Getting fit for the National Team

Joy Fawcett spends some quality time with her daughter, Katey.

ERA Max, the official laundry detergent of the Women's United Soccer Association celebrates Joy Fawcett's return to action for the inaugural season. ERA Max is proud to go beyond providing a detergent that tackles tough stains by inspiring other women to enjoy the benefits of an active lifestyle.

Each week, Joy will reveal her personal challenges and triumphs related to her comeback, as well as offer tips that women can use to reach their active goals.

By Joy Fawcett

Now that the Spirit's season is complete, I've spent a lot of time watching the playoffs and preparing mentally and physically to rejoin the United States National Team, which will convene this week to prepare for our 2001-2002 season. Although I feel like I'm back in shape since my pregnancy, I know that I can expect a lot of intense training. Luckily, being part of the Spirit and finishing our season strong helped me achieve an advanced level of fitness more quickly than most expected... including myself. However, I am determined to maintain this level as I meet up with my old National Team teammates.

As a defender with the Spirit, I was matched up against some of the top forwards in each WUSA market, but now, with the National Team, I will have to out run, out dribble and out play the best forwards from each country. This means that, once again, I will need to step up and challenge myself to pick up my intensity of play even more.

So, needless to say, I've been a little busy in what some people thought would be my week of rest and relaxation. In fact, I've spent this past week motivating myself to take my career to another level. Granted, I've played with the National Team before, but it is still a new experience each time. There are always new players, new plays, new strategies and new challenges.

I am really looking forward to teaming up with my Spirit teammates again. Julie (Foudy), Shannon (MacMillan) and Jamie (Pagliarulo) have tremendous talent and it's always a pleasure to have them on your team. Unfortunately, competing countries, such as China, need their top players as well, which leaves us playing against Fan Yunjie and Wen Lirong, two very strong and admired players.

Knowing that some of my former teammates will now be my opponents poses a challenge very familiar to me. When the US National Team faces the China National Team on Saturday, September 15th it will be great to see Fan and Wen, but I will have to save those emotions for post game and focus on beating them on the field. I like to think that it will be similar to playing against Brandi Chastain and Mia Hamm in the WUSA season.

Competing against the top players in the world and representing our country is a great honor for me. This time around, I've remained focused on my personal strengths and challenges. I know I have a lot of experience to offer the team, but I also know that there are some younger women out there who may have an advantage in terms of age. I still feel I am in great shape, but I obviously had more stamina and endurance ten years ago. Nonetheless, I think the combination of seasoned veterans and newcomers will make us a successful national team.

Joy Fawcett's Weekly Workout

Although I've always known I wanted to rejoin the National Team, this week's announcement of my name on the roster has finalized it. I now need to get into the best shape of my life. Below you will find a few of the exercises that I did this week to keep my legs in shape and strengthen my muscles. I also took a little time for myself outside of soccer and just enjoyed being a mom. Please remember to check with your physician when beginning any exercises or starting a new routine.

Cardio: Remember when jumping rope was a simple recess activity? Well, now you can regress back to your childhood and make a great cardiovascular routine out of it. Jumping rope is a fun way to get your heart rate up (to a safe number) and strengthen your lower legs. Try jumping rope for 15 minutes straight and you'll be surprised at how good it feels and the results you can attain.

Beginning Routine	Intermediate Routine	Advanced Routine
Find a comfortable pace and try to maintain it for 15 minutes.	Jump rope for 15 minutes and try to do crossovers like in the good old days.	To challenge yourself, try to keep your heels from touching the ground. This will help build and maintain the muscles in your calves.

Weights/Strengths: Maintaining a strong healthy body is important as you age. So, whether it's in the weight room, outdoors or in your home, here are two leg exercises that I do routinely to firm and shape my legs. Remember to only do what's comfortable for your body and fitness level. Toning your muscles comes with time and repetition, so stick with it and you'll see a difference.

Quadriceps Leg Lift	Lunges
Sit one inch away from a wall with your legs straight out in front of you. Bend one knee and then lift your straight leg up three inches. Hold the lift for 10 seconds to one minute. Repeat this exercise for three sets..	Standing with your feet shoulder width apart, take a large step and drop into a lunge position. Make sure your thigh is parallel to the ground and do not let your knee go over your toes..

Challenges: Although joining the National Team is also a personal triumph, I have a lot of physical training ahead of me. I also know that playing against some of my former teammates will be somewhat challenging because of the relationships we've formed... but, there's no doubt that I am out to win one for the US National Team and make my country proud!

Personal Triumph: This past week I've been able to reconnect with life outside of soccer. Sometimes it's difficult to put your work aside, especially when you love what you do. Nonetheless, enjoying life and maintaining an active lifestyle will reflect in your happiness, attitude and social life. That's one reason why I'm so thankful ERA Max has given me the opportunity to reach out to other active women.