by Henry Gould – July 19th, 2019

#YARDWORK2019 is one day away! With a fully sold out event this is shaping up to be one of the best days of summer. A huge thank you to everyone who signed up, volunteered, organized and supported this amazing event getting put together.

Make sure to stop by the DJ tent and say hello… requests always welcome, just no guarantees I’ll have your track in the record bag 😉

For those who did YARDWORK 1.0 in Stanley Park, you know it was no cake walk. Chains were hauled, tires were flipped, and kettlebells were speed-walked at a very brisk pace. There were a lot of sore bodies the next day, which means fueling up with the right nutrition before / during / after the event is crucial to minimizing soreness, maximizing gains, and overall performing at your best.

Below are a few meal ideas for tonight, as well as breakfast ideas for tomorrow, snacks for during the day, as well as a stretching protocol.

NIGHT BEFORE // #YARDWORK2019

• Curious about trying intermittent fasting or a Ketogenic diet? Now is definitely not the time to start! Save it for next week. Training the body to run on stored body fat takes time, and if you’re not used to it you might crash and burn on the 50 yard line, halfway through a tire toss.
• “Carb loading” is the cliche before big sporting events, but there is no doubt your muscles need to be full of glycogen to perform at their best (glycogen being how the body stores sugar for energy).
• The night before, keep it simple:
  • Protein (chicken breast, chicken thighs, pork tenderloin, steak, tofu, cooked chickpeas)
  • Simple carbohydrate (pasta, rice, potato, sweet potato, squash)
  • Vegetables (salad, green beans, stir fried zucchini, roasted asparagus)
  • Avoid excess salt as you don’t want to get dehydrated
  • Limit alcohol, or abstain for one night (save it for the margarita bar at #YARDWORK2019…)
  • Water, water, water
• Stretching
  • Stretching should be done throughout your day, every day of the week. If you’re active, your muscles will constantly be getting tight due to the hard work you’re putting in, so stretching helps lengthen the muscle fibers, improving flexibility and preventing injury.
  • Get in a long, 10 minute stretch of the back, calves, hamstrings, quads, groin and neck the night before.

MORNING OF // #YARDWORK2019

• Again, simple carbs are key as you want to eat something easily digestible. Eating fried eggs and bacon is a bad idea, as those foods are much harder to digest and could leave you bloated and lethargic when the opening whistle starts.
• I can’t live without coffee, but before an event the caffeine can mess with your digestion, as well as dehydrate you. If you can, skip it and stick with water.
• Breakfast:
  • Oatmeal with berries, nut butter, yogurt + scoop of protein powder
  • Toast with nut butter, jam, yogurt
  • Natalie Cumberbirch’s “Coconut Peanut Energy Balls”
  • Ashley Hildebrand’s “Chickpea Flour Banana Pancakes”
  • Henry’s daily breakfast shake
    • 1/3 cup rolled oats, soaked in 1 cup of water for 10 minutes
    • 1 pinch cinnamon
    • 1 tsp honey
    • 1 scoop chocolate vegan protein powder
    • 1/3 banana
    • 2 ice cubes
    • 3 tbsp’s kefir yogurt (optional)
• Stretching#2
  • There will be a group warmup before the Social & Competitive divisions, but stretching before you get to Thunderbird Stadium is a really good idea.
  • Start from the ankles and work your way up. If something is really tight, don’t ignore it just because it hurts. Push through it, and allow the muscle to relax. Remember, any discomfort during stretching is always better than being injured.

DURING & AFTER // #YARDWORK2019

• There will be lots of water and Gatorade available during the event, but bring your own bottle to refill as it’s going to be hot. Your sweat is full of salt, which means you need to replenish those salts throughout your activity to avoid cramping. Gatorade has salt in it, but consider bring a spare in your bag just in case.
• Bring sunscreen! It’s going to be hot and sunny.
• Lunch is provided by Big Day BBQ, but just in case, stuff some of these in your bag:
  • Energy bars or protein bars
  • Bananas
  • Potato chips (carbs + salt + fat = great recovery snack)
  • Protein shake (bring the dried powder in a shaker cup, fill with water at the event)
• Stretching #3
  • When you’re done a big workout, usually the last thing you want to do is stretch. Unfortunately, this is the time you really need to be stretching.
  • Grab your team, get a cold beer, and sit down for a quick 5 minute stretch to release those tight muscles. Your body will thank you on Sunday…

That’s it! See you tomorrow at Thunderbird Stadium.

#YARDWORK2019