Last year was a jam packed year of hockey. 2018 saw us competing at the Commonwealth Games in Australia, the World Cup in London and still juggling club hockey for Holcombe Hockey Club in England.

Many players look forward to the winter break, to pack away your hockey equipment for a couple of months. For many of us that is not the case. Winter break is everything but time to relax. The intensity in your workouts drop slightly and there is a decrease in actual match play but don't be fooled, this is all balanced out by a lot of sprints, road running and gym circuits.

In search of much needed sun and warmth I decided to go back to South Africa and also spend time with my family during the most recent winter break. It was great to be able to see the people I love and spend the festive season with them. They always support my training schedule and understand how important it is which makes it easier.

It is nice to be able to train outside in the sun, run on the beach, go for hikes or mountain biking. It is good to stay active doing different types of activities and use other muscle groups that we don't always use in hockey. It keeps me energised and excited about training and also feeds my inner adrenaline junky.

I guess everyone is different but I love staying active and an ‘off season’ would not be the norm for me. I can get grumpy and anxious when I don't train or engage in some type of physical activity on a regular basis.

I get told many times to slow down because recovery is also very important for performance. Luckily I have a good balance and when I do the training I do because I love it then it always feels less stressful on the body and mind. I must admit warm weather always makes me train with a smile. This the best way to get my body ready to go full out again for the next part of my hockey season.

Dirkie Chamberlain