That Long Jump Routine

Long jumping is a science. You train most days to maximise your speed and perfect your technique to utilise your strength and speed. So why do so many athletes have a routine they follow precisely every time they compete?

When I’m in a competition, particularly at a major, I know I have done everything I can to be in contention. Once you’re at a competition, you compete mostly with your mind. Sure there is a physical component to your performance but unless you physically injure yourself on the day, the only thing that will change is your mind.

In essence, to tell my mind that I am competing, I follow a routine, prior to the competition and while I’m on the runway before I jump.

The day I compete, I am very particular about what I eat. I don’t want to feel heavy on the runway so I choose to only eat banana sandwiches all day and maybe also have some yogurt for breakfast. I time my meals 4 hours apart, with the last one being 4 hours out from the start of competition to minimise excess food sitting in my gut.

Other things include washing my hair the morning I compete and having a shower just before I go out to the track so I feel fresh. I also wax my legs (a day or so before I compete) and sometimes even get a haircut. I always braid my hair in a single plait and wear a certain hair band (and even a certain pair of underpants).

On the way to the competition and during my warm-up (prior to check-in) I have a sequence of songs that I always listen to, starting with relaxing tunes and gradually becoming faster with more of a beat. The final song in my sequence is Doom’s Night by Azzido Da Bass which emulates the quickening speed on the runway, often supported with a clapping crowd. My actual warm-up is fairly similar each time but I wouldn’t say that I’m as particular about it, except when it gets to a certain point in Doom’s Night when I simulate increasing my speed on the runway, taking off, flying (a long distance) then landing.

Additional things I do prior to competing include putting fresh spikes into my shoes for major competitions (if not a new pair of shoes); always putting my right spike on before my left; wearing a certain pair of earrings; keeping my bike pants or leggings on in warm-up and only stripping down to competition uniform for the commencement of the competition.

Over the past 5 years, I’ve developed quite the pre-jump routine. Once I’m on the runway I walk towards the board and simulate a ripping action that I want to do off the board. Then I walk back past my mark and slap my left then right buttock muscles to tell them to fire in close succession and as I slap the right side, I pop up into the air a little. I turn and walk back to my mark, slapping my feet as far back in my shoes as they go. Once I line my right foot up with my marker, I take two breaths, breathing in the colour blue (to relax me) through my nose and out red through my mouth.

I wait for a tailwind (or as good as it is going to get), get the crowd to clap, then refocus. I get up on to my toes; tap my abdominals as a queue to maintain the right position of my hips and trunk and say to myself “hips high, staying open”; bounce a little on my toes with a little dip then back up again “rip, rip” then rock back on my left foot and off I go.

I will often add more self talk in according to what I need to work on (coach Gary helps me to determine this).

Between jumps, if there are more than 10 girls in the competition, I’ll always empty the sand out of my shoes to bide my time. Also if there is a long time between jumps, I practise the first few strides of my run-up and sometimes a drill for take-off and the other thing I do is write down some of my self talk which is often about my jumping and the competition in general.

Admittedly, my superstitions and routines seem to continually grow. I have been less particular about other things though, such as wearing something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue (the last time I did this one was on my wedding day). I also like going shopping and making a purchase the day I compete, I think the release of endorphins helps me but I also just like shopping so there’s no real evidence that it helps my performance so I’m not as particular about this one.

I’d recommend to younger athletes to have some small thing that they believe in - whether it be a pair of lucky socks or wearing a ribbon in your hair. Whilst competing, having some sort of a routine (I’m not recommending one as elaborate as mine) allows you to focus and perform to your best. I’m still working on my signature victory routine