Source: TheGuardian
What is pre-season training really like? I've done it for 18 years and still love it
Being watched, assessed and rated for each gut-busting run is exhausting but the sense of satisfaction after training far outweighs the aches in my musclesBy Mark Roberts for These Football Times, part of the Guardian Sport NetworkI was travelling back from the airport with my family when the radio informed me it was officially the first day of summer. The irony was that mine had already come to a close. There will be no more holidays for me until next May. I’m back at work as a professional footballer and pre-season No18 is underway. It’s crazy to think that my preparations for the new campaign started when some international players had not yet to fulfilled their commitments from last season. But that’s football: a relentless schedule that suffers no fools. You have to be willing to make countless sacrifices throughout the year, so your downtime with your friends and family is something you learn to truly treasure. Related: Will English football coaches produce losers by focusing on fun over results? Related: Retiring from football is traumatic for the pros – but it's even worse for us amateurs Continue reading......read full article