Holland's Preseason Diary Part 1 : News . We are given a program and expected to stick to it.
If you don't it's your own issue, but people will know. With that in mind we try to switch off but it isn't that easy. I find myself switching off for a couple of hours at a time and forgetting that I even play rugby which is great, until you remember preseason is still looming. Coaching Methods, Gaelic Football, Hurling.Lads have missed out on tours, we were watching Connacht win a league and most people are already thinking about how they are going to attack next season, the next opportunity to improve. My holidays this year were probably my favourite so far. I went to LA for 4 nights with my girlfriend, Chloe, before heading to Cabo. We went from full on tourists in LA to lazy sloths in a resort. But that was exactly what we wanted. I had already warned Chloe that I needed to get my training done. Yes, even on holidays. Latest Ulster Rugby team news, results, fixtures and analysis of Pro12 and European Cup campaigns - BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. She is quite used to it at this stage and very patient with me so obviously she had no issue. I still have to look after my hamstring so I had to be on top of things, especially with all the travel. I was lucky this year that the hotel had such a good gym, more down to Chloe's research than mine to be honest. Training on holidays wasn't me being a nerd. Everyone has to do it and we know the consequences of not doing it. We won't make the targets set out by our strength and conditioning coaches, but more importantly, the more your load drops off and accelerates again because of preseason, the bigger chance of injury. Something that none of us need. One of the toughest parts of holidays is trying to find the best place to eat. Trying to let my hair down and stuffing my face with chips and donuts, until the guilt comes back and I'm trying to find salmon and sweet potato. I get slagged for my food habits, eating too much sweet potato and bringing shakers with porridge in them when I'm hanging out with the lads. Maybe it's the Virgo in me, if you're into that kind of thing. Or maybe it's because the smaller fellas need to keep on top of things or we'll waste away completely. Whatever my reasoning, it's a bit of an obsession and definitely the hardest thing to switch off from. This obsession even affects my packing. While Chloe is worried about fitting in her makeup and outfits for each night, I make the conscious decision to pack a couple of kilos of protein supplements, kindly donated by our nutritionist, and whatever fits in after that is a plus! Rested and refreshed, before I knew it I was picking up the new kit and settling in to my new house in Limerick. The first day back is always a mix of excitement and a little anxiety which is only natural. We have also welcomed some new faces into the squad. I still remember being told I was going back to the academy sessions by Simon Mannix (then Assistant Coach). I had that conversation many times in the weeks before and was ready to tell him . But it's a great opportunity and I'm looking forward to seeing which one of them really puts their hand up, there's always at least one. This experience with the senior squad drove my ambition to succeed. One of the main things I dislike is the amount of food I have to try squash in throughout the day. I know what you're saying, 'really Johnny, tough life eh?' Now don't get me wrong, I love food as much as the next person, but when you're a small fella like me, eating never stops and three bowls of porridge a day can become a bit sickening! Talk to you next week,Johnny.
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