Posted on: Friday, May 13, 2011
In the first of a our "Day in the Life of" series, Christian Williams an Olympic Archer hopeful details what a day at the AIS in Canberra entails for an up and coming athlete.
Hi Guys!
I’m at the Australian Institute of Sport this week for a camp and I thought I met let you see what the day in the life of an elite athlete looks like, this was my Tuesday...
7.30: I woke up and it was -2C outside. I had gym/strength the night before and had cold plunge recovery first thing, the water was warmer that the weather outside!
8.00 Breakfast in the Dining Hall with other athletes, a good chance to catch up with mates from other sports
8.30 The archery centre at the AIS is a 10 minute walk from the athletes’ residence and a good chance to listen to music and get mentally prepared for the day. It usually takes about 20 minutes of joint mobility and stretching exercises to be ready to shoot when my coach walks in so I use this time to focus on my goals for the day.
9.00 Time to head outside and shoot some arrows! I’m extremely lucky to be coached by Simon Fairweather 2000 Olympic Champion; I feel the pressures on when he’s looking over my shoulder. Archery is a very technically demanding sport. Your aiming at a dart-board sized target 70m away for rounds of 36 arrows. To be competitive internationally you need to be averaging 9’s and 10’s, so hitting an area the size of a CD every shot, with the wind blowing from random directions.
It takes a huge amount of focus and technical perfection and I wasn’t having a very good morning, I couldn’t get a read on the wind and my scores suffered.
11.00 After 2 hours of shooting and coaching I went inside the archery centre to make some new strings for my bow. The bows these days aren’t as simple as Hollywood makes them look. A lot of time and effort has to go into equipment maintenance, an aspect I’m yet to master.
12.00 Time for a visualization session in a float tank. A float tank is like massive BODPOD full of warm salt water which you’re able to float in and completely relax. This is great for practising relaxation and meditation which can help you master your emotions, which have a habit of affecting performance in critical situations. Sometimes it’s just great to chill out and have a break
1.00 Back to the Dining Hall for lunch. The AIS has buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner served up by dieticians and the best chefs you could ask for. I love food and always make sure I try everything on the menu but it is tempting to forget I have nutritional guidelines I have to follow. As long as I don’t over-eat and make sure I use my recovery Amino's (Create, Nourish & Glutamine) after hard training it’s pretty easy.
I normally hang out in the library after lunch researching looking for an edge on the competition.
2.00 Back to training. I take another 20-30 minutes to stretch and warm-up before heading back outside for more shooting. I shot a lot better than the morning session but still have some technical flaws that need fixing. After about a 2 rounds of shooting (72 arrows) I went inside to fix up my arrows which needed attention and to have a discussion with my coach about my technique.
5.30 I had a mock competition with one of the guys heading to the World Cup next month in Turkey. Competition match play is the best of 3 sets wins. Each set is 6 arrows, maximum 18 arrows, no room for a bad shot. I lost 51-48, 49-47 which wasn’t too bad, but I hate losing, even high scores on my iphone.
6.30 Dinner time, the highlight of my day. Moroccan Veal with some cous cous, Tandoori chicken and a small bowl of apple crumble and custard.
7.30 Phone session with my sport psychologist at the VIS in Melbourne. The mental aspect of sports is often over looked or taken for granted. It’s a hard road to be successful in sport and you have to make a lot of sacrifices but it is the most amazing and rewarding experience. Sometimes it’s hard to acknowledge your weaknesses and limitations, but it’s the only way to grow as a person and athlete.
I don’t think sport is about winning at any cost...to be its about being true to yourself and what you believe in. Life takes you on some pretty crazy journeys, and nothing ever goes to plan. Just follow you heart and you’ll end up where you’re supposed to be.
8.30 My day is almost over. I’m heading to the Recovery centre for a nice warm spa to wind down, then of to bed with an N-FORCE hot chocolate to keep me warm while I read a Michael Jordan book.
Hope this gives you a little glimpse into the life of an athlete on training camp at the AIS.
You have to make everyday count!
Christian