The keys to a world record preparation.

A couple of weeks ago, I had the privilege to be part of a team in assisting a guy called Matt Smith who was attempting a 9 year standing sheep shearing record (yes i didn’t known there was a record for that either!!)….

Matt Smith was attempting to break the record of shearing 721 sheep in 9 hours!

I first met Matt Smith via Matt Luxton, a fitness coach whom i link up with a couple of days a week who runs a successful fitness business in Lifton near Cornwall. He approached me asking if i could assist a client of his with massages. I then learnt about the task that was at a hand,

training Matt Smith for his world record attempt. Over a period of 7 months, Matt Smith has been put on a training program geared towards his shearing. He also received weekly deep tissue remedial massages from myself, that would put his body and mind in the best position possible for top condition.

As the weeks and months passed, his fitness improved, his body became leaner and stronger and his mind became clearer and more focused the closer the event drew near. But, and this is the important part, there were stumbling blocks.

Rarely would you have a perfect month of training. Matt ran a busy farm, had a young family and often would go without optimal sleep due to a young baby and work demands. Some weeks his body would be tight. He had small injuries along the way. A rib injury from a ram, he suffered leg cramps in the night, but as each week passed the meticulous design of coaching and adapting his treatment ensued. There was a target to be met and a deadline to do it. Come record day, the key stages to success were :

1. Mindset – not letting doubts creep in, keeping him calm and positive and reassuring him the work had been done. More importantly, problems would arise but he was equipped to deal with them

2. Nutrition – Matt was coached with a consistently programmed nutrition plan.It was an important rule not to deviate from anything out of what he was used to eating and drinking.

3. Functioning – in between his vigorous stints of shearing he had short massages that would keep the muscles from tightening up and flush out excess lactic acid enabling him to function at optimal level.

4. Hydration – Matt had 4 breaks during record day. After each run of shearing he would be weighed then he would eat and replenish fluids and be weighed. During the whole 9 hours of shearing he was kept within 1.5 kilos from his start weight. This proved that his regular stints of hydration through electrolytes ,water and carbohydrate drinks during each run was working.

Come the end of the day, Matt was shearing as quickly as he was at the start of the day averaging 44 seconds per sheep including catching the sheep. Matt didn’t just break the record he obliterated it by 10 sheep shearing 731 sheep in 9 hours (it had previously been beaten only by 1 sheep). The end was an emotional one with 20,000 people from around the world including New Zealand (where Matt was from) and Australia.

Another vital component was the team effort on the day and in the build up. Although Matt was doing the shearing he admits that there is no way the record could have been broken without the team behind him including a very strong supportive family.

So to sum up…. the key to world record preparation requires meticulous planning, progression, desire and unwavering support.

Matt Smith – one incredibly determined and amazing athlete. The record couldn’t have been smashed by a nicer guy.