So, since my last blog I have been to the beautiful city of Rio de Janeiro, moved into my new house and started my second year at University. It has been a bit of a shock to the system coming back to University after a couple of months off and fitting in training alongside lectures.
I’m doing Sport and Exercise Psychology and this year and I’ve got loads of modules in just Psychology which I’m loving, but I’m also doing a module in Culture in a Changing World. It’s a new one for me… and lets just say trying to figure out what different artwork means and how different cultures are represented really isn’t a strong point of mine. Give me a basketball any day!
Every week-day we have training at the University Arena at 7am, so my alarm goes off at 6!!! Even though its sounds so early and I sometimes wish I could just turn my alarm off and go back to sleep, it’s really good to have done a training session before 9am and before I have to go in to lectures. We also have 2 other sessions at some point in the day, usually a gym session and another court session. We also have games most weekends… and for anyone who is interested we have two games on Saturday at the Nunnery Sports Complex and one game on Sunday at St. Johns Campus. We will be playing against the National League teams, which are mainly made up of men so it’s always a good battle for us.
I’m finding out there are many challenges being a student athlete, but also having to find lots of solutions to help me out each week. One key thing that must happen during my day is having a nap.. Or at least a bit of time lying down back in bed. I’m not ashamed to admit that my bed is probably my favourite place right now but it helps me to recover and prepare for the next session of the day. Also, eating the right foods helps me to stay energised through the long days.
I don’t know how I’ve managed this but I’ve cut sweets completely out of my diet (they’re my massive weakness). I don’t really like chocolate or cake, but give me a pack of fruit gums and I would have eaten them all in minutes. It definitely has been a challenge but it’s the little things that can eventually make a big difference… or at least that’s what I keep telling myself!
At the moment we are working on a periodization programme within basketball, meaning we can really go hard some weeks and then have a lighter week so our bodies can recover, also giving us a bit more time to get on with assignments. This week is a 5 out of 5 week… it’s only Tuesday and my arms are already giving up on me. Our coach Miles loves to put us through it when he gets the chance!
We have a plan in place working towards the European Championships that are to be held in Worcester at the end of August 2015. So along with making sure I’m on the right track to do well in my degree, I will be focusing on that and how as a team we can perform better than we ever have and continue our success from the World Championships.
Worcester Student Life 