Feeling bad because you don’t want to train today? Don’t worry because even Olympians feel that way too sometimes. The difference is that they train anyway. I met Hannah Macleod of the GB Hockey team at the launch of Yakult’s Little Book of Fitness who told me how she motivates herself to train when she’d rather sit on the sofa, and why she enjoys an occasional run.
Do you run much in training?
I’m a rolling forward so I’m on the pitch for seven minutes of high intensity activity and then off again. My total time on the pitch during a match is about 30 minutes but very intensive. My training doesn’t involve any long continuous runs, it’s all interval sessions such as 10 seconds on, 20 seconds off – very dull. When I have any time off from training a good 30 minute plod is my chance to escape.
What do you do when you don’t feel like training?
I never enjoyed going to the gym, I still don’t but it’s a necessity now.Sometimes I’m just not up for it and you just have to make the most of that session. It helps that there’s 27 other athletes that my place at the Olympic games. Once you get going it’s great, but it’s starting that can be a problem. Routine works for me. If I know that every week Thursday at 7pm it’s yoga it’s in my routine. But if I sit down and think ‘what shall I do tonight?’ I don’t usually think about going to yoga.
Do you find it difficult when you’re out injured?
Yes. You go through a feeling sorry for yourself stage. I think it’s maybe harder to be part of a team and be injured than being a solo athlete because it’s hard watching people go out training and not being able to join them and see people that play in my position getting good.
Is there anything you do to help avoid injury?
We spend hours on the pitch and in the gym but just as much time looking after our bodies and protecting them from those little niggles. We do yoga and pilates, looking at activating the core and using really small moves. Yoga is great because you can go to a class or you can get a DVD, you can do it first thing in the morning, whenever you want – but you do need to put some thought into it to make sure you’re doing it correctly and getting the benefit out of it.
To get a copy of Yakult’s Little Book of Fitness, go here.
