Loong tournament day today - singles qualifiers for APA Regionals (leading to Singles Nationals). I wasn't as prepared as I should have been; I seriously underestimated how long I would be there. I made it to finals in both 8-ball and 9-ball and lost the final matches on both.
My performance had significantly degraded by that point, and there's really no excuse for it. I simply let the qualifications slip though my fingers because I was hungry, thirsty, and plain worn out... all things that could have been prevented by keeping myself properly hydrated and eating at least something! I didn't really think about it until I went home and drank and drank and drank and realized how dehydrated I really was. I even had a bit of a headache by the time I got home. Keeping hydrated in particular is important in the dry desert environment of Las Vegas. If you allow yourself to get dehydrated, it DOES affect concentration and fine motor control. It's important to keep nutrients flowing for the same reason.
On 'big' tournament days, I usually bring along bottled water and protein bars to fall back on if I'm unable to get away to get something. I didn't take any supplies along this time and paid the price.
3 weeks ago
No comments:
Post a Comment