A Day In the Life: Rugby blue

Being a finalist and a university rugby player undoubtedly brings its own unique set of challenges. Having said that, I donโ€™t make life easy for myself a lot of the time โ€“ as my friends will undoubtedly agree.

Iโ€™m fortunate that studying History allows me to manage my time a lot more (with so few contact hours a week, itโ€™s actually difficult to manufacture a clash), so Iโ€™m normally able to hurry back to bed following 6am gym sessions which happen far too frequently for my liking.

Assuming I donโ€™t have to dragย myself out of bed when itโ€™s still dark to go and push some tin around, Iโ€™ll generally get up between the unholy hours of 8am and 9am. Most of my day, however, seems to revolve around making and eating copious amounts of food, so thatโ€™ll generally take up far too much of my time in the morning.

That being said, yesterday I was in the Rad Cam at opening time โ€“ watch this space for some continued improvement in morning productivity. Fatigue is definitely an issue I face when attempting to get enough quality work time in throughout the day โ€“ the post- lunch lull, as anyone (sporting or not) will tell you, is akin to pushing through the notorious โ€˜wallโ€™ in any fitness session.

I suppose in my ripe old age as a finalist, itโ€™s become less of an issue, with the result that the hours from 2-5pm are generally my most productive. I can then rip into training in the evening and come back and hang out with my housemates for some relaxation away from the books.

Iโ€™ve never understood people who are late night library shift enthusiasts โ€“ my suspicion is that itโ€™s half done for attention the next day, inspiring jealousy and anxiety in their friends and a sense of huge achievement in themselves. When it has to be done, it has to be done, but for me my bed is always a preferable alternative.

Itโ€™s undoubtedly a busy life, butย I wouldnโ€™t change it for the world: balancing sport and academics keeps me sharp for both of them, with each having their time and place. Iโ€™m sure my tutors would rather I spent more time on the latter, and my coaches the former, but famously you canโ€™t please everyone. I just hope I can keep hanging in there and get through this year with a degree and my body intact!

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