Preparations for the Season

Gaining strength, endurance and skill for Laser sailing is a cyclical process. We need to stress our bodies and intellects, and then we need to rest and recuperate. My inclination is to be more motivated to indulge in the rest and recuperation than in the stress.

Now I’m as excited to get on the water on a warm spring day as any Laser sailor, but I find it harder and harder to get the cycle of activity established early enough in the winter so that the first month of sailing isn’t all about ibuprofen and rebooting my sailing head.

I try to take a break during the November to January time frame. I used to frostbite but found that cold hands took all the pleasure out of that. So now I aim at January to start the indoor aerobics and the strengthening routines.

I’m amazed at the number of things that come up and get in my way of establishing a solid schedule.

Snow Storms – I want to be careful that I don’t workout the day before a major snowfall when I want rested muscles. I try to be careful if more than an inch is forecast because you never know.

A Dinner with Friends – I always try to be cautious that I’m not too tired when we plan to be out in the evening.

Driving to visit Family – I have to do most of the driving so again I want to be careful.

Sickness – A lot of illness occurs in the winter and I don’t want to be laid up and interrupt my workout schedule so I often skip a session if I’m feeling a bit peaked. It’s always hard to tell when you’re coming down with something so I try to be extra vigilant.

I think you get the idea; getting the schedule established is a mind game and I seem to mind the game.

This year I started the aerobics pretty much on time – three weeks late – and I am adding hiking muscle exercises with each session. If I ride my bike on the trainer then I get a bit of a two-fer for my quads.

The goal is to be solidly into the aerobics by the end of March when the lake thaws, and have a good strength foundation for the once-a-week sailing I will try to do in April.