By Bryce Jenkins

As I was thinking about what I would write about for this article I realized that I really wasn't prepared for it because I had procrastinated about writing it until today (the day its due). So I decided that I would write about the many benefits of being prepared for training and racing as this is a problem that I have. I have learned from many experiences that being prepared is an asset for training/races, I found myself often being late for training and sometimes forgetting my rifle or helmet for roller-skiing.

Being late or forgetting something and having to go back home to get it really limits the time that you have to train, for example if you forget your vest for roller-skiing and it takes 20 minutes to go home and get it then you are now 20 minutes behind everyone else. This often messes up the coach's plan because everyone is warmed up and you have just arrived so you can't all do the workout together. Water and a snack is very important when training and if forgotten it may damper your performance.

Being on time is extremely important for races because if you are late then you have less time to make sure your skis are good, get your bib, zero, warm up and do everything else that you need to. When you arrive late for races you often become stressed and that's one more thing that you have to deal with when you should be focusing on the race ahead of you. Being ready to start your warm-up on time is very important because if you have to cut the time you have to warm-up then you may not have the best performance, also when not having enough time to do warm ups, missing your start often becomes a major issue on your mind, again stopping you from focusing on the competition soon ahead.

Not only by being late are you physically not ready for doing your best you also suffer mentally because you are distracted and not able to focus on the task at hand. Being mentally prepared for an intensity session or race is vital for performing at your best.

The skill of being prepared is not only valuable for racing and training but it also transfers to all aspects of life. Being prepared is very important to be successful in skiing and of course school, work and your career ahead.