I'm not terribly knowledgeable on the nutrition but here are the bare essentials that even I've picked up on:
- Carbo loading and staying hydrated on Friday.
- Build up some energy reserves on Friday so your muscles can feed off of that on Saturday.
- Keep a good stream of water running through your system so your muscles can effectively
transport nutrients, keep proper blood flow, etc.

The week has past and now it's Saturday morning. The morning starts early for me. I like to get up at least 2 hours before gametime to get a good breakfast in. I'll usually sneak off to the hotel lounge for a good ol' continental breakfast, including, bagels, toast, fruit, cereal, etc. I generally don't like to eat to close to activity, so this two hour window gives me enough space. It is important that you "break your fast" and give your body some adequate nutritional support before game time.

The team has made its way the fields and it's time to warm up. Everyone on the team knows our normal warm up routine but seeing as how this blog has become an international phenomenon, I'll briefly outline it:
- Light (emphasis on light) jog
- Dynamic warm ups (high knees, butt kicks, cariocas, frankensteins, backward/forward "run")
- Static stretching
When doing static I think it's important to focus on the areas that trouble you the most (while not neglecting others). I know that sometimes my calves are prone to cramping and soreness, so I make sure that those are my target areas pre/post game.

Games are done for Saturday and you've won the pool, how are you going to get yourself ready for the Quarters?
- Stretch! Do at least 7-10 minutes of static stretching.
- Hydrate.
- Both stretching and hydrating help keep the blood/lactic acid from pooling up in your muscles. The malignancies of lactic acid are still up for debate, but for now let's say it's not helpful to your muscles after it has been used for energy.
- Eat something that's a good source of protein. Do it quickly after the games, as it serves to help your muscles recover faster and with less soreness and needs to be addressed promptly after conditioning. I like to bring a Protein Plus Power Bar with me for right after. A sandwich or some sort of other supplement works as well.
- An old Miami favorite to help with cramping has been potassium. So if your muscles easily cramp, try some potassium pills, a banana, etc.

Day 2; repeat Day 1, but with soreness and anger at your muscles.

In terms of physical readiness, that is a sketch of my tournament routine. Here are some good resources from people much more qualified than me:

Ben Wiggins wrote about his week long dietary preparation for a tournament here - http://groups.google.com./group/rec.sport.disc/msg/0e11f785419c6a42

Luke Smith wrote this about a more balanced overall diet for athletes -
http://mlsmith.blogspot.com/2007/01/ultimate-related-post.html