Hey peeps, here's some of my own pointers for preparing for the mock comp. Do feel free to comment or add on more!
GET SOME REST before the comp. 6 hours, at least. Insufficient sleep causes you to get pumped out more quickly and reduces your coordination. Also, it will eventually increase your chances of injury.
OPTIONAL CARBO-LOADING up to 2 days before. That means you can try eating more rice / noodles / bread during meals before the competition. You don't have to overeat, perhaps just be a little more liberal with the snacking; alternatively, go for more frequent but lighter meals. The idea is to let your body get used to and stock up on its carbo store -- for endurance and sustained climbs between boulder problems.
EAT A LIGHT BREAKFAST, preferably stay off oily foods and proteins in the morning; go for light high-carbo meals like bread or pastry. Oily foods and proteins take a long time to digest adn realease the energy.
STRETCH / WARM-UP WELL, simply because cold muscles = <100% cramps =" tak">
MENTAL WARM-UP can be tricky... but you'll get the hang of it with practice. Fro now, here are some of the basic points to consider. Focus by practicing breathing: close your eyes, imagine you're climbing, breathe in and out slowly at first, then more and more quickly, and then slow down again. All the while try to remain focused on your imagined movements and climb. This is to simulate your climbing conditions during the comp.
Another tool you can use if you find yourself nervous / disturbed by the environment is to close your eyes, concentrate on counting your breathes until you feel that your breathing has calmed down. Then, with your eyes closed and ears open, try to get used to and assimilate all aspects of your environment -- get used to distractions and try to focus on the climb ahead.
MENTAL CLIMBING during your comp can be useful. Some call it psyching yourself up. Find what motivates you about the environment and try to take it in and ride on it, in other words, if there's something you like, try to accept it and feel good about it. For some, music is a useful tool, though it can be inconsistent sometimes.
Stay focused on the here and now, if the enironment is a little distracting, then just try to concentrate on the climb. If somehow, you still feel very distracted, here's a little breathing exercise to help you relax -- breathe in deeply and exhale quickly, letting your shoulder slump, your chest and jaw relax. You might feel like you're collapsing inwards a little, but it should distract your body sufficiently to allow it to calm down a little. Beware not to overdo it and result in cooling down before your climb!
That's all from me for now. Anyone else has anything else to add? Perhaps the more competition-experienced peeps like ZX / Kesheng can offer a little something on reading routes?
JKLM
