I'd like to know how people get themselves ready for tournaments. I certainly know a lot of people who show up cold even though they haven't played in months, and others who seem always in shape. What's your favorite strategy, if any?

I look up a few trick plays in my trick play encyclopedia, refresh on a few I want to use, take a quick swig from my energy drink, and go.

Death metal or black metal on my headphones before the first game and/or during the opening. Maybe also for the latter games too.

Then there's the usual stuff: play more and do more tsumego shortly before the tournament. But before the last tournament I didn't get a chance to do more than 30 minutes on the car ride up to my folks' place. And I didn't have any music to listen to that morning, and I went 2-0.

Maybe I need to reconsider my habits.

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I tend to exercise a little bit more, and do quite a lot more tsumego.

Leading up to it, I review a few trick plays in case I get paired with someone stronger than me. The night before, I try to get to bed early. I may even go to bed in the early evening and wake up 8 hours later in the middle of the night (if I wake up too close to the start I will probably still be tired). Then, I try to eat and drink very healthily until the tournament is over. I avoid things like pop and instead consume large amounts of juice. I don't know if that physically will make a difference, but it makes me feel better about myself and that can result in improved play.

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Each of us woke up one moment and here we were in the darkness.
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I drive 4 hours, and get too little sleep. =D

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Are you allowed to listen to music during a match? Would it seem a little rude?
Although I do like heavy music, I think I would prefer something more relaxing during a game! Or would that chill me out too much!?

Yes, I was wondering about this too. I don't think there's any problem with listening to music beforehand (in fact, during warmup at karate tournaments, a lot of karateka also do this), though I would be mildly annoyed if my opponent had a set of headphones on. Then again, if I had my way, we would all be playing in traditional kimono on tatami with the sound of a sōzu in the background.

You don't prepare for tournaments. Tournaments prepare for you...

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I would say music's fine, as long as it is not too loud. Get a good set of headphone

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If your opponent can hear it, then it's not fine. Ask them about it before the game, and even if he/she says it's alright, restrict yourself to a very small pair of ear buds that are not distracting.

In preparation for my first tournament, I learnt a really cool joseki (one of the rarer hoshi joseki), then used it against someone 6 grades higher (playing on even). He messed up the joseki, and I somehow won the game ^_^ .

In preparation for my second (most recent) tournament, I studied the 5-2 attachment to a 3-4 5-3 shimari (and then it came up in 4 out of my 5 games!)

Who knows what I'll study before my third one, hehe. I do tons of tsumego as is, so I'm not sure how much of an effect doing say an extra 50 would have...

People prepare for amateur tournaments???

1. Reread all of Ishida, as well as all the new Korean books on joseki
2. Solve every problem in Igo Hatsuyoron and Xuanxuan Qijing again
3. Memorize all games from the previous year by any player named Lee, Cho, Pak or Kim.

Actually, I try to get a good night's sleep, unless some friends want to go out for drinks, then I do that

I certainly will be, since I've never been to one!

Hmm. I hadn't really considered that people would prepare hamete so I didn't add it as an option.

I try to get enough sleep on the night before.

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Cho Hunhyeon supposedly sings Japanese folk songs during a match. Now, he's Cho and I'm me, but listening to music is surely less rude than making it.

More seriously, you're supposed to be really quiet during tournaments, so I would think that headphones are ok.

You also won't be hearing my music--I have/had decent heaphones (the cord is damaged as of two days ago, and I really hope they're salvageable).

As for the music choice, I find that black metal and death metal leave me energetic but really focused. There's very little else that I could listen to and focus--some classical, some electronic, some post-rock type stuff. Tastes may differ.

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what a coincidence thats my preparation too

It is probably irrational, but I think it a little rude. It feels for me as if the game is not taken seriously or my opponent would rather play via internet (the music puts him in his own world) than face to face. I try to ignore these feelings but i still have them. ..