Me and my body: Vavrinec Hradilek
White-water kayaker Vavrinec Hradilek
Thursday August 27 2009
The 22-year-old white-water kayaker has a recipe that he hopes will bring him success, both now and at the 2012 Olympics: salt, ice and Czech chow...
MIND GAMES
A good attitude before a race is important, as you have to be focused. Way back when, things I had on my mind during important races stopped me caring enough about my performance. It isn’t like football, where, if someone makes a mistake at the start, they have 89 minutes to repair the damage. If you make an error at the beginning of a kayak course, you only have about 80 seconds remaining, so you’re pretty much out already.
A BREATH OF FRESH AIR
I’ve had asthma since birth. A lot of sufferers stay away from sport, but I think it’s one of the best treatments for it, as you won’t find a better way to train your lungs, and if I use my inhaler correctly, I keep it under control. I also do breathing exercises, especially when I’m running or cross-country skiing as part of my training. They’re really useful at a race, because if I get nervous, breathing correctly helps to keep me calm. From next season, we’ll start cryotherapy. It’s the opposite of a sauna, with temperatures of -100°C. You enter ‘the cube’ and stay inside for two minutes, and it’s said to be more effective than a sauna. I may also go to the salt caves in Prague, artificial rooms made with Dead Sea salt. It’s just like going to the seaside; the air helps you breathe.
WORD ON A PLATE
I don’t follow a strict diet. I do this sport because I love it; I just don’t care too much about the diet. If an athlete is training hard and doing a lot of activity, it’s not important to be too strict. I travel a lot, so I like to try different cuisines, but Czech food, the stuff of my homeland, is still my favourite. I try to be healthy, but if I have an urge to have a burger, I’ll have a burger.
HE DOES HIS LEGWORK
You don’t need really strong legs to kayak, but I keep them fit by doing other sports, and if I only built up my arms I’d look silly. I use my legs in the boat for balance because the water is very changeable. Without good legs, I wouldn’t be able to paddle well.
COLD SHOULDER
In winter, we kayak in really cold water. It makes you more susceptible to joint and muscle injuries because, when the body is cold, it’s not focusing all its power on performance, but on keeping warm. Arms and shoulders are particularly sensitive to this, but so far I’ve been pretty lucky and never had any really serious injuries. There’s always some pain when I train hard, but I will always train hard. I hope to compete in the Olympic games in London, to feel that atmosphere.
