Q How important is diet in athletics? I have a friend who consumes Cornnuts
and chocolate milk before every race and still beats me.
A The preferred diet varies from sport to sport, but in general eat
whatever works for you as long as you can maintain your optimum weight. Weight
swings cause you to adjust your technique and stress your system. In many cases,
paying too much attention to diet makes maintaining ideal weight more difficult,
because eating becomes an obsession. Also, some people's bodies are simply less
affected by the food they eat. I knew a woman who fueled her win in the U.S. Alpine
ski championships with a bowl of Cap'n Crunch and a mountain biker who won World
Cup races on a breakfast of black coffee and rice cakes. Your friend probably
does well because she doesn't overanalyze her diet. She might improve with a better
diet, but then she'd be even farther ahead of you, so you might not want to mention
it.
Q Is there a generally accepted rule about the effects of pre-event
sex?
A When I was with the U.S. ski team the saying was, Twice the night
before a downhill, once before a giant slalom and never before a slalom. The thinking,
unsupported by science, was that slow-twitch muscles were positively affected
and fast-twitch muscles were negatively affected by sex. As a downhill specialist
I should have been pleased with that prescription, but we were always stationed
in such remote hotels that the theory seemed to be nothing more than a cruel joke.
I will say that the Europeans had a more relaxed view of sex and were far less
meticulous about their pre-event routines. Sex certainly didn't hurt their athletic
performances. My advice: If it takes your mind off the competition without interfering
with training or robbing you of the sleep you need, go for it.
Q How early do you have to start in a sport to become a pro athlete?
I have two daughters whom I want to get into sports, but I don't want to push
them too soon.
A The younger the better, especially in sports in which technique is
critical. Some people succeed in aerobic sports such as running and biking despite
starting as late as their 20s, but in activities such as gymnastics, skiing, tennis
and soccer, kids take up the sport as young as two and start competing as early
as seven. When athletes are described as having great touch or natural talent,
that so-called instinctiveness generally comes from having started at an early
age. But unless a child enjoys the activity, there is no point in pushing her
into it, because you run the risk of turning her off all sports. If a child enjoys
a sport, though, she probably won't even notice when it goes from being a hobby
to being a profession.
Q I'm usually a good sport, but sometimes I lose my temper on the court.
What can I do?
A If someone has a video of any of your tantrums, check it out. I doubt
you'll make a scene again.
Q My favorite activities are mountain biking and snowboarding. In both
sports I'm at the stage where I need to push myself to get to the next level,
but I get intimidated by going out with people who are better than I am because
I don't want to hold up the group. Where do I go from here?
A First, you have to have the right attitude. Be prepared to flounder
a bit, to work through your fear, and trust yourself that you can meet the challenge.
Second, choose your companions for breakthrough adventures wisely. They must have
their egos in check, support your mission and want you to succeed. Don't expect
them to hold your hand, but if they are your friends, they won't mind waiting
at the turns in the trail, watching you progress and encouraging you to take up
the chase. If they want to bury you, they can, and that will set back your confidence
and quash your desire to take another beating. The only way to improve is to push
past your comfort level, but that doesn't require taking unreasonable risks. If
you trust yourself and the people you're with, they'll feel good about helping
you improve, and at the end of the day you'll feel like the shred-Betty you are.
